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We had an absolutely horrible experience the first time around, due to the landlord. It just never occurred to me to question their history. Lesson learned. This time, we used a Realtor and she was able to tell us exactly why the owners want to rent their house, which made me feel much more comfortable.
I suppose you could also ask for previous tenants' names and numbers and interview them as well, but that won't work in all cases, of course.
As a landlord I have never had anyone ask me for references but I would suggest you ask your prospective landlord for a list of prior renters so you can check up on him. Don't term it like that but you get what I mean.
Also you can find out your landlords name and use the good ol' internet and search for them and see if you get any 'horror' stories that pop up, not likely, but you never know.
Also check the court house to see if they've been sued. Check the property for leans, foreclosure, lis pendens, and you can find arrest records online as well.
Giving out names of former tenants to me, is not a great idea unless you have their signed authorization to do so. It's a violation of their privacy.
Your best bet is to go thru a reputable property management or realty company. We often have people ask if a property might get sold soon, or whatever. Mostly they want to know they can live there at least a year or two without having to worry about moving, and we always try to answer them the best we can although one never knows when an owner might decide to sell.
If your worried about the owner selling the house make them include something in the contract to effect of they agree not to sell the house for a period of two years or what ever fits your situation. Just make sure it is written so that it will stand up in court.
If your worried about the owner selling the house make them include something in the contract to effect of they agree not to sell the house for a period of two years or what ever fits your situation. Just make sure it is written so that it will stand up in court.
Just because something is written in a contract, and even signed by both parties, does not mean that it will hold up in court. I'd talk to a lawyer to see if a clause like that would be enforceable.
If your worried about the owner selling the house make them include something in the contract to effect of they agree not to sell the house for a period of two years or what ever fits your situation. Just make sure it is written so that it will stand up in court.
Wrong. Federal laws supersede local state laws where state landlord/tenant laws are concerned and, to the best of my knowledge, all state landlord/tenant laws adhere to Federal laws. The clause you're suggesting is in no way enforceable. If the property is sold during the tenancy the new owner is bound to honor the lease agreement or else buy out the tenant.
Wrong. Federal laws supersede local state laws where state landlord/tenant laws are concerned and, to the best of my knowledge, all state landlord/tenant laws adhere to Federal laws. The clause you're suggesting is in no way enforceable. If the property is sold during the tenancy the new owner is bound to honor the lease agreement or else buy out the tenant.
Interesting.
Ahh yes you are right, come to think of it it was a aggreement that the house must still be rented out for the life of the lease.
This time, we used a Realtor and she was able to tell us exactly why the owners want to rent their house, which made me feel much more comfortable.
This is what I thought a good way to go would be too but unfortunately its not foolproof. We also had a horrible experience with a LL that was listed through a Realtor. This guy either was a huge liar to his own Realtor or she was just as corrupt as he is. And yes we had our own Realtor too, This house had HUGE problems, but were well disguised. I wish LL had to give references just like you have to give to them, its only fair! I would suggest typing LL name into google or the address of the place. Also ask neighbors!! I can't stress this enough, we found out about most of the issues with the home after we moved in and talked to the neighbors. Learned from our mistake. Also ask neighbors how long people seem to stay, if it has a high turnover rate, etc.
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