Rules for Renters

Has anyone published any rules for homeowners who are investors and rent out their units? We're noticing the decline in property values as a result of lax renter rules. The homeowners are not being responsible with maintenance and inspections. We'd like to suggest rules pertaining to window dressings, noise levels, use of dumpster (not for furniture or moving refuse), maintenance of heat pump/AC filter, owner to maintain regular inspections of rental units, checking appliances and piping. No pets rule and no roommates rule and how best to handle complaints.

Are there legalities we must think of. Do we word the documents as "suggestions" rather than rules? I could foresee this as being prejudicial against renters. We're trying to maintain our property values.

Sarah - this subject has been covered quite often here. Do a search in the upper right corner for "renters", "rental controls", etc. You will find a lot of useful information. Harold

There's always been a huge communication gap between the tenant, the P.M, the Board and the ownner and one of the biggest problems stems from the fact that our contract is with the absentee owner and not the renter. (Declaration is a form of contract or agreement between an association and its lot owners.) Tenants as individual parties have only a leasehold interest in the lot, and are not parties to the Declaration. Thus, the Assn (usually) has no standing to enforce covenants or rules/regs against a tenant. Often times, the renter never sees the HOA docs and yes the owner should have made these accessible or available, but nevertheless, we have no control of what goes on between the renter and owner. THEREFORE, On advice from our attorney, we're going to try a lease addendum.

The Lease Addendum shall require, that each lot owner in your community who rents his property must submit to the Board not only a copy of the executed lease, but also execute (with his tenant) a lease addendum format. That lease addendum, requires that the lot owner physically provide his tenant with the Declaration and rules/regs of the Assn. There is also a rent garnishment provision whereby the owner and his tenant have to agree that if the lot owner becomes delinquent in his assessment payment to the Assn., that the tenant, upon written demand by the Assn., has to re-direct his monthly rental payments to the Assn. until the assessment debt has been paid in full, and the landlord lot owner has no recourse against the tenant for nonpayment of rent. There are numerous other incidental clauses that include enforcement provisions, but that's the short story.