lawsuit, maybe they just like to complain. And complaints can be expensive! And what if you are found to be guilty of a Fair Housing complaint? How much will this cost you? What are the penalties? What are the risks to your reputation that come with this? If you don’t know what you’re doing in this area, if you don’t know the ins and outs of the Fair Housing Act, you could leave yourself vulnerable and open to a potential liability you never saw coming. Don’t let yourself get exposed to that; protect yourself by understanding and following all Fair Housing Act laws. Consider talking to someone who knows all about Fair Housing practices and rules before you move forward with opening up your property to renters. Hire a property management lawyer to get all the facts and to understand both your renters’ rights as well as your own rights. Even if you’ve done your homework with weeding out potentially bad tenants, and even if you’ve got in place an iron-clad, rock-solid lease, in most cases, you still never really truly know who is going to be living in your home, and you need to protect yourself, your rights, your property, your business. You must be prepared for any and all potential issues. Read on to learn more.
FOLLOW FAIR HOUSING ACT LAWS
First, you need to understand and follow all Fair Housing Act laws in your area. Remember, if you don’t know them, or are having trouble understanding them, hire someone who does, such as an attorney who specializes in property management and/or Fair Housing laws. Don’t forget to do your research about your location. Different states and cities have different laws, so you’ll want to hire someone local—someone who knows the laws of the area. You’ll
79
Powered by FlippingBook