Rightly understanding the potential legal consequences of a tenant’s negligence is a really significant challenge for landlords. When your tenant signed the lease, they, in essence, agreed to maintain your Clemmons rental home in a clean and proper condition and refrain from illegal activities. However, in actuality, not all tenants adhere to these terms, and troubles that get started on the property can immediately escalate into legal problems for you.
Then again, you are not held responsible for the illegal activities of your tenant, but. really, if you have an idea that your rental home is being used for unauthorized business activities, your neighbors could potentially hold you completely liable. The outcome of any legal action taken against you will predominantly depend on your awareness of the issue and the steps you took to address it. Being proactive in such circumstances is highly critical to protecting your interests.
How and When You Knew
On occasion, renters are really good at hiding shady activities from their landlords. But, if you do see this happening on your rental property, it is really important to address the issues immediately. In nearly all regions, you could be held liable in court if your tenant engages in dangerous or illegal activities that you actually were aware of.
Such as, for example, if you knew one of your tenants was using your rental home as a daycare and one of your renters or their clients hurt someone, themselves, or damaged personal property, the court could plausibly hold you liable for any damages.
The Slippery Slope of “Should”
In a few instances, whether you “should” have known about a renter’s illicit activities may crop up. Such as, for instance, if you know your renter is self-employed before you offer them a lease, there is some confusion about whether or not that signifies that you should have also assumed they would be conducting that business in the rental home.
Aside from that, if your renter had been evicted due to having wild parties in the past, you may be held accountable since you should have checked with their previous landlord about it. But, if you’ve done your due diligence and didn’t check out any evidence of past problems, that will certainly improve your chances of avoiding liability.
Addressing the Problem
Addressing any problems a renter creates the instant you learned about them is always a good idea. Anyhow, sometimes, a property owner has a limited ability to fully fix the issue altogether. If a tenant is creating a nuisance for the neighbors but hasn’t categorically broken the lease terms, you can’t be held responsible for failing to evict them.
To be actually liable, you must have the power to certainly do something with the issue. Naturally, the flip side is that if your lease clarifies that you don’t allow loud parties or business activities and you don’t take action, you definitely might be on the hook in a lawsuit.
The specific terms and language used in the lease are a pertinent first step toward holding your tenants accountable for any nuisance or illicit activities. Along with that, taking immediate and appropriate action is, as well, a great way of keeping yourself from being sued by disquieted neighbors.
Heedfully and meticulously screening your renters is another primal part of keeping yourself out of unwelcome legal trouble, as is implementing regular property evaluations. At Real Property Management Perfection, we do all this for our Clemmons property owners – and more. Would you like to comprehend more? Don’t forget to get in touch with us online or by phone at 336-510-9975 for more valuable information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.