Common Lease Violations and How To Prevent Them

Nearly 40% of Americans are currently renting homes and signing new leases no matter the time of year. Lease violations San Diego happen every day.

Therefore, it is essential to know all about common lease violations and how to prevent them because chances are that you may also be renting a home to tenants or looking for new ones.

It is always very beneficial to have a good relationship between landlords and tenants to ensure that there are no problems while renting.

Otherwise, you may be in for a ride with legal problems if you do not take matters into your own hands. Here is all the information you need to know about common lease violations and how to avoid them.

Common Lease Violations and How to Prevent Them

Before diving into how to tackle lease violations, you must understand what they are. A lease agreement is a formal legal document that is signed by the tenant and landlord.

This document may state all the details about the property and how long someone can rent it out. If you are a landlord or estate agent, you must prepare this document and get it signed by your tenant.

Then you need to sign it as well to make it official. This agreement will outline certain stipulations expected of your tenant. This can be information about how they should pay the rent.

Your tenant must then read the agreement thoroughly before signing the document. During this time, they have the chance to negotiate any terms they do not like.

Always remember to keep the lease terms reasonable to avoid legal liability. If the tenant breaches the contract after signing it, this is known as a lease violation.

It is important to note that rental lease violations are common. Even if you have a very responsible tenant, they may make a mistake now and then.

Since you are the landlord, you have the power to let small mistakes slide as long as your tenant does not break the rules often. Unless the tenant engages in illegal activities, you may not want to evict them.

For instance, if someone blasts music too loud, you will not want to kick them out and start the entire process of advertising your property to find a new tenant. This can become costly, so you can note issues down as lease violations to hold them accountable.

Inviting Guests

It is no secret that a tenant will invite their friends and loved ones to their unit for a get-together, especially during the holidays. However, you should note that guests should not be allowed to stay long-term.

You do not want this to become an issue. Long-term residents are unofficial tenants living in your home without your permission. It is okay for visitors to stay overnight.

However, you should state in the lease agreement if someone is allowed to have people stay for a long time. You can include the maximum number of days those tenants can have a guest over for.

It will be a lease violation if they still have the same guest staying with them. Then you can enforce the consequences of the violation. For instance, you can increase the rental fee for each person or terminate the lease.

Dealing With Pets

Having pets can be great, but they can inflict serious damage to your property. This is why many landlords have a strict no-pet policy that tenants need to respect.

If you do not want pets on your property, you should mention this in the lease agreement clearly. You must also mention a detailed description of the consequences, like fines for cleaning and repairs if they keep a pet without your permission.

You will also need to have photographic evidence to support this. Always warn your tenants when they come for an inspection if they are allowed pets or not, and include this rule in the lease as well.

Unpaid Rent

This is one of the most common problems that landlords deal with frequently. You may have a tenant who pays rent on time for a few months and then suddenly becomes late.

This can easily happen if someone’s circumstances change, such as losing a job. You should always state the due date for rent payments in the lease agreement.

This way, if the tenant is a single day late, it would be a lease violation. You can also include a rent protection lease violation fee. This is like a late payment fee that can cover your expenses while giving the tenant a bit of extra time.

Your tenant can have some breathing space while you still get checks to come in.

However, if your tenant does not pay anything for a while, you can begin eviction by issuing a lease violation notice. This notice should demand the money owed by a specific time before you forcefully kick them out.

Damages

Property damages can always happen, especially if your tenants enjoy throwing house parties or having pets. Dealing with these can be expensive, so it is important to have a lease agreement that helps you recover funds for repairs.

Before a new tenant moves into the home, you should take pictures and note a lot of details about the condition of your property. Then you can use these pictures to compare the damages after the tenant moves out.

With this detailed documentation, you can comparatively review the state of your property. You should also conduct regular inspections throughout someone’s tenancy to ensure that it is in good shape.

Tackle Lease Violations San Diego

Now that you know all about common lease violations and how to prevent them, it is time to review contracts to ensure that you include all the essential rules and consequences for breaking them.

Lease violations San Diego occur all the time. No matter how responsible a tenant is, they can still make mistakes. Contact us today, and we can help prevent these lease violations to ensure that your property is always in good shape.