There are more families that own pets than landlords that allow pets in their rentals. It can help landlords to remain competitive if they allow pets in their properties. There are both pros and cons to allowing pets in your rentals, which is why it is important to determine your specific pet policy regarding pets and your rental properties. 

Pros of Allowing Pets

Prohibiting pets from your property results in limiting your number of potential tenants. This can result in vacancies down the line. By allowing pets in your rental properties, you widen your potential pool of tenants. Allowing pets also allows landlords to charge higher monthly rents. Tenants that have pets tend to stay in one place for longer, which makes them more likely to renew their lease agreement. On average, pet owners also earn more money and are happier.  

Cons of Allowing Pets

Despite all of the benefits of allowing pets, there are some downsides that must be considered. A pet may result in noise complaints from neighbors. Tenants that are allergic may move out of a building that allows pets. Pets also pose a potential liability risk for landlords. There is also the chance of having pets cause damage to your property which would require repairs.

Breed Restrictions

Sometimes breed restrictions are imposed in rental properties to minimize the likelihood of damage to the property. Some cities and insurance companies may require these restrictions. Other restrictions may be dictated according to the landlord’s preference. Some of the most commonly restricted breeds include: 

• Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes
• Rottweilers
• Doberman Pinschers
• Mastiffs
• German Shepherds
• Great Danes
• Wolf Hybrids

There are certainly both pros and cons to allowing pets in your rentals. Obtaining information about the risks and benefits can help you to make the best decision for your specific properties. To learn more about allowing pets in your rental properties, contact our experts at the Keyrenter in Hampton Roads today!

Eviction laws fluctuate between states, which is why it is important to ensure that you are familiar with the laws in your state. The eviction process must be followed carefully to prevent significant consequences. Both landlords and tenants have rights and eviction laws help to protect these rights. Simply changing the locks will get a landlord into a significant amount of legal trouble. When a tenant eviction occurs in VA, it is important to proceed according to the outlined process. 

Reasons to Evict

There are essentially two reasons that tenants may be evicted from a property before the end of their lease agreement. The first reason is a failure to pay rent. The second reason is a failure to comply with obligations that are outlined in the lease. If these conditions aren’t met, the landlord must wait until the end of the lease agreement before requiring the tenant to move out.  

Provide Notice

The required type of notice will depend on the reason for the eviction. If the tenant has ceased to pay rent, the landlord must give a 5-day notice to pay or vacate the premises. However, if the eviction reason is failure to comply with lease obligations, the landlord must deliver a “notice to quit” which is commonly known as a 30 day letter. This notice gives the tenant 21 days to correct the issue or 30 days to vacate. If illegal activity has been performed on the property, the landlord is not required to provide any notice prior to eviction. 

What Happens After Notice?

After notice has been given, the tenant will have the designated amount of time to correct the issue. If they don’t do so, they will be provided with a summons for unlawful detainer. The landlord must provide the proof of notice to the court. Depending on what happens after the summons, the matter may or may not go to court. If the landlord wins the trial, they will receive a writ of possession, which will allow them to begin the eviction process. After this, there are a few different ways to evict the tenant, but they will require scheduling a specific eviction date and communicating with the sheriff’s office about it. To learn more about the eviction process in VA, contact our experts at the Hampton Roads Keyrenter today!

When it comes to screening tenants, you cannot be too careful. Over 60% of landlords feel that a criminal background check is more important over a credit check. Background checks allow you to find out more about your potential tenant, and if they will be a good fit for your rental unit. Screening tenants for criminal history allow landlords to know about the history of a person, and if the future will be a reflection of their past. For a person who has multiple arrests and is in and out of prison and jail, it’s more likely this pattern will continue compared to someone arrested once and hasn’t had any additional issues since that time.

Establishing a thorough tenant screening process is the most important thing a landlord can do. A good screening process includes:
Use online rental listings to provide clear information to tenants, and to have access to a larger pool of prospective tenants.
Meet tenants in person and ask the right questions so you can watch for red flags.
Use a legal, and valid rental application.
Always verify tenant income and employment.
Ask tenants to authorize and then analyze a credit report.
Require tenants to authorize a criminal background check.

Why Background Checks are Important
When a landlord starts to lease or rent property, one of the important elements in taking on this responsibility to keep the neighbors and the community safe. Who are you allowing into your property, and will they be an asset to the property and community? A landlord has the obligation to avoid putting others at risk. In fact, 22% of rental applicants had a hit on their criminal history in 2015. Since that is close to a quarter of the people applying for housing, it pays for landlords to conduct a criminal background check.

Landlords are dealing with tenants in a number of different ways from late payments, to those that are putting others at-risk. Liability protection is another important reason why it is important for landlords to know who is renting their unit. If the criminal history shows that a person has the ability to put others at “reasonable concern” and can reject the application. For example, allowing someone with a shoplifting conviction to rent a unit could put the other tenants at-risk as they could possibly steal from them. Landlords do need to be aware that if you do skip a background check, you will be liable if there is something that goes wrong. Being sued for negligence is something that could cause you to lose everything! Hiring a property management company is one of the best options as they do have the tools and resources needed to ensure the tenants are the right ones for the unit.

Landlords do need to protect themselves in the event of rejecting an applicant for criminal history. It is important to prove that the decision was made to ensure safety for the property and the community. Criminal history can be used if it is clear the person could put other at-risk. Maintain records of the criminal history check as it may be needed in the future for any disputes that occur with Fair Housing.

Keyrenter Property Management in Hampton Roads, VA, focuses on providing fair and equal housing opportunities for landlords and tenants alike. Our team ensures that each applicant undergoes a criminal history check, and a thorough investigation is completed to find the person that will not be a risk for the property and other tenants.