1 Screening Tenants: Your Most Important Decision p. 5 --
Avoiding Fair Housing Complaints and Lawsuits p. 7 --
How to Advertise Rental Property p. 8 --
Consider Tenants Who Are Advertising Themselves p. 9 --
Renting Property That's Still Occupied p. 9 --
Dealing With Prospective Tenants and Accepting Rental Applications p. 10 --
When and How to Check References, Credit History, and More p. 17 --
Choosing-And Rejecting-An Applicant p. 25 --
Finder's Fees and Holding Deposits p. 30 --
2 Preparing Leases and Rental Agreements p. 35 --
Which Is Better, a Lease or a Rental Agreement? p. 37 --
Clause-by-Clause Instructions for Completing the Lease or Rental Agreement Form p. 39 --
Signing the Lease or Rental Agreement p. 62 --
3 Basic Rent Rules p. 73 --
How Much Can You Charge? p. 74 --
When Rent Is Due p. 77 --
Where and How Rent Is Due p. 79 --
Late Charges and Discounts for Early Payments p. 81 --
Returned Check Charges p. 82 --
Partial or Delayed Rent Payments p. 82 --
Raising the Rent p. 84 --
4 Security Deposits p. 87 --
Purpose and Use of Security Deposits p. 88 --
Dollar Limits on Deposits p. 89 --
How Much Deposit Should You Charge? p. 89 --
Last Month's Rent p. 90 --
Interest and Accounts on Deposit p. 91 --
Nonrefundable Deposits and Fees p. 92 --
How to Increase Deposits p. 92 --
Handling Deposits When You Buy or Sell Rental Property p. 92 --
5 Discrimination p. 93 --
Sources of Antidiscrimination Laws p. 95 --
Types of Illegal Discrimination p. 98 --
Valid Occupancy Limits p. 113 --
Managers and Discrimination p. 117 --
Unlawful Discrimination Complaints p. 118 --
Insurance Coverage in Discrimination Claims p. 120 --
6 Property Managers p. 123 --
Hiring Your Own Resident Manager p. 126 --
How to Prepare a Property Manager Agreement p. 130 --
Your Legal Obligations as an Employer p. 131 --
Management Companies p. 139 --
Your Liability for a Manager's Acts p. 141 --
Notifying Tenants of the Manager p. 144 --
Firing a Manager p. 144 --
Firing a Property Management Company p. 145 --
Evicting a Manager p. 146 --
7 Getting the Tenant Moved In p. 147 --
Inspect the Rental Unit p. 148 --
Photograph or Video the Rental Unit p. 150 --
Send New Tenants a Move-In Letter p. 150 --
Cash Rent and Security Deposit Checks p. 151 --
Organize Your Tenant Records p. 151 --
Organize Income and Expenses for Schedule F p. 155 --
Using Email for Notices or Other Communications With Tenants p. 155 --
Bottom Line: Stick With a Traditional Mail or Delivery Service p. 158 --
8 Cotenants, Sublets, and Assignments p. 159 --
What to Do When a Tenant Wants to Sublet or Assign p. 166 --
When a Tenant Brings in a Roommate p. 172 --
Guests and New Occupants You Haven't Approved p. 174 --
Short-Term Rentals Like Airbnb p. 175 --
9 Landlord's Duty to Repair and Maintain the Premises p. 177 --
Your Duty to Keep the Premises Livable p. 179 --
How to Meet Your Legal Repair and Maintenance Responsibilities p. 181 --
Avoiding Problems With a Good Maintenance and Repair System p. 186 --
Tenant Updates and Landlord's Regular Safety and Maintenance Inspections p. 191 --
Tenants' Options When the Premises Are Unfit p. 195 --
Tenants' Responses to Unfit Premises: Paying Less Rent p. 195 --
Tenants Responses to Unfit Premises: Calling Inspectors, Filing Lawsuits, and Moving Out p. 203 --
Delegating Landlord's Responsibilities to Tenants p. 209 --
Tenants' Alterations and Improvements p. 212 --
Cable TV Access p. 216 --
Satellite Dishes and Antennas p. 217 --
10 Landlord's Liability for Tenant Injuries From Dangerous Conditions p. 219 --
How to Prevent Injuries p. 221 --
Liability and Other Property Insurance p. 224 --
Your Liability for Tenant Injuries p. 229 --
When a Tenant Was at Fault, Too p. 234 --
How Much Money an injured Tenant Might Recover p. 235 --
11 Landlord's Liability for Environmental Health Hazards p. 237 --
Carbon Monoxide p. 250 --
12 Landlord's Liability for Criminal Activity p. 259 --
Comply With All State and Local Laws on Security p. 260 --
Keep Your Promises About Security p. 261 --
Prevent Criminal Acts p. 263 --
Protect Tenants From Each Other p. 270 --
Protect Tenants From Your Employees p. 271 --
Deal With Drug-Dealing Tenants p. 272 --
If You Are Sued p. 276 --
13 Landlord's Right of Entry and Tenants' Privacy p. 279 --
General Rules of Entry p. 281 --
Entry in Case of Emergency p. 282 --
Entry With the Permission of the Tenant p. 283 --
Entry to Make Repairs or Inspect the Property p. 284 --
Entry to Show Property to Prospective Tenants or Buyers p. 287 --
Entry After the Tenant Has Moved Out p. 288 --
Entry by Others p. 288 --
Other Types of Invasions of Privacy p. 290 --
What to Do When Tenants Unreasonably Deny Entry p. 293 --
Tenants' Remedies If a Landlord Acts Illegally p. 294 --
14 Ending a Tenancy p. 295 --
Changing Lease or Rental Agreement Terms p. 296 --
How Month-to-Month Tenancies End p. 297 --
When the Tenant Breaks the Lease p. 306 --
A Tenant's Death: Consequences for Cotenants and the Landlord's Duties p. 312 --
Condominium Conversions p. 319 --
15 Returning Security Deposits and Other Move-Out Issues p. 321 --
Preparing a Move-Out Letter p. 323 --
Inspecting the Unit When a Tenant Leaves p. 323 --
Applying the Security Deposit to the Last Month's Rent p. 327 --
Basic Rules for Returning Deposits p. 327 --
Deductions for Cleaning and Damage p. 328 --
Deductions for Unpaid Rent p. 331 --
Preparing an Itemized Statement of Deductions p. 333 --
Mailing the Security Deposit Itemization p. 339 --
Security Deposits From Cotenants p. 339 --
If a Tenant Sues You p. 340 --
When the Deposit Doesn't Cover Damage and Unpaid Rent p. 343 --
Ex-Tenants Who Have Moved Out of State p. 345 --
What to Do With Property Abandoned by a Tenant p. 347 --
16 Problems With Tenants: How to Resolve Disputes Without a Lawyer p. 353 --
Negotiating a Settlement: Start by Talking p. 354 --
When Warning Notices Are Appropriate p. 356 --
Understanding Mediation p. 358 --
Using Arbitration p. 360 --
Representing Yourself in Small Claims Court p. 361 --
How to Avoid Charges of Retaliation p. 362 --
17 Late Rent, Terminations, and Evictions p. 365 --
Landlord's Role in Evictions p. 366 --
Termination Notices p. 367 --
Other Tenant Violations of the Lease or Rental Agreement p. 371 --
Violations of a Tenant's Legal Responsibilities p. 372 --
Tenant's Illegal Activity on the Premises p. 373 --
How Eviction Lawsuits Work p. 373 --
Illegal "Self-Help" Evictions p. 379 --
Stopping Eviction by Filing for Bankruptcy p. 380 --
18 Lawyers and Legal Research p. 383 --
Finding a Lawyer p. 384 --
Types of Fee Arrangements With Lawyers p. 386 --
Saving on Legal Fees p. 388 --
Resolving Problems With Your Lawyer p. 390 --
Attorneys' Fees in a Lawsuit p. 390 --
Doing Your Own Legal Research p. 391 --
Where to Find State, Local, and Federal Laws p. 391 --
How to Research Court Decisions p. 393.
