Hosting family and friends is a definite plus when you have your own space, but when tenants have guests that become unauthorized occupants, it could threaten your rental business. After all, an overcrowded apartment means more wear and tear, more will be spent on utilities, and potential lease violations. As a result, the best way to avoid conflict while protecting your property is to set boundaries early on. With this landlord’s guide to fair and effective guest rules, continue reading below, as you’ll learn how to reduce your liability while maintaining a positive landlord-tenant relationship.
The Purpose of Guest Rules
Protecting Property Condition
One of the primary reasons for guest rules is to protect the physical condition of your rental unit. For example, some landlords have rules about how long a guest can sleep over at a stretch, typically no more than two or three nights. If left unchecked, long-term visitors can quickly become unauthorized occupants. If you’re wondering why that’s any of your business, an extra person in the house means your furnishings will see more use, increasing the likelihood of accidental damage. Also, if you’re the one sorting the utilities such as gas, water, or electricity, your bill will go up, cutting your profits. Thus, additional occupants can affect the maintenance and profitability of your property. Bay Property Management Group Washington DC can help provide tenant reminders through welcome packets or tenant handbooks.
Respecting Rights to Quiet Enjoyment
Another benefit of having guest rules is that it protects your other tenants’ right to quiet enjoyment. Let’s face it, the more people there are in an apartment, the louder it’s likely to be due to music, conversations, and footsteps. For landlords who own a multi-unit building, this extra noise can be a major problem because it negatively impacts the neighbors, creating more drama and potentially reducing your average tenancy length. On the flip side, fair guest rules protect others’ right to quiet enjoyment, ensuring that every resident can enjoy harmony in their home without disruption from other residents.
Defining "Guest" vs. "Unauthorized Occupant”
Update your lease to clarify the distinction between a guest and an unauthorized occupant. Instead of keeping things vague by simply saying, “no extended stays for visitors,” you need to get specific about the duration. Also, remind tenants to read their lease carefully to understand if landlords can tell who can be at your house.
Typically, a guest is someone who stays in a rental for a short period with the tenant’s permission, but has no intention to live there permanently. This could include a friend staying the night for a sleepover, or a family member visiting from out of town for a few days. As a result, since the property isn’t their primary residence, you wouldn’t expect them to receive mail or take up financial responsibilities, such as paying for rent or utilities. To avoid property damage, your lease may limit how many consecutive days or total days in a period guests can stay.
On the flip side, an unauthorized occupant is a person who effectively lives in the unit permanently, without explicit approval from the landlord. Thus, it includes guests who stay past the lease limits, move their personal belongings to the unit, or receive mail at the address. In some cases, they may even take up financial responsibilities such as chipping in for rent or paying for some utilities, even without being added to the lease. Despite that, these unauthorized occupants can be problematic because they create a legal and liability risk for you.
Importance of Communicating Expectations in the Lease Agreement
Equal Treatment Amongst Tenants
It may seem trivial, but having a clear written document for every tenant prevents the feeling of preferential treatment amongst your renters. Instead, when there’s a definitive code of conduct that is upheld and followed through equally for every occupant, it breeds trust and understanding amongst your tenants. Besides, consistency is also vital for Fair Housing compliance while ensuring your property’s upkeep.
Mitigate Liability
Another reason it’s essential to communicate your expectations in a lease agreement is that it protects you from liability. How? Well, some insurance companies only offer coverage for listed tenants. This means that if an unauthorized resident causes damage such as a fire or flood, your claim may be denied. Other than that, in the event your relationship with a tenant turns sour, you can always evict them, but their extended visitor may be harder to kick out because their names aren’t explicitly on the lease.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, creating fair and effective guest rules can help you protect your business in the long run. With clear set rules that differentiate between guests and unauthorized residents, you’re less likely to see tenants with people who overstay their welcome. In the long run, that means you’ll spend less on utilities, suffer less wear and tear, and also respect the rights to quiet enjoyment of other renters. Besides, communicating your expectations also helps you treat each tenant equally while mitigating your liability.
