Landlords run the gamut from good to bad. You can do your research before signing a rental lease agreement, but it usually just takes some time to determine whether you’ll have a good relationship with your landlord or not.
While you certainly have some expectations from your landlord, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain. The last thing you want is to end up in a big dispute, which can lead to legal trouble and a potential black mark on your rental history, whether it was your fault or not.
Here a few things you can do to make sure you’re pulling your weight in the landlord-tenant relationship:
* Pay your rent on time. This seems simple, but its importance can’t be understated. Landlords have bills too and not receiving payments on time from renters is an unwelcome surprise as they take care of their own finances.
* Don’t make major changes without consulting your landlord. You might have a great idea for modifying your space, and your landlord could very well agree. But it pays to check with your landlord first in case he might have other ideas.
* Be a good neighbor. If you do something to upset your neighbors like throwing loud parties or letting your trash overflow into their lawns, your landlord will probably be the one to hear about it. You’ll be better off if you don’t complicate your landlord’s relationship with your neighbors.
* Report fixes. You might think that your landlord doesn’t want to hear about things that are broken in your unit, but for most landlords, it’s quite the contrary. The last thing they want when you move is a laundry list of fixes that went unreported and could delay the rental of your property to the next tenant.
