Over the past few years, there has been a lot of backlash in the media against landlords who practice less-than-hospitable tenancy. But it’s hard to sympathize with one of the few groups of people who are still known as lords in this world. And while there’s no doubt that many landlords are reasonable people, kind and helpful people, there are also a hell of a lot of terrible people who overcharge or otherwise mistreat their tenants. And that’s just the beginning. It turns out that landlords can do a lot of shady things that are also perfectly legal.
10. Arkansas homeowners are not required to maintain their property.
If you’re paying to rent a home or property from someone else, you have some general expectations about what your landlord provides you with. At the very least, the place should have electricity and water and be in good condition. What you might call “livable.” And that’s true almost everywhere. But if there’s one thing we should know by now, it’s that “almost” isn’t always true. And in this case, that means Arkansas is the exception.
Landlords in Arkansas not required by law make sure your property is habitable. Legally, your lease doesn’t have to meet “habitable” standards. Likewise, if something breaks, landlords can invoke the informal “so what?” doctrine. That is, they don’t have to make repairs if they don’t want to. And if you think you can hold off on paying rent until your landlord makes repairs, think again. You can’t withhold rent for any reason in the state.
These are not simple problems either. There are many stories about How tenants get sick mold that landlords don't fix, holes in the walls, no heat in the winter, and more that landlords don't have to deal with if they don't want to. Arkansas is the only state that allows it.
9. In California, a refrigerator is a convenience, not a necessity.
When was the last time you sat down and felt happy to have the power of cooling in your home? It wasn’t that long ago that people didn’t have that luxury and you had to store food in refrigerators or cellars to keep it fresh. Refrigerators are truly amazing tools. But that doesn’t mean you have the right to have one in California, where landlords consider it a convenience, not necessity Sure, you may have a refrigerator, but it may just as well be your responsibility to buy one.
For homeowners, it goes without saying that not many homes have refrigerators. But for renters, it's usually the opposite. Most apartments or houses you rent will have the basic kitchen appliances - a stove and a refrigerator. If you're really lucky, you'll get a dishwasher or a washer and dryer. But California doesn't play by those rules. The refrigerator is the the same as the pool .
Of course, if your lease says there is a refrigerator, then yes, you will have one, and the landlord is responsible for making sure it stays in working order.
8. Landlords in North Carolina (and other states) do not need to provide a notice of occupancy.
The last thing anyone wants is for someone to come into the privacy of their own home. Landlords are usually required to notify you if they want to come and inspect the property you are renting from them, and typically 24 to 48 hours' notice is given. But this is not always a legal requirement, and in North Carolina and someother states your landlord can access the property at any time they choose without prior notice .
This also includes people , working on behalf of your landlord. So if they want to send a plumber or an electrician in unannounced, they can do that, too. If you're not home, that person now has free access to your entire home. The tenant's only recourse is to show that someone breaking into their home unannounced is depriving them of the use of the property, like when workmen go through someone's things. But first, you have to catch them and prove it.
7. Homeowners are not obligated to solve murders.
As we all know from horror movies, if you move into a place where people have been killed, you're setting yourself up for disaster. Luckily, landlords are required to disclose the history of a building, including whether there have been any violent crimes on the property. Except in all the places that don't, which is most states.
Only three states effectively require disclosure of deaths in the home. California requires reporting any death in the past three years, even if it was of natural causes. South Dakota requires reporting any homicide or suicide in the past year.
Canadian legislation does not require disclosure, but as in many states, realtors and landlords are encouraged to be honest.
6. Japanese landlords are not required to rent to foreign tenants
There are many reasons to want to visit Japan and even spend some time there, but proceed with caution. Renting a place in Japan is not easy if you are from another country. Why? Japanese landlords are not required to rent to foreigners. About 40% foreigners, housing seekers are being turned away simply because they are not from Japan.
Japanese guarantor can help a foreign tenant gain access to an apartment or house, but it is also difficult to find. At first glance, it seems like a way to cover losses in the event that a foreign tenant forgoes rent to return home, but it applies even to genuine Japanese citizens who are originally from other countries or their parents. This is largely because landlords cannot communicate in foreign languages such as English and assume that tenants will not speak Japanese. Others fear that foreigners simply will not follow the rules and customs.
5. Some Japanese landlords charge "key money"
Sticking with Japan, there's another unusual tradition that's one of those forced voluntary things you come across in life from time to time where the idea is that you don't have to do it, but, you know, you kind of have to. In this case, it's something called Reikin, or the key-money .
When you have the opportunity to rent an apartment in Japan, the key money is a payment you pay the landlord in advance and is considered a gift. It's like saying "thank you for letting me rent this apartment." But it's not technically a gift because you don't get the apartment unless you pay for it. And you never get the money back. And it won't be used as rent or security deposit. It's literally just money for nothing.
Key money can be rent for a couple of months up to six months . Everything is paid for in advance and is completely non-refundable because, again, it is a gift. So why should you pay at all? Because if you don't, someone else will.
The good news is that not all landlords require it. But those who do are unlikely to be dissuaded. And if you're trying to negotiate a fee with a landlord who does require it, you may end up talking yourself out of the property.
4. German landlords do not provide kitchens
Let's stick with landlords in other countries and head to Germany, where you're technically not allowed to have a kitchen when you rent a property. This is a bit different from the California rule, which says you don't have to have a refrigerator. In this case, the entire kitchen can be missing. Even countertops and sink . This does not mean that there is no space in the house or apartment that would be a kitchen. In fact, the landlord should provide you with space for a kitchen if you want one with electrical outlets, water and other things. But that's all.
Many travel bloggers have posts on their sites warning potential Germans what to expect when they arrive. It seems that most German renters are buying for the long term, so they don't mind investing in their own kitchen. And they'll take everything, including lamps , when they move out. Only those from abroad are not ready.
3. Mississippi landlords can seize all property of an evicted tenant
In 2021, the law in Mississippi changed to give tenants more rights in the eviction process. This was due to a previous law, now considered unconstitutional unless appealed, that allowed the landlord to claim everything you owned if you were evicted.
If a tenant was even one day late with their rent, the landlord could issue an eviction notice and also forbid you from taking your belongings with you. In fact, the landlord, accompanied by a constable, woke up more than one tenant. They were shown an eviction order and then forbid them from taking their belongings — souvenirs, family photos, clothes, whatever. All of it was confiscated by the landlord and in at least one case just thrown into the trash out of spite.
Samantha Conner went to court after her landlord seized all of her property, and that's when a judge upheld the law unconstitutional By then, of course, it was too late. Her former landlord admitted that most of her property had simply been thrown away. He could have let her keep it and remove it, but he wanted to make sure she couldn't take it for no reason. The decision can be appealed in 2022.
2. Landlords may require DNA from dog poop samples
Finding a place to live that allows pets can sometimes be a challenge, depending on where you live. Some states and cities are more open to it than others, but no matter where you are, there’s a good chance you’ll find a no-pets clause in your lease. And in places that do allow pets, there can be a lot of red tape involved. There may be separate pet deposits or even rules regarding the size and type of pet. Or maybe they justthey will ask for DNA .
One of the big problems with dogs in rentals is the mess they make, especially in apartment buildings. People walk their dogs, the dogs poop, no one cleans up. So some landlords have put in place CSI-level security measures to prevent this. Dog owners may be required to store their dog’s DNA or provide it later, if they are suspected of not cleaning up after their pet. Offending samples can be sent to labs and if they match the tenant's dog, the tenant can be fined or evicted.
1. Some San Francisco landlords don't allow cooking
Back to California, where landlords keep attacking you when you're having a good time in the kitchen. In San Francisco, you might be stuck in a lease that prohibits you from cooking in your home. You know what most of us have to do to live?
The San Francisco housing market is a nightmare, and as a result, you can find listings for combined bedrooms and bathrooms for staggering $1790 per month . Again, this is a bedroom in a house, not the house itself. And since it's just a bedroom, the landlord doesn't want you dirtying it with food, so no cooking is allowed. No overnight guests.
While researching an article on this topic, journalists discovered in San Francisco 90 different ads , which limited cooking for potential tenants. At best, they were allowed to use a microwave. And these weren't just any rooms in someone else's house. Some were even studio apartments where the owners just didn't want people cooking. The most expensive one was just under $1,900, and only allowed microwave cooking.
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