There are many aspects to having a residential rental business. Fortunately, landlords can have access to everything they need to know about the correct way of doing things. One of the things that landlords, leasing agents, and other industry players need to learn are the different rental laws.

Rental laws play a significant role in some of the decision-making processes. They will serve as the landlords’ guide in making the lease agreement, processing repairs, and determining the terms of rental payments. However, these laws can differ from state to state. If you are a rental agent in Seattle, even though you are not the landlord or property owner, you should still know the state’s rental laws since tenants will consult you about lease agreements, and you should have enough knowledge to advise them.

• Security Deposits

A landlord needs to ask a tenant to put on a security deposit on their rental. It is used to cover expenses outside of their rental payment, such as repairs. Seattle landlords can ask for any amount they want since there are no limits set in their state law. They can charge for a month’s rent worth or two month’s rent.

Security deposits are given back to tenants after their lease ends. The amount is not given right away because the landlord will have to determine if there are no remaining bills to settle. In Seattle, the security deposit is returned within 21 days after the tenants move out. The landlord must include these terms in the lease agreement.

• Disclosures

The landlords must disclose some of the following information to their tenants:

• Fire safety

After the tenant signs the lease agreement, the landlord must provide him with information regarding fire safety. It may include an evacuation plan, a list of fire hazards, and the smoking policy.

• Criteria for tenant screening

Landlords and lease agents know what makes a good tenant. They have a set of standards to determine if the tenant is qualified or not. In Seattle, the tenants have the right to know the information a landlord will need to screen them and who will access it.

It is important to remember that the tenants are informed beforehand. They are notified through writing or by posting about it online. For example, every time you are posting a property listing at Padleads and syndicating it to other websites, you can include this detail. The tenants will have an option to cancel their application if they aren’t comfortable in disclosing some of their details.

• Screening fees

The tenant screening process does involve a few expenses here and there. There are transportation expenses and payments for acquiring data for background checks. The landlord can opt to charge a screening fee from the applicants, and they are informed before the screening starts.

• Access to the property

All landlords are only allowed to enter the property if they serve notification of the visit. Seattle landlords are required to inform the tenants two days before the date. If they wish to enter the property to show a potential tenant around, they need to serve a one-day notification.

• First come, first tenant

In Seattle, the first person to apply becomes the first option to rent out the property. It’s similar to a first-come, first-served policy. I suggest that you note the order the applications came because you need to prioritize the first ones.

State rental laws may vary everywhere. For example, in Seattle, there is no limit to the amount of security deposit. In some states, the landlord cannot charge above the worth of two month’s rent. Familiarizing yourself with the laws is a must because you need to know what applies to you and your location so that you can avoid legal trouble.