Renting a home can be easier than owning a home, but it requires its own special set of circumstances. Whether you’re the renter or the landlord, look at the articles, columns, blog posts, radio shows and videos for more information about renting a home.
More Questions from NPR Listeners
Hello Ms. Glink, I heard your show on Talk of the Nation and thought you had a lot of interesting things to say. My husband and I are looking at buyin...
Ilyce On NPR Today June 25, 2007
I just got off the air with Talk of the Nation on NPR. We were talking about whether now is a good time to buy. Dean Baker, an economist based in Was...
Elderly Parent Uncomfortable With Changes To His Home
An elderly parent had his daughter's family move into his large home when he was ill. Now the daughter is making a lot of changes and he feels uncomfortable in his own home. The homeowner should begin charging rent and look over his will, powers of attorney and other estate matters.
Renters Refuse Landlord’s Access
A rental property owner is ready to sell but the current tenants will not allow the landlord access to the home to show potential buyers. Many leases specifically allow a landlord access to a rental property to re-rent or sell it. Forcing tenants to give access to the rental property is a double-edged sword.
Vacant Home Requires Different Insurance
Often, insurance policies are written to cover homes that are exclusively lived in by the owner. If you're going to rent your property or the property is going to be left vacant, you'll need a different sort of insurance policy or at least a waiver from your insurance company. The typical insurance policies don't cover what happens to a home if no one lives in it.
Renting Home Before Closing
Relocating to a new city can be difficult. To save time and money, you might consider moving only once - by renting the home you'd like to buy before the closing. However, a seller may not want to rent the home. But given the current buyer's market, renting before closing could be a possibility. To have the opportunity, you must work with the seller to offer them several assurances that you will go through with the closing.
Siblings Negotiate Parent’s Estate
How the IRS treats inherited property depends on how the ownership of the home is outlined. In this case, one child is already on the title of a home with her mother, so it depends on if they own the home "jointly" or each own a specific share. What is outlined in the owner's will will also dictate what will happen to the property when the mother dies.