What Help Can You Get from a Landlord/Tenant Attorney?
When problems emerge, both a tenant and a landlord might benefit from the assistance of an experienced landlord/tenant attorney. When a landlord violates a tenant’s rights to equal treatment under the law, evicts them without cause, refuses to make the repairs you need to live in a habitable home, injures the tenant as a result of the property, or breaches the terms of the lease, landlord tenant lawyers can assist the tenant.
When the tenant violates the terms of the lease, fails to pay the required rent, uses the property for illegal purposes, or overstays their lease period without paying rent and becomes a trespasser, the landlord can get assistance from a landlord tenant lawyer.
What Information Should Be in a Lease?
Rental or lease agreements are contracts that specify the parameters of the relationship between the landlord and renter. The following conditions must be included in a lease:
- Rent includes the amount due each month, the day of the month it is due, and any late fees that may apply if the rent is not paid by the due date, but more than a specific number of days have passed. Landlords typically have unrestricted power to raise residential rent in areas where there is no rent control.
- Duration: How long the rental agreement will last or for how long it will be in effect.
- Although most leasing agreements are month to month. Most leases last anywhere from six months to a year or longer.
- Occupancy: The rental or lease agreement should specify the maximum number of tenants (occupants) that may occupy the space.
- Terms of Use: The contract should outline the limitations of permitted usage, such as whether or not animals (such as dogs, cats, and other critters) are permitted within the structure. Illegal activity and excessive noise are two other prohibitions that can be mentioned. Some furniture or accessories, such as a waterbed or barbecue, may be prohibited by a lease or rental agreement.
- Utilities: The agreement needs to be clear about which utilities the tenant is responsible for paying. The majority of apartment lease provides water and trash pickup, but often the tenant is responsible for power, gas, and telephone.
- Security Deposit: The amount of the security deposit should be specified in the rental agreement or lease, if one is necessary. Additionally, the deposit’s usage by the landlord and whether interest is to be paid on it should be specified in the contract. Last but not least, it must be specified in the document exactly how the security deposit reimbursement will be given. In most places, it is illegal for landlords to deduct costs for wear and tear on rental properties that is considered typical.
- Entry by Landlord: The terms of the rental agreement or lease should specify how the landlord may enter the property. The renter must typically be notified before the landlord enters the unit.
- A move-in inspection should be performed by both the landlord and the tenant to ascertain the state of the rental unit at the time the tenants take possession and to document (or take pictures of) any pre-existing issues.
- When tenants leave a rental property, a move-out inspection is performed to evaluate the state of the unit. A security deposit refund or decrease is typically based on comparing this information to the move-in information provided.
- Tenants with disabilities Renters with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations for their disabilities, but landlords are not compelled to make modifications if doing so will materially restrict their capacity to conduct business.
Must I get legal advice on real estate?
You can find the legal rules that govern your landlord-tenant relationship with the aid of a real estate attorney, who can also assist you in getting the best outcome. The terms of a lease can be reviewed by a real estate lawyer, who can also assist you in learning what obligations you have under the lease. A real estate attorney can also assist you if you are facing an eviction or if there are potential structural issues with the property.