Your legal obligations to your renters as a landlord must be met. These requirements are made to safeguard tenants and guarantee that their apartments are secure and livable. It’s essential to comprehend your duties as a landlord if you want to keep your tenants happy and stay out of trouble with the law.
The provision of secure and livable home is one of a landlord’s most crucial duties. This involves making sure that there are no bugs, lead, or mold risks on the property. The vital systems of the rental property, including the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems, must also be maintained by the landlord. Tenants may file a lawsuit if their housing is not secure and suitable for living in.
Respecting the privacy of their tenants is another crucial duty of a landlord. Except in an emergency, landlords must give renters adequate warning before entering the rental unit. Landlords are also prohibited from discriminating against tenants on the basis of their race, religion, gender, or any other protected trait.
Landlords must abide by various rules in Texas involving rent hikes and evictions. The provisions of the lease agreement determine the maximum rent increase permitted in Texas. If there is no cap in the lease agreement, the landlord is free to raise the rent as they see fit. However, before raising rent, landlords must give tenants at least a month’s notice.
In order to help renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas just extended its eviction moratorium to June 30, 2021. However, it still remains the tenants’ responsibility to pay the rent. The option of eviction remains open to landlords who receive unpaid rent.
Texas has established a rent relief program for tenants who are having trouble paying their rent because of financial hardship brought on by COVID-19. Tenants must meet specific income and hardship standards to be eligible for this program. They must also present supporting evidence, such as a lease agreement and income documentation.
Finally, it should be noted that a landlord has important legal obligations that should not be disregarded. Landlords have a number of responsibilities, including delivering livable housing, preserving tenants’ privacy, and abiding by the law on rent hikes and evictions in Texas. Landlords can maintain good relations with their renters and stay out of trouble with the law by being aware of and carrying out these obligations.
The Texas Rent Relief Program was created to help qualifying households that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak financially. To assist qualifying renters in paying their rent and utilities, the program offers rental and utility assistance. Since the help is given in the form of a grant, recipients are not required to pay it back. It is crucial to remember that the program has precise eligibility standards that must be satisfied in order to qualify for the help.