1. Read Your Contract
Read your lease cover to cover before you sign it. It will help you catch potential problems before they actually happen. Most good landlords will work with you on the terms of the contract. If you know you have a special circumstance, such as a family member or friend who visits regularly, tell the landlord about it ahead of time. If the landlord makes any verbal agreement with you, like providing lawn care, make sure he puts it in writing in the contract. Then ask for a copy of the contract for yourself as soon as you sign. Having a well-rounded contract will help you avoid any tenant’s rights issues later on.
2. Don’t Break the Contract
Most tenants think of breaking a contract in terms of the big things like not paying the rent, cutting out early or subletting without permission. However, smaller contract points count too. While a landlord can technically evict a tenant for breaking any term of a lease, most won’t. But the better you stick to your lease, the better chance you have of existing peacefully with your landlord.
3. Pay Your Rent on Time
Nothing makes a landlord happier than a tenant who pays rent on time every month. Make sure you have the rent paid a few days before it’s due to avoid any holdups. And since no one is immune from financial hardship, if you know you might have to pay late one month, let your landlord know as soon as possible. The landlord may not mind the late payment as much, if you’re upfront about it.
4. Treat Your Rented Property Like You Own It
Taking good care of your rental will ensure that you get your deposit back when you move out, and it will also put you in good favour with your landlord. While normal wear and tear is typical in rented properties, do not cause any major damage to the property. Damages will eat away at your security deposit and annoy your landlord. Many states require that you pay for any unnecessary repairs out of pocket.
5. Get to Know Your Neighbours
Meeting my potential neighbours is always part of my game plan for finding a new apartment to rent. Part of this is because I like to meet new people and another part is because I have a dog. I think the odds of having the neighbours call me to complain about the dog – and not the landlord – improve if I meet them in person.
Knowing your neighbours has several additional benefits. You can watch out for each other. If you have to go out of town some time, your neighbours might keep a better eye on your property if they know you. You can also do small favours for each other (e.g. I routinely sign for my neighbour’s parcel because I know and trust her). Most importantly, establishing a line of communication between tenants reduces the chance of your neighbour escalating a problem to the landlord.
Despite your best efforts to keep quiet, you may upset your neighbours from time to time. Small problems like this can seem like a much bigger deal by the time they get escalated to the landlord. Avoid it altogether and give your neighbours your cell phone number to contact you instead.
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