According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, there are 3.6 million evictions a year. While most are due to the inability to afford rent, other evictions occur because tenants don't respect their landlords in some fashion.
As a landlord yourself, you may be worried about dealing with similar situations, and evictions can be stressful and drawn-out processes. To avoid this, you should practice good lease enforcement.
If you're looking for lease management tips in Rockland, NY, then you're in the right place. Read on for several that will help both you and your tenants.
Have Thorough Lease Agreements
When writing your lease agreements, don't leave any wiggle room for misinterpretations. Renters will take advantage if they can, so ensure the language is clear.
Outline rules regarding rent payment dates, as well as the following:
- Maintenance responsibilities
- Noise levels
- Pet policies
Specify the consequences for any violations. For example, state the amount tenants will have to pay in late fees for overdue rent.
Double-check that you're following the law though. The agreements should align with New York's landlord-tenant laws, so if you need a property law guide, consult with an attorney.
Enforce Strict Rent Collection Policies
You don't necessarily have to be a monster or menace with rent collection, but you do have to be strict. Otherwise, some tenants may tread all over you.
For easy rent collection, use online platforms that can track payments and send automated reminders if they're overdue. You can also implement a reasonable grace period that's followed by late fees so renters are motivated to pay on time.
To help those who are facing temporary financial difficulties, you can offer structured payment plans. This ensures that you'll still get some form of payment while they can get much-needed relief.
Conduct Routine Inspections
It's vital to conduct routine inspections for several reasons. You can catch issues while they're small and get them fixed before they're most costly and hazardous.
More importantly, you can find potential lease violations faster. For instance, if there's property neglect or damage, or there are unauthorized occupants, then you can document these things with photos and notes. Just make sure that you're notifying tenants in advance about these regular property inspections, as per New York law.
Work With a Property Manager
Lease enforcement can be overwhelming to do on your own. To offload this stress, you should work with a property manager.
They'll be well-versed with Rockland County regulations and can handle tasks beyond lease enforcement. You can count on them to take care of communication and the tenant eviction process if necessary.
Improve Lease Enforcement With Our Tips
You'll no longer struggle with lease enforcement if you heed the above advice. The most important part is to hire a property manager, as they'll be the ones addressing the small details.
As a result, you can sit back and relax, leaving the issue of rental compliance with experts. And if you ever need landlord legal advice, they'll be there to help too.
Get in touch with us today to hear more about our services. PMI Properties has almost 20 years of experience in the industry.
