Know Your Responsibilities: Important Aspects to Consider Before Signing a Lease Agreement

When it comes to listing properties and houses for rent, tenants and owners have certain responsibilities. Finding reliable tenants can be tricky sometimes and the same goes for finding a good house for rent in a market that’s flooded with choices. The tenant and landlord should understand their rights and responsibilities accurately and communicate their expectations with each other before signing any agreement.

When a tenant signs an agreement or pays the house rent, a legal contract has been entered between the two parties. The lease agreement should clearly outline what should occur if the tenant or the landlord breaks the rental agreement. Let’s look at some of the responsibilities of a landlord and a tenant:

Landlord

1. It’s important to keep the tenant’s house in good shape and ensure that it’s fit for habitation. Factors like health, safety, housing, and proper maintenance standards must be effectively screened and mentioned in the agreement.
2. If the lease includes paying for any of the bills, ensure that you have set up automatic payments for those services. It would be a major issue if a tenant were to experience an outage of one of these services.
3. Avoid entering the premises of the tenant without their permission. It’s best to enter the premises with the tenant present to avoid any misunderstandings.
4. The landlord cannot seize the tenant’s house without legal process or the breach of any other obligation.
5. Landlord cannot harass, obstruct, threaten or interfere in the life of the tenant.

Tenant

1. Always pay your rent on-time.  Or better yet a couple days early, so you don’t forget.
2. Should behave respectfully and keep the premises clean. If you have damaged something, then you should be prepared to repair/replace it with equal or better quality.
3. Do not harass, obstruct, force, threaten or even interfere in the life of the landlord.
4. Tenants should inform the landlord immediately in case of a problem, including minor serious repairs or services.
5. Tenant should inform the Landlord if someone else is staying at the property for an extended period of time. Often times, additional tenants are required to perform background checks as well.

These are just some of the factors that will ensure that the agreement will be respected by both parties and the relationship is smooth. It’s crucial to find reliable online sources to invest in the best houses for rent or to market your properties to find the ideal tenant. If you are a tenant looking for houses for rent in Texarkana, FRBO.com has a premier database of rental properties that are summarized in an easy-to-view format. You can review the detailed property information to see if it matches your criteria by visiting frbo.com. For property owners, FRBO can help short list your best options when looking for a tenant.