19. Homeowners’ Association complaints
You need to have in place clauses that protect you in the event of a homeowners’ association (HOA) complaint. This is essential. Imagine you don’t have a rock-solid lease that properly addresses this area, and your tenant, whom you’ve screened, isn’t who you thought and starts breaking rules, damaging your property, and disrupting your neighbors for whatever reason. The HOA comes down on you, demanding that you fix the issue because it’s your property, and nothing in your lease protects you against HOA complaints. This means it’s your problem, not the tenant’s—even though the tenant is causing the problem. Legally, your hands are tied because you can’t force the tenant, and maybe you can’t even address or fix the issue yourself. You could be in over your head with thousands of dollars in fines, all because your lease didn’t protect you. Make sure your lease protects you!
20. Code enforcement complaints
Just as with HOA complaints, the same applies to code enforcement complaints.
21. Pest control
You’ll also need a clause for pest control. Why? If you don’t include this in your lease, you could end up in a situation in which the tenant can call you at any time and demand a pest control service, multiple times, trying to find some nonexistent bug or other pest, with the house being sprayed with toxic chemicals over and over, and you footing the bill! Detail the rules of pest control in your lease to save yourself money and some unnecessary grief.
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