What? An attorney writing about landscaping? Not so fast. The landscape to which we refer is that of your relationship with your residents. It is not uncommon for clients to promote new managers and/or hire new personnel. This “changing of the guard” usually prompts questions from these new employees regarding their rights and obligations to their residents. And, we will invariably refer them to their lease as a perfect starting point to understand these rights and obligations.
One of the most common questions asked relate to the laws regarding the landlord-tenant relationship. And while the laws may exist, they are limited in scope and leave much (if not most) of the landlord-tenant relationship to the individual parties. This then leaves you, as the landlord, free to define that relationship with an effective, comprehensive lease.
So, why is this important to know? Because the more educated you and your employees are regarding what your lease does and/or does not address, the better equipped you will be when residents come asking, when you call us for assistance, or more importantly, when you are expected to enforce that lease because someone has violated its terms.
Your lease is a critical component in your relationship with your tenants. At its most basic, without a lease you cannot collect rent. Without a lease in place, any payments received are not legally considered “rent” and your legal rights are at risk of being severely compromised.
Know everything you can about the most important document you work with as a manager/owner of rental properties. It will prove beneficial in many immeasurable ways.