Latest from The Brief

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....

The question in every Landlord's mind:

How do I get back at the idiot who trashed my house?

Ah, the classic Landlord drama.

Your Tenant's gone rogue.

And your place looks like the aftermath of a rock band's hotel party.

Revenge ideas?

I'll take 'social media shaming' for 200, Alex!

We get it:

...

Let us blow your minds with this:

Some Landlords are letting strangers in the house.

And no, it's not for a round of charades.

Here's what's up:

Say a Tenant hasn't coughed up the dough for their fancy TV they splurged on.

Now the boss man's at the door.

And he wants you to let him in.

...

Are you starting to get it yet?

Illinois isn't a fan of Landlords.

And there's a new chatbot helping Illinois Tenants with all sorts of housing problems.

Now, don't get it twisted.

This bot can't mix you a cocktail.

Can't laugh at your jokes.

And definitely can't explain why every...