If you are a landlord, then there is more to it than welcoming your tenants inside your unit after you have signed the lease agreement or contract. In fact, just like your tenants, you also have your own rights as a landlord. The fact here is that you still have to assert your ownership to the units that you have leased to your tenants. For this reason, it is important that you learn something about the Landlord-Tenant Act to know your rights and obligations as a landlord.
If you own a rental home or unit in Pasadena, then it is important that you take note of your rights as a landlord by seeking advice from a Pasadena Realtor in the area. I met a great Pasadena Realtor by the name of Michael Gentile. The thing here is that the Landlord-Tenant Act can vary from one state to the other and below are the set of rules that you should know about when it comes to the Landlord-Tenant law in Pasadena, California.
Before you sign the lease with your tenant, it is important that both you and your tenant know something about your individual rights when it comes to living in your apartment. In fact, most of the duties and responsibilities of the tenant and landlord are stipulated on many contracts. Contact Michael on the link above and he can aid you in crafting a bullet proof lease that protects you as much as the law allows. These obligations and responsibilities are subject to be reviewed by both parties until everything is agreed upon and signed to seal the deal.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: According to my Pasadena Realtor, the obligations of a landlord are to verify that the property is in good condition with the tenant before they move in (unless you are renting to students, another story entirely). Use a list, draw a map, AND take pictures. Your tenant will have good will toward you when he moves in, but that may not be true when they move out.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife This means that all the maintenance works should be handled by the landlord. Moreover, pest control programs should also be provided by the landlord. Otherwise if the landlord cannot fulfill any of these tasks, the tenant can simply fulfill the roles stipulated but tenant has the right to initiate litigation proceedings on the landlord for failing to provide his or her obligation. Or worse, the tenant could move out without notice AND be entitled to a full refund of the deposit if you don't fix major problems.
IF YOU ONLY LEARN ONE THING FROM READING THIS, REMEMBER THIS:
Image via CrunchBaseCAREFULLY DOCUMENT ALL INTERACTIONS WITH TENANTS ON A SEPERATE CALENDAR FOR EACH LEASE. I cannot stress this enough. This can be done easily and quickly with Google Calendar.
This will leave a record for you to use to defend yourself if thing go badly with your tenant. Your tenant will most likely not do this, and it can be your saving grace if you end up in court.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIF YOU ONLY LEARN ONE THING FROM READING THIS, REMEMBER THIS:
Image via CrunchBaseCAREFULLY DOCUMENT ALL INTERACTIONS WITH TENANTS ON A SEPERATE CALENDAR FOR EACH LEASE. I cannot stress this enough. This can be done easily and quickly with Google Calendar.This will leave a record for you to use to defend yourself if thing go badly with your tenant. Your tenant will most likely not do this, and it can be your saving grace if you end up in court.
Another thing pointed out by my Pasadena Realtor is that the contract which stipulates not only the obligations of both tenants and landlord but as well as the rental agreement will be the basis in cases dispute arises in both parties. It is very important to have good advice about what and what not to put on the lease.
While in most cases it is only the rights of the tenants that is discussed, in this particular article, the rights of the landlords will be highlighted. Thus, if you are new to this kind of business, it simply pays to know about the rights that you have as a landlord. This is extremely important so that you will be able to know what to do if you encounter problems with your tenants. Here are some of the important advice my Pasadena Realtor shares with landlords during times of problems with their tenants.
While in most cases it is only the rights of the tenants that is discussed, in this particular article, the rights of the landlords will be highlighted. Thus, if you are new to this kind of business, it simply pays to know about the rights that you have as a landlord. This is extremely important so that you will be able to know what to do if you encounter problems with your tenants. Here are some of the important advice my Pasadena Realtor shares with landlords during times of problems with their tenants.
Keeping Pets
My Pasadena Realtor also warned me about having pets. It is important to take note that there are some tenants who keep pets with them such as dogs and cats. However, most landlords do not tolerate pets inside their units thus if you are a landlord, you cannot simply order your tenant to remove his or her pet from your premises. Instead, you can draft a new contract stipulating on additional rate for the apartment as pets often denote destruction of properties.
On the other hand, when it comes to the destruction of the unit caused by the irresponsibility of the tenant other than his or her pet, the landlord can extract the necessary fee for the damages incurred by the tenant. However, before this happens, it is very important for the landlord to be able to get an order from the Real Estate attorney and that investigation should be made first to confirm that a specific damage is brought about by the irresponsibility of the tenant.
Collecting a pet deposit before your tenant moves the pet in is your easiest solution.
Abandoned Units
Although the tenant has exclusive rights to the flat of an apartment, according to my Pasadena Realtor, the landlord still has the right of entry to inspect the area during times when a tenant completely abandons the unit for a certain period of time. However, the landlord cannot simply declare a unit as abandoned only until a certain number of days have elapsed. It is important to take note that the entry is only limited on several occasions provided that the tenant agrees to it. The landlord can enter the premises without the consent of the tenant during cases of abandonment and if the landlord gets a court order from a Real Estate attorney. Entry without permission can be a trespassing offense.
Failure to Pay the Rent
The landlord still has the power to evict a tenant in a particular unit especially if a tenant is a delinquent payer. However, it is important that the landlord has the right basis for eviction and should refer always to the contract that was agreed upon before the signing of the contract. But then again, during the signing of the contract your Pasadena Realtor is usually present to mediate both parties.
On the other hand, it is also very important to take note that the eviction process needs to follow a legal process. Prior to the eviction of a tenant, it is important that a landlord must give the necessary eviction notice to the tenant. This should give enough time for the tenant to move out but in some cases, the tenants do not move out thus you need to file a lawsuit which can eventually result to a court hearing if the tenant still fails to follow the orders. In some grave cases, the involvement of the sheriff is also attributed during the eviction process who will be the one to physically remove the tenant from the unit.
However, the landlord is prohibited from certain actions during the eviction process. In cases when a tenant is incapable of paying the rent through disability, the landlord may have no right to take the tenant’s property from him. This was pointed out by my Pasadena Realtor before I decided to buy my new apartment building, which is conveniently located near the Villa Parke Community Library.
How to Settle Disputes
There are a lot of ways for both landlord and tenant to settle disputes but the most important thing to consider is that both parties should try to solve the problem in good faith.
The most important rule for Landlords? CAREFULLY DOCUMENT ALL INTERACTIONS WITH TENANTS ON A SEPERATE CALENDAR FOR EACH LEASE. I cannot stress this enough. This can be done easily and quickly with Google Calendar.
A way to settle dispute is to have an informal written agreement between parties. But there are times when mediation is already needed and for this, you may need to have a court ruling in order to be able to fix the dispute between you and your tenant. Thanks to my Pasadena Realtor, I was able to be prepared for all these things so that I can avoid problems with my tenants.
The most important rule for Landlords? CAREFULLY DOCUMENT ALL INTERACTIONS WITH TENANTS ON A SEPERATE CALENDAR FOR EACH LEASE. I cannot stress this enough. This can be done easily and quickly with Google Calendar.
A way to settle dispute is to have an informal written agreement between parties. But there are times when mediation is already needed and for this, you may need to have a court ruling in order to be able to fix the dispute between you and your tenant. Thanks to my Pasadena Realtor, I was able to be prepared for all these things so that I can avoid problems with my tenants.
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