Instances Where a Landlord Pays the Tenant
Often, it’s the responsibility of the tenant to pay money to their landlord. This is achieved through monthly rent. However, it’s not uncommon that some instances in this relationship, the landlord may have to pay the tenant. Here are the instances where a landlord may have to pay a tenant:
Repairs
This is the most common reason why landlords have to pay tenants. There are two such situations. One is where a landlord reimburses the tenant directly because of repairs. The other is when the landlord collects less rent after a tenant makes repairs and deducts the cost from the rent.
Reimbursing a tenant for repairs
In some situations, the landlord is not in a position to make repairs on their rental property. They might be away from town, on off-hours or travel to the rentals may be hindered by bad weather among other reasons. In any of these situations, the landlords may allow the tenant to conduct the repairs themselves or to get a professional to do it. After the repairs are made, the tenant will send an invoice to the landlord with the cost of repair alongside relevant receipts. The landlord will then reimburse the money to the tenant as the landlord should is in charge of maintaining their property.
Repair then Deduct
Not all states allow this. In the states that allow, the following requirements have to be met:
There should be a safety or health violation in the property that threatens the living conditions such as no heat in the winter.
The tenant has to notify the landlord;
• The violation must have been reported to the relevant agency or the building department;
• The agency must serve the landlord with a notice of the violation that includes a time-frame of when to have completed the repairs;
• The landlord must have gained access to the apartment;
• The landlord fails to fix the violation in the said time-frame; and
• If all the requirements are met, the tenant will conduct the repairs and then deduct the repair cost from the rent.
Overcharged security deposit
Many states place a cap on the amount of security deposits that a landlord can ask from a tenant. If a landlord is in such a state and he collects more than the limit, the landlord will be obliged to pay the additional amount to the tenant. In some cases, they may pay additional damages for breaking the landlord-tenant law.
Paying the tenant to move out
The eviction process of a tenant is a long and tedious process. As a landlord, if you want to evict a tenant in the soonest time possible, that might not be possible. The process will cost you a lot of money, and you might not be in a position to receive rent from a new tenant unless the current tenant is evicted. To solve this, landlords use what is known as “Cash for Keys.” In this approach, you don’t have to go to court. However, it is a mutual agreement between the tenant and the landlord. The landlord offers an incentive to the tenant. In most cases, cash, to leave the rental unit quickly. If you adopt it and they agree to it, ensure you put it in writing. Include the agreed-upon date for moving out, and the sum of money the tenant is going to receive.
Other instances include the landlord paying the tenant for damages they may have been awarded in court or for the court costs. If you are looking to have your property managed, look no further. At lapmg, we offer property management services and leave you to other pursuits. Check us out here.
