| 1. The best way to win over a prospective
landlord is to be prepared. Bringing the following information
when you meet prospective landlords will give you a competitive
edge over other applicants: a completed rental application;
written references from landlords and employers; friends and
colleagues, and a current copy of your credit report. 2.
Carefully review all the important conditions of the tenancy
before you sign on the dotted line. Your lease or rental agreement
may contain a provision that you find unacceptable -- for
example, restrictions on guests or pets, design alterations
or running a home business.
3. To avoid disputes or misunderstandings with your landlord,
get it in writing. Keep copies of any correspondence and follow
up an oral agreement with a letter, setting out your understanding.
For example, if you ask your landlord to make repairs, put
your request in writing and keep a copy for yourself. If he
agrees orally, send a letter confirming this fact.
4. Protect your privacy rights. Next to disputes over rent
or security deposits, one of the most common and emotion-filled
misunderstandings arises over a landlord's right to enter
a rental unit and a tenant's right to be left alone. If you
understand your privacy rights, for example, the amount of
notice your landlord must provide before entering -- it will
be easier to protect them.
5. Know your rights to live in a habitable rental unit --
and don't give them up. Landlords are required to offer their
tenants livable premises including adequate weatherproofing;
heat, water and electricity; and clean, sanitary and structurally
safe premises. If your rental unit is not kept in good repair,
you have a number of options ranging from withholding a portion
of the rent to pay for repairs to calling the building inspector
(who can usually order the landlord to make repairs) to moving
out without liability for your future rent.
6. Keep communication open with your landlord. If there's
a problem -- for example, if the landlord is slow to make
repairs -- talk with the landlord to see if the issue can
be resolved short of a nasty legal battle.
7. Purchase renters' insurance to cover your valuables. Your
landlord's insurance policy will not cover your losses. Renters'
insurance typically costs $350 a year for a $50,000 policy
that covers loss due to theft or damage caused by other people
or natural disasters.
8. Make sure the security deposit refund procedures are spelled
out in your lease or rental agreement. To protect yourself
and avoid any misunderstandings, make sure your lease or rental
agreement is clear on the use and refund of security deposits,
including allowable deductions.
9. Learn whether your building and neighborhood are safe,
and what you can expect your landlord to do about it if they
aren't. Get copies of any state or local laws that require
safety devices such as deadbolts and window locks, check out
the property's vulnerability to intrusion by a criminal, and
learn whether criminal incidents have already occurred. If
a crime is highly likely, your landlord may be obligated to
take some steps to protect you.
10. Know when to fight an eviction notice--and when to move.
Unless you have the law and provable facts on your side, fighting
an eviction notice is usually short-sighted. If you lose an
eviction lawsuit, you may end up hundreds (even thousands)
of dollars in debt and face a negative credit rating. >
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