SIFE Financial Corner

To continue with this month’s theme on the topic of renting, we wanted to discuss the person who owns the complex that you live in, the landlord. Having a good relationship with your landlord is very important. It can make your life easier when problems arise with your apartment or house and can serve as a reference for future leases. If you keep a few guiding principles in mind, you should be able to keep yourself on good terms with your landlord and protect yourself in case issues arise.

First, know your rights and responsibilities. Be sure to familiarize yourself with an overview of the landlord-tenant law in your area and know what is expected of you in your lease. Easy to understand, bullet-point style guides can generally be found online regarding landlord-tenant law.

Next, when you begin renting and before you move in, walk through your new residence with your landlord. Photograph the apartment as-is and have your landlord sign off on your notes of the walkthrough.

Finally, be sure to always treat the apartment with respect and pay your rent on time. A person can be a great tenant otherwise, but if they don’t pay rent on time, that is a huge inconvenience for the landlord and can be grounds for eviction. Alongside respecting the property, goes informing the landlord of issues with the property. If there is a problem with the apartment, even if you caused it, be sure to keep your landlord informed as to avoid the problem getting worse.

If you keep these simple principles in mind, you should be on your way to a positive relationship with your landlord and a much less stressful rental experience.

The SIFE Financial Corner is created by members of UMKC Students in Free Enterprise.

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