Guest Blog: How to Legally Protect Yourself Against Problem Residents
The job of a landlord can be difficult, especially when it comes to legal issues.
By Jay M. Levy, P.A
The job of a landlord can be difficult, especially when it comes to legal issues. Many landlords are faced with lawsuits arising from problem residents that can easily be avoided with a well-written and thought-out lease. This lease should spell out the legal rights a resident has while renting the property. Below are some recommendations on what a landlord should consider for protection against potentially devious residents.
Have a resident screening process in place. Before signing a lease with a new resident, make sure you have a sufficient screening process in place utilizing objective legal guidelines that a resident must meet in order to be approved. An objective screening procedure is important to insulate the landlord from discrimination and related type complaints.
Make sure lease terms are specific and unambiguous. Ambiguous language leads to lawsuits and leaves the meaning of the lease up to a judge or jury to decide. A lawsuit determining the meaning of the lease would result in an unnecessary delay in the removal of a problem resident, costing you both time and money.