How to Avoid Landlord-Tenant Feuds

1
Avoiding Landlord-Tenant Feuds
averting unpleasantness before it happens
2
Tenant Screening

• A large percentage of landlord woes could be
  avoided if simple tenant screening practices had
  been employed.
• By screening potential tenants, you are able to
  look for areas that may become a problem. By
  knowing them, you can better plan for them.
• Be sure to understand the legalities of what you
  are able to screen for, and what you are not.
  While screening is okay within boundaries,
  profiling is not.

3
Consider the Community

• Every community has its own personality. By
  considering the type of community you are renting
  into, you can avoid problems in the future.
• If your renters are a quiet couple with no kids,
  they may easily grow frustrated if living in a
  community full of active children.
• Although its not necessarily your problem,
  tenants tend to find scapegoats for their
  problems. Landlords are perfect targets.

4
Clear Communication

• The majority of landlord-tenant disputes could
  have been avoided with better communication early
  on.
• Discussing common problems up front often
  prevents them later it can be hard to find
  common ground once trouble ensues.
• By spending time focusing on clear and concise
  communication and documentation, you lessen the
  probability of a big blow-out in the future. It
  is truly an investment that pays in dividends.

5
Do Your Part

• Although it may not always seem like it, most
  people arent looking for trouble. The majority
  just want to live their lives with as little
  problem as possible.
• Repairs and maintenance are a common source of
  friction be sure to have several
  contractors/handymen ready to call at the first
  sign of a needed repair.
• When you take care of maintenance promised and
  upgrading facilities when needed, tenants stay
  happy and vacancy rates drop.

6
Have The Correct Forms

• Agreeing in writing, ahead of time, will prevent
  many common problems before they ever take place.
• Every time that you and another sign a document,
  you are stating fact to be used in a court of
  law if ever necessary. This is not a small thing.
• To help, there are online businesses that keep
  track of necessary forms per state. They can also
  help with other tasks, such as drafting a lease
  agreement template.

7
Use Software to Build Your Own Leases

• Lease agreements can be a tricky and expensive
  document to have drafted. If you manage several
  rentals, than the cost of continual customization
  can become prohibitive.
• Regardless, leases are the backbone of landlord /
  tenant relationships and must be taken very
  seriously.
• By employing an online lease building software,
  you can easily create and modify your own lease
  templates while the software checks for accuracy.

8
Keep Copies of Everything

• When a landlord-tenant relationship grows heated,
  it is important that you are prepared for what
  may come. This means having kept proper
  documentation.
• Litigation is not the route that most people want
  to go down. Unfortunately, it is sometimes the
  only recourse.
• By keeping copies of every transaction, notes
  from meetings, and other interactions, you carry
  a much stronger case.

9
Know Your Rights

• Many people get hurt in landlord-tenant
  transactions merely because they do not know what
  rights the law affords them. In this case,
  ignorance is not bliss.
• The other party may well be wrong about the law
  as well. People often badger others into
  believing something that is simply not true.
• By knowing your rights you can short-circuit
  potential problems before they get out of hand.

10
Wouldnt it be Great If

• The landlord that finds the perfect tenant is the
  landlord that won the jackpot. The rest of us are
  often not so lucky.
• By using clear communication, proper
  documentation, and honoring your
  responsibilities, you will at least find that the
  amount of drama decreases.
• New tenants are an unknown remove the risk of
  rent defaults by insuring your rentals cash
  flow. Even if the tenant stops paying the rent,
  the insurance will pay it until you evict them
  and find a new tenant.
• Http//www.ezlandlordforms.com