Latest from The Brief
Not subscribed? Change that.
You know this:
Service and emotional support animals aren't - ahem - pets.
So you can't deny a Tenant that has one, no matter how much your curtains fear for their safety.
Truth is, they can damage your property.
Your mother-in-law ain't got nothin' on an emotional support parrot!
Like when ...
You know the Tenant's kid from the Pine Street house?
The one who practices drumming at all hours of the night.
Yep, that's right - our very own Ringo Starr.
Well, guess what?
He turned 18!
We know what you're thinking:
'Ya, so what? He's still a brat! Why should I give two hoots about his bi...
We got a bone to pick with this idiot.
A guy wanted to rent from a legal plan member.
But found the idea of this rental application insulting.
And even claimed that requiring two months' rent plus a security deposit was illegal.
Can you believe it? The nerve!
That's like saying you can't put ...
It's 2:00 AM when your Tenant calls.
Thinking he's drunk, you hit ignore.
Then he follows up with this text:
"Yo, my toilet erupted like Old Faithful - HELP!!"
Uh-oh spaghetti-o...
He kills the water main and it stops.
Somehow, there's no damage.
Until you get the plumber's invoice.
It's ...
"It can't be that easy," said a Legal Plan Member.
"I serve the eviction notice, then sit back and relax?"
You got it, bud!
It's kinda hard to believe, you know...
Given Illinois' love affair with Tenants.
But it's true.
If you serve the right eviction notice, your work is pretty much done.
W...
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Better not be you (at least without notice)!
Picture this:
Rent is overdue. And the Tenant won't return your text.
So you waltz over to the property - unannounced.
No one answers. So you crack the front door and peek inside.
Sure enough, your Tenant is watching The...
It didn't sink in right away.
Until we spoke with this new Legal Plan Member.
They knew our lease is the best in the business.
But missed that we can't draft around everything...
You know, things like the implied warranty of habitability.
* quickly Google searches *
It means your rental mus...
So, uh...
Someone was mad at a Legal Plan Member.
The problem?
They were charging a non-refundable rental application fee.
And the *wannabe* Tenant SAID it was illegal.
So our member wanted to know:
Is this dude off his rocker?!?
Yep, he's wrong.
Non-refundable application fees are legal i...
This real estate broker should count his blessings.
He almost screwed up - big time.
His client bought a rental house.
And the security deposit transferred to the buyer at closing.
But the client didn't know this little law.
We'll spare you the legal mumbo jumbo and just say this:
If a securit...
Surprise, surprise...
Tenants want to be safe. And they expect you to help make it happen.
You know, things like:
- Doors that lock.
- Smoke detectors that work.
- An underground bunker with a year's supply of non-perishable food.
Sure, you wanna keep Tenants safe.
But when they ask to put a ...
Be honest:
Do you think we're just whistlin' Dixie with these emails?!?
Why do we keep talking about eviction notices?
And why did we spend hours building this free guide to help you get it right?
* raises hand slowly *
Because some good-lookin' readers of The Brief still get it wrong!
The bi...
Uh oh, this Landlord is about to lose it.
And you'll never guess why...
* cue Jeopardy music *
The Tenant threw a late night karaoke party.
And the grand prize went to the best cover of Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You.'
This symphony of tone-deaf cats put on a show for the whole nei...