Landlord Tenant Disputes

There are many disputes between landlords and tenants that can arise when there is an agreement made between the two parties. As follows are 4 of the top issues between landlords and tenants and how they can be mitigated before they become an issue.

Rent Payment

The most common landlord tenant dispute is nonpayment of rent issues. Some examples related to rent issues can be…

• The tenant starts to pay rent late, not at all, or starts falling behind on payments.

• The tenant starts lying to the landlord about the reason why the rent is late or not paid at all.

• The landlord fails to make proper repairs or regular maintenance so the tenant stops paying rent or only pays partial rent.

To help prevent issues regarding payment of rent issues, you should always make sure the tenant understands when rent is due and what date it is considered late. Landlords should also understand that if a tenant has an emergency and is unable to pay on time, it’s ok to be understanding, however, it is not okay to allow patterns of repeatedly late or delayed rent.

Security deposits

The second most common landlord tenant dispute is security deposits. Almost all of the disputes concern a tenant disagreeing with what the landlord considers “damages” and how much the tenant receives back when the lease is up.

The landlord has every right to deduct the costs and expenses of unpaid rent owed, repaired items due to damage by the tenant, cleaning the unit or storing tenants belongings from the security deposit.

Property damages

It’s a good idea to specifically outline what is considered normal wear vs damages caused by the tenant or their guests. Provide an itemized list of tenant responsibilities such as:

• Keeping the rental in clean conditions.

• Frequently removing trash and waste from the rental unit and outside the unit (based on the property).

• Keeping common areas clean and free of debris.

To avoid potential issues when a tenant moves out, it’s a good idea to implement move in and move out inspection checklists. You can have the tenant physically walk with you and check off common problematic areas such as bathroom bath areas, kitchens and heavy traffic areas.

Once the tenant is ready to move out, you can do your inspection again but this time pointing out areas that need attention and what you could potentially consider as “damage”.

Tenants breaking the lease

Another common landlord tenant dispute is when the tenant breaks the lease. This can cause a number of issues for the landlord such as having to turn over a rental when not expected, having to find new tenants, pay overdue bills and more.

Abandoning a lease has serious consequences that a lot of tenants don’t fully understand that can cause common landlord tenant disputes. Depending on the verbiage on the lease, the landlord can use the deposit to cover the costs of replacing the tenant who abandoned or broke their lease.

Communication is the easiest way to avoid the most common landlord tenant disputes. If you make it a habit of making sure you properly communicate with your tenant, you can avoid potential stress on your relationship with your tenant. Landlords should view their tenants as their customers and put them first to make sure your business is successful.

Contact Ray at ray@theraymartinagency.com or 203.900.8975

Ray Martin, Ray Martin Stratford, Ray Martin Easton, Ray Martin Connecticut, Ray Martin Real Estate, Martin Caselli