Is A Written Lease Or Rental Agreement Important

A question often asked by many landlords and tenants, the answer is yes a lease or rental agreement is a key tenancy document that dictates important terms, such as:

1. Duration of the tenancy.
2. Rental amount and security deposit amount to be paid by the tenant.
3. Restrictions regarding the number of people allowed to live on the rental property.
4. Whether, landlord or tenant is responsible for paying the utilities.
5. Whether, the tenant can or cannot keep pets.
6. Whether, the property can be sublet by the tenant.
7. Landlord’s access to the rental property.
8. Whether, landlord or tenant will be responsible for paying legal fees, in case of litigation concerning the meaning or implementation of the lease or rental agreement.

Always, ensure leases and rental agreements are in writing, despite the fact most states do enforce oral (spoken) agreements for a certain period of time. While, oral agreements appear easy and informal, they can often be the source of disputes resulting in expensive litigation. In case, tenant / landlord later disagree about key agreements, such as, whether a tenant can sublet, it could all likely end up as a court argument, over who said what to whom, when, and in what context. A particular problem with long-term leases, it is why courts in most states refuse to enforce oral agreements, after the passage of one year.

For landlord / tenant disputes, the best option is to screen tenants carefully. Get professional help from tenant screening agencies. With a click of the mouse, you can visit www.e-renter.com for all your tenant screening requirements.