Landlords
and tenants can live harmoniously. However, several factors, including
maintenance and unreasonable behavior, can cause them to disagree.
Securing a safe and
affordable place to live is sometimes difficult. Rent typically is the largest
expense that families face. For persons who are landlords, rent is also a
source of income. When the landlord and the tenant have a good and understanding
relationship, small issues and problems can be resolved. However, there are
times that the relationship can become tumultuous and either party may have to
break the lease or seek legal advice. Some reasons that tenants and landlords
may disagree include the payment of rent, premature breaking of the lease, the
utility bills and constant maintenance issues. Unbearable behavior by either
party may also cause problems with the landlord and tenant.
Payment of Rent
Most landlords have a lease or they would orally
state the terms for the rent payment. There is also a grace period for the
payment to be made without penalties being incurred. The fastest way to get
evicted from an apartment is to not pay the rent or consistently pay the rent
late, that is, after the stated grace period. On the other hand, tenants have
to be cautious of landlords who may ask for the rent early. They must also be
wary of landlords who pretend to forget that the rent was paid. Always collect
your receipts when payment is made since such unscrupulous persons may try to
defraud a tenant.
Breaking the
Lease
A lease is a
contract, and breaking it prematurely can cause difficulty for both landlord
and tenant. A
tenant who is
evicted or asked to leave for any other reason has the task of finding another
apartment within the same area, comfort and price. In some countries, this is
very difficult. When a tenant breaks a lease prematurely, the landlord has the
difficulty of getting the apartment ready and costs of re- dvertising it and
screening new tenants. This means that the apartment sits empty, which means no
income and a broken relationship between the landlord and tenant.
Payment of
Utility Bills
In the British
Virgin Islands, some landlords include the basic utilities of water and
electricity in the rent. Some require tenants to pay the utility bills
separately, but the bill remains in the landlord's name. In some cases, tenants
are asked by landlords to register the utilities themselves, therefore making
the payment. In any case, if a tenant forfeits on the utilities, this affects
the landlord who will have to clear those bills if this tenant leaves without
paying them. If the landlord is responsible for the bills and he or she is late
with the payment, a tenant could find herself in the dark or without water or
gas, which is reason for
disagreement.
Constant
Maintenance Mishaps
Lack of maintenance
is definitely hard for a tenant to live peacefully with. It may be a broken
faucet, a noisy toilet or a backed-up tub. It can get as bad as a broken window
during the winter. If a landlord does not handle problems in a reasonable
amount of time, the tenant will get frustrated and may be living in unsanitary
and unsecure conditions for a long time.
Renovations
A landlord may opt
to perform extreme renovations while the tenant is
still living in the apartment. Extreme renovations include changing windows and
doors that require larger frames and changing tubs and other bathroom fixtures.
This not only inconveniences the tenant but puts them at risk for their health
and security because there may be strange contractors in their home. I was
living in an apartment, and the landlord conducted some major renovations while
I was there. The result was a constantly messy and unsecure apartment and my
eventual eviction for sharing my concerns
about the lack of professionalism by the contractors handling the renovations.
Unreasonable
Behavior
A landlord and
tenant may end their relationship when there is constant unreasonable behavior
by either party. Excessive noise, incidences of domestic violence, sexual
advances and gossip can be reasons for either party to come to contention.
Landlords may enter their tenant's home without the tenant's consent or without
the tenant being present in the cases where there may be flooding, fire or
another plausible reason. However, landlords who enter their tenant's home just
out of curiosity are invading their tenant's privacy. When tenants realize that
their home is being searched, this is a sure source for contention with the
landlord.
A tenant and landlord
should have a good understanding and be able to solve problems in an efficient
manner. However, there are times when they disagree because on non- payment of
rent, renovations or unreasonable behavior by either party. It is hoped that
such disagreements can be solved before the tenant is evicted or breaks the
lease, or worse, either party heads to litigation.
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