7 ways to avoid war with your landlord
1. Do not make any changes without informing the landlord
This should be specified in your contract, but in general you are not allowed to make any major changes to the property on your own initiative without informing the landlord. This also applies to energy, water and internet providers. If you think you need to switch because another provider offers better rates and would benefit your finances, you can discuss this with the property owner or agent, who in most cases wouldn’t mind as long as you go back to the original provider sooner. you leave the property.
You cannot change or remove any of the appliances that were already in the property without consulting the landlord. If you do, you may lose some or all of your deposit. However, you can move furniture around the property if you wish and you don’t have to inform the landlord for that. It is very important to put everything back where it was at the end of your lease.
2. Don’t lie about having pets or children.
It is true that it is much more difficult to rent a place if you have pets or children, but you can not use this as an excuse to lie to your agent or landlord until you sign the contract. Remember that your lease is a binding legal document and lists all the people (and/or animals) that can live on the property. If it later comes to light that you moved in with pets or children without seeking the landlord’s approval, your lease may be canceled and you may be evicted. It is a myth that no one can take you out of a property if you have children. It may take a couple of months to get a court order, but at the end of the day, the landlord has the legal right to remove you from their property if you break the contract.
3. Do not sublease
It is a crime to sublease property that you do not own unless specifically agreed to with the landlord or permitted in your lease.
4.Maintain Good Order and State of the Property
While you live on the property, you are responsible for its general upkeep. This means, keep it tidy, clean it regularly to avoid pest infestation, do not damage the walls, carpets, curtains and any furniture and appliances that do not belong to you. Most people have no problem doing housework on their own, but for busy people it may be worth considering hiring a professional house cleaning service just to avoid a potential war with the landlord over poor home maintenance. property.
5. Do not disturb the neighbors
If you are someone who likes to have regular house parties and constantly disturb the neighbors, that can get you in trouble not only with the landlord but also with the police. Depending on the frequency and severity of your inconsiderate behavior, you may be arrested and your lease may be terminated.
6. Be sure to complete end-of-lease cleaning
It is very rare these days that professional cleaning at the end of the lease is not described as a requirement for the return of your deposit when you leave the property. Most leasing agencies and even private landlords will specifically request receipts from cleaning companies to release the full deposit, even if you did a good job yourself.
7. Do not stop paying municipal taxes
In most cases, the tenant must pay the city tax during the lease period. Very few owners include this expense in the rental price. If you decide to dodge the council tax (as annoying as it is), you will be in breach of contract, which means you can be evicted and you may still have to pay the council for the time you have lived in the property.
Ultimately, the easiest way to avoid a war with your landlord is to read your lease and follow it at all times. If it happens that you need to make some changes, simply discuss it with the property owner in a calm and courteous manner to obtain a result in the best interest of him.