In any business, there are many responsibilities and legal obligations that you have to consider. This is no different in the real estate world. If you recently decided to rent out your extra space, you’re probably excited to make money off of it. That being said, it’s not as simple as letting someone stay in your home. That’s why we’re going to identify some of the legal mistakes that landlords make in order to prevent them from happening.
Illegal Lease Clauses
One mistake that landlords occasionally make is including clauses in the lease that violate state or federal laws. Since these claws are illegal, it could make the whole lease invalid. Not only could you get in trouble for this, but a voided lease would leave you unprotected.
Fair Housing Act Violations
This act prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants by race, class, gender, disability, and other variables. Remember that this is your business and the tenants are your clients, so you want to treat them all equally and respectfully. If not, you could face legal issues.
Wrongly Evicting a Tenant
Even if the tenant is breaking their side of the lease, there are processes behind evictions. If you want to do this, you and your housing lawyer in NYC will need to give the tenant a written eviction notice, file an eviction action with the appropriate court, and attend the hearing.
Entering the Apartment without Giving Notice
You should provide tenants with a 24- hour notice before entering their home, unless there’s an emergency. Even if the tenant requests a repair, you can’t enter the apartment without them knowing. Not only is it illegal, but this could be a reason for the tenant to not want to renew their lease.
Failure to Make Repairs
There are certain things that you must maintain for your tenants, including electricity, plumbing, heating, clean water, and a sound roof and floor. If you don’t make a timely repair, tenants are allowed to pay for it and then withhold that amount from rent. This is because all of these things are necessary for a comfortable and safe home.
If you’re a new landlord, don’t make a costly mistake by accident. To learn more about your legal requirements, ask your housing lawyer in NYC.
