Tenancy Disputes and How to Avoid Them

Living in a property under rent has both many advantages and disadvantages. Either you decided you prefer this way of living, or you had no choice but deal with it, so why not make the most of it? Having an agreement when you live in a rented property is necessary and inevitable, but you and your landlord should both have a saying in it. While both parties have rights and duties, they should be aware of all of them and not let anything small come between them. It might lead to disputes or even worse – law suits, which is definitely not what you would like to happen.

Whether you are a landlord, looking for no disputes with the tenants, or a tenant, who wants to make sure there is no bad blood in between, you have definitely come to the right place! We are here to help you to maintain a landlord-tenant dispute-free relation and be happy with your decisions.

One important thing we want to add before we continue, is that you must check up on the other party of the agreement. For tenants it’s good to ask other tenants about this particular landlord, their composure, their way of handling things, etc. As for landlords it’s good to know the person who is going to live in your property. If there are any troubles or facts that bother you about the opposite party, then simply don’t sign any agreements and look for another way. If this is your final option, or there is no better, then you have no choice, but deal with the issues. This is valid for both tenants and landlords everywhere.

If you are a future tenant to a particular unit, you have the full right to examine the place before you move in, after all, you will be living there, so make sure everything looks good and it’s safe for you and your family. If any problems occur, but they can be easily resolved, ask the landlord to make sure the place is in its best. Carefully read the contract before you sign it. You should be familiar with every word and point in there, if you want to be fully informed and reading the agreement is the first step.

Another thing you should do before signing your lease contract is to ask any questions. Landlords must answer them openly and directly. Ask if you can bring a pet, or if the parking is part of the deal, who is responsible for paying utilities, and any other types of questions. These things are important and should not be underestimated.

As you probably already know, there is always a form of contract between every landlord and their tenants. The role of the agreement is to make sure both parties fulfill their duties and responsibilities, and also that their rights are not violated. In order to help you with this, we provided these short checklists of every landlord and tenant’s responsibilities as part of the agreement.

According to worldwide practices and rules, these are the responsibilities of every landlord out there:

They must notify you of any future inspections. According to your agreement, the notice should be mentioned there, and never breached. Proprietors have no right to invade the privacy of their tenants and should not harass them.
Landlords are responsible for taking care of problems with the property. Water leaks, heating problems, broken furniture, etc. It’s their duty to make sure that the property is habitable and good for living.
They must ensure that the unit is thoroughly cleaned before any tenants move in.
Leave contact information to the tenants and be available whenever a problem occurs.
If, as a landlord, you are planning on increasing the rent, you should give your tenant/s at least three months notice.

Here is a checklist of every tenant’s responsibilities:

They must pay their rent regularly, every month (or according to the signed agreement).
Tenants must make sure that no illegal activities happen in the rental unit or anywhere near.
They are obligated to report to the proprietor if something is wrong with the unit – worn out furniture, bad pipes condition, no warm water, no electricity and similar problems, should be solved by the landlord. Tenants only need to inform them.
A regular cleaning must be done in order to keep the place good for living, and for themselves, at least.
They should be good neighbours and avoid disputes, not only with the landlord, but with neighbours and other tenants as well.
Tenants must not damage the unit or its interior, as they do not actually own it, and just because they live there, doesn’t mean they can do anything they want.

If any of the both parties does not respect the agreement or violate either of their rights or fail with their responsibilities disputes might occur. In order to make sure everything will go well, you just need to know the things we mentioned here and evaluate your priorities. If you need to find a property to live in, you should keep in mind that good behaviour is very important, as well as polite landlords. Mutual benefits can be reached, if only both parties know what they have to do and what they are not allowed to do.

We have one last tip for you, simply because we are on both sides of these agreements. Whether you are a tenant or a proprietor, you should take photos of the unit. The first thing you need to do, if you are a landlord preparing the place for new tenants is to take pictures of the whole property, as the same rule applies for every tenant, who wants to make sure that when they move out, they will leave the place as it was when they moved in. Taking photos of the property is beneficial to both parties, as if later disputes come up, you will be able to prove your words with facts.