10 LANDLORD RESPONSIBILITIES YOU MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED
If you own real
estate and decide to lease it
out to someone else, then congratulations: you are now a landlord in the eyes
of the law. Whether you lease out a single family home or apartments in
a multiplex building, there are many landlord responsibilities that come with
the territory.
Some duties seem clear, like collecting rent or finding tenants
for a vacant unit. Others, however, may be less obvious. The more you learn,
the more success you will have with your real estate investments. Let’s
examine 10 landlord responsibilities you may have overlooked.
1. Knowing the Landlord-Tenant Laws for Your Jurisdiction
Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It’s your responsibility as a
landlord to know and understand all tenant-landlord regulations for your
city and state. Landlords can be (and often are) sued for not obeying their
state’s laws, even if they weren’t aware they existed.
2. Preparing a Legal Lease Document
The lease agreement and any other legal paperwork is all part of a
landlord’s duties. It’s your responsibility to ensure the rental contract is
legally written and abides by all laws. Leasing periods, monthly rental rates
and tenant names must be clearly indicated. In some jurisdictions, legal
disclosures, such as security deposit details, must be included. The lease
should also contain all appropriate clauses, such as advising tenants to purchase renters’
insurance. Many states have required language that must be included, such as
the Megan’s Law clause in
California lease agreements.
3. The Duty to Deliver Possession
Once a lease contract is signed, it is the landlord’s
responsibility to deliver possession of the rental unit to
the tenant on the agreed-upon date. The unit must be in move-in condition and
any previous tenants must have vacated the premises.
4. Implied Warranty of Habitability
Another obligation is to make sure the rental unit is in a safe,
habitable condition. The property must not have any serious deficiencies, and
any supplied appliances, fixtures, plumbing and heating must be in good working
order. The property must
be free of insects and pests. Landlords are generally responsible for getting
infestations under control, even if they occur after tenants have moved in,
although in most states landlords can avoid this by specifying in the rental
agreement that pest control is the renter’s responsibility.
5. Respect the Tenant’s Right to Quiet Enjoyment
According to most landlord-tenant acts, tenants have the right
to quiet enjoyment –
meaning to have the benefit of living in their home without being disturbed.
Once a tenant has possession of a property, the landlord may not interfere with
this right. It’s therefore the landlord’s responsibility to ensure he or she
does not enter the rental unit without proper notice (usually 24 – 48 hours,
except in emergencies). When a landlord enters the rental property, it must be
at a reasonable time of day and for a valid reason.
6. Completing Repairs in a Reasonable Time Frame
Tenants have
the responsibility of reporting any repairs that need to be done. Landlords’
responsibilities include responding to these reports and completing repairs in
a timely manner. Urgent repairs should be done right away, while minor issues
can be addressed more conveniently. But beware that unrepaired damage tends to
cause more damage, and tends to encourage tenants to vacate the
rental property.
7. Providing Safety Measures
It is your duty to protect your tenants, to a point. In some
jurisdictions, landlords must provide specific safety measures. These may
include fire and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, front door
peepholes, deadbolt locks on exterior doors and window locks.
8. Reporting Crime
If a landlord becomes aware of any criminal activity taking place
in one of their rental units, they must report it to authorities. For example,
some landlord-tenant acts have specific laws that can find a landlord liable if
their property is used for dealing or creating drugs.
9. On-Site Property Management
In some states, the law requires on-site property management of
multiplex buildings of a certain size. In California, for example, landlords
must provide on-site management of all residential rental buildings of 16 units
or larger.
10. Responsible for Property Manager’s Acts
An often-overlooked concern is that you can be liable for your
property manager’s acts, including illegal ones. If a property manager does not
follow local landlord-tenant laws and a rental application is refused based on
their religion or race, for example, the landlord can also be held responsible.
Stay up-to-date on your rental property’s operations and keep a watchful eye on
anyone who works for you.
Being a landlord involves a steep learning curve when starting
out, and the laws aren’t always simple. Taking the time to learn about your
responsibilities as a landlord can mean the difference between earning a nice
profit and losing money – or worse. Protect yourself by learning the laws that
apply to you and surrounding yourself with a team of professionals.
SOURCE: Rismedia.com
Post Script
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