Latest from The Brief

The new Tenant seems chill.

And has the deposit in hand.

So you shake hands, and skip the paperwork.

It just seems, so, formal!

All is good.

But then rent goes missing.

Aunt Sally turns the couch into her new digs.

And things spiral...

So you lawyer up with the best in the...

We wish we were kidding.

But it happens all the time.

A Landlord buys a sweet rental.

And thinks they can force the existing Tenant to sign their killer lease.

There's a new sheriff in town boiz!!

Not so fast, cowboy.

You can't just waltz in and start changing the rules.

Especially...

It's been a rocky year.

And let's be real, times are getting tight.

So rent won't always hit your bank on time.

Sometimes, only part of it shows up.

Something is better than nothing, right?!?

Which gets greedy smart Landlords thinking...

Can you charge a late fee when only some of the...

Days like yesterday suck.

Here's what happened:

Tenant moves out (and leaves a mess).

Landlord rolls up their sleeves, fixes it themselves.

Have you seen a contractor's rate lately?!?

Now, she wants paid for her work.

But some rando on the internet said Landlords can't charge for their...

It's part of being a Landlord:

Tenants turn your backyard into an episode of "America's Got Liability."

You know, things like a trampoline.

You can see it now:

Little Susie tries a double somersault, goes for gold, and ends up in the ER.

And guess who's getting sued?!?

Hint: it ain't little...

A Landlord recently asked:

"Can I have someone else do the routine inspection?"

They were kickin' back in Hawaii.

Waves crashing, mai tai in hand, and then...

The Tenant pulled a fast one.

And wouldn't let the handyman do the inspection.

Why?!?

Well, the Tenant thought she needed to be...

Hate to ruin your day, but here it goes:

Uncle Sam's got a new trick up his sleeve.

Here's the scoop:

Got an LLC for your property?

Ah, you thought you were slick, didn't you?

Dodging those personal liability bullets like Neo in "The Matrix."

Well, hold onto your hats.

There's a new form you...

Feels like the right time to mention:

Temptation's a beast.

Especially when you're staring down the stack of mail addressed to your ex-Tenant.

Maybe you're thinking, "Just a quick peek to see if there's anything urgent..."

Hold up.

It's crazy stuff like this that gets Uncle Ed in trouble....

A tale as old as time:

Your Tenant does a Houdini, vanishes before the lease ends.

And there you stand...

Peering into the void of your now silent apartment.

This place always been an echo chamber (or just the sound of my cashflow disappearing)?!?

What to do?

Throw a pity party.

Host a solo...

There's confusion about Tenant disabilities:

When to do something.

Some folks think you gotta be a mind reader.

Like you've got a crystal ball hidden in the basement next to the Christmas decorations.

Right, and I'm the Tooth Fairy... 

Maybe they need a closer parking spot.

Could...

There's a threat that always scares us:

A new law that Illinois Landlords ignore.

And we're seeing it now...

We sent an email a few weeks back about the new radon rules.

Then fired off another reminder a few days ago in case you ignored the first.

And our inbox got flooded with panic...

Heard this gem from a Tenant:

"You're Notice of Entry is illegal."

All because it wasn't on some fancy form.

* rolls eyes *

Listen, we've heard some doozies.

But this one is crazy.

Like did homeboy just trip the referee?!?

Here's the deal:

No specific form is required for a Notice of Entry....