These days, it seems that more and more people are renting from people they know and are foregoing actual leases for handshake agreements. While this may seem like a great, no-hassle way to rent a Tulsa apartment, it can lead to disaster if one of the two parties ends up being less than honest. The best piece of advice any new renter, or landlord, can get is to make sure you get everything in writing.
One of the biggest problems that handshake leases cause is that when promises are made to change or update parts of an apartment, there is no binding legal agreement to ensure that the changes happen. Sometimes, these changes can be purely cosmetic, like a new coat of paint or a promise to repair the baseboard, but other times it can be something far more serious like necessary repairs to the heating or water. With no ironclad, written lease, there is no obligation or legal responsibility to fix these problems. You won’t be able to seek any kind of damages or use a binding arbitrator to ensure that the issues are taken care of.
Sometimes, the biggest reason why a real lease isn’t used is because friends are renting from friends and it can be seen as a betrayal of trust to introduce a binding legal document into the picture. However, a real lease is the only way to make sure each party lives up to their legal responsibilities.
No related posts.
