With all the variations in city, state, and federal rental laws, drafting the perfect lease agreement is a moving target. If your lease has never been reviewed by an attorney, or if it has been a while since it was updated, you might want to check for these potential...
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Rental Property Management Tips
California Landlords Must Accept Section 8 Vouchers
California is among at least 15 other states and over 100 cities that have passed prohibitions against source of income discrimination. This month, California broadens its rules to include rental applicants using Section 8 vouchers. Several California cities already...
City’s Anti-Crime Ordinance May Be Illegal
The Department of Justice announced last month that it is suing the city of Hesperia, California, along with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, for enforcing a nuisance ordinance that it says violates the Fair Housing Act. According to the complaint, the...
Are You Missing These Opportunities to Screen Your Tenants?
Stop tenant fraud, and you'll prevent the resulting income loss. A little detective work early in the tenant screening process can expose a would-be nightmare tenant. But in the rush to fill a vacancy, some landlords miss important opportunities to screen tenants:...
Lease Confusion Forces Tenancy Off Course
When a tenant first rented a unit, the landlord agreed in writing that the tenant could have a roommate, and if that roommate moved out, the tenant could remain. So, not a co-tenancy agreement. Later, after the first roommate moved out, the tenant found another...
Tenant Causes Damage, Blames Landlord
A British Columbia landlord was able to stave off a claim by his tenant who wanted over $9,000 in damages -- including loss of furnishings, hotel stays, meals, a temporary rental, two month's rent, moving costs, and hydro -- because of mould in the unit. The tenant...
Toronto to Require Short-Term Rental Licences
Toronto is moving forward with its plans to limit short-term rentals, including overnight vacation listings on Airbnb, to principal residences only. The registration bylaw was passed in 2018, but enforcement was paused after a legal challenge brought by landlords of...
What Landlords Need to Know for 2020
Now is the time to get ahead of recent trends and start your new year off on the right foot: Sticking Landlords with the Affordability Problem Tenant screening restrictions Affordable housing -- or the lack of it -- is the prevalent issue in many metro areas today....
Rent Growth Projections Make 2020 a Happy New Year for Landlords
Rents are rising and will likely continue to accelerate in 2020, that according to the latest Market Report from Zillow. Apartment rents grew 2.3% year-over-year, driving the median U.S. rent up to $1,600 per month. At the same time, housing values showed the lowest...
Court Says Landlord Should Have Intervened in Tenant Dispute
A U.S. Court of Appeals last week passed down a ruling broadening the liability that landlords face for racial discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. The court found that a landlord could be liable for discrimination under the FHA for failing to resolve a dispute...