COMMUNITY CONFLICT

Problems Home Owners and the Renters & How We Can Implement Better Relationships

Problems Home Owners & the Renters and How We Can Implement Better Relationships

Problems

Maintenance and upkeep are major issues when buying verse renting a home. If you are renting, you do not have to think about maintenance and upkeep. The renter is not responsible for maintaining the property. The homeowner usually takes full responsibility for maintaining a rental property. When purchasing a house, you should consider the responsibility of maintaining the property yourself; and expense that goes with being a home owner. (Staropoli, 2008)

Frequently, a Renter will wish to put a good faith deposit down simply to hold the premises for a few days, until Renter can make arrangements to sign a formal lease or move in. Homeowner and Renter may agree to this arrangement, however, the deposit agreement should be in writing, setting forth the amount of deposit so paid, and the date set for formal closure.

Sometimes, the Renter, for a variety of causes, is unable to unwilling to proceed to closure and backs out of the transaction altogether. In such cases, Homeowner is normally entitled to retain so much of the deposit as will reimburse him/her for loss of rent and other expenses incurred, while the premises was held off the market.

Utilities

Who Pays What? The question of who pays what for utilities is a frequent source of dispute between renters and homeowners. If there is a lease, it should very thoroughly spell out who is to pay for what. If there is no lease, a short rental agreement spelling out the respective obligations is advisable. (McKenzie, 2010) No prospective Renter should enter into a rental arrangement with Homeowner without a clear written statement or lease provision as to who is to pay for what utilities - particularly gas, electricity, water, trash, upkeep of appliances, yard and weed control. This is especially true where the rented premises is a duplex under a single gas/electricity meter, where each of the two Renters agrees with Homeowner as to sharing of these costs. There is no statute governing this issue. (Nelson, 2009)

Late Payment Penalties

Usually, the lease or rental agreement will specify “late charges” covering a stated period of time when rent that is past due may be paid along with such charges.

Late charges are ordinarily expensive, as a deterrent to late payment of rent. Many leases permit Homeowner to either accept the late rent plus late charges, or start eviction proceedings for the non-payment (late payment) of the rent. In other words, Homeowner can serve the required notice to pay rent or vacate, and then halt further proceedings if Renter pays, and Homeowner accepts the late payment and charges.

Hold-Over Renters

Where a lease is for a specified term, and Renter remains in possession and continues to pay rent, which Homeowner continues to accept, he is called a “hold-over” renter. The rent and tenure are thereafter on a month-to-month basis, however, the other provisions of ...