Judge Says Landlords’ Close Call Too Much to Ignore

April 22, 2019

The landlords of an apartment building in Oshawa were fined $30,000 after firefighters helped a blind tenant escape during a fire. The building had no functioning smoke detectors and other safety concerns. According to a report, the judge found this close call too much to ignore. Unfortunately, this is not the only example where tenants […]

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Landlord Tips for Property Showings

April 22, 2019

Showing a rental property can be a time-consuming exercise, one that a landlord does not want to have to repeat several times before securing a new tenant. Here are some tips that can maximize effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to property tours: Prequalify applicants before showing the property. While an open house is appealing […]

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Landlord Penalized for Faulty Lease

April 8, 2019

A landlord in New York has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine after a complaint that he provided tenants with a lease agreement that contained illegal provisions. According to the state’s attorney general, the landlord’s lease included provisions that: Denied tenants the right to raise a defense to eviction; Contradicted existing rental laws and claimed […]

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Landlord May Be Liable for Failing to End Tenant Dispute

April 8, 2019

A federal appellate court has found that a landlord could be liable for discrimination by failing to protect a tenant who was being harassed by another tenant. The case arose after an African-American man rented a New York apartment. The first several months of the tenancy were uneventful. Then, a neighboring tenant began to harass […]

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Facebook Rental Ads to Get a Reboot

April 8, 2019

Facebook is changing its rental ad platform after a barrage of lawsuits claiming housing ads on the social media site are discriminatory. Landlords who advertise on Facebook should be aware of potential liability for discrimination that can occur when selecting groups who can view the rental ads — and excluding groups who cannot. To resolve […]

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Portland Mulls Restrictions on Tenant Screening, Security Deposits

April 8, 2019

Portland, Oregon lawmakers are proposing a new rental reform that could force landlords there to adopt a “low-barrier” tenant screening policy and diminish landlords’ rights with respect to security deposit deductions. The measure, dubbed “FAIR”, would limit what information a landlord can use when making decisions about tenant qualifications, enact a first-in-time rule when processing […]

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What Landlords Should Know About References

March 25, 2019

Previous landlord references are a staple of tenant screening. But are landlords taking advantage of this tool? One landlord says this: “I’ve probably had 10 separate former tenants in my property in the past 10 years, including families and roommates. Two 20-somethings both moved out to buy places of their own. Most moved on to […]

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Top 10 Tenant Screening Mistakes

March 25, 2019

Recent reports from landlords detail a tenant who abandoned the property and turned off the heat, causing all the pipes to burst, a tenant who stole all the furnishing from a furnished apartment, and tenants who didn’t pay rent for months. Wouldn’t you like to avoid these losses? Take a minute to review this list […]

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Tenancy Agreements and Long-Term Tenants

March 25, 2019

Long-term tenants now are a reality for many landlords in Canada. And that’s a good thing — for the most part. However, there are some downsides when tenants stay year after year. Tenants can gain a sense of entitlement — “I’m paying your mortgage, so the least you can do is give me new appliances,” […]

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Property Maintenance: What’s the Plan?

March 25, 2019

Property maintenance reduces liability for injuries, extends the life of appliances, reduces costs of repairs, and enhances the overall property value. But to do it right, you need a plan: Create a Maintenance Plan A good baseline for developing a property maintenance plan is to conduct an initial inspection. That may have been performed in […]

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