Question I’m wondering how long I must keep documentation related to operation of my rental home? Answer Landlords need to keep records related to every vacancy for at least the length of time when they might be relevant to defending against an alleged fair housing violation or against a lawsuit from regarding any other issue […]

Question I have three unrelated tenants in one of my rental homes, all having signed the lease when they moved in at the same time following a vacancy. One tenant has left and the other two remain. The tenant who left is seeking her security deposit back. Who is responsible for paying back the deposit; […]

Question 1 The water heater in my rental property went out yesterday. How do we compensate the tenant until a plumber can replace it? Answer 1 How you compensate the tenant depends entirely upon what the two of you can agree on. Factors that might be relevant to any compensation amount might be (1) the […]

Termination and Eviction Overview – Part 2 Eviction is the legal process to remove a person from occupation of real property. However, before an eviction lawsuit can be filed, a landlord must first serve the tenant with a legal notice of intent to terminate the tenancy. A previous article on Termination and Eviction provided discussion […]

Property Inspections Regular property inspections help protect your business, property, and tenants. For many reasons and in most states, property inspections may be a statutory requirement for rental housing compliances. As examples, warranty of habitability, landlord-tenant statutes, local jurisdictional requirement for business operations, local building, fire, safety, and health codes, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher […]

Maintenance Inspections Regular maintenance of rental property can increase its marketability and extend its economic life. The pride of ownership as reflected in the property’s appearance can translate into fewer vacancies and better tenants. For those landlords looking to trade up or dispose of a property, resale value can be directly affected by how well […]

Termination and Eviction Overview – Part 1 When a tenant fails to materially perform according to his lease agreement, a landlord must decide the appropriate course of action to protect his investment. For many landlords the better business decision sometimes is to terminate the tenancy and file an eviction lawsuit. Eviction is the legal process […]

Legal Possession of the Rental Unit The landlord-tenant lease agreement is a legal contract that defines the rights and responsibilities of landlord and tenant. The landlord has the right to receive rent for the use of the property. The tenant receives the right to the possession and use of the rental property free from interference […]

Question A tenant in my 4-plex is a painting contractor and we are discussing trading two month’s rent on his unit for some painting on the property and for some painting on my personal residence. How do I handle this income tax-wise? Answer You actually need to be concerned about four different legal issues. One […]

Advertising Your Vacancy The local rental market has a direct relationship to filling vacancies. How quickly and how successfully you find your next tenant depends on the size and constraints of the current rental market and on your policies and standards. Supply and demand for rental properties may fluctuate in response to economic pressures and […]