6 Legal Mistakes New Landlords Make in Year One
Your first-year landlord traps are predictable. You skip rules on notice, deposits, and inspections, then a judge won’t excuse “I didn’t know.” You grab a generic lease. One illegal clause can void enforcement. You wing tenant screening without written consent, consistent criteria, or adverse-action notices. You mishandle security deposits. You commingle funds or miss itemized-deadline letters and lose deduction rights. You underinsure and don’t verify renters coverage. You also fail to document move-in/out. Stay tuned for more. Avoid Legal Mistakes: Learn Local Landlord Laws Because landlord-tenant rules don’t stop at the state line, treat “local law” like a jobsite spec. Miss it, and the rework gets expensive fast. Federal fair housing bars discrimination on race, religion, sex, and national origin. Cities and counties can add extra notice, inspection, and registration rules. In North Carolina, get deposit handling, access notice, and eviction deadlines right. Courts won’t accept “I ...