Colorado Lawmakers Push to Suppress Eviction Records

March 9, 2020

A series of pro-tenant rental regulations are moving through the Colorado General Assembly, the latest of which is a bill that would prevent courts from reporting evictions unless the judge ultimately signs an eviction order. Under the proposed measure, if the landlord settles the case before the eviction hearing, or if the case is dismissed […]

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Landlords Win Reprieve from Voter Registration Law

March 9, 2020

Twin Cities landlords no longer are required to provide new tenants with voter registration information after a judge found the ordinances unconstitutional. In 2016, Minneapolis lawmakers passed a measure requiring landlords to provide city-approved voter registration information to all new tenants. In 2018, St. Paul followed suit. The penalties for failure to comply included loss […]

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Landlords Forced to Pay Off Deadbeat Tenant

March 2, 2020

When confronted by his landlords for bouncing his first rent cheque, an Ontario tenant informed the couple that he and his family intended to stay in the home — rent-free — for as long as it took the landlords to obtain an eviction order. According to a news report, the first-time landlords sought legal advice […]

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How to Spot a Nightmare Tenant

March 2, 2020

It’s heartbreaking to hear landlord horror stories, especially when they start with “I thought I found the perfect tenant,” or “I was trying to do something nice.” Problem tenants are the exception to the rule, but they are out there, and they tend to repeat the pattern. Once they get evicted, they go on to […]

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$60,000 and Counting: Tenant Damage Not Covered by Insurance

March 2, 2020

A Nova Scotia couple faced the landlord nightmare of a lifetime when they discovered the condition of their rental property – a mess so egregious that the news agency videotaping it warned that viewers may find the images disturbing. One landlord, a 10-year veteran, says it was worse than a horror movie. According to the […]

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Airbnb Places Restrictions on Canadian Rentals

March 2, 2020

Short-term rental platform Airbnb announced that it is adding two new regulations to host listings in Canada. Guests under the age of 25 no longer will be eligible to book unsupervised or “whole house” listings in their own communities. Additionally, Airbnb has promised to add a neighbourhood “hotline” to field complaints about party houses. The […]

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Lawmakers Tinker With Late Rent Fees

February 10, 2020

When rents spiked in Denver five years ago, lawmakers resisted the urge to overregulate. Instead, they encouraged developers and added more inventory — much more inventory. Over 12,000 new units — four times the previous average — were added last year alone. Rents have leveled off, and even dropped 3%. So, it comes as a […]

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6 Mistakes to Avoid When Prequalifying Renters

February 10, 2020

The prequalification process is a crucial step in screening tenants. By asking a few questions on that first phone call, landlords can weed out unqualified renters before wasting time showing a unit to someone who won’t be living there. Prequalification should be structured so landlords obtain the information they need — without asking for information […]

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New Guidance on Companion Animals

February 10, 2020

HUD has issued a new guidance paper aimed at clarifying the process for handling companion animal requests. The move comes after HUD agreed to investigate growing concern over fraudulent companion animal requests — those made by pet owners attempting to avoid a landlord’s pet policies. These fake requests are being facilitated by online services that […]

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Oakland Bans Criminal Background Checks on Tenants

February 10, 2020

Oakland, California City Council last month passed an ordinance that prevents virtually all landlords there from researching a rental applicant’s criminal history. The measure prohibits landlords from inquiring in any fashion about an applicant’s past criminal convictions. This prohibition includes obtaining any report from the California Department of Justice, the FBI, local law enforcement agencies, […]

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