LegalShield Blog

The Big Question: Can You Negotiate a Lease? You’re a business owner looking for a bigger, more prominent place to run your business. Or maybe you want to open a store in a new location. Or perhaps you need a new car, but you don’t want to buy one outright. You’ve got...

Home. It isn’t just a roof over your head—it provides you with a place to center yourself and leave each morning and return to each evening. If it’s a happy one, it’s filled with memories and items that bring you joy. If it’s a safe one, it brings you belonging,...

Renting a single-family home to multiple tenants has become increasingly popular, especially in college towns and neighborhoods with a high cost of living. The tenants save money, and the landlords can walk away with considerably more income than they would from a...

As real estate prices continue to soar, more and more Americans are forced to rent. This means, of course, signing a lease. This is not as simple as it sounds, especially when there are multiple occupants in a single property. So, for the protection of landlords and...

Most landlords and tenants are respectful and appropriate, but sometimes common landlord/tenant issues arise that demand a fair resolution. There are several methods you can utilize to resolve problems with your landlord. Renters feel comfortable approaching landlords...

Eviction is not something any landlord wants to pursue. Understanding the legal eviction process—including writing an eviction letter can be a job unto itself. It’s enough to make landlords look the other way on minor violations. After all, the issue must be greater...

It’s not uncommon for landlords and tenants to run into issues over the course of a tenancy, and particularly at the end of a lease. A tenant vacating a property sets in motion responsibilities and requirements for both parties and failing to fulfill those duties on...

The eviction moratorium has ended. What does this mean? It’s official: The eviction moratorium has ended, and officials are scrambling to blunt the effects. The White House is urging states to speed up the distribution of billions, while also asking local governments...

What is the eviction moratorium? During the pandemic, an eviction moratorium was put in place for certain renters who couldn’t meet their rent payments due to the pandemic and would be left homeless if evicted. The moratorium essentially halted all evictions from...

On May 5, Dabney Friedrich, a federal judge in D.C., laid down the law by tossing out the nationwide moratorium on evictions that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had put in place to protect renters faced with financial issues during the pandemic....

As winter storms plow through most of North America, a lot of people have been forced to ask themselves some challenging questions: What do I do if my pipes burst? And for renters, who is responsible for fixing them, and who is accountable for winter damages? This is...

For those relatively new to the business of being a landlord, there are plenty of questions around your responsibilities, not least of which surround security deposits. What are landlords permitted to deduct from security deposits? When are you required to return a...

Having a written agreement is certainly better than relying upon handshake conversations, but if that lease fails to account for common situations, problems will likely arise for landlords (and tenants). Mistakes or omissions in a rental agreement don’t necessarily...

Most new landlords likely enter into their new role understanding that security deposits are a necessary part of the rental process, but may still have some questions about the particulars before they go about asking their first tenants for a deposit. That’s why we’re...

Working as a landlord for a property you own, whether as your main occupation or as a side venture, makes you the operator of a small business. And every business requires organization and a professional approach to avoid making costly mistakes. There’s considerable...

With any luck, your tenant(s) have promptly made payments, but in the event that their rent isn’t in on time, it falls to you as the landlord to get the money owed. It’s likely a task you’d rather not have to do, nor is it pleasant work, but by following standard...

Did you know you may have options for early lease termination? Terminating your lease early is a big step, but one that may become necessary should your circumstances or the material condition of your rental unit change. Most leases offer provisions for early...

Don’t let your landlord violate your tenant's rights. While most renters are cautious throughout the lease process in finding not only the perfect property but the right landlord, issues can still arise despite these best intentions. Tenant rights violations happen...

If you’re having issues with your landlord, you might feel as though you have little recourse for your concerns; they own the property, after all, and some renters are hesitant to escalate their conflict further for fear of retribution or eviction. Others might be...

Protecting Yourself from a Bad Lease Amid the flurry of registering for classes and ordering textbooks, many college students may have rushed through the important transaction: leasing an apartment. After spending days searching rental websites and touring apartments,...

Prevent Roommate Nightmares Living with a roommate can be a great way to save some cash and split basic household responsibilities. Having a roommate can be fun and cost-effective, especially when you actually like the other person, but it comes with a totally...

How to Evict Your Tenant Without Violating State Laws As a landlord, you try to rent to the right people, but occasionally you find yourself in the midst of an unresolvable landlord-tenant dispute, and you have to evict.  But before you try to quickly remove your...

Leases Can Be Complicated You should know what you’re getting into before signing a lease, and that means reading your lease in full, tedious as it may be, in order to avoid future disputes. Most leases are standard, but they can be complex because landlord-tenant...

Breach of lease agreements Study the lease agreement carefully. Know your rights and responsibilities, some of which include: The right to habitable premises (you are protected against unsafe living conditions, bad wiring, gross infestation of vermin, no lead-based...

Roommate Agreements Living with a roommate is never easy. A roommate agreement is a great way to establish expectations and to ensure that you and your roomie are on the same page with regards to house rules. Specific terms will vary depending upon whether you’re...

Short-Term Rental Guest Who Refuses to Leave Imagine you rent out your house on Airbnb to a guest for a short-term rental. After part of the stay, the occupant stops paying the rent. And you can’t get him to leave. What would you do? Try to change the locks? Cut off...