Fall property inspections are a best practice to prepare rental properties for winter weather conditions. Experienced landlords know that preventative actions taken well in advance of the first winter storm can save on costly property repairs resulting from winter rain, snow, and ice conditions. A landlord has the obligation to keep the rental premise fit […]

It is not unusual that a selected applicant informs a landlord at the time when security deposit and rent are to be paid that he/she is short some of the funds due. What you can do may depend upon whether the issue is regulated by your state’s landlord-tenant statutes, local ordinances, and the terms and […]

When a tenant needs to break the lease due to unexpected circumstances – as examples, employment transfer to a distant location, financial difficulty due to medical expenses, or employment termination – none of which allows the tenant to break the lease – the landlord and tenant are free to negotiate a termination that is acceptable […]

A lease is a contract. Both signatories to the lease agreement, landlord and tenant, signed a binding contract that stated terms acceptable to both at the time the document was executed. Neither the landlord nor the tenant can unilaterally terminate the lease during the specified lease term without potential penalties. Both landlord and the tenant […]

When changes are being made to a lease you can always either amend the existing lease agreement or create a new lease. If the number and complexity of changes being made would be significant relative to the overall terms and conditions of the lease, it is usually best to create a new lease document. Many […]

What you need to do to terminate the lease depends on the clauses in your lease agreement and applicable landlord-tenant statutes for the state where your rental property is located. It can be of benefit for the lease agreement to address end-of-lease issues. For example, the agreement may state that the tenant is expected to […]

The answer primarily depends on what it says in the lease agreement that the three co-tenants signed. Adding or subtracting co-tenants is not an unusual event, so a lease agreement should always contain adequately detailed information regarding the shared deposits and rent – specifically what happens in the beginning, when co-tenants are added or subtracted, […]

Landlords with rental properties in areas that are at risk for hurricanes, flooding, and storm surges must take certain precautions to protect their properties and ensure tenant safety during storm season.  According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “The ability to quickly recover following a hurricane requires a focus on preparedness, advance planning, and […]

An applicant applying for his first rental obviously cannot provide previous rental history for a reference check  but that does not mean the applicant should be automatically disqualified from renting or is potentially less qualified than a tenant with years of rental history. A landlord must look to other references to qualify the applicant. Commonly […]

A landlord calling on a landlord reference check must verify the identity of the reference, the rental address, and confirm the full name of the applicant to the full name of the former tenant. Verification of applicant identity is critical if the applicant has a common surname or generational suffix. A landlord must vet the […]