Marcia Stewart - Every Landlords Legal Guide

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16th Edition

Every Landlords Legal Guide

Marcia Stewart & Attorneys Janet Portman & Ann OConnell

SIXTEENTH EDITION MAY 2022

Cover & Book Design SUSAN PUTNEY

Proofreading SUSAN CARLSON GREENE

Index THERESA DURAN

Printing SHERIDAN

ISSN 2576-7186 (print)

ISSN 2576-7194 (online)

ISBN 978-1-4133-2975-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4133-2976-6 (ebook)

This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise.

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Please note

Accurate, plain-English legal information can help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professionaland well always point out situations in which we think thats a good ideaconsult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

Marcia Stewart is the coauthor of Every Tenants Legal Guide, Renters Rights, First-Time Landlord, and Nolos Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. Marcia received a Masters degree in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.

Janet Portman, an attorney and Nolos Executive Editor, received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford and a law degree from Santa Clara University. She is an expert on landlord-tenant law and the coauthor of Every Tenants Legal Guide, Every Landlords Guide to Finding Great Tenants, First-Time Landlord, Renters Rights, The California Landlords Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities, California Tenants Rights, Leases & Rental Agreements, and Negotiate the Best Lease for Your Business. As a practicing attorney, she specialized in criminal defense before joining Nolo.

Ann OConnell, an attorney and editor at Nolo, received an undergraduate degree from Boston College and a law degree from U.C. Berkeley School of Law. She is also a licensed Colorado real estate broker, and is a coauthor of Renters Rights, Every Tenants Legal Guide, Leases & Rental Agreements, Saving the Family Cottage, and Nolos Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. Before joining Nolo, Ann focused on real estate and business matters as a practicing attorney, and represented both sellers and buyers as a real estate agent.

Whether you own one rental property or a hundred, you want to run a profitable business, protect your investment, and avoid legal hassles. Your success depends heavily on knowing and complying with dozens of state, federal, and local laws. Fortunately, you dont need a law degreejust this book.

Well take you step by step through everything from accepting rental applications to returning security deposits when tenants move out. Learn how to prepare a lease, handle repairs, and deal with tenants who pay rent late, make too much noise, or cause other problems. This book covers not only straightforward procedures (such as how to legally reject a prospect) but also advises you on how to deal with more complicated situations (like what to do when a tenant threatens to withhold rent until you make certain repairs). This book also provides:

State-specific legal info. Use the comprehensive State Landlord-Tenant Law Charts in to find your states laws on: security deposits, required landlord disclosures, rent withholding, abandoned property, unconditional quit terminations, and much more.

Legal forms and letters. This book includes dozens of forms, letters, notices, checklists, and agreements you can use in your landlord business. Each form is easy to complete and has comprehensive instructions. Youll find filled-in samples in the text and downloadable forms on the companion page for this book on the Nolo website (see below for details). With these forms, youll be able to create your own rental applications, leases, letters to tenants, and much, much more.