Introduction
There are a lot of benefits to rent over buying your home. Firstly, the major repairs are not on you. Secondly, you can move quickly if you need to relocate. However, problems between landlords and tenants can arise and it is best to know how to handle a situation like that before one arises.
There are three main reasons that people have disputes with their landlords and that is because of the varying distinguishing factors between just normal wear and tear vs legitimately damaging the property, repairs that can wait, and taking on roomers for a short period of time/guest policies. When situations like these arise, it is good to know how to handle the conflict properly. We have found some of the best techniques and compiled them below for you:
1. Ensure that you are a great tenant
This one would take a track record, however, if you already pay your rent on a timely basis, follow the rules, don’t make a lot of noise, don’t call your manager on petty issues, then chances are you already have incurred good favor with your building manager and won’t have to be concerned with starting from scratch and overriding a bad reputation.
2. Understand your agreement
Almost nothing can hurt your case more than simply being willfully uninformed. We get that reading the agreement is boring, but it can save you a lot of trouble down the road when you need to contact your landlord about something or you want special accommodations. The odds are more in your favor if you know the boundaries within which you are working.
3. Keep a record
When you are having disputes, it is easy for either party to say things they don’t mean or make promises they can’t keep. For these purposes, be sure to keep a level head and a record of what went on, what was said, and when they occurred. Be sure to take recent photos of your apartment to ensure that you aren’t going to be the one on the hook if you landlord claims that you damaged the property.
4. Get a lawyer
If all else fails and you can’t negotiate a fair solution, then you may have to hire a lawyer to do it for you. This is the last resort and should only be used if you really have to. Hence why you should keep your emotions in check (from a previous point) during any disagreements you and your landlord may have.
In any event, be sure to handle yourself with the highest degree of professionalism and the situation should work itself out.
