What are some of your responsibilities as a Landlord? ….. #94

#Tenant #Landlord #home

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I don’t know about you, but the news I typically see with regards to landlords is that some are terrible people to begin with, or they get in over their head, or they just have no clue about what can be reasonably expected from them. I’ll go over a few of the basics here. Now, I’m not a lawyer so just know your best bet is always to have legal representation if things get out of hand.

1. You need to know what the Landlord-tenant law is for where the rental unit currently is. That means you need to look up the relevant laws related to the rental of your unit. The common defense of not knowing it was a law doesn’t work in the real world.

2. You should be able to put together a lease. Do not try to rent a property without some sort of written lease. It is your best defense against a tenant, and it also sets the standards for both the tenant and landlord to follow.

3. If you have agreed to lease a property on a certain date, you need to have the property available for lease that day. Tenants could be moving from across the country and expect to be able to move into their unit. If you delay, you are out of compliance with the lease agreement. One of the things I noticed when I was a property manager was that if things start off bad, they usually didn’t get better. One of the worst things you can do is not have a unit ready for lease at move in.
4. Your rental unit needs to be in safe, habitable condition and kept that way throughout the lease. If a major component goes out, say the furnace in the middle of winter, you need to have someone on hand who can respond to the repair quickly. The same thing is true with water leaks…if left on, water will destroy your unit and make it unlivable. Tenants expect that you will take care of repairs in a quick and efficient manner. They’re not going to want to wait weeks or months to get a repair.

5. The tenant has a right to be left alone. That means that you can’t barge in unannounced. There’s nothing in a lease agreement that says your tenant has to be your best friend. It’s called the right of peaceful enjoyment.

6. Make sure your property is up to and keeps with the local building code. Tenants in St. Louis are going to want screens on their windows. They want to feel safe knowing that their door locks are functioning properly.

7. Should you find out that criminal activity is taking place in your rental, you are obligated to report it to the police. Why? Perhaps the neighbors don’t want to have to deal with criminal activity.

8. Keep in mind that even if you hire a property manager, they aren’t allowed to break the law either. Refusal to rent to someone under certain groups covered by fair housing laws is illegal.

9. As a landlord, you are responsible for the eradication of pests. That means if cockroaches invade your unit, you are responsible. I once lived in an apartment complex in springfield Missouri as a college student. There was a roach infestation, and it was bad. I’ll never forget sitting at my coffee table eating and then some random roach would walk by. Just disgusting.

10. You have a responsibility to return the security deposit at the end of the tenancy if it is warranted. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen landlords receive security deposits and just count it as income. That money is not free money. If the tenant does a great job, give them their money back.

Sources: Me

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