As a landlord, you have to watch out for your interests. It is important that if you need to take legal action against a tenant that you have evidence to back up your claim.
There are times when you may make agreements with your tenants orally, or you may have conversations over the phone about issues. When these things are not in writing, it can be difficult to prove they happened. For that reason, here are a few things that you need to ensure you always put in writing.
Promises
If you or the tenant agree to do something, always put it in writing. You may not be able to do it at the time you have the discussion, but follow up quickly after with a written document for you and the tenant to sign.
Move in and out
Do not skimp on walkthroughs at move-in and move-out. Make sure you document everything and have the tenant sign the paperwork. You will benefit a lot from this should you end up in court over the security deposit.
Maintenance
Maintenance is easy to drop the ball on. You may have the tenant call in needed repairs and say you will fix them. But you really should put these things in writing. It will protect you and your tenants to have a written account of maintenance issues and repairs.
Having everything you can in writing when it comes to tenants is always beneficial. A signed document can be convincing evidence should you end up in court. It could mean the difference between winning your case and losing it.
