It is shocking to me how often landlords lose court cases, mostly because in many instances their infractions seem much smaller to me than the damage done by the resident.
Therein lies the problem - the landlord also had infractions. In a system that favors the resident, anything landlords do that isn’t in accordance with the law is magnified ten times against what the resident did.
You want to win your case? Want to be a better landlord in general? Don’t be party to one of these landlord no-no’s.
1 - Not keeping adequate records of legal documents
2 - Not taking care of the property and maintenance requests
3 - Misusing the security deposit, like using it for upgrades or not returning it
4 - Violating the resident’s rights to privacy
5 - Harassing residents to move out, such as violently threatening them or changing locks
6 - Not knowing the landlord laws in your state
7 - Discriminating when selecting a new resident and not following equal housing opportunity
8 - Breaking the lease agreement
None of these transgressions are acceptable as a landlord. You need to be careful in your position to not give the court any evidence to use against you. That’s the best way to get them on your side.
