A Guide to Tenant Notices

Tenant NoticesAs a landlord, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with serving your tenants notices. There are many different notices that you’re required by law to use to notify people living on your property of certain events, including entering their premises, raising rates, or terminating a lease. These laws and regulations vary by state and even county, so be sure to review your local stipulations carefully.

When it comes to notices, it’s recommended that you send them by Certified Mail if you want to be sure a court of law will accept proof of delivery. Otherwise, it can be difficult to show a timeline of when you served notice to a tenant. This is a precaution – most notices are for basic services and notifications and will likely not require court action. Even so, better safe than sorry.

You’ll probably be most familiar with notices of entry, notices to comply or quit, and rental notices.

Notices of entry exist to inform your tenants that you or a service person will be entering their unit, and they must be given in advance in many states. The amount of advance notice (or if you must serve notice at all) varies by area, so make sure you know your area’s regulations. Even if there are no laws requiring it of you, it’s still considered a good rule of thumb for showing your tenants proper respect and maintaining good relations.

Notices to comply or quit usually come in the form of notifying a tenant that they must comply with a certain rental requirement or their lease will be terminated. Most often, this has to do with late rental payment or noncompliance with a policy outlined in their lease. You should give them a timeframe to remedy the situation and a clear date for when they will be expected to vacate if they do not comply.

Rental notices typically have to do with informing tenants about rental rate changes and whether or not the can renew their lease once it’s expired. The amount of notice you need to give varies, so double-check what’s expected in your area.

These are the most common notices, but there are a few others. You may want to serve notice about the sale or removal of abandoned personal property, or a notice if ownership or management of the property is changing. You may also occasionally have to serve an eviction notice due to repeated policy violation or other reason that doesn’t allow the tenant a chance to remedy the situation. Once again, this is your call, is dependent upon your lease agreement, and can vary by state.

For more information about creating and issuing professional tenant notices, contact us here at Tenant Screening Services. We’re very familiar with regulations and best practices, and are happy to help!


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