5 Secrets Landlords Don't Want You to Know
You may find yourself asking the question, “Should I rent or buy a house?”
Renting is a great option if you’re looking for something temporary. You often hear about renting from the perspective of the tenant – so here are some things you should know that your landlord doesn’t want you to know.
Things should be fixed before you sign your lease.
A walkthrough of your potential new home may have turned up some minor issues. Knowing you have a landlord provides a sense of security since they are the ones who will need to fix these issues.
You may be inclined to wait until you move in to have the landlord perform this upkeep, but you really should aim to get things fixed before you even sign your lease.
A crooked cabinet or door that sticks is not a huge cause for motivation on the part of your landlord after you’ve moved in. It’s more likely they will push off the repair since they’ve already got you locked into the living space.
Use any type of repair like this as a bargaining chip before signing a lease. Your landlord will be much more likely to do repairs knowing they will have a confirmed tenant once they are completed.
You can negotiate on several things.
You can often negotiate things like lease length, security deposit parameters, pet allowances, or amenities.
This largely depends on the current market. It’s favorable where the rental market is not tight, places like smaller urban and rural, suburban areas.
You may even be able to negotiate the rent itself. If the local rental rates haven’t changed since your lease was first signed and you are a solid tenant, you can fight back on a possible increase.
You may have more rights than you realize
Tenants have a right to a livable home. Every state has some form of a law guaranteeing tenants the right to a safe basic shelter that keeps out rain and snow and is free of health hazards like asbestos, lead, and mold.
If your living space is not meeting these requirements, you can legally seek recourse by withholding rent until repairs are made to rectify these hindrances.
You can also consider making the repairs on your own and deducting these expenses from your rent.
Most often, your neighbor is not their problem.
The guy across from you slams his door, the person next to you has loud parties sometimes – these can be common complaints for those who live in multi-unit dwellings. While they’re annoying, they are nothing your landlord is particularly worried about.
A landlord will likely intervene if the matter at hand is destroying the peace of the building or the landlord’s life in particular. They will also get involved if the manners in question are breaking the law.
They want you to stay.
Finding good tenants is tough, so once a landlord has one they want to hold onto them.
If you are a model tenant remember it is a bargaining chip. Landlords need you more than you need them.
You may find yourself asking the question, “ Should I rent or buy a house ?” Renting is a great option if you’re looking for something tem...
