Tenant Verification Services provides landlords and property managers with a variety of screening options. Select a market to sign up or learn more.
A tenant in Toronto failed to establish her landlord violated her human rights by failing to supply an orthopedic mattress in a furnished rental property. The case highlights a unique challenge that landlords face when renting housing with furnishings. It also...
News this week out of Boston confirms that a giant property management firm operating there has agreed to settle a lawsuit over tenant leasing fees for at least $2 million. The Boston Herald reports that the landlord has agreed to refund charges for illegal...
There is a phrase you see in virtually every lease agreement, yet you probably don't notice it: "residential use only." As straightforward as that language may seem, even landlords tend to skip over it and fail to discuss this point with new tenants. Perhaps that's...
Most landlords know it's important to keep proper documentation on tenants. A crucial element to any tenant screening policy is to also track those applicants who didn't make the cut: Adverse Action Notices Rejected tenants may be entitled to an adverse action notice....
Two landlords are feeling the sting after making the same property management mistake. In the first instance, a landlord in South Dakota has been charged with discrimination after allegedly denying a tenant's request for an emotional support animal, and threatening to...
The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal recently awarded a rental applicant $2,000 because she was rejected after disclosing she suffered from depression. In this case, there was a question as to whether the prospective tenant actually suffered from a disability, and in fact,...
Standard lease agreements tend to run for one year. Yet, in practice, one year tends to be more of a threshold than a maximum term. With vacancy rates so low, landlords should expect to see more tenants wanting to stay put. While long-term tenants may seem like a...
Monthly cash flow is probably the number one reason you became a landlord. What should be a well-oiled machine quickly turns into a headache when rent payments are routinely late. Don't cross your fingers and hope that the rent cheques come in on time each month. Be...
Recently, the Calgary City Council failed to pass a measure that would have eased zoning restrictions and simplified the process for secondary suites in some of the most crowded areas of the city. Other cities throughout Canada have embraced the idea of secondary...
Cash flow matters. In fact, monthly cash flow likely is the reason you became a landlord. Late rent payments mess with that goal. You don't have to sit back, cross your fingers and hope that your tenants will pay on time each month. You can be proactive with property...
Rental property owners in a quiet suburb of Denver are still reeling from the discovery that their seemingly nice tenants converted the basement of their rental home into an illegal pot grow operation. In the process, the tenants caused tens of thousands of dollars of...
The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the doctrine of "disparate impact" as it applies to rental housing discrimination cases. Disparate impact applies in cases where the discrimination is unintentional. A policy may appear harmless on its face, but nonetheless...
The U.S. apartment market is on a winning streak, according to data from Axiometrics, a leader in apartment and student housing research and analysis. The occupancy rate for May was 95.3%, despite record new supply. Axiometrics considers 95% occupancy a "functionally...
Co-tenants in British Columbia recently won a rent abatement -- plus damages for their trouble -- in a dispute over a construction project at their apartment building. Four or five weeks into a year-long tenancy, the tenants' patio and bedroom windows were blocked by...
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has released it's spring Rental Market Survey, which shows that the average vacancy rate remains stable. The current vacancy rate (primary, purpose-built apartments) in 35 major regions was 2.9 in April 2015, compared to 2.7 the...
Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2016 has been set at 2.0 per cent. The guideline represents the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent without first seeking approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board, and applies to rent increases from January...
Loud music, barking dogs, rambunctious kids. If there is one thing tenants universally despise, it's noise. Quiet is the best amenity landlords can provide if they want to attract the very best tenants. But, there's more. As you will see from the examples below,...
A 42-year-old Pennsylvania woman recently was awarded $450,000 for injuries she sustained after tumbling down the stairs at a rental property. The woman claimed the fall was caused by a faulty handrail, and pursued the property owner for compensation. The owner told...
A jury has awarded a twelve-year-old New Jersey boy $700,000 in a personal injury claim where the injury occurred over time in two different apartments. The boy suffered permanent disabilities as a result of lead poisoning. According to the boy's attorneys, personal...
New York City Council has passed a measure that will require landlords to provide at least 24-hours' notice before conducting any work that would disrupt building services. Elevator repairs that suspend all service for two hours or more must be announced ten business...
