If you are a landlord, you will ideally find a tenant that follows all the rules you’ve set and respects your boundaries. If you’re a tenant, you’re hoping that renting an apartment will be relatively easy. As a tenant, you pay your rent, and you expect your landlord to be agreeable to you. However, that’s not always the case. In fact, it’s common to have disagreements between landlords and tenants. They can range from petty — like refusing to join the building Christmas party — to serious — like clauses in your lease.
Be Prepared for These Common Disputes Between Landlords and Tenants
To better understand the relationship between landlords and tenants, here are some of the most common causes of conflict.
Repairs and Maintenance
Most tenants expect that repairing and maintaining the property is the landlord’s job. Truth be told, this varies based on the type of maintenance you need and what you have stipulated in your contract.
For most apartments, the general maintenance falls on the landlord. That includes making sure the interior and exterior of the home are in tiptop shape, the pipe, electrical lines, gas lines and heater work, and the baths and sinks are maintained.
However, the repairs covered by the terms you signed does not include damages you made in the home, such as holes in the wall or broken furniture. A landlords job is to make sure the home is habitable. Any other luxuries, such as remodels, that you want to add to fit your lifestyle is not part of their job. There are cases where people negotiate handling improvements for a break in the rent, but this is by no means a requirement.
Turning the Property Over
When a tenant leaves, he is expected to turn the property over in a clean slate. If there were restrictions against painting or using nails, then those should have been followed. If not, the consequences of those actions should be taken care of before leaving. You can repaint the wall its original color. Patch up the nail marks. Make sure you check your contract because it could include other parts of the property that requires your maintenance.
On the other hand, it’s also important to be realistic. The wear and tear on furniture and even the structure of the property will obvious, especially if a tenant stayed there for years. This should not be deducted from their deposit.
Subletting
Thanks to Airbnb, getting someone to rent your place has become so much easier. It’s a great way to earn a little bit extra, especially if you’re renting a bigger place. Before you do it though, make sure that it doesn’t violate the agreement you have with your landlord. It’s best to seek your landlord’s permission to do this because this could be grounds for eviction.
Sources:
The 5 Most Common Landlord/Tenant Disputes
