| As landlords learn to be better landlords and tenants | | | | rule-of-thumb. 2.) Emergency; this includes fire and |
| learn to be better tenants, frustrations, costs, | | | | flood. In these situations, forget the 24-hour notice. 3.) |
| unnecessary complexity, and animosity wane from the | | | | To show potential renters or purchasers the property; |
| historically bitter tenant/landlord relationship, breaking | | | | again, sufficient notification is required. Also, make sure |
| new ground in the way rent is approached. Let's begin | | | | the tenant is actually notified, missed phone calls don't |
| making this world a better place, one renter and one | | | | count (yea we all know you've done that). |
| landlord at a time with the fundamentals - basic tenant | | | | It is also important to know the Maintenance |
| rights. | | | | Responsibilities of the Landlord and the Consequences |
| The following review of rights will hopefully provide a | | | | if these responsibilities are ignored. Landlord must |
| basis on how to act in certain situations, be you a | | | | provide adequate: weather proofing (no leaks), heating, |
| landlord or tenant. The goal today is to shed light on | | | | water, hot water, electricity, and a clean, sanitary |
| how to prevent mishaps and act appropriately when | | | | environment. |
| mishaps do occur without ever overstepping the legal | | | | Adequacy is typically defined according to the state, |
| parameters, designed to protect both landlords and | | | | and any gray areas are often covered by common |
| tenants under the cloak of Tenant Rights. Let's start | | | | law precedent set in previous court rulings. These |
| with the tenant selection process - don't discriminate! | | | | conditions a legally expected to exist on the day the |
| No Discrimination - It is illegal to reject tenant | | | | tenant moves in, so it is recommended that the tenant |
| applications based on discriminatory reasons, set forth | | | | take a detailed walkthrough of the unit, noting any |
| by the Fair Housing Act. Discrimination based on the | | | | conditions not in line with the aforementioned. Keeping |
| following is illegal, (so don't get the Department of | | | | track of dates is important, and proving the date is |
| Justice on your back) race, color, religion, national origin, | | | | equally important, so make sure to do something like |
| age, familial status (children, pregnant), physical or | | | | developing dated pictures - get it recorded somehow. |
| mental disability. | | | | Furthermore, submitting work orders or requests to |
| Obvious enough, right? Think again. How many times | | | | landlords are always best done in a documentable |
| have you heard "I only want girls living here; boys are | | | | fashion, not just by mouth. This allows the tenant to |
| too messy." Maybe, you even heard the sentence | | | | record the date of the request, and give the landlord |
| flipped around. Regardless, the gender stereotype is | | | | an opportunity to think over the matter (not putting him |
| insufficient to circumvent discrimination laws, and it is | | | | her on the spot). If the landlord ignores the request and |
| illegal to operate in this fashion. In fact, it is even illegal | | | | does not tend to the matter within the given period of |
| to advertise in any discriminatory way. There is, | | | | time, the tenant has the right to make repairs and |
| however, an exception to the rule worth noting - | | | | deduct the cost from rent, withhold rent until problem is |
| Landlords with 4 or fewer rental units are exempt | | | | fixed, pay less rent, call local building inspector to |
| from such discriminatory laws, so spare yourself the | | | | approach the situation coercively, or move out without |
| litigious thoughts if you got rejected by Mrs. Smith who | | | | any responsibility of future rent and with the right to |
| won't rent you her basement (her only rental) because | | | | reclaim the entire security deposit. Cosmetic damages |
| you are a 21-yr old, male, student/party connoisseur. | | | | are not the responsibility of the landlord, nor are |
| Other exceptions to the rule include housing specifically | | | | damages resulting directly and solely from tenant |
| designed to meet certain needs of certain people. | | | | actions; however, the landlord may still be responsible |
| Example: retirement home, low income housing etc. | | | | to alleviate the problem without any financial |
| Next, the tenant has a right to "Habitable Premises." | | | | responsibility (landlord will fix it, but won't pay for it). So |
| Here's another deceptively dicey one. As it may, again, | | | | tenants, don't take a baseball bat to your water heater |
| seem straightforward and obvious that all living | | | | and think the landlord is going to pay. |
| conditions must be safe and clean for tenant use, it is | | | | The final, highly common, issue in the world of rent is |
| often mistaken by the tenant that a gross infestation, | | | | who is responsible to pay rent in certain situations. The |
| for example, of rats or cockroaches is justification for | | | | Parties to a Lease are any persons who signs the |
| breaking the lease. This, however, is not always the | | | | lease agreement with the landlord. Any person who |
| case. If the infestation or poor living condition is a result | | | | signs is responsible for the total amount of the rent |
| of the the tenant's lifestyle, than the tenant is financially | | | | due, so the landlord can pursue any roommate for the |
| responsible for the correction, and it provides no | | | | entire amount. If you, as a roommate-tenant, pay your |
| grounds to legally break the lease agreement. It is | | | | share of the rent, your obligation is not over until your |
| however, the landlord's responsibility to respond to a | | | | roommates (or somebody) pays for their shares as |
| tenant request regarding the treatment of the | | | | well. However, landlords can only collect the amount |
| inhabitability issues, but the bill may be forwarded from | | | | owed, so they cannot collect the full amount from |
| landlord to tenant. | | | | multiple tenants. Tenants, just be aware. |
| Let's talk about Privacy. Most all landlords know these | | | | These five issues are the most common subjects of |
| rules, but often choose to ignore them. Also, landlords | | | | disagreement and confusion amongst tenants and |
| typically forget that it's not just you, the landlord, who is | | | | landlords. Clarity on all of them help both parties to |
| not allowed in, but it is everyone in anyway connected | | | | know the generally appropriate course of action in said |
| to you who is not allowed in. This means Bob from | | | | situations. Blindly and aggressively attacking the |
| Landlord's Plumbing Services is not allowed to just | | | | opposite party without a basis of knowledge might be |
| come in and check the water heater without warning. | | | | misplaced and lead to unwanted results. Don't live in |
| Anyhow, there are only three situations that landlords | | | | festering anger. Knowledge of Landlord/Tenant right |
| are legally permitted to enter tenant dwellings: 1.) for | | | | and wrong in common situations engenders a |
| repairs after sufficient notification to the tenant. Federal | | | | harmonious, healthy relationship, perpetuating happiness |
| law defaults to statutory law on what is considered | | | | on both sides, simplifying life, simplifying rent. |
| "sufficient notification," but use 24 hours as your | | | | |