A good beginning for a new tenancy starts with the tenant’s clear understanding of the tenant’s obligations under landlord-tenant statutes and the landlord’s lease agreement. Both landlord and tenant have legal rights, responsibilities and duties. There can be no assumption on the landlord’s part that a new tenant fully understands his tenant duties and responsibilities. […]

Whether the landlord or the tenant will be responsible for snow removal may depend upon the language in the lease agreement and/or state statutes and local ordinances that address the issue. The location of the rental property, the type of property, and the number of units in a multi-unit property may also determine landlord or […]

Unless prohibited by statute, your lease agreement should require the tenant to provide you advance notice of the tenant’s plan to be absent from the rental unit for a period of time expected to be longer than XX number of days. In some states the issue of tenant absence from the premise is specifically addressed […]

A Winter Newsletter is a good way to provide tenants with helpful winter safety and maintenance tips that can help keep the rental premises in good condition and more energy efficient. The newsletter might provide tips such as having the tenant: Inspect the rental unit for blocked or closed vents in living spaces. A heating […]

How a landlord responds to a caller regarding an ad for a rental vacancy or welcomes a visitor to an open house showing can make a difference in the prospect’s interest in moving forward to the application stage. The caller’s or visitor’s answers to a few crucial screening questions can help the landlord determine if […]

The rental agreement between landlord and tenant is a legal contract setting out landlord and tenant responsibilities and obligations in the same manner as does a lease agreement for a fixed-term. The landlord is obligated to offer and maintain housing in a safe and sanitary condition under the implied warranty of habitability. The landlord is […]

An important issue is to make sure you understand your state’s landlord-tenant statutes regarding rental agreements, particularly notice requirements to change or terminate a month-to-month tenancy. While some states do not have a state statute on the amount of notice required to change rent or other terms, in general the amount of notice that a […]

Offering a month-to-month rental agreement can be advantageous for a landlord in certain circumstances depending upon the landlord’s business plan, area market conditions, and tolerance for risk. A month-to-month tenancy is automatically renewed each month unless the landlord or tenant gives the other party the proper amount of written notice, typically 30 days, to terminate […]

Some landlords may assume collecting a security deposit is all the protection a landlord needs against tenant rent default and property damages. A landlord in developing his security deposit policy will need to determine how much financial protection is really necessary for his business and assess whether a security deposit can actually provide that level […]

Finding a good tenant is a challenge. Keeping a good tenant is a sign of good business. Tenant turnover is expensive and time consuming. There is no guarantee the replacement tenant will be equal to or better than the outgoing tenant. There is every potential that a new tenant can be a problem tenant once […]