Saturday, August 24, 2013

Real Estate Law – How to Avoid Being Evicted from your Home


Being evicted can be a complete nightmare. What do you do when you have a house full of possessions, work on Monday, and nowhere to go? If you have a particularly evil landlord, he or she may even attempt to bleed you dry on your way out by claiming that you’re not entitled to your deposit back or that you will have to continue paying rent until a new tenant is found.

Another kick in the teeth is that an eviction stays on your record. This black spot can create a serious hurdle for you renting a property in the future. Even new employees will be able to see this.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, your credit score could take a serious blow. This could mean that you struggle getting a loan or a mortgage.

Steps for Avoiding Eviction

The best thing you can do for your landlord is to pay your rent on time, with no excuses. Keep a separate bank account for your rent and bills, if you have spent the money in the past, and as soon as you get your pay cheque, make sure you have these funds locked safely away. Your rent should be your priority. This may mean cutbacks in your lifestyle – sorry.

Know your rental agreement. You need to understand all of the rules and all the courtesies your landlord owes to you. If you get the feeling that your landlord is unhappy with you for some reason, make sure that you try to appease him or her and rectify any problems.

Keep secure documents of rent paid and other contractual files. If your landlord sends you a letter containing his or her intention to evict you, take it very seriously and get in touch with your landlord to see if you can stop this from happening. That may mean quieting down or paying any missed rent immediately.

In the event that your landlord is serious about evicting you, try and come to a mutually beneficial move-out date instead. This will mean that no-one needs to go to court and you can part on almost friendly terms.

If this fails, seek legal advice and aid. Employ a commercial lawyer to negotiate with your landlord. A solicitor could stop your landlord from evicting you and can help you understand your rights, as a tenant.

You may have to go to court after all. This should be a complete last resort and it will look like eviction is imminent. Show up to court on-time and well presented. Even if your landlord wins the case against you, the judge may allow you more time to find yourself a new property and move out. There’s nothing worse than finding you on the streets with no home to go to. Make sure that it doesn’t come to that and make the best case you can.

source: everythingfinanceblog.com