Before a tenant rents a property, the landlord would have to know the essential information about them. He would need to know their work background, credit score, and their history of renting. He can achieve this through tenant screening. At the same time, the tenant also has to know vital data about the property they want to rent.
Sharing property information to a tenant is called landlord disclosures. A landlord must notify the tenants of some property details as stipulated in the state laws. Sometimes leasing agents can disclose some property information too. There are also federal and local laws. Once the law requires it, the landlord should follow. However, the legislation differs depending on the location. Some laws dictate only one specific data, while some require as much as ten items.
The law also states how the landlord will disclose the information required. The landlord can include it in the lease agreement or a printed notice that he and the tenant will sign. But he must remember to go over the document with a lawyer to make sure that it is following the law.
If the landlord fails to comply with the required landlord disclosures, it could result in him paying fines and facing legal charges. But not all states have federal, local, or state laws about landlord disclosures. The areas without these are Colorado, Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Vermont, and Missouri. For some of the other states, I’ll list down their specific landlord disclosures.
Arizona
These are just some of the disclosures that the state of Arizona finds essential:
• Moving-in checklist
The landlord must notify the tenant that they may be present during the move-out inspection.
• Disclosure of bedbugs
The landlord should educate the tenants on how to avoid or control the presence of bedbugs to all tenants.
• Non-refundable fees
If there are nonrefundable fees, the landlord should specify these to the tenants. He should also inform them of the purpose of it.
California
For the state of California, these are some landlord disclosures required by the law:
• Tenant death
If a tenant’s death occurred in the property in the last three years, the incoming tenants must know about it. The landlord does not have to give out specific details about the tenant. Only that death occurred.
• Mold
Part of the landlord disclosure in California is the presence of mold in the property. They need to know if there is a health concern in their dwelling.
• Pest control
Landlords must disclose their use of pest control services and the company that will perform it. He should also let them know the schedule of this activity.
• Demolition
Once the landlord has plans to have the property demolished, he must give prior notice. If the tenant has not signed a lease agreement yet, he should tell them before they do. The information will include the estimated date of the demolition.
Florida
Below are some of the landlord disclosures in the state of Florida:
• Fire protection
For buildings that have three or more storeys, landlords should disclose the availability of fire protection.
• Identity of landlord
The identified landlord or his behalf must provide their identification and address. It is where the tenants may submit their requests and complaints.
Georgia
Now let’s see what landlord disclosures the state of Georgia has, shall we?
• Flooding
If the landlord identifies the property to tend to flood, he should disclose this to the tenant. He should also remember to do this before the tenant signs the lease agreement.
• Previous death of a tenant
The landlord should divulge the information of death on the property. It includes the incidence of murder too. He should answer honestly about minimal details about death or murder, such as if it was because of natural causes or a felony.
There are a lot more landlord disclosures out there. The only thing landlords and leasing agents must remember is to check the state, federal, and local laws. They should familiarize themselves based on their location to avoid wrong sharing of information.
Well, there you go. Once you find tenants to rent out the property you’re trying to fill, you’ll know what to tell them. But if you’re still looking, I suggest you try out Padleads right now. You can post property listings and syndicate them to other websites online. That way, you can reach more people. The vacancy will not be vacant for much longer.