| |
| 1. The best way to win over a prospective landlord
is to be prepared. Bringing the following information
when you meet prospective landlords will give you
a competitive edge over other applicants: a completed
rental application; written references from landlords
and employers, friends and colleagues, and a
current
copy of your credit report. |
| |
| 2. Carefully review all the important conditions
of the tenancy before you sign on the dotted line.
Your lease or rental agreement may contain a provision
that you find unacceptable -- for example, restrictions
on the guests or pets, design alterations or running
a home business. |
| |
| 3. To avoid disputes or misunderstandings with
your landlord, get it in writing. Keep copies of
any correspondence and follow up an oral agreement
with a letter, setting out your understanding. For
example, if you ask your landlord to make repairs,
put your request in writing and keep a copy for
yourself. If he agrees orally, send a letter confirming
this fact. |
| |
| 4. Protect your privacy rights. Next to disputes
over rent or security deposits, one of the most
common and emotion-filled misunderstandings arises
over a landlord's right to enter a rental unit and
a tenant's right to be left alone. If you understand
your privacy rights, for example, the amount of
notice your landlord must provide before entering
-- it will be easier to protect them. |
| |
| 5. Know your rights to live in a habitable rental
unit and don't give them up. Landlords are required
to offer their tenants livable premises including
adequate weatherproofing; heat, water, and electricity;
and clean, sanitary and structurally safe premises.
If your rental unit is not kept in good repair
you have a number of options ranging from withholding
a portion of the rent to pay for repairs, to calling
the building inspector (who can usually order the
landlord to make repairs), to moving out without
liability for your future rent. |
| |
| 6. Keep communication open with your landlord.
For example, if the landlord
is slow to make repairs, talk with the landlord
to see if the issue can be resolved short of a
nasty
legal battle. |
| |
| 7. Purchase renter's insurance
to cover your valuables. Your landlord's insurance
policy will not cover your losses. Renter's
insurance
typically costs $175 a year for a $50,000 policy
that covers loss due to theft or damage caused
by
other people or natural disasters. |
| |
| 8. Make sure the security deposit refund procedures
are spelled out in your lease or rental agreement.
To protect yourself and avoid any misunderstandings,
make sure your lease or rental agreement is clear
on the use and refund of security deposits, including
allowable deductions. |
| |
| 9. Learn whether your building and neighborhood
are safe and what you can expect your landlord
to do about it if they aren't. Get copies of any
state or local laws that require safety devices
such as deadbolts and window locks, check out the
property's vulnerability to intrusion by a criminal,
and learn whether criminal incidents have already
occurred. If a crime is highly likely, your landlord
may be obligated to take some steps to protect
you. |
| |
| 10. Know when to fight an eviction notice and
when to move. Unless you have the law and provable
facts on your side fighting an eviction notice
is usually short-sighted. If you lose an eviction
lawsuit you may end up hundreds (even thousands)
of dollars in debt and face a negative credit rating. |
| |
