Help for tenants...

Following are some guidelines for tenants, to ensure that they 1) will enjoy a positive relationship with their landlord, 2) get repairs performed in a timely manner and 3) get their deposit back.

1. Read the lease...in detail. Understand it. It is a legal, binding contract.
2. Abide by the lease...to the "t".
3. Report repairs in a timely manner...the longer you wait, the more damage is done. This will be legally interpreted as your neglect, not the landlords and therefore you will be responsible for the repair bill.
4. Don't attempt repairs on your own. If the repair is of poor quality, you will be responsible for the entire repair to fix what you have done and what the original problem was.
5. Clean up after your pets. Just one pee spot in the carpet can cost you your entire deposit and more.
6. If you have the carpets cleaned, they will look great initially after the cleaning. However, stains don't go away. They "wick" back up into the carpet from the pad, and the stain reappears. Just FYI...
7. The landlord has the legal right to access the property at any time...ANY TIME. It is the landlords property.
8. ANY violation of a lease can result in eviction...ANY.
9. The landlord has to abide by the property codes written and enforced by the state. The property codes protect you, so know them. (They also protect the landlord.)
10. There is typically a Tenants Council in your city or state. Call the Tenants Council, which is a government agency which provides information regarding property codes, etc. if you have questions about what is happening. They can provide you resources.
11. Landords have the ability to provide a negative report for your credit report. This will seriously hurt your chances of renting a nice place later as well as buying your own place.
12. If the property looks unkempt, it means the landlord doesn't invest time or money in the property. Don't rent it.
13. Legally in some states, landlords only have to repair items that pose a serious health risk to you. READ: Be respectful of the landlord and the property, and your more likely to get your repairs completed.
14. If you rent a property that is in HOA territory, abide by the HOA rules. HOAs will impose fines for rule violations, which you will have to pay. If you violate the rules and don't pay the fines, you will be evicted. Also, too many HOA violations can result in eviction.
15. At the beginning of the lease, ask for an inventory checklist. This checklist lets you list, item by item, room by room anything...ANYTHING...that is wrong with the property. You and your landlord will then sign off on it once it is complete. If you get a checklist and are given a timeline to return it, abide by the timeline. If you don't return the checklist in time, then you can legally be held liable for anything that is wrong with the property when you move out - even if the damage was there before you moved in. Be sure to keep a copy of the SIGNED checklist.
16. When you move out, clean the property and then schedule a walk through with the landlord. Have your inventory checklist on hand to prove what damage you caused and what damage was there when you moved in. Don't return the key until this is completed and you and your landlord agree on the final walk through.
17. If you are evicted, you are still financially responsible for the remainder of the lease term...even if the landlord immediately re-rents the property after your belongings have been removed.
18. If you break the lease, you are still financially responsible for the remainder of the lease....
19. If you do not give proper move out notice, you forfeit your deposit.
20. If you get a pet and don't tell the landlord, the landlord can remove the pet from the premises within 24 hours of discovering the pet. The cost of removing and housing the pet, defleaing the premises, cleaning the premises of all pet related damage, etc. will be your responsibility. You can also be evicted for this if there is a no pets clause in your lease.

Just some info to help folks understand their responsibility when they lease a place to live. Know the lease and know your rights...you'll have a better experience.