Being a landlord is a full-time job. Even when your tenants are amazing, you can’t escape the pile of responsibilities that come with owning property.
Though every landlord’s experience is bound to be unique, common situations with which most landlords must deal will inevitably arise. Here are five of those classic situations, along with tips for how to handle each one.
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1. Excessive, Repeated Calls for Repairs or Maintenance
When your tenants need to have a repair performed, you mustn’t put them off. Now and then, however, certain tenants will call their landlord a little too often.
Though it’s your job to make repairs in a timely fashion, you don’t have to make yourself available at your tenants’ beck and call for frivolous repairs. For instance, renters shouldn’t be contacting you every week to report something like slightly peeled paint in a corner, a small tear in the carpet, a loose screw on a refrigerator door, and other complaints of that sort.
There are a couple of ways to reduce excessive calls. First, you can set up the relationship from day one in a way that makes it clear your tenants shouldn’t abuse your availability.
If renters have a legitimate reason for an inability to use a screwdriver and tighten a loose screw (such as a physical disability), that might be justifiable, but most renters will be capable of such a minimum effort.
The other way to suppress excessive calls is to hire a property manager. A professional property management company will know how to handle this type of tenant.
The best part is you’ll never have to field any calls for maintenance or repairs with a property manager. For example, Green Residential serves landlords in San Antonio and handles all repair and maintenance calls.
The company partners with local companies that provide excellent services at a great price. If you’re feeling frustrated or stuck dealing with excessive calls, a property manager might be the assistance you need.
2. Continual Lease Violations
Many tenants sign their lease without thinking about each specific term. It’s not unusual for tenants to forget about certain lease terms as time passes.
For example, if your HOA bans items on the window sills, a tenant might forget about this and place a vase of flowers or an incense burner in the bedroom window. Small, innocent lease violations like this aren’t a big deal.
However, repeated or serious violations could indicate a bigger problem. If one of your tenants frequently violates the lease, you should talk to a lawyer right away.
You can evict a tenant for a lease violation, provided you have given proper notice for them to quit or vacate. If they don’t rectify the violation, you may pursue an eviction lawsuit.
Don’t pursue an eviction without talking to an attorney, though, because one wrong move can cost you the case.
3. Withholding Rent
There are few circumstances under which tenants may legitimately withhold their rent. But not all renters know when those circumstances apply.
For example, if you’re in the process of fixing the plumbing, your tenant might withhold rent under the mistaken impression that this is legal. Regardless of the situation, if your tenant withholds rent for any reason other than an absence of habitable living conditions, it’s probably not a legal tactic.
This is another situation where it’s beneficial to talk to an attorney before you take any action. You don’t want to get caught in a cycle of retaliation. In that case, if you find yourself standing before a judge, he or she will more likely rule in favor of the tenant.
4. Using Too much Electricity
If you include utilities like electricity in the rent, you might find yourself regretting this. When tenants don’t have to pay for their actual energy use, they tend to be somewhat careless.
Heaters are left running overnight, lights don’t get turned off, and powerful appliances are used without any thought of conservation. If a tenant is consuming an excessive amount of electricity, he or she might be within their legal rights.
Technically speaking, if you didn’t set a cap on the dollar amount in the lease, you’re responsible for every penny. A judge might examine the usage and determine that it’s excessive, though. To get to that point, you’ll have to engage a lawyer.
After you talk to an attorney, make sure to issue a notice of new lease terms with a maximum amount that will be covered as soon as the current lease allows. Once the current tenant moves out, think about excluding utilities in the future.
Legal counsel is your best friend
When you’re a landlord, legal counsel will become your best friend. Don’t risk losing a battle with a tenant. Getting advice from a lawyer is always the best way to handle a difficult situation.
