Category: Home Solutions

Property owners often face challenges related to managing tenants and their leases. Sometimes, landlords might need the tenant to move out for various reasons, and it’s important to handle the situation professionally and effectively. One of the essential steps in this process is writing a vacate notice. This notice communicates important information to your tenants and helps ensure a smooth transition. Here are some insights to help you draft a clear vacate notice.

There are times when you may need to evict a tenant for failure to pay rent or for breaching their lease in some way. Or perhaps the lease has run its course and you feel there may be a more suitable tenant for your property.

In most states, you’re required to provide at least 30 days’ notice if there is no particular reason to ask a tenant to move out. When violations happen, or failure to pay rent comes up, a landlord may provide less notice. Having to evict a tenant or ask them to move out is hopefully rare, but it’s still important to know how to write a 30 day notice to vacate. Failing to provide a 30 day notice to the tenant or a notice of termination of the lease could complicate the process, so follow our sample lease termination letter to do it correctly.

What is a landlord’s notice to vacate?

Often referred to as a 30 day notice to vacate, it’s an official letter asking a tenant to move out. The termination of rental agreement letter by the landlord notifies the tenant in writing to avoid any misunderstandings and protect you legally if the tenant refuses to move out. This is different than the notice to vacate letter a tenant would have to write if they do not wish to renew their contract with you.

Why is a 30-day notice to tenant important?

In most states, the 30-day notice to vacate is legally required. Your tenants will need time to find another rental to live in, as well as pack and move out. Not sending the 30-day notice to the tenant will cause you trouble if you can’t prove in a court of law that you properly notified your tenant by providing them with a notice of termination of the lease.

When do you use a 30-day notice to vacate?

As the owner of the property, you have a right to provide a 30-day notice to the tenant — as long as the reason is valid and the tenant was properly notified in writing. Termination of rental agreement letter or end of lease letter by the landlord can be broken down into two main types:

Notice of termination of the lease with cause

You can issue this letter after you’ve warned a tenant to correct a lease violation, as long as the individual is not protected by COVID-19 eviction moratoriums. Tenants may also send a landlord a notice of termination of the lease with cause if the owner has breached the rental agreement, such as failing to make repairs in a timely manner.

Notice of termination of the lease without cause

Unless you own in a rent-control area, landlords can issue a 30-day notice to vacate if the lease ends and the tenants are renting month-to-month. The landlord doesn’t have to provide a reason for why they decided to ask the tenant to leave.

The different situations when a notice to vacate comes into play

A 30 day notice to tenant or lease termination letter is needed for several scenarios:

The lease may be ending soon and you don’t wish to renew

Just like the tenant, a landlord has a right to decide whether to continue renting their property. You may be selling the property, want to make improvements or find an alternative tenant. Sending the tenant a 30 day notice to vacate without cause informs them they should find alternative housing arrangements and move out.

The tenant stopped paying rent

In this scenario, you’ll need to provide a notice to vacate with the cause. Before you do, you should provide the tenant a “Pay Rent or Quit” notice detailing how much they owe with a deadline. If the tenant does not pay the back rent, you can then provide a notice to vacate or start eviction proceedings.

The tenant has violated the terms of their lease

If a tenant has broken rules specified in the lease, they’re in breach of their signed contract. You can send a notice of termination of the lease, but as with failure to pay rent, it’s best to provide them with a warning first. Sending a letter pointing out the violation, such as a no-pet or no-smoking policy, and providing them with a short window of time to correct the violation. If they ignore your written request, you can send a notice of termination of the lease with a cause.

What should you include in a landlord notice of termination of the lease?

It’s important to write your notice of termination lease carefully. A clearly written letter will minimize any misunderstandings, provide the tenant guidance on the move-out process, and will serve as evidence if the tenant refuses to leave and eviction proceedings must be started. A 30-day notice to vacate should be created on your letterhead with details of why key dates in the process and any other instructions your tenant needs to know.

Landlord-to-tenant notice to vacate letter template

According to LegalZoom, you should write your landlord-to-tenant notice to vacate letter on official company letterhead and include the following information:

• Date of the notice
• Tenant’s name and rental address
• A request asking the tenant to vacate the rental by a specific date, typically at least 30 days out
• The reason for termination if there is cause
• Reference to the section in the lease which allows you to terminate the agreement
• Move-out instructions, including keys, must be returned and the tenant must leave the premises in “broom-clean” or “good” condition
• The time and date you’d like to do the final walk-through of the property
• A request for the tenant’s new mailing address where the security deposit (minus any damages) will be returned to

Best practices when delivering a landlord notice to vacate

Some tenants may not take kindly to a notice to vacate. Avoid delivering the letter in person. Additionally, slipping the notice under their door or personally putting it in their mailbox or taping it to their door can be argued later that it was never received.

It’s best to keep confrontation to a minimum and mail the letter instead. Sending the letter by certified mail ensures your tenant receives it — and you are provided with official confirmation that the tenant personally signed for the notice.

The bottom line

A notice to vacate is sometimes necessary to end a lease early or to have a tenant on an indefinite month-to-month agreement move out. Knowing how to correctly write the notice will save you from any misunderstandings or having to pursue eviction proceedings. Fortunately, the letter is simple enough to draft on your own when you follow the template provided.

Home-Solutions understands the challenges that property owners face. That’s why we offer expert home property management to help you navigate these challenges with ease. From tenant screening to lease management and more, we can handle it all. Call us today at (954) 545-3027 and follow us on Instagram @homesolutionspm.

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Reference: [https://www.mymove.com/moving/renters/how-to-write-vacate-notice-to-tenant/]

Renting out your home can be a great way to earn extra income, especially if you’re not using the space yourself. However, becoming a landlord can also be daunting, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the process. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to renting out your home, covering everything you need to know. And remember — taking care of the details — all the details — is what we do, in excellence. So don’t let the process feel too daunting, we can take care of it all for you! Just give us a call to discuss!

The time has come. You bought an investment property. You upgraded the cabinets, patched up the walls, and put in fresh new carpets. Finally, you are ready to start renting out your house — or are you?

As a first time landlord, you might be wondering how to rent a house and feeling a little bit anxious about choosing the right tenant and entering into a binding lease agreement with them. After all, you may be stuck with them for a while. There is plenty that can go wrong when renting out a house for the first time, and to be honest some things probably will go awry no matter how many precautions you take. But as a new landlord, learning how to deal with unexpected situations goes with the territory. To help you on your journey, follow these landlord tips for renting a house and you will be well on your way toward managing your rental like a pro.

Set your price and paperwork.

Figuring out how to rent a house starts with evaluating your property. One of the first things you need to do is to establish a fair market price for your rental. The best method is to research comparable rental properties in the area. Choose other rental homes that have similar features and amenities to yours for a more accurate comparison.

Another thing that is absolutely essential to do before listing your rental is to make sure you have an ironclad understanding of state and federal fair housing laws. The Federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate against tenants on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Know that various states have laws that protect additional classes. In practice, this means you need to be very careful in how your rental listings are worded. For example, saying your home is “great for families” would be a violation as it potentially discriminates based on familial status.

Finally, you’ll need to prepare a rental application and a lease agreement. The lease is a binding agreement between you and the tenant that grants them the right to inhabit and use the property. It also outlines the duration of the lease, the monthly rental amount, any fees, and policies — such as whether pets are allowed or not. Because state laws vary, you’ll need to make sure that any lease or application form you choose conforms to the laws where your rental is located. To be on the safe side, consider getting an attorney to draft these documents for you.

Consider ways to boost your investment.

• Add solar panels: The addition of solar panels not only appeals to conscious tenants but lowers utility costs as well. Google’s Project Sunroof can calculate the savings potential for your home.
• Adding rental storage spaces: Adding additional storage space, such as a backyard shed, is an amenity that can boost the rental amount. If you have a tenant that isn’t interested in the storage space, you could rent it out to someone else for storage only.
• Make it pet friendly: While you might be inclined to not allow pets because they might cause damage, any incidents are typically covered by rental deposits and by the best landlord insurance policies. By allowing pets you will widen your potential tenant pool and can earn additional income by charging pet rent.
• Include a washer/dryer: An in-unit washer dryer is one of the most sought-after amenities. Some renters won’t even consider your home without it. Having one in the unit or house will allow you to charge more for rent each month.
• Don’t neglect the yard: Curb appeal matters when it comes to rentals. Great-looking landscaping can help you command higher rents. Outdoor living spaces such as patios, decks, and fire pits, can add value as well.

Get listed.

The moment you’ve been waiting for — advertising your rental. There are a handful of methods for getting bites on your property, but we will start with the most basic first. If you’re lucky, putting a “For Rent” sign out front might be all it takes. But unless your property is on a busy street, you might be waiting a while. Classifieds in your local paper are the next logical step. You can also list on Craigslist or rental listing aggregators like Apartments.com for a small fee.

Your other option is to hire a real estate agent who will tell you exactly how to rent a house — by finding you a tenant. Realtors typically charge anywhere from half a month’s rent up to the full monthly rental rate as a commission. This might seem steep, but could be worth it if your rental is in a particularly competitive market and you are having trouble attracting tenants on your own.

You may also potentially be able to list on a home rental site like Streeteasy. The site includes all of New York and its boroughs, and you can set up listings to include what amenities you’re offering, any limitations your property has, and more. Streeteasy also allows you to upload photos and videos of the property and show potential tenants the surrounding neighborhood, all for a small fee. You can also work with a brokerage to list here. Other areas also have sites similar to this, Apartments.com, and even Zillow that can help you find tenants more quickly.

Conduct tenant screenings.

Once you find a prospective tenant, you’ll need to screen them. This primarily involves checking their credit report, verifying their income, and looking to see if they have any criminal convictions. You will also want to ask about their previous rental history. What minimum standards you are willing to accept is up to your discretion, but it is a good idea to have those in writing so they are applied equally to all prospective tenants.

Primarily you will want to avoid running afoul of fair housing laws, so make sure you don’t ask any questions that could be considered discriminatory, whether in person, on the phone, or in a rental application. Some questions you can ask include:

• How many other occupants will be living with you?
• What do you do for work?
• Why are you moving?
• Do you own any pets?

Set up your payment portal.

When putting the lease together you’ll need to let your tenant know how rent is to be paid. As a landlord, you can generally choose which forms of payment you are willing to accept, but it must be written into the lease. For example, you may choose not to accept cash or personal checks. You also need to establish not only when rent is due every month, but also how rent can be paid, whether it is by mail, placed in a drop-off box or via a payment portal.

In addition to the previous, you should also establish a policy for late rent. Oftentimes, landlords provide a grace period, allowing rent to be paid up until the third or fifth of the month, but it’s important to have a fee schedule in place in case your tenants don’t pay rent on time. This can be up to your discretion, but including it in the rent will make it clear to the tenants.

Many landlords are opting to accept payments via online payment portals. These are becoming more commonplace as landlords discover the reliability they offer in terms of collections. Some platforms are free for landlords to use, while others offer more robust features for a nominal fee. Including this information in the lease packet for a new tenant will make sure you’re both on the same page.

Ready to take the hassle out of managing your rental property? We’re here to help! Our team can maximize your investment and minimize your stress. From managing showings to timing rent collection — we do it all for you. Let us know if you have any questions. Call us today at (954) 545-3027 and follow us on Instagram @homesolutionspm.

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Reference: [https://www.mymove.com/moving/renters/how-to-rent-out-a-home/]