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Uncategorized Disability modifications in rentals That fair housing laws require that landlords permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of the rental property if necessary for the tenant’s full enjoyment of the premises? The landlord can require that the tenant restore the property to its original condition when the tenant vacates if the modification will […]
Uncategorized Lead Based Paint Lead based paint disclosure laws apply to rentals constructed prior to 1978? The same MLS form that is used in sales, #22J, should be used for rentals. The EPA recently filed complaints against two housing companies in Boston for failing to notify prospective tenants about potential lead paint hazards. The companies face a possible fine […]
Uncategorized military personnel 2011 changes to the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act give active military personnel additional protections?  The act allows for servicemembers to terminate a lease in cases of deployment or reassignment.  The act also gives service members and their families certain protections from eviction. A servicemember may terminate a residential lease for three reasons: entering active duty, […]
Uncategorized That you should not complete an MLS lease for a client unless your client is ready to rent the property under the terms of the lease? Submitting a lease is not simply an offer to rent – if the landlord signs the lease, it is a binding agreement. Leases have no Form 17 and no […]
Uncategorized DID YOU KNOW? That the Fair Tenant Screening Act goes into effect on June 7, 2012? One of the new requirements is that landlords may not charge an applicant for screening unless they first post or notify the applicant in writing of the criteria that will be used to screen applicants. Landlords must get a signature from the […]
Uncategorized To show or not to show.. That typically the owner has the right during the last 30 days of the rental agreement to have the property shown with 24 hours’ notice?  The tenants have the right to reasonably say no to showings.  The Landlord Tenant Act does not address lockboxes, signs or open houses.  These should all be discussed with the […]
Uncategorized To show or not to show.. That typically the owner has the right during the last 30 days of the rental agreement to have the property shown with 24 hours’ notice?  The tenants have the right to reasonably say no to showings.  The Landlord Tenant Act does not address lockboxes, signs or open houses.  These should all be discussed with the […]
Uncategorized Showing an occupied rental property Typically the owner has the right during the last 30 days of the rental agreement to have the property shown with 24 hours’ notice? The tenants have the right to reasonably say no to showings. The Landlord Tenant Act does not address lockboxes, signs or open houses. These should all be discussed with the tenant […]
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Uncategorized Foreclosure & Tenant’s rights. That the federal law offering protection for tenants in foreclosed rentals has been extended?  The “Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act” (PTFA) was originally scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012, but the Dodd-Frank Act has extended it to December 31, 2014. Per the act tenants with a “bona fide” lease that was entered into before […]
Uncategorized Co-habi-what ?!? That marital status is a protected class in Washington State?  Marital status includes being single single, married, separated, engaged, widowed and divorced.  In the City of Seattle and unincorporated King County marital status includes cohabitating.
Uncategorized Good faith efforts may come up short. That if a tenant breaks a lease the landlord is required to make a good faith effort to re-rent the property?  The courts usually interpret requirement as meaning that the property must be marketed for rent for the same terms – such as rent and deposits – as the vacating tenant had.  If the landlord […]
Uncategorized ADU & you! That an owner-occupied property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) may be considered a duplex if sold to an investor who rents both units?   Typically is it easier to get zoning permission for an owner-occupied property with an ADU than for a duplex.  If a rental property is found to be in violation of local […]
Uncategorized Cold weather tips! That frozen pipes can occur even in occupied properties?  Here are some tips for prevention: Locate the main water shut off before a broken pipe occurs.  Disconnect all hoses; if the water freezes in the hose, it can break the spigot.  Most new spigots have a shut off valve inside the house or garage; shut […]
Uncategorized Deposits & Fees; now I see! That anything referred to in a lease as a deposit must be fully refundable. Any monies that are not refundable must be referred to as a non-refundable fee (such as a cleaning fee, pet fee, etc).  If a deposit or fee is charged: the rental agreement must be in writing and it must say what each […]
Uncategorized “Foreclosure Notices”; what you need to know… That there are both federal and state laws which protect tenants in the case of a foreclosure?  State law requires the successor owner to give tenants a 60 day notice to vacate after transfer of title.  The federal law requires a 90 day notice to a tenant on a month-to-month lease.  If the new owner […]
Uncategorized Hot tub may lead to hot water! There have been at least three million dollar lawsuits regarding hot tubs in rentals on the astside?  Even if the landlord/listing agent/property manager is found innocent, thousands of dollars can be spent mounting a defense.  Owners with features such as hot tubs, pools, ponds, streams, etc. should be advised to consult an insurance agent and/or […]
Uncategorized You’ve got that “uneasy” feeling; now it’s gone, gone, gone… To meet fair housing  standards, landlords must consistently apply the same screening criteria to all?  The King County Office of Civil Rights explains that landlords must develop a, “consistent and sound screening policy that measures a potential resident’s willingness and ability to pay rent.”  This policy must include quantifiable, pre-determined criteria, which usually includes the […]
Uncategorized Don’t judge me… That Fair Housing testing can occur at the local, state or federal level?  An undercover investigation conducted by the city of Seattle, through the Office of Civil Rights, found more than 50% of properties tested showed evidence of illegal housing discrimination.  Testers found that blacks were quoted higher rents than whites and in 36% of […]
Uncategorized Tenant “Hokie-Pokie”: Put the right one in, take the right one out… That the tenants in a lease cannot be changed with out the signatures of all parties to the lease? This is important when roommates rent together and one wants to move out before the other. Unless all roommates, any co-signers, and the landlord agree in writing otherwise, the tenant vacating remains responsible for all terms […]
Uncategorized Military Eviction: true or false? That 2011 changes to the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act give active military personnel additional protections? The act allows for servicemembers to terminate a lease in cases of deployment or reassignment. The act also gives servicemembers certain protections from eviction. A servicemember may terminate a residential lease for three reasons: entering active duty, permanent change of […]

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