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Leasing a house is an affordable and flexible way to live. Once you’ve found the perfect rental property, there are a few things you should do to protect yourself both financially and legally. Follow the tips below to ensure a good relationship with your landlord while protecting your own interests and enjoying your home.

What to Know Before Signing a Rental Property Lease

1. Inspect the Property

The landlord has a responsibility to provide a safe and habitable home, but you don’t want to move into a property with problems. Carefully inspect the entire home during your tour, such as testing the plumbing, checking that doors and windows lock, and opening up cabinets to look for mold.

If you choose to rent the space, either take photos or fill out a form to document its condition. This ensures you won’t be charged for damage you didn’t cause when you move out.

2. Read the Lease Carefully

rental propertyA rental lease is a legally binding agreement. Read through it carefully before signing, and ask the landlord about any clauses you don’t understand. If there’s anything in the lease that concerns you, address it before signing.

3. Know Your Rights

Every state has landlord-tenant laws in place to protect both parties. Know what your rights are so you can expect them of your landlord. For example, in the state of Georgia, a landlord must return the security deposit to the tenant within a month after they move out of the rental property.

4. Pay Your Rent on Time

Late or missed rent payments will result in costly fees and eventual eviction. Pay your rent in a manner that can be documented, such as writing a check or setting up a payment directly through your bank. It’s best to always avoid paying with cash. If you mail your check in, reach out to your landlord to confirm they received it. You don’t want to deal with the consequences if the check gets lost in the mail.

5. Document All Communication

All the communication you have with your landlord may be important in the future if you have any problems. For example, perhaps you notified them of a water leak and they didn’t do anything; they then should not hold you responsible for any water damage that occurs.

Try to keep communication over email—and save copies of those emails—so you can prove those conversations if necessary. Keep a log for all in-person and phone conversations by recording dates, times, and the content of each conversation.

 

Finding just the right rental property starts with looking in the right place. David McDonald Rentals offers more than 160 rental home options throughout the Fort Stewart and Hinesville, GA, area. This family-owned property management company is committed to supporting their tenants, offering tools such as a convenient web portal for repair requests, paying bills, and setting up rent reminders. Browse their home for rental listings online or call (912) 368-9218 to talk with a team member.

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