Category Archives: Landlord Tenant Relations

How To Be A Good Tenant

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Tenant Legal Help

Nothing will make your landlord happier than having a good relationship with a solid tenant. Part of that is for the renter to learn how to be a good tenant.

The tenant-landlord relationship can be rather formal. There are obviously legal obligations held by both landlords and tenants that must be met in order for the relationship to be considered successful in a certain sense.

But some people just have to go above and beyond. Whether it is because they highly value others’ opinion of them or they simply want to be the best possible person in a given situation for its own sake, some are curious as to what makes a “good” tenant. These prospective good tenants will read this list carefully while landlords everywhere nod in agreement.

Honesty

In any personal or professional relationship, honesty is often the best policy. This is especially true of landlord-tenant relationships. Honesty is a characteristic of tenants that can override many problems that happen over the course of a rental agreement . Tenant Screening For Landlords find you a rental in your area and set up communication with your new landlord.

In a perfect world, issues like lay payments or things broken due to carelessness wouldn’t happen. These things do happen though, and most landlords understand. Most landlords are able to work through issues with tenants as long is the tenant is honest about the situation and their willingness to rectify it.

Reliability

While most landlords would agree that honesty helps remedy many difficult situations, most would also agree that the less these situations arise, the better. Two of the more common issues that arise between landlords and tenants are late payments and property damage. Best Home Rental Sites includes a comprehensive profile that will match you with a compatible roommate looking for the same type of rental that you are looking for.

Tenant Legal Help

Tenant Legal Help

If, in the course of the official relationship, a tenant is able to pay their rent on time and avoid any property damage, nine times out of ten the landlord will consider them to be a good tenant. Being considered a good tenant comes with more than peace of mind, too! It is easy to forget in the moment, but tenants may need to rent a different property from a different landlord in the future and will need reference letters. Former landlords who can vouch for your honesty and reliability can make this a smooth process.

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tenant.rentals Welcomes New Marketing VP

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New tenant.rentals Marketing VP - Veronica RamirezAustin, Texas— Veronica Ramirez has been named the new Marketing VP for tenant.rentals, a website dedicated to creating a better renting experience for tenants.

The focus of tenant.rentals is primarily on the needs of tenants and tenant issues. There are numerous tenant services provided by tenant.rentals, a rapidly growing market since more and more people are choosing to rent rather than purchase homes. Additionally, tenant.rentals provides services and advice for landlords that want to develop better relationships with their tenants.

“We’re thrilled Veronica is joining our team. She brings a fresh outlook along with brand management and marketing savvy to tenant.rentals,” said Wayne Gathright, President of tenant.rentals. “Veronica will play an important role in our company as we continue to expand and build our marketing strategy for tenant.rentals.”

Veronica joins the company with a goal of building, developing and managing marketing and social media outreach for tenant.rentals.  “I’m excited to be a part of tenant.rentals,” said Veronica. “There is so much opportunity for growth as we continue to evolve the Tenant.com brand. There are over 118 million tenants in the United States alone, and we intend to tap into that huge market to provide the services that are lacking.”

Since starting her career, Veronica has served in a wide range of roles that attribute to her experience as Marketing VP. She has prior experience in the software industry, having served as director of marketing and director of customer relations for a design company as well as a business analyst and test engineer for a software development company. Veronica is a graduate of Texas State University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Media & Mass Communication.  Her experience includes marketing director of Bella Neela Photography & Design as well as having a background working in the the technology industry.

Veronica also is a proud Veteran. She served in the United States Army with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. “I am proud to have served in the Army,” said Veronica. “It taught me a lot about responsibility, leadership and a “get it done” attitude, and I feel I bring those qualities with me with every position I have worked.”

Part of Veronica’s responsibilities at tenant.rentals will be advancing the company brand, web traffic and promoting events. She will also be charged with increasing website engagement with current tenants and landlords as well as attracting new clients with marketing campaigns to further the success of tenant.rentals.

About tenant.rentals

tenant.rentals has a motto ‘All Things Tenant Related’. The goal of tenant.rentals is to provide valuable services for tenants under ‘one roof’. Such services include helping tenants find a rental property, locate compatible roommates, communicate with landlords, find legal documents and legal assistance, pay rent online, get help moving into a rental, and much more. There is a wealth of information for common tenant questions, as well as a free eBook “What ALL Tenants REALLY Need to KNOW”, written by Wayne Gathright, president of tenant.rentals.
For more information, please visit www.tenant.rentals.

What You Should Know Before Subletting

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tenant.rentals subletting agreementSo, you’re living happily in your apartment with three of your friends, when you suddenly get a great job offer that requires you to move to another city . . . what’s the problem? Your lease doesn’t end for another six months and you can’t pay two rent checks each month. At this point, subletting seems like the best option for you, and maybe it is. How can you make sure the sublease process goes smoothly for you and your roommates?

Subleasing is when the current tenant rents their property out to another tenant. The new tenant is then required to pay rent and follow the terms of the lease. But the catch is that the current tenant usually still holds the overall responsibility according to the terms of the lease. A huge part of subleasing is making sure that you find a good lessee. Because the responsibility of the property still falls on you, you want someone who will take care of the property and make sure nothing goes wrong.

Subleasing can is a great option if handled properly. However, some tenants are taking advantage of a hot rental market and profiting from it, causing all sorts of problems. Airbnb offers a service that allows site visitors to rent extra rooms or even empty couches. This is becoming a big issue in large cities, since it usually violates the lease agreement and the people paying for the short term rental are not properly vetted. Unless the lease permits subletting, this action could allow the landlord to evict the original tenant. It may even violate city ordinances or local law.

If you are on good terms with your landlord, and need to sublet, you should ask for a sublet agreement. You may need to pay the landlord a fee to draft and execute the document. The agreement might have the following terms:

  1. A defined starting and ending date
  2. A statement that “Any and all subtenants shall be required to conform to all obligations and covenants of the Tenant as set forth in the above-described lease, all provisions of said lease remaining in full force and effect for the entire term of the sublease.”
  3. A requirement that the subletting person sign a separate lease agreement.
  4. A statement that the original tenant is not released from any responsibility as set forth in the original lease.

As a tenant with a valid lease in force, even if you sublease, you must always remember that you are responsible for the actions of the person you sublease to. So you must be careful in choosing whom you rent to, and maintain contact to be sure things are going smoothly. If you think that your move will be permanent, it might be a better idea to help the landlord find a suitable replacement, and have the landlord release you from the lease completely. That might enable you to get your security deposit back, and absolve you from any further responsibility.

Where can Austin tenants find help?

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QuestionIf you live in Austin Texas, you know there are lots and lots of rental properties. Sure, it’s easy for Austin tenants to find a good apartment or rental home near their job or school. But what happens when there is a problem?

Too often tenants are so excited to get moved in and get on with their lives in their new location, they neglect to take the time to explore some of the things that could come back to bite them later. One of the major items is the lease they sign. Most apartment leases are standardized, but many are not. Even at that, the tenant may face additional rules and regulations that are officially tagged on to the lease. Guess what? Those add-ons are legally binding. Often the leases are 10 or more pages of tiny legal blab. Why read it? Ask the tenants that are involved in legal hassles in Austin right now.

Besides the lease, there are SO many things that can go wrong. Your rental could be burglarized, damaged by your neighbors trash can fire, the building could be sold or foreclosed on, your roommate might bail on you, a rock band might be rehearsing on the other side of your bed, the water pipes could bust, well, you get the picture.

Where can tenants get help in Austin? We’ve provided some resources for you below. Keep this list handy, chances are you will need it someday!

tenant.rentals

First, our own website https://www.tenant.rentals is a GREAT resource for tenants on many levels. You can find a great place to live in your zip code, hook up with a roommate, find a moving company, learn about the potential problems in your lease, deal with your landlord, get legal advice, and find a WEALTH of information that will help you as a tenant.

Here are some more valuable resources in Austin TX:

Austin Tenant Council

You may contact the Austin Tenants’ Council, 1640B East 2nd Street, Suite 150 Austin, TX 78702, (512) 474-1961, www.housing-rights.org

Texas Tenant Advisor

http://texastenant.org/
This website is intended to provide residential tenants of Texas with general information.  We do not have sufficient resources to help tenants individually.  Because the law constantly changes and your situation is unique, we do not warrant or guarantee that the information on this website is current or applicable to your situation. 

The Attorney General of Texas

https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/tenant-rights

The relationship between Texas landlords and their tenants is governed by several statutes, particularly Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code, and by various court rulings. However, the most important source of information about your relationship with your landlord is your rental agreement, whether it is written or oral.

TexasLawHelp.org

http://texaslawhelp.org/issues/housing/landlord-tenant-1

Helping low-income individuals solve civil legal issues.

FindLaw

http://realestate.findlaw.com/landlord-tenant-law/tenant-rights.html

Welcome to the Tenant Rights section of FindLaw’s Real Estate Center, providing information and resources to help tenants (also referred to as “renters”) know their rights when entering into a rental agreement. Whether you are looking to rent an apartment or house, need help understanding the landlord-tenant laws in your state, or are involved in a landlord-tenant dispute – this section will get you up to speed. The following articles will help you understand your rights as a tenant, how lease and rental agreements work, payment of rent and security deposits, tenant safety, landlord liability, the eviction process, and more. This section also provides links to state landlord-tenant laws, with tips on hiring a real estate lawyer.

To speak with a qualified attorney about a tenant-landlord issue, you can go to the site: https://www.tenant.rentals/tenant-legal-questions/

Sometimes, tenants just need to find some forms to create an agreement. We’ve provided those forms at https://www.tenant.rentals/legal-forms-for-tenants/. There are forms such as a co-habitation or roommate agreement, sublease agreement, affidavits, lease assignment agreement and more.

tenant.rentals is dedicated to you, the tenant. We love tenants, and hope that your stay is worry free and fun!

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Safety First

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Moving to a new place can be a bit scary (and also super exciting), and that’s why it’s up to you to make sure that you create a safe environment for yourself to make your move as easy as possible. Safety goes hand in hand with feeling comfortable where you are, don’t overlook it!

A good place to start is with safety in the home. Always make sure your windows and doors are locked when you leave your home. No matter where you live and how long you’ve lived there, it’s never okay to leave doors and windows unlocked. If you’re scared that you may lock yourself out one day, so  for that reason you always leave a hidden window unlocked, just carry a spare key. Keep a copy of your key in your wallet or purse so that you’ll always have one on you. Leaving a door or window unlocked just makes your home an easier target for crime, and you definitely don’t want that.

An alarm system is a really good investment to consider when you move into your new home. You don’t have to find a super fancy and expensive system, there are simple ones available that are not expensive and get the job done. If and when you decide to install an alarm system, be sure that you put some kind of notice on your home (alarms come with decals or signs of some sort) to let others know that you are being protected and to deter break-ins. If you have children, it’s imperative that they are also well aware of staying safe in their new home. Make sure that they have the necessary emergency contact numbers, and know how to determine when there is an emergesafetyncy.

Don’t forget to talk to your neighbors! We covered this recently, check it out here, and it really is so important. You and your neighbors are the people that make up your immediate community so it’s up to all of you to keep it safe. If it doesn’t already exist, you all may want to consider setting up a neighborhood watch program. The National Crime Prevention Council is a great resource for learning the steps to take to establish a neighborhood watch program in your community. A program like this is extremely effective in keeping your neighborhood safe and crime free. This is also a great way for you to become more involved in your community and feel more at home in your new place.

 

Love Thy Neighbors

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When you move, aside from getting a new home you also get a new vicinity, and with that comes new neighbors. Your neighbors are the people you’ll have closest to your home at all times, so it’s important to have a good relationship with them. If you think about it, neighbors are like distant roommates…

Don’t think we’re saying that you need to be the best of friends with your neighbor (though this may happen); you should just try to get along as best as you can. Be mindful of the fact that you have your space that you’re entitled to, and they have theirs. You wouldn’t like it if their dog messed up your lawn, or if they left their lawnmower blocking your driveway, would you? So don’t let it happen to them! Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.

 

Just like with roommates, there’s a chance you and your neighbor(s) may have some issues with each other at some point or another. Most likely this will just be something silly, like one of you had muneighborssic on too loud, or something along those lines. Before complaining to your property manager or a higher authority, talk to your neighbor, first! Your neighbor isn’t going to know that the music was bothering you unless you tell them; once they know that it’s bothering you, they can lower it. This same thing goes for you, too! Respect when your neighbors have a complaint and don’t let it happen again.

Neighbors are especially helpful if you’re moving to a completely new place and don’t know anyone. They can tell you all about the neighborhood and what you need to know, making the move a lot easier for you. Make it a point to introduce yourself whenever new neighbors move into your neighborhood, remember- you’ve been there too!

Are your utility bills too high?

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We’ve all had that moment when we look at our utility bill and cannot believe that it’s that high proceeding to ask ourselves how it’s that high. The smallest of things could be making your bill ridiculously high, and we’re going to tell you how to change that.

  1. energyLights! Always turn lights off when you leave a room and when you leave your home. It may seem silly, but you’ll definitely see a drop in your bill if you start turning lights off instead of leaving them on all of the time. This same thing applies to ceiling fans! If no one is in the room, turn the fan off. For outdoor lights, you can get motion and light detecting lights that’ll only turn on at night time and when someone is there.
  2. Use timers! Timers are awesome because they take the hassle of turning things on and off away from you. At this day in age, just about anything can be set up with a timer. You can program your air conditioner to only be at lower temperatures when people are home, and rise up when no one is home. This prevents wasted electricity. You can also get timers for appliances that you use regularly, like coffee machines. Instead of making your coffee and forgetting to turn the machine off, program it to turn off when you’re leaving for work and have already had coffee.
  3. Don’t wash everyday! This applies to washing dishes, and laundry. Avoid washing loads of clothes and dishes everyday, or every other day. Not only do these appliances use water, but they also run for a pretty long time and use a lot of electricity in the process.

Who should you lease from?

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When you’re considering what kind of property to rent out and make your home, you should also consider who you’re leasing from.

Usually, your options will be a property manager or property management firm, or an individual landlord. Just like everything else, both have their ups and their downs.

Property managers or property management firms 

Property management firms may be more professional and efficient than individual landlords, because of the fact their duty is to take care of the property and make sure it is being run smoothly. But, you also need to consider that property managers may be more strict than regular landlords, since they have a lot of tenants and can’t be allowing people to break rules. Property management firms will most likely have websites set up for you to pay rent, put in maintenance requests, and contact supervisors, so they save you some time as far as going back and forth with your landlord.

Individual landlords

With individual landlords, you need to realize that their job is typically not devoted to running your property, so they may not be as efficient with things the way property management firms are. Buuuut, on the plus side, individual landlords definitely give you more personalized service than companies who are managing a ton of different properties at once. Also, individual landlords are usually more lenient as far as different aspects of the lease agreement, or if you have issues with paying rent. lease

How can YOU be a good tenant?

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First of all…PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME!!!

Aside from that, being a good tenant goes wayyyyyy beyond paying rent on time. As someone who’s living in another person’s property, you want to be considerate of that and treat is as though it is your own. Be careful, and be kind. Think about it, someone fixed up their home to rent it out to you, so you want to make sure you’re keeping it how you first got it.  Single Family House Rentals helps you find you a rental in your area and set up communication with your new landlord.

Tenant Legal Help

Tenant Legal Help

Go to your landlord for real issues, not silly things you can do yourself. If something happens, like your air conditioner breaks, definitely contact your landlord immediately.

What else can you do to be a good tenant? 

But if something happens, like a floorboard gets scuffed, take care of it yourself. They’re not going to appreciate having to fix very minor things that you could easily do on your own. If you need a roommate, Tenant Moving Assistance help with that as well. 

Back to the subject of rent, if for whatever reason you can’t pay on time, just tell your landlord prior to when your rent is due and see if you can work something out with them. Don’t wait until the day the rent is due, or after that, to tell your landlord that you can’t pay them; as much as you need the money, they do too. As you enter into a lease agreement, start making repair requests, and possibly have a dispute with your landlord, Tenant Legal Rights can help you.

good tenant

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