Landlord Tips
39 articles in this category
How Much Can a Landlord Raise the Rent? Rules by State
There is no single national answer to how much a landlord can raise the rent. In most of the country there is no cap on the amount, only rules about when and how. In a handful of places there are hard limits. Knowing which situation you are in is what keeps a routine increase from becoming a legal problem.
What Happens If a Landlord Breaks the Lease?
Most lease discussions focus on what happens when a tenant violates the agreement. But landlords break leases too, and when they do, tenants have real legal remedies. A landlord who sells the property mid-lease, enters without notice repeatedly, fails to make required repairs, or tries to force a tenant out without going through proper eviction procedures is in breach of the lease. What the tenant can do about it depends on how serious the breach is, what the lease says, and what state the property is in...
Can a Landlord Say No to an Emotional Support Animal?
A no-pets policy does not apply to emotional support animals. That is the short answer. The longer answer is that landlords can say no in a small number of specific situations, and understanding where those exceptions start and stop is important for both sides of a lease. Getting this wrong is expensive. A landlord who denies a legitimate ESA request can face a federal Fair Housing Act complaint, civil liability, and HUD investigation. A tenant who misrepresents documentation to obtain ESA accommodation is committing fraud...
How Much Can a Landlord Charge for a Broken Window?
A broken window is one of the most common move-out disputes between landlords and tenants. The landlord wants to charge for it. The tenant says it was already cracked when they moved in, or that it broke on its own, or that it is normal wear and tear. Who is right depends on how the window broke, what the lease says, and whether the landlord documented the window's condition at move-in...
What Can a Landlord Do if a Tenant Leaves Without Paying Rent and Breaks the Lease?
A tenant who skips out mid-lease without paying rent is one of the more frustrating situations a landlord faces. The unit is suddenly vacant, income has stopped, and the person who owes you money is gone. The good news is that leaving does not erase the debt. A signed lease is a binding contract and a tenant who walks away from it is still legally obligated for the rent and other costs they left behind. Whether you can actually collect is a different question, but the legal path to recovery is real...
Who Pays When Furnished Furniture Gets Damaged in a Rental?
A broken bed frame. A stained sofa. A television with a cracked screen. In a furnished rental, damage to the landlord's property is one of the most disputed move-out situations there is. Both sides usually believe they are right, and without the right documentation, neither can prove it. The answer to who pays almost always comes down to two things: what the lease says and what was documented at move-in...
How Much Notice Does a Landlord Have to Give in California?
California has more notice requirements than almost any other state, and they vary depending on what the notice is for. Entry, rent increases, termination, eviction, sale of the property — each has its own timeline, its own rules, and its own consequences for getting it wrong. A landlord who gives 30 days notice when 90 are required does not just lose the case. In some situations the notice is void and the clock starts over...
What to Include in a Lease for a Furnished Rental
Renting a furnished unit creates a layer of complexity that a standard lease is not built to handle. The furniture and appliances are your property. They are inside the tenant's home. When something breaks, gets damaged, or goes missing, the question of who is responsible comes down entirely to what the lease says about it. A standard residential lease template addresses the unit. A furnished rental lease has to address everything inside it too...
What Happens If a Tenant Signs a Lease and Never Moves In?
A tenant signs the lease, pays the deposit, maybe even pays first month's rent. Then they disappear. They never pick up the keys, never move in, and stop responding. Or they call a week later saying they changed their mind and want out. Either way, you have a signed lease, an empty unit, and a tenant who has decided the arrangement is not happening...
Can a Landlord Require Renters Insurance in the Lease?
Yes, a landlord can require renters insurance as a condition of the lease in every U.S. state. There is no federal law prohibiting it and no state that bans the practice. If the lease says the tenant must carry renters insurance, maintain a minimum coverage amount, and provide proof of the policy within a specified number of days, those are enforceable lease terms the same as any other...
The Tax Reason Landlords Should Always Use a Lease When Renting to Family
Most landlords who rent to a family member do it to help. They charge a little less than market rate, skip the formal application process, and skip the lease because it feels unnecessary between people who trust each other. That informal approach has a tax consequence most people never see coming until they are sitting across from their accountant or getting an IRS notice.
How a Lease Agreement Protects the Landord
A lease agreement is not paperwork for its own sake. It is the document that determines whether a landlord can enforce their terms, keep a deposit, remove a non-paying tenant, or recover damages in court. Without it, or with a bad one, every one of those situations becomes harder to win and easier to lose...