What if I Need to Enter the Tenant's Property for Repairs or Maintenance?
Landlord-tenant law in all 50 states requires landlords to make sure their property meets the definition of habitable. The term habitable means that it is safe for a tenant to live in one of the units of your rental property and the building itself. We outline your specific responsibilities and ...
What Should I Know About Setting and Collecting Security Deposits?
Collecting a security deposit from a new tenant helps to protect your investment should the tenant cause damage or break the lease. All 50 states give landlords the legal right to request a security deposit along with the first month’s rent when a new tenant moves into a unit. However, ...
What Are My Rights as a Landlord?
The Fair Housing Act and landlord-tenant laws in your state lay out plenty of things you cannot do when renting property to someone. However, it is just as important that you know your rights as a landlord to help protect your investment. This starts with conducting a background screening on ...
How Do I Run a Background Check on a Potential Tenant?
Advertising for a new tenant and accepting a rental application from them is only the first step in renting an available apartment, house, townhome, or condo. You also need to complete a background check to ensure you are renting to a responsible individual. The typical background check consists of many ...
How Do I Renew a Lease?
Your tenant is coming to the end of his or her lease agreement and you need to determine if you should offer a lease extension and how to go about it. Having an existing tenant sign a new lease is a good decision in most cases. Unfortunately, there will be ...
How Do I Deal with Non-Payment of Rent?
Although non-payment of rent is something landlords dread having to deal with, it is bound to happen at some point. As a landlord, you must follow specific steps outlined by the Housing Administration in your state. You could find yourself in legal trouble if you bypass the proper steps and ...
How Do I Deal With an Unauthorized Occupant?
As a landlord, one of the most important things you can do is make sure all your tenants are taking good care of your property. Sometimes, though, tenants do things without realizing that they are making poor choices. For example, they may invite other people to stay with them or move ...
How Can I Make Sure I Am Following the Law When Advertising to Potential Tenants?
There are a lot of things to be careful about as a landlord and one of the most significant is advertising. Advertising is not just about getting a good tenant for your property, but also about making sure your property advertisements do not violate any laws. You will want to avoid showing ...
How Is a Notice of Eviction Served?
A notice of eviction, or a notice to quit, is served by a property owner when they wish to terminate a rental agreement with their tenant or the party in possession of the property, and remove them from the premises. A notice of eviction is...