Tenant Tips – Part II

While, it is important for tenants and landlords to be on their best behaviour, both are entitled to certain rights, and tenants should be aware of them, when renting a house or apartment. The following tips are designed to help tenants make a good impression and get the best landlord deal, of all.

1. Before, getting into a nasty spat that might lead to an expensive legal battle, a tenant must keep all communication lines with the landlord open, if there is a problem regarding tardiness in the landlord’s response regarding a request made for necessary repairs to your rental unit.
2. Insurance policies taken out by landlords do not cover tenant losses due to theft or damage. It is best to take out renters insurance, as it will cover you even in the event of being sued for injury caused on the rental premises, as a result of your carelessness. Typically, renters insurance costs about $350 a year for a $50,000 policy and will cover loss due to theft or damage caused by other people or natural disasters. There are cheaper policies as well, in case you do not need that much coverage.
3. Tenants can avoid misunderstandings and protect themselves by ensuring their lease or rental agreements are clear on the subject of use and refund of security deposits, including allowable deductions. At the time of moving in, do a walk-through with your landlord, recording existing damage to your rental premises on a move-in statement or checklist.
4. Check out the safety of the building and neighbourhood, and what steps your landlord has taken to ensure it is a safe and secure environment for tenants, such as, safety devices like deadbolts and window locks specified in state and local laws. Check out if the property is vulnerable to intrusion by a criminal, and whether the property or neighbourhood has been the scene of criminal incidents in the past or present. If, the area is prone to high crime, then your landlord is obligated to take adequate steps to protect all tenants.
5. Any eviction must be dealt with properly, and a tenant must know if a notice for eviction needs to be fought out or obeyed. In case, a landlord has not issued a proper eviction notice, or the premises are uninhabitable, clearly he / she is in the wrong, and you may want to fight the eviction. However, remember without the law and facts that can be proved on your side, fighting an eviction notice is useless. Losing an eviction lawsuit could leave you in debt and damage your credit rating, including the easy ability to rent from other landlords.