Idaho’s Landlord Tenant Law recommends the following:

1.  Conduct a criminal, financial, credit, and rental background check on every adult applicant. 

2.  Inspect the rental property with the tenant before moving in and after vacating the property.

3.  Take pictures and video tape the property before a tenant moves in and after vacating.

4.  Provide copies of the lease and any addendums. 

5.  Provide receipts for cash payments.

6.   Keep accurate records.

7.  Explain the lease terms to the tenant if necessary.

Check Your Prospective Landlord

Since the financial fall of the real estate market renters have been placed in bad positions with foreclosures and unscrupulous property owners.  Here are a few things you can do to be informed and protect yourself.

1.       Ask questions of the landlord or property manager.  Be friendly when asking how long did the previous tenants live at the property and how long were the ones prior to them?  This shows the possibility of a landlord that is difficult to work with.  Ask how long he’s been a landlord or property manager, and who is responsible for repairs and if the landlord is who will be taking care of those repairs.

2.      Check property records.  You have to know who you will be leasing from.  A property management company is easily checked into but what if the landlord is a private owner?    Also you can check out your landlord at checkyourlandlord.com.  Make sure the property is not at any risk of going into foreclosure or bankruptcy.  

3.      The best way to be more confident about your move is to visit with the neighbors.  They will give you lots of information.  Ask questions such as: Is this person the actual landlord?  How are repairs done and are they done in a timely manner.

4.      Take a drive by other properties owned or managed by this person or company.  If the property looks as good as the place you are wanting to rent and all other information regarding the landlord looks reasonable you should be comfortable in making your renting decision.

Don’t feel pressured to sign onto a property.  It only takes a few minutes to review the landlord and any reputable landlord or property manger will understand and are able to wait a couple of hours for your rental application.  Besides, you, as the prospective tenant, are required to wait for the landlord to check into your background it’s only reasonable for you to do the same.

For additional information on this and other renting articles, please visit our web site at http://www.mrpmrentals.com/

Your Boise Property Management Rental Resource

Habitable Rental Home

As a landlord, you have the responsibility of providing a habitable rental home and have an unwritten warranty that the premises will remain habitable. That means you must provide basic services to all your tenants. A residence must have heat, power, and plumbing, no problems with the structure that could be a danger to anyone living or visiting the property at any time.

If a tenant complains, and you are the landlord or property manager, ignoring or refusing to make necessary repairs you are in violation of the habitable law. Trying to get the tenant to move by shutting off services or locking them out of the property will only result in a judgment against you. Make sure your property is in good repair and not in violation of the habitable law. If you have any questions contact your attorney for sound legal advice.

For additional information on this and other renting articles, please visit our web site at http://www.mrpmrentals.com/

Your Boise Property Management Rental Resource
 

Chimney and Furnace Fires

While most property management companies defer this type of maintenance to the owner or ignore it all together, we believe this to be a safety requirement and schedule service and maintenance annually.

• While fire presents a year-round risk, chimney and furnace fires are the causes of fires most frequently in the winter months.

• The residential structure fire problem represented approximately 81 percent of all fire deaths and 79 percent of the injuries to civilians in 2006.

• Between 1997 and 2006, an average of 3,090 civilians lost their lives and another 15,340 were injured annually as the result of residential structure fires, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• 43 percent of home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms.

Approximately 25,000 residential fires begin in a fireplace or chimney every year.  Why? Over time, a layer of unburned creosote (a carbon-based residue on the walls of the chimney) and can eventually catch fire. The solution is to have a chimneysweep clean and inspect your chimney annually.

An annual inspection of the furnace and broiler is just as important for general maintenance and as a safety check. Never store flammable items near the furnace, broiler, fireplace, woodstove or water heater and share this information with your tenants. Many are unaware of these hazards and the more information is shared, the safer every rental home or apartment will be. Obviously, a better relationship is developed with your tenant.

Request your property management company schedule a professional inspection each year of all fuel-burning home heating systems, including furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, water heaters, chimneys, flues and vents. Many furnace and chimney sweeps will schedule a maintenance review on an annual basis, offering a discount for advanced scheduling. This service is scheduled with the property manager then with the tenant. During this inspection, each smoke detector should be checked and repairs or replacement (which should be done every 10 years) made at that time.

For additional information on this and other renting articles, please visit our web site at
http://www.mrpmrentals.com/

Your Boise Property Management Rental Resource

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