No matter how honest a new rental applicant may appear, a landlord must maintain a standard practice of running a credit report. That credit information provides the baseline that governs the terms of the tenancy. Without it, a landlord cannot avoid habitually bad...

Prosecutors with HUD announced this week that a New Hampshire landlord will pay $9,000 to settle allegations that he refused to rent to families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act. "The days of 'no children allowed' are long over," said John Trasviña,...

A half-dozen landlords in British Columbia are out rent payments to a professional tenant who appears to have lived virtually rent-free for over three years. He accomplished the task by scamming each of the landlords with fake information -- name, employment...

Many landlords successfully manage their own properties with little downside. There are circumstances, though, where hiring a property manager may be in the owner’s best interest. For instance, a landlord may: Live a significant distance from the rental property,...

A recent news story profiled the "bad tenant" registry maintained by the Saskatchewan Rental Housing Industry Association -- an online database shared by member landlords. Saskatchewan's Office of Residential Tenancies told reporters that they are aware of the list --...

A landlord in Ann Arbor, Michigan is now facing a lawsuit after rejecting an applicant who she said had too large a family for her rental property. The applicant has filed a federal lawsuit against the owner, stating that she was denied the rental of a two-bedroom...

Many landlords successfully manage their own properties with little downside. There are circumstances, though, where hiring a property manager may be in the owner's best interest. For instance, a landlord may: Live a significant distance from the rental property,...

Three cities recently have adopted rental "nuisance" ordinances -- laws that hold landlords liable for the activities of their tenants. Last week, Bangor, Maine lawmakers passed a nuisance ordinance, which they say will help cut crime in the city. Under the new...

by Marv Steier Landlords often have questions about non-discriminatory ways to reject an applicant who is not an appropriate tenant. It's a fine line that landlords walk when interviewing an applicant or writing a rental ad to ensure it doesn’t appear to be...

Operating a profitable rental business does not need to be stressful, although for some landlords it may seem to come with the territory. One trick is to view the rental business like any other job.  Working smart doesn’t mean working more hours.  It means setting up...

by Marv Steier As landlords we have to do what is reasonable and non-discriminatory, yet still avoid bad tenants that result in income loss. We know that landlords can’t discriminate based on certain elements. What constitutes discrimination may be different in your...