Landlord -Tenant Agreements
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012Landlord and tenant laws are different from state to state. If you are faced with a landlord and tenant dispute it is advised to contact a landlord and tenant lawyer to understand how the lease agreement and local landlord and tenant laws apply to you.
A landlord and tenant relationship is guided by a lease agreement in which the landlord allows the tenant to use the property outlined in the lease and the tenant in return pays an amount to the landlord. Understanding the terms of a lease agreement is critical because in many disputes the terms are binding and controls the outcome.
In any lease agreement the landlord and tenant should discuss important issues, and thoroughly review the lease agreement. It is particularly critical to spend the appropriate time and understand what each party is entitled to and what each party must do in return in a rental agreement. Landlord and tenant attorneys can assist the parties with any questions regarding the lease. In the majority of cases a landlord already understands the terms of the agreement, so tenants should consult an attorney before signing a lease. Here are a few suggestions to guide you as you prepare to lease.
Review the Condition of the Property and Terms of Security Deposit
Before signing the lease, the landlord and tenant should conduct a walk through of the location and note any existing damages, go over the amount of the security deposit, and the conditions in which the deposit will be returned or withheld.
Details of the Rent
It is important to know the amount of rent you will be paying, the date the rent is due, the manner in which it is paid, and the penalties for late payment or no payment.
Discuss Any Tenant Limitations such as:
.The use of the property for a specific type of business.
.How many people can reside in the property.
.Whether or not pets are allowed in the property.
.Any other use of the property that may not be assumed by the other party.
.What each party’s rights and responsibilities are under the lease.
The most serious, and generally undesirable, option in landlord and tenant law disputes is eviction. A tenant facing eviction should contact a tenant attorney. Eviction is not the only way to terminate a lease agreement. Landlord and tenant laws or the lease agreement may provide options for early termination or non-renewal of the lease upon its natural expiration.
Whether the landlord and tenant dispute is over a residential or commercial lease, the result of an eviction filing, a question about co-signer liability, the return of a security deposit, or any other matter both the landlord and tenant have rights provided by the law. Landlord and tenant attorneys will be able to provide an explanation of the legal rights of landlords and tenants.
What would you do for $5
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010Like any normal person,always looking for a good deal and/or a way to make a little extra cash. Well, I found a website that offers both, yes both, called Fiverr.
This jewel of a website allows anyone to offer just about any service you can imagine for a flat rate of $5! For the price of a hoagie, you can have a human-resources professional redesign your resume. This is especially helpful for all you unemployed and/or underemployed. By the way, I paid $5 to a budding personal trainer to design a personalized 6-week training program to work off that hoagie. There are more than 50,000 freelancers offering everything from custom love poems to 5 am wake up calls. There is even a guy (actually multiple people) who offer to sing happy birthday to anyone in a hotdog costume! And someone actually paid him $5. How do I know this? Because my loving brother actually paid for the guy’s services as my birthday gift. It was the perfect gift for me. I didn’t mind that this was all my brother gave, because it was just so funny. (And I still can’t believe that guy got five dollars from my brother … you know what, I bet he has made a fortune.)
So this had me thinking, what services can I offer? I have a cell phone, I typically stay up late, why not give wake-up calls. What hobbies do I have? I can show someone how to crotchet or how to poach the perfect egg. Or maybe someone will pay me to tell them a joke. If the hotdog guy can do it, so can I. In this new era of the “micro entrepreneur”, I’ve decided to join the game and make a little cash off my hobbies. How about you? Maybe you’re a plumber who can offer tips on how to fix a toilet to someone in California. Maybe you can give a 30 minute software lesson. Maybe you can give people advice on music. Maybe you can do the Cabbage Patch to opera. The ideas are limitless. Plus, if you’re good, I bet you can repeat clients and/or develop this into some kind of consulting work.
UPDATE: I told 3 corny jokes and made $5 dollars. Time: 3 minutes of my life. Right now, an 8 pound turkey breast is on sale at Target for 89 cents a pound = $7.12. For $2.12, I have fed myself for the week. I am definitely going to find other ways to make $5, what will you do?