Landlords Legal Kit For Dummies

Learn to: Understand the rights and responsibilities of residential landlords Get up to speed on residential property law Grasp tenant rights and avoid legal ramifications from renters Your go–to guide to residential rental law Success as a landlord means more than finding residents, collecting rent, and performing repairs and maintenance. Based on expert, hands–on experience, this friendly guide leads you through the legal minefield of owning and managing residential rental properties so you can comply with federal, state, and local lawsand steer clear of costly consequences. The keys to success get started with the fundamentals, from protecting your legal assets and insuring your new property to hiringor firinga property manager Take on new residents grasp the legal aspects of advertising, set your propertys rents, approve or reject applicants, and compose your lease or rental agreement Honor your duties maintain habitable housing, minimize injuries, eliminate hazardous environmental conditions, and protect residents and workers from criminal acts The Tax Man get up to speed on current tax laws, keep track of income and expenses, maximize deductions to minimize taxes, and keep impeccable financial records Learn about leases find out how to handle cotenancies, sublets, and assignments, as well as ways to terminate leases by legal means Open the book and find: Contracts, forms, and other documents How to avoid and protect against claims commonly filed against landlords Legal obligations that landlords need to uphold for their residents The lowdown on the Fair Housing Act Applicant screening questionnaires and antidiscrimination policies How to handle breach of lease situations and evictions Ways to establish a security deposit policy

Laurence C. Harmon, JD, is the CEO of HARMON LAW LLC, specializing in apartment–related legal and property management consulting. Robert S. Griswold, MBA, MSBA, is a successful real estate investor and property manager with a large portfolio of residential and commercial rental properties.