Ways You're Sabotaging Your Relationship With YourLandlord

Everything is running smoothly, you move into a new home, you're feeling really good because the vibe is great and suddenly everything's changed. In particular, your landlord is always giving you that "look". So before you confront him, why don't you evaluate how things were going since you've moved in?

While some would say, "why would I care?", it is still nice to show your landlord respect and politeness because you'll be dealing with him for quite a while and it's always better if there is harmony in every relationship.

Here are some of the reasons why your landlord is suddenly irked.

Late Rent

Look at it this way, if you're waiting for someone to pay for something, wouldn't you get mad if he can't pay on time? After all, he promised he'll return it in a timely manner?
Same goes for monthly rent. You and your landlord had an agreement and unless there is an emergency which you have to let him know, you should pay on time. You have an obligation that you shouldn't take for granted no matter what the circumstances are.

Renting An Apartment With A Felony

Not everybody has a clean background and some even more dubious than others but what if you have a felony record that of course you cannot hide but you need to rent an apartment at the same time?
The fact is that most landlords conduct extensive background checks on their potential renters so if you have a record, chances are you will face a rather difficult circumstances in looking for a rental but with careful research and tactics, you might just be able to secure a rental.
Here are some tips to help you.

Do Your Research

Some apartment owners don't do background checks so it's best if you consult with a real estate agent regarding this matter or you can find an agent who knows specific rentals for felons.

Essential Questions To Ask Yourself When Screening Tenants

As a landlord, you have the rights to choose which tenant can rent your property and while there are several law siding with tenants; you also need to protect your property so when you’re deciding who to rent it out to, you need to have a set of standards you can adhere to.
A good interview session with your prospect can help you determine who will finally move in.

Their Reason/s for Moving

There can be numerous reasons for wanting to move like a better job opportunity nearby, they’re looking for a bigger space and your house fits perfectly into the picture or change of scenery which is still alright but watch out if they have ever been forced to move out or do they have disputes with former landlords which is alarming at the very least.

Top 10 Fair Housing Mistakes

A good landlord doesn't discriminate; he protects and assists his tenant/buyer in any way he can. If a landlord does any of these top ten things then he will surely get into trouble.
As a buyer/tenant, be aware of your rights and fight for them if you need to and as a landlord/seller, know these things lest you want to be in serious legal trouble which can cost you a lot of money.
Here are the top ten fair housing mistakes that both buyer/tenant and landlord/seller must know.

"Children May Not Ride Bicycles On The Sidewalk"

People with children in the house should be treated the same way as people with no children in the house. It would be more acceptable if you say "No riding bicycles on the sidewalk."
People with children in the house can take this opportunity to fight for their right and that means fair treatment for all.

"How Many Kids Do You Have" or "Are You Pregnant"

Be careful with your questions; it may be a benign question to you but it can be discriminatory to some. People who are pregnant or are currently undergoing a legal custody battle for a child "are also protected under familial status".

Important things about "The Lead Disclosure Rule"

Lead is considered a toxic metal which can be found in the Earth's outside layer. It is a harmful substance causing severe environmental damages and human health problems. Lead is dangerous especially to young children and have permanent effects on different organs and systems of the body.
When lead goes into the body, it is dispensed to the brain, bones, kidney and liver. When there is lead build-up in the body, "it is stored in the teeth and bones". To determine human exposure to this substance, a blood examination is required.

Years before 1978, houses in the US have been contaminated with lead-based paints making the dwellings hazardous and in 1992, The US Congress approved the "Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Act of 1992" or known as Title X.

This law is aimed to save and prevent families from getting contaminted from paint, dust and soil.
Before buying or renting a property, you need to make sure that you know what you're getting into that's why this act was made.

Here are some of the things you need to be aware of.

Knowing Your Rights

Before the year 1978, many properties were built using lead-based paint. If the paint has some serious cracks or at the point of getting worse, it is a serious health threat to the occupants of the property. As a buyer, you have the right to know whether or not lead is present before you sign a contract or lease.

As A Homebuyer

If you are a buyer, the homeseller must give you the following before you seal the deal;
"An EPA-approved information pamphlet on identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards titled Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home (PDF)."

A detailed presentation stating that lead-based paint was used in the property you are buying.
Records and reports regarding lead-based paint must be given for multi-unit properties.
Confirmation that the seller fulfilled all the "notification requirements" which include "Lead Warning Statement" must be presented.

As A Tenant

You must receive all of the above before entering into a deal with the landlord.
You must be properly notified and well-informed that lead-based paint was used in the property you are going to rent.

You must take into consideration and examine al facts regarding lead-based paint especially if you have kids before deciding to rent the property.

*Both landlord, homeseller, renter or buyer plays an important role in protecting each other against lead-based paint. If there is a doubt that the paint used in the property is lead-based, it is important to have it tested and that the homeseller or landlord notifies potential clients. As a parent or anyone who have kids to think about, you need to look things through before entering into a negotiation that's why "Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Act of 1992" was made. It was made to protect would-be homeowners and renters.

Building Excellent Tenant- Landlord Relationship

You find a house that you absolutely love and you can picture yourself living in it for a long time so you negotiate with the landlord. Everything goes smoothly; you and your landlord are in good terms. This is a perfect scenario where the renter and the landlord have a good relationship.
It is not that hard to build a good tenant-landlord rapport. If two people, in this case the tenant and landlord both know how to compromise and talk things through then they will have a smooth relationship after all, they will be a constant presence in each others' lives.
How do you maintain a good relationship between landlord and tenant?

As A Tenant

When Searching

Before you even search for a new place, know what you want, know what you're not going to compromise on and know the things you can bend on a little because this saves you and your would-be landlord time going back and forth and  not meeting eye to eye.
As a tenant, you also have to know that there are amenities you're looking for that the property doesn't have so your requirements need to be reasonable to maintain a good relationship.

Preventive Maintenance Tasks for Landlords

Being a landlord is no easy task; even if you are earning good money, there are things to be done like paper works, interviewing would-be tenants, attending home owners association and maintenance work.

To keep your tenants satisfied, you also need to look at this aspect. For starters, appliance repair is a must especially if those are old models because they need fine-tuning at times or maintaining the garden.

As their landlord, it's your job to take care of the place they live in and its surroundings.
These are the most common preventive maintenance tasks you need to be aware of:

How To Solve Common Complaints From Tenants

Renting out a property means having a steady income but as a landlord you also need to address whatever complaints your tenants have against the building or against each other or even against you.

By making positive actions for their benefits can result to a harmonious relationship between all of you.

Here are some of the possible scenarios where your tenant complains about something:

Their Security Deposit

The requirement for security deposit varies per state; if you feel a little lost about the law in your area, look it up in your local municipality website but you are usually given 30 days to return your tenants' security deposit or if you're keeping a fraction of it or everything; you need to let them know the reason why you are doing so.

Be knowledgeable about these matters unless you want to get sued by your tenants.

Your tenants' security deposit cannot be used to renovate your property unless you need to have something fixed in the vicinity due to your tenants' doing.

Pros and Cons of Owning Rental Properties

Owning rental properties has its share of ups and downs. On one hand you're happy that you have extra money from the rent to spare and on the other hand there are things you need to contemplate on like all those maintenance work that needs to be done.

There are several pros and cons when it comes to renting out your properties and it's up to you to choose if the good outweighs the bad.

Pros

Monthly Rent

Who doesn't want that? If you have multiple properties that you are renting out and if you know how to handle your money well; chances are you can save up for the rainy days. Say you are renting out each of your 10 properties for $1500 a month; that's already $15,000 in total and a whopping $180,000 in 12 months.

Just don't forget that you need to pay taxes and allot a portion of the rent for maintenance of the properties.

Essential Questions to Ask Yourself When Screening Tenants

Renting out your property can sometimes be intimidating. Some prospects are alright but there are others who may appear a little rowdy and ludicrous for your liking so when interviewing them; ask yourself some questions about what you see or not in these people to determine if you will let them move in.

Use your answers to evaluate whether or not they pass your standards.


How Honest Are They?

While revealing sensitive information can be a turn off; tenants who are not hiding anything will talk about themselves in an openly manner. Things like their credit score and the real reasons why they need to move to a different location matters. If for example they don't have a perfect credit score but tells you the real reason as to why; it shows that they are honest especially if you've done the necessary background checks beforehand and you already know the true story about their credit.

How To Negotiate Changes To a Rental Lease

There are instances where you need to make some changes on your rental lease for a couple of reasons. These reasons may include changing your pay dates or  you need to counter rent increase or you need to end your lease early. Whatever reasons you may have, you need to have serious negotiating skills to get the results you want in a positive manner.

Amount of Rent

If you feel you're being charged more than you should, you can talk with your landlord in a calm demeanor stating that there is a place near your rental that you can get for a lower amount but with the same features but add that you like your place better if only he can lower the rent a bit. You can also add that if he lowers your rent you'll be taking very good care of the unit.

Pros and Cons in Using An Agent

When house hunting, there are many things you look at and consider before actually
deciding which to buy or rent. Impulse decision is a no-no because in the long run, you may
regret choosing the property you live in now for a variety of reasons like it's infested with
mice or it's a chaotic environment.
Along these things, what you really should consider is if you're going to go with an agent.
Hiring an agent have different advantanges and disadvantages. Below are some pointers
you might want to review before you decide.

Pros of Getting an Agent

Access to MLS

Access to an MLS is advisable when you're looking for reputable properties because MLS
list are thorough. They list all the details you need to know about the property you want to
buy or rent like how old the property is or does it have existing disputes.

You Save Time

Everybody is busy nowadays, don't you think? So why bother look for listings yourself
when you can have an agent do that for you?

Landlord-Tenant Rights in Philadelphia PA

Every State in the U.S. has different Landlord-Tenant Laws. This means that both the landlord and tenant must abide with strict regulations implied by the local government in this case, Philadelphia which is the sixth most populous city in the U.S.

As a landlord you have duties and responsibilities to your tenant.

Before sealing the deal here are the things you should know regarding your right as a tenant or a landlord.

Unfair Rental Practices

If you are the landlord, be mindful that the law prohibits you to retaliate against your tenant when he files a complaint declaring violations, connecting with tenant organizations or fighting for his legal right. There are many forms of retaliation and this includes shutting off the utilities, increasing the rent and trying to evict the tenant.

This law also includes victims of domestic violence or sexual assault protections.

If you as a tenant have been a victim of this violence you can call the local office to ask for assistance.

Things To Fix If You Will Rent Houses

If you are currently thinking of a safe way to do your business, you believe rent houses? Maybe you have spent in other endeavors like canteen grocery store and drug store, but you realized they take the majority of your time and money. If you prefer to earn as you're spending your holidays read the suggestions which will let you make a significant profit out of this kind of business.

• Provide standard home necessities for your tenants. You have to check what you have on your premises if you like your home to attract tenants. Check if the necessities shall suffice to offer lodging that is good to your tenants. Have you got a water supply? If you have problems with this, you need to assess the provider in your area you won't confront the renters' complain every day when they need to go to the bathroom.

• Is your power supply stable? To solve this problem, if not you must make some steps. Electricity is crucial to all homes if the family is dependent upon it to cook their meals. You must also be certain that the kitchen is good enough for your family. The ventilation must be taken into account since this is vital in any dwelling. There are times that a house has the rooms, kitchen and relaxation room but the ventilation is not good. No matter how nice your house may seem if you can't breathe fresh air in there, you won't even desire to occupy it.