A tenant is someone who rents a property from a landlord or property owner. The tenant pays rent to the property owner, in exchange for living in or using the property. The terms of the rental are usually defined by a lease. Learn more here abotu what it means to be a tenant and what it involved in renting or leasing property.
How to Evict My Brother
How to Evict My Brother. A reader wants to know how to evict her brother who hasn't paid rent in 13 years. Q: I'm wondering how to evict my brother. We own a house that has been converted into two apartments. My brother has been living in one of them for 13 years. He has [...]
Inheriting a Home: Options to Consider
Are you inheriting a home? There are several options to consider if you'll be the beneficiary of this sort of bequest and don't want to keep it. Inheriting a Home: To Keep or Sell Q: I read your column regularly and always find it very interesting and informative. I have a rather complicated question: My [...]
Investment Property Damaged By Tenants
Was your investment property damaged by tenants? If it was, can you recoup the costs to repair your investment property? Was Your Investment Property Damaged by Tenants? How Can You Recoup the Costs to Repair? Q: My wife and I bought a house in Maryland in early July 2022. The sellers wanted to stay in [...]
What Can I Do If My Landlord Doesn’t Return My Security Deposit?
What can I do if my landlord doesn’t return my security deposit? My landlord sold the unit after condo deconversion but never gave the deposit back to me. Q: I am a tenant in a building that was recently deconverted from condos to apartments. Prior to the deconversion, I had rented the condo from the [...]
Placing a Lien On Property That Isn’t Owned By The Debtor – Yet!
Placing a Lien On Property That Isn’t Owned By The Debtor isn't complicated. A landlord wants to place a lien on a property, but the property isn’t owned by the debtor yet. He will inherit it at some point in the future. What can the landlord do? Can I place a lien on property in [...]
Handling Tax Issues With A Rent-to-Own Home
Handling tax issues with a rent-to-own home can cause some tension between the landlord and tenant. You’ll want to have all the details before you make your next move. Q: I’ve been renting-to-own a home for a little over a year now. The owner of the home told me he would continue to pay the [...]
Renting or Buying: What’s Really Better?
For many people, like this commenter, the "American Dream" has been to own a home. But even with interest rates at near historic lows, affordability is still a serious problem. Q: I’ve been reading your column with all the letters from homeowners who have all kinds of problems. They sound as though they’d rather be renting [...]
Landlord Nation: Who Owns Rental Property in America?
Are we now living in a Landlord Nation? If you look at who owns rental property in America, you might think that more people are renting than are owners, although that isn't the case. In addition to our primary residence, we own one and a half rental properties. That is, we own one by ourselves [...]
Transferring Home Title From Owner to Tenant
When you live in a home owned by a family member, transferring the home title from owner to tenant can be complicated. Just because you've been living in a home for an extended period of time and paying the expenses (as in this case), that doesn't make you the homeowner. Q: How do we get the [...]
Buying Rental Property: Costs to Consider
If you have the financial means, buying rental property may sound like an easy way to make extra income: purchase a house, rent it out, and relax as the profits roll in each month. Unfortunately, many would-be investors go into the home rental process without preparing a budget or fully understanding all the costs involved. [...]