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How to Read a Lease 101

How to Read a Lease 101

  • Posted: Jun 29, 2021
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How to Read a Lease 101

Someday, between the time you move out of your childhood home and when buy your first residence, you’ll probably find yourself staring at a lease. A lease is a contract between someone who owns real estate (the landlord) and another person who occupies that piece of real estate (the tenant), covering the conditions under which the tenant may possess, occupy, and use the property.

Reading a lease can be befuddling, and often the first impulse is to just go ahead and sign the thing, rather than try to wade through and decipher all the legal language. However, it’s important to understand that a lease is a legally enforceable agreement, and you could find yourself in a predicament later on if you fail to abide by the terms–the very ones you agreed to by signing on the dotted line. Before you sign, take the time to read the entire document.

Here’s what to look for in a lease to rent a dwelling, be it an apartment or a house.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • A lease is a contract between someone who owns real estate (the landlord) and another person who occupies that piece of real estate (the tenant).
  • A lease details the conditions under which the tenant may possess, occupy, and use the property.
  • Details about any deposits—such as an upfront security deposit or fees for parking or pets—should also be clearly stated in your lease, along with conditions for getting your money back.
  • In some rental arrangements, the landlord is responsible for taking care of all repairs and maintenance—whether it’s a leaky faucet or a broken air conditioner.
  • There are also agreements where the tenant is responsible for all the costs of repairs and maintenance.
  • If you have a pet, read the lease to find out if animals are allowed, and if so, whether there are any size or breed-specific restrictions.

 

Include Property Details

The lease should include basic facts and data about the property, including the physical address and the landlord’s name and contact information. It should also state the date the lease was signed; the beginning and end dates of the rental period; and options for lease renewal, including policies for rent increases. If any appliances are in the unit (such as a range, refrigerator, or washing machine), or if the unit is furnished, that should be included, too.

Define Deposit, Rent, and Fee Amounts

People tend to pay close attention to how much rent will cost each month, but there may be other costs that should be noted as well, including various deposits and fees. Details about any deposits—such as an upfront security deposit or fees for parking or pets—should also be clearly stated, along with conditions for getting your money back.

The lease should state particulars about the rent:

  • Monthly amount due
  • When it is due
  • Methods of acceptable payment
  • Any allowable grace period for late payment
  • Amount of any late fees

Utility Inclusion

The lease should indicate policies regarding utility service and billing. Be sure to find out which, if any, utilities are included as part of your monthly rent, and whether you are expected to cover any of the costs.

Some landlords, for example, pay for electric, water, and sewer services, while the tenant pays for cable and Internet.

Repairs and Maintenance

This is something to pay close attention to since it can end up costing a lot of money, time, and headaches. In some rental arrangements, the landlord is responsible for taking care of all repairs and maintenance—whether it’s a leaky faucet or a broken air conditioner.

In other situations, the landlord might repair or replace only major appliances but leave the tenant responsible for everything else. And then there are agreements where the tenant is responsible for all the costs of repairs and maintenance. There may also be stipulations about the maintenance of the yard or outside areas.

As you can see, it’s imperative that you read the lease to determine your landlord’s responsibilities—as well as yours—when it comes to repairs and maintenance issues. Make sure you’re clear on who pays for what, who arranges service calls, and the amount of time you and your landlord have to address any issues.

Pet Policy

If you have a pet, read the lease to find out if animals are allowed, and if so, whether there are any size or breed-specific restrictions (some rental properties allow most dogs, but not pit bulls, for example).

You might be required to pay a “pet deposit” that may or may not be returned once you move out (assuming no pet damage). Sometimes the “pet fee” is nonrefundable because it is used for treating the space for fleas and deodorizing and shampooing the unit’s flooring and upholstery after you move out.

In some cases, you might also pay “pet rent,” a monthly or yearly fee tacked on to your rent to cover normal wear and tear from pets.

If the lease contains a no-pets clause and you violate it by bringing a furry friend into your unit, the landlord generally has the legal right to evict you. A no-pets clause cannot be added to a lease once it’s signed, however, so your landlord can’t change the pet policy in the middle of your lease.

House Rules

The lease should describe the acceptable use of the property (e.g., “The premises shall be used exclusively as a private residential dwelling for the tenant and his immediate family only”), plus any policies for things like:

  • Maximum occupancy
  • Quiet hours
  • Overnight guests
  • Parking and storage
  • Smoking
  • Landlord right of entry
  • Granting access to maintenance workers
  • Property alterations
  • Long absences (on your part)
  • Insurance requirements
  • Eviction

Early Termination

The lease should explain what you need to do before moving out. How much advance notice is required? What type of cleaning are you responsible for? The lease should also state your options if you have to move out before the lease expires.

Can you sublet the property, for example? If so, are you required to find the sublet tenant, or is that the landlord’s responsibility? What are the penalties for breaking the lease if you can’t find someone to sublet?

The Bottom Line

To make sure you understand what you’re getting into, take the time to read your lease. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask the landlord for clarification, or consult a local specialist in real estate law. Bear in mind that while many of these policies are at the landlord’s discretion, others (such as the landlord’s right of entry and eviction) may be regulated by state or city ordinances.

Once you and your landlord have signed the lease, it’s a very good idea to save a copy. This document can become important if any disagreements arise regarding the property or anything related to your tenancy.

Also, plan on doing a thorough property examination before signing the lease. Check the general condition of the property and make sure items such as appliances, faucets, plumbing, windows, and window fixtures are in good working order. Note and document any existing damage in the lease or in a provided damage assessment form, and keep a copy of this with your contract—just in case.

 

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St. Paul City Council unanimously passed five new renter protections…..They do not realize Property Owners are being hurt by these!

St. Paul City Council unanimously passed five new renter protections…..They do not realize Property Owners are being hurt by these!

  • Posted: Jul 22, 2020
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The St. Paul City Council unanimously passed five new renter protections Wednesday, including capping security deposits, limiting background checks and prohibiting landlords from terminating leases without just cause, a first in the state.

Council Member Mitra Jalali connected the renter protections to the national reckoning taking place around racial inequality following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis just over a month ago.

“Just as our Black neighbors experience violence in policing, they also experience the violence of displacement, of eviction, of housing discrimination,” said Council Member Mitra Jalali. “This housing agenda will insure stability for all St. Paul renters, especially the thousands of Black, brown, Asian, Latino, Indigenous and other working families of color.”

Just over half of St. Paul residents are renters, and many are struggling amid an affordable housing shortage — more than 500,000 Minnesota families pay more than one-third of their income in rent.

While much of the conversation around affordable housing centers on building more of it, housing advocates say renter protections are critical to ensuring housing stability and the benefits it confers.

Rent in St. Paul has increased more than 15% adjusted for inflation since 2000 while wages have stayed the same, according to a study by the Minnesota Housing Partnership. People of color are much more likely to be renters: 83% of Black households in St. Paul rent in compared to 41% of white households, according to the resolution.

Landlords big and small objected to the new laws  — called Stable, Accessible, Fair and Equitable (S.A.F.E.) Housing St. Paul — saying they would drive up their costs, which in turn would lead to higher rents.

St. Paul-based Real Estate Equities, which owns apartment buildings across the Midwest, sent a letter to the council voicing their concern over the just cause ordinance, saying it would “enable and protect individuals who engage in disruptive behaviors” and “fundamentally impair property managers from creating and maintaining a safe, peaceful, and well-maintained housing environment.”

The law does not prevent landlords from evicting tenants who break the terms of their leases.

The law, which takes effect on March 21, 2021, will deliver five protections: cap security deposits at one month’s rent; limit tenant screening criteria; forbid landlords from terminating leases without just cause; require landlords of affordable housing to give advance notice of sale; and require landlords to distribute a packet outlining tenants’ rights and responsibilities.

The laws largely block landlords from rejecting renters based on past criminal convictions, prior evictions or poor credit reports.

Landlords may reject renters who are registered sex offenders or who have been convicted of manufacturing or distributing drugs. Landlords may also reject tenants who have been convicted of misdemeanors within the past three years or felonies within the past 10 years, unless they are related to certain traffic offenses like driving without a license.

Renters may not be rejected because they have poor credit scores, although landlords may reject them if their credit reports show they failed to pay rent or utilities.

Landlords may not consider renters’ evictions older than three years and may not reject renters for not passing a certain income threshold, if they can show they successfully paid similar rent in the past.

The provision requiring just cause for eviction was one of the most contentious. Housing advocates say landlords retaliate against renters for things like asking for repairs or having parties by simply choosing not to renew their leases when they expire.

Under the new ordinance, landlords must renew a renter’s lease unless the renter hasn’t paid rent, is frequently late paying rent or broke significant terms of the lease. Landlords may also not renew a lease if they plan to renovate the unit or rent it out to a family member.

No other city currently has such a provision, including Minneapolis, which passed a suite of similar tenant protections that took effect in June.

The council also approved a measure mandating landlords of affordable housing — with rents affordable for people making 80% of the area-median income — notify the city and their renters of their intent to sell the property 90 days in advance. The law also stops new owners from raising the rent for 90 days after a property changes hands and requires landlords to pay for renters to relocate if they choose not to renew their leases during that time period.

We at NationalEvictions are for the Landlords!  Its not a Black White thing! Its about Tenants signing an agreement with many of us to Pay Rent each month……AND THEY ARE NOT!

Yet many of them got their covid checks and they refused to give all or part toward the rents they owe!

Many Landlords are owed 2 to 4 months of back rents and you are telling us…..WE CAN NOT EVICT THEM?  NOW EVEN IN THE FUTURE WE CAN NOT DENY THEM BECAUSE OF THERE NOT PAYING AND SOME NOW HAVE EVICTIONS ON THEIR RECORDS?

ST.PAUL AND MANY OTHER AREAS A WAR HAS BEGUN AND ITS ABOUT OUR RIGHTS! FOR MANY OF THE MOM AND POP LANDLORDS IN OUR COUNTRY………RENTS WILL NOT MATTER, THEY WONT TAKE ANY TENANTS THAT DONT OR CANT MAKE PAYMENTS TO THEM. MONTH TO MONTH LEASES NO LONG TERM OR YEARLY LEASES.

How should Landlords as rental housing providers respond to and handle the situation of Rent relating to COVID-19

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State-Specific Resources for Landlords, help to and handle the situation of Rent relating to COVID-19

State-Specific Resources for Landlords, help to and handle the situation of Rent relating to COVID-19

  • Posted: May 07, 2020
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How should Landlords as rental housing providers respond to and handle the situation of Rent relating to COVID-19

On March 16, 2020, The White House signed an Executive Order allowing local jurisdictions to enact eviction protections for renters that experience substantial financial hardships as a result of a tenant’s medical expenses, childcare, loss of wages, layoffs or reduction of hours relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Following the order, cities have issued executive orders or have passed ordinances barring certain residential evictions.

 

State-Specific COVID-19 Resources

 

 

Here are a few ways to approach this delicate and challenging issue

1. Communicate With Renters:

First, communicate with your renter. Empathize with them and let he or she know how you feel about these unprecedented circumstances. Explain that all of us are in the same situation and because you want to ensure you can continue to provide them with a safe, well-maintained home, that would be impossible without receiving the rent you depend on to maintain the building and to support your own family.

2. Empathize:

Now, the remainder of the steps here are more concrete, but I want to make sure we address this. Tenants are people, and they are going through a remarkably scary time, as well. Perhaps it’s even worse than you’re going through, because you’re probably more financially educated than many of your tenants. So before anything else, listen to your tenant. Talk with them. Empathize with them. We’re all in this together, so let’s remember to be human and keep people before profit in our discussions.

3. Explain That Rent Is Still Due:

For as long as there have been tenants and landlords and bills to be paid, there is a super interesting piece of human behavior at play: People will pay the bills that give them the greatest consequence of not paying. In other words, most people financially struggling can pay most of their bills—but not always all of them.

This is why late fees are so vital in normal landlording. When the choice between paying rent and buying a flat-screen TV are presented to a tenant, the late fee and threat of eviction tips the scale toward using that money to pay rent.

But we’re not really dealing with flat-screen TVs today, are we? Regardless, the principle still applies. It’s likely your tenant is going to have to make some serious decisions on which bills are being paid. This is why after talking with the tenant and sympathizing with them, I believe it’s still important to let them know that the rent is still due.

As I’m sure you’ve heard, evictions are being suspended in most areas of the U.S. right now. The ability to issue a late fee might also be banned soon. Your tenant very well might assume that this means the need to pay rent is being suspended, and it’s your job to inform them otherwise.

Even if you can’t evict right now, it doesn’t mean they still don’t owe the rent, and it doesn’t mean you won’t evict when the courts open back up. You don’t need to be a jerk about it, but letting them know that you have a mortgage and other bills to pay is going to be important.

4. Give Your Tenant Options:

Once you’ve explained that the rent is still due, now it’s time to help the tenant navigate this difficult time. We plan to do this by giving them their options, as they may be unaware of the different ways they could come up with the rent.

First, we plan to keep an eye on programs that the government is designing to help tenants. This is a rapidly changing time, so we’ll keep current on assistance programs. Right now, there is a very real possibility that the government is going to issue cash payments to every adult American, which could help. But even if they don’t, there may likely be local, state, or federal programs that could.

Also, we are going to offer other suggestions, as well. For example, could they borrow the money from a relative? Or could the rent be paid via credit card?

In fact, to help where we can, we plan to offer to pay the fee associated with using a credit card. Now would be a good time to get set up with a rent collection system that has the ability to get paid via credit card.

5. Rent Deferral Plan:

Now, Its like some loans, banks can take one or two payments and move this to the back of the loans. Well these are not loans so…..

If I brought this up at the beginning for tenants, most everyone would jump at it. Remember, humans will naturally pay the most pressing bill, so I need them to know that rent is incredibly high on their priority list.

So, step five is our “worst-case” measure that will only be mentioned to tenants when they can’t or don’t pay their rent—not when they call and say they won’t be able to. We will still let the tenant know that rent is due on the 1st, give them the options I just mentioned, and even still issue a late-notice to the tenant if they miss rent.

If they really have exhausted their options and just can’t pay the rent?

 

Rent Deferral Plan

Having this documented plan in place shows the tenant that this is not us winging it—but we have a system in place to handle this crisis for everyone.

*First, there is a really important question we will ask each tenant: “How much CAN you pay toward your rent?”

Chances are, even if they can’t pay all their rent, they can probably pay some of their rent. Maybe their rent is $1,000 per month, and they can only pay $300. We’ll accept that $300 and move onto the deferral plan.

 

Rent Deferral Plan, allows the tenant to opt into a payment plan for their rent over the following 10 months. The deferral plan is an addendum to their lease that gives them the ability to take their rent and pay it in equal portions over the next 10 months (beginning the second month after enacting). It basically gives them an extra month before the increased payment begins.

For example, let’s say we’ve gone through all this, but the tenant simply cannot make the April 1st rent. They owe $1,000 in rent and because we asked what they can put toward it, they are able to pay $300. The remaining $700 becomes $70 per month and gets added to their rent beginning June 1st.

So, starting June 1st (not May 1st, and I’ll explain why in a second), they will pay $1,070 per month in rent until next March. Why not start the payment next month? Simply because I have a strong suspicion that this is not going to end that quickly and a one-month deferral may not be enough time to get back on their feet. This is why we’re going to wait an extra month before adding the extra amount. Furthermore, it is our company policy that during this time, a tenant will be allowed to use this twice. Of course, we won’t tell them this immediately, because we want to work through steps one through four first on the next month, as well. Rent has to remain a priority.

 

If after two months they are still unable to pay, the tenant may just need to be removed. This is completely uncharted territory we find ourselves in today, so I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I know exactly what we’ll do then. But the government can’t forever stop evictions and stop making people pay rent while continuing to force mortgage payments and foreclosures—or nearly every single landlord in the country will eventually go bankrupt.

If this social distancing, job loss, and potential economic meltdown continues, we’ll make new rules as it happens. My guess is that the government will offer more and more programs to attempt to help, because remember—you and I are not in this alone. Everyone is trying to figure this out. And we will. Humans have an incredible ability to figure stuff out when the night is darkest. We will get through this. We will survive. We will emerge stronger.

I hope this sheds some light on what I’ll be doing in my personal rental portfolio to handle potential rent issues in the near future. Maybe you’ll be doing something different—and that’s great. I encourage you to share your thoughts below and let us know what your plan is. And perhaps together, we can help the world move forward financially.

We are offering landlords an Agreement Form and Lease addendum package to help with this Rent Deferral Plan

Download the Forms for Covid-19 Agreements with Tenant Today!

Private and/or Non-Profit COVID-19 Resources

 

 

NationalEvictions.com is here for Landlords, Property Owners and Property Management Professionals.  We can prepare notices to be sent to Tenants, Have them Served to your Tenants,  If and when the Notices expire have all the court forms ready to file with the courts for Landlords. 

Find out more about your rights and our services on our website: https://NationalEvictions.com

 

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Clauses Every Lease Should Have

Clauses Every Lease Should Have

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2019
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Clauses Every Lease Should Have

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 BY KEVIN (Thanks Kevin)

Your lease is the contract between you and your tenant. For any contract to work and be legal, certain clauses are necessary. If these clauses are left out or are poorly written, the the landlord runs the risk of serious problems in the future. This post describes several clauses every lease should contain.

Before I get to clauses, let me start off by saying that there is no universal, standard lease. Situations between landlords and tenants differ. Properties differ. State and local laws differ. Thus the lease found at Office Max or even my lease will not work for you. A lease needs to be tailored to your unique conditions. Plus, it should be reviewed by a competent real estate attorney from your area.

That said, here are some clauses every lease should have.

Duration
While tenant turnover may be a cash flow killer, I would strongly advise against open ended leases. Instead, every lease should contain a duration or a length of time the lease runs. You want a definite end date, so that either you or the tenant can get out of the contract (with a no-fault eviction if necessary). Traditionally, with residential leases, the duration is a year, but that amount can be adjusted to fit your particular situation. Six month or two year leases are not unheard of.

Term
Most residential landlords set the term lengths of their leases at one month. In other words, while the duration for the lease may last for a year, the term is monthly. This term is why rent is due to most of us every month. Some leases have weekly terms. Hotels have daily terms. Terms can therefore vary, but are important clauses as they set out when we get paid.

Cost
Don’t forget the most important part, which is how much the rent is. Rental amounts need to be clearly spelled out. I think most of us know that, but it deserves a mention as it is so important.

Extension
What happens when your lease duration is up? Does the tenant have to move? Do they need to sign an entire new lease? Does the existing lease continue on in some fashion?

I have seen landlords do all of the above. But the most common way to extend a lease at the end of its duration is to go by the term. Most of us landlords use monthly terms so the lease becomes monthly, or month to month, in duration. Of course this can also be weekly or even daily. Whatever it is, it has to be spelled out in the clauses of the lease what happens when the duration is up.

Late Fees
How much will be charged if the tenant is late with their rental payment? How much can you charge? When is a rental payment considered late? All of these items should be spelled out in your lease so there is no confusion. Plus, you need to provide incentives to get the rent in on time. State laws often dictate when and how much landlords can charge with late fess. So know and understand what those laws say.

Notice of Termination
Both side to any contract, like a lease, need advance knowledge that one party to the contract is terminating the relationship. In the landlord world, this notice of termination means the notice given by a tenant that they are planning to move. How long should this notice be? Most landlords require at least the term of the lease, which is most commonly a month. But why not require a little more? Would not 60 or 90 days of advance notice give you more time to market and re-rent the property and reduce the interruption of your cash flow? We have found in our business that it does.

Allow Showings
Once a notice of termination has been provided by your tenant, you need to get the property re-rented. How do you do that if you cannot show the property? In our leases we insert a clause that allows us to market and show the property once a notice of termination has been submitted. Sometimes tenants complain about the intrusion, but we just point out the clause in the lease they singed and that usually ends the discussion.

Overstay
What happens if a tenant gives you notice of termination, whereupon you re-rent the property but the existing tenant does not move when they saw they will? Where does your new tenant go? Who pays for the expenses incurred? Could get pretty sticky if you do not have the proper clauses for tenants that overstay their lease. In our business, we charge $100 per day of overstay. That clause tends to keep things moving.

Local Needs
Some states require special stipulations in leases. You may need to tell folks where their security deposits are held for example. In Tennessee where I work and live, leases need to have special provision related to notices of non-payment of rent. Not having such a clause can lead to lost time, income and much frustration for the landlord.

Leases are legally binding contracts. What they say and how they say it is important. Carefully consider the words and clauses in your lease. Do not use a “boiler plate” lease and have a competent real estate attorney in your area review it. What you say, or not say, can make all the difference towards helping or hindering your life as a landlord.

 

 

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Some Landlords wish to Self Represent

Some Landlords wish to Self Represent

  • Posted: Jan 20, 2019
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Landlords self representation, is it the right thing to do?

Learn the eviction process in your State!

If, like many landlords, you own or manage only a few rental properties, you are unlikely to have a lawyer on staff or even “on retainer” (where you pay a lawyer in advance to handle routine questions and issues). Fortunately, you shouldn’t need to constantly consult a lawyer or even keep one in the wings, “just in case.” You do have to be able to recognize those situations when expert help is needed — even if it’s just for some advice and coaching.

In most states, an eviction lawsuit takes much less time than regular civil cases. But in exchange for expedited treatment, landlords must follow highly detailed rules, from notifying the tenant of the lawsuit to filing the right papers and forms. In addition, because it’s the tenant’s home that’s at stake, many judges will set the bar very high when it comes to ruling in the landlord’s favor. Winning an eviction lawsuit, even one that you’d think is a slam-dunk, isn’t so easy. Still, many landlords try to evict a tenant themselves, often with success.  But you may be better off hiring a lawyer

 

Evictions are one of the least fun parts of being a landlord.  They can be very costly, time consuming and stressful.  Most probably think that you have to hire an attorney to represent you to conduct a successful eviction.  But do you?  I have represented myself and used an attorney, either way you usually have to go to court.  So, I think the answer depends on several factors.  Those factors are:

  • The complexity of the eviction process in your jurisdiction.
  • Your level of knowledge and experience.
  • Your personality.
  • Peculiarities in your state and local laws.

Some states have very complex eviction procedures.  In fact, I hear it can take many months to get a tenant evicted in places like Chicago and some of the northeastern states.  Here in Memphis, TN the entire eviction process can be accomplished in a little over a month with the filing of a couple of forms.  So while I will conduct the eviction process here, I might hesitate doing so if I faced messing up a six month long process and having to start over at square one.  I would want someone more qualified to handle such a complex process.

 

Complications can also arise during the eviction process.  For example, if a tenant files for bankruptcy while you are evicting them (and bankruptcy lawyers will be sending them solicitations advising them they can “stop” the eviction process) a stay is placed on the eviction process by the bankruptcy court.  That means your eviction is stopped until the stay is lifted.  You definitely need an attorney at this point as federal courts are much more complicated.

Your knowledge and experience with the eviction process will also be a factor.  You need to know what the eviction process is for your jurisdiction.  You absolutely cannot walk into court with out knowing what you are doing.  It is just too easy to mess up.  Sometimes the judge will help you out, but most times more deference is given to the tenant.  In other words, the judge expects you to have your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.  Once you have been through a few evictions, you may have enough experience to be able to go it alone.

Your personality is also something to consider.  Many do not like getting up and speaking in front of other people.  Some do not like confrontation.  You also have to remember to keep your cool at all costs.  The last thing you want is to be held in contempt because you angered a judge.  I have seen more than one landlord shoot themselves in the foot by opening their big mouth in court.

 

 

There may also be peculiarities in your state in local laws that prevent you from representing yourself.  For example, here in Tennessee if a property is owned by a corporation or LLC (which many of mine are) I am not allowed to represent myself and have to hire an attorney to file the eviction per state law.  My case would be thrown out by the judge if I tried to represent my self.

To sum up, I think you should hire an attorney to represent you if:

  • You have no or little experience in court.
  • Your knowledge on your state and local eviction statutes is limited.
  • Your particular jurisdiction has a long and complicated eviction process.
  • Your tenant files bankruptcy.
  • You personality is not suited towards acting as your own attorney.
  • If state law prevents you from doing so.

On the other hand if you have been through the process before, know your local laws and are confident you can present a clear and decisive case, perhaps go for it.

If you want to get some experience and if you have some time to kill, you can always go to the courthouse and watch the other landlords and attorneys present their cases to see how the process works.  It is kind of interesting to watch, much better than any reality show.

 

Landlords its a good rule to be on top of any Late Rent: 

I have always set in my lease – The rent is due on the 5th and if a tenant does not pay, they have a 3-day notice on the 6th. You cannot allow any exceptions or people will really take advantage of you.

 

Dont take their word!

Honestly, everything that I am about to say is true. I mean, sure, you see on the news channel, the internet and sometimes you hear from others these horrifying stories, but to experience one yourself is something else entirely. It was truly mind blowing to witness firsthand how much lie-weaving people were willing to do in order to trap some unwitting landlord to rent them the property. Want to hear the story? Well, here we go.

One day, the mother of a family called to give a walkthrough of property. I always make sure to do pre-vetting over phone to make sure they fit the qualifications, i.e. the applicant has to produce 3x net monthly income in addition to good rental history, verification of time on their job, and also good landlord references. In my case, I thought I hit the jackpot—after all, it was a beautiful family with a stay at home mother, hard working father, grandmother, and newborn daughter. Why, you couldn’t possibly ask for better tenants!

The family took a walkthrough of the house and absolutely loved it (as they should because that home was truly lovely). As a result, they decided that they wanted to move forward and discuss terms and legalities. But here is where things start to get really interesting.

On their application, they had their current residence, in addition to the contact information for their present landlord. So, as per routine, I ran the application through, and after some brief investigation, I discovered that they were being evicted from their current residence. However, when I contacted the family, they waved away my concerns and said that it was simply a glitch, assuring me that the landlord could verify (red flag alert!). I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, so I called the landlord (who I later found out was a family member posing as a landlord).

The landlord a.k.a. family member mentioned that they were good tenants, and if given the chance, they would absolutely love to rent to them again. Obviously, I couldn’t take a mere word for something as serious as an eviction, so what I did from there was pull the public tax records out—which in turn showed the name of the actual landlord along with his true address.

It doesn’t take much guesswork to know what I did next. I whizzed over there, and the (genuine) landlord mentioned that the family that he had as tenants were in fact being evicted and looking to get my place ASAP in fear that they would be without a home. The moment I heard this, I went ahead and I declined them.

Honestly, the whole situation was mentally straining, and I just wanted to point out that these things happen in real life and not just in stories you hear from other people, so the moral of this story is that tenants do lie, so you should always do thorough due diligence.

 

So for Landlords Screen Tenants, Ask for Background checks, Search on county clerks records for their names, Go to or call the past landlords and speak with them. Dot Trust!

NationalEvictions.com has been a main information for Landlords and Tenants.

 

 

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