Harassment by Tenant

As a landlord, you always give your best to be responsible with your entire obligation to your tenants to ensure that they have livable, safe and clean.  Unfortunately, despite all efforts to be as best landlords as you want to be and thorough screening process you do, sometimes you still cannot avoid experiencing dealing with problem tenants who can possibly harass you and other tenants. There are tenants who will do everything to get the place they are interested in.

Here we will share some important things that a landlord should consider to be aware of how you can protect yourself and help get through bad situations with your tenants.

It would be better to know first of those common examples of harassment tenants do against their landlords, and here are the following examples:

• Tenant assaults their landlord.
• The tenant will not pay rent but will complain that they have an uninhabitable living condition in your apartment. 
• Tenants always send threatening text or emails to their landlords.
• Tenants threaten to sue you for something unreal.
• Tenant caused damage but will threaten to sue you for the uninhabitable living condition.
• Tenant refuses to pay rent and will claim repair issues.
• Another example is when a landlord always receives noise complaints about a certain tenant.

What landlords should avoid doing against tenants?

• Avoid threatening your tenants back, or do any harassing actions against them. If you have an issue with them, it would be better to do a professional and legal way.
• Keeping security deposit. When a landlord fails to provide an itemized list of deductions or if a landlord fails to return the unused portion of the security deposit, it will be resulting in landlord owing tenant of monetary damages.
• Asking tenants to leave the property. You can't just force a tenant out of your apartment without going through the expensive eviction process.

Some things landlords should do to prevent or at least lessen the chance of dealing with problem tenants.

• It is important to make sure that tenants understand and agree with everything that the lease states to avoid or at least lessen the possible problems with your tenants in the future.
• It is better to be calm, reasonable and objective in dealing with all tenants. It is always understandable to get angry especially if you have issues with tenants, but getting angry will only result in worsening the situation. Tenants will be more receptive to what you are going to tell them if you will be more considerate.
• Always try to be available when your tenants need you. Like if you missed their call, try to call them as soon as you become available. Or attend to their maintenance request immediately. By doing such kind of examples will make your tenant feel that you always care to resolve whatever issues they have about the property.

We have a saying it takes two to tango, the way you will treat your tenant will, of course, have a good result or treatment in return. Unfortunately, regardless of your effort and no matter how you try to be the best landlord as possible, you still cannot avoid dealing with problem tenants that will end up harassing you sometimes. So if there is an issue with your tenants and to ensure that you are doing the right and proper way of handling the issue with your tenants, you may contact an attorney and discuss the issue.