Are you an irresponsible tenant? If you don’t know, here are eight things that could make you one. Behaving irresponsibly can cause trouble like getting evicted, having your security deposit confiscated, or even being barred from renting in the future. Therefore, if you wish to avoid any of those consequences, avoid engaging in any of the following actions!
- Not paying rent on time. This may be the essential concern that makes you an awful tenant. If you fall behind on your rent, your Columbia property manager is perfectly within his or her rights to initiate eviction proceedings against you. Not only that, but not paying your rent on time can hurt your credit score.
- Making too much noise or disturbing other tenants. You’ll give your landlord many complaints against you when you are always being loud or upsetting other tenants. When it comes time to renew your lease, the more complaints your landlord receives, the less likely they may want to renew it.
- Damaging the property or not taking care of it. A bad tenant can also have this common trait. Your landlord would have to spend money to fix the property if you destroy it or will not take care of it. This can be extremely costly for them, and they may consider withholding your security deposit or, in severe cases, evicting you.
- Not reporting maintenance and repair issues. If you fail to promptly report maintenance and repair problems, they can end up costing your landlord a lot of money. Additionally, you risk causing damage to not only the house but also to your personal property (consider a water leak that becomes a flood!). This is why it’s crucial to notify your landlord of any issues as soon as possible.
- Having pets when you’re not supposed to. You could presume that your landlord will not notice if you have pets when you are not allowed to, but they will. If your lease clearly states that pets are not allowed, this is a breach of your lease terms, and you may get evicted.
- Bringing in unauthorized guests. Likewise, uninvited guests or residents are not permitted. Your landlord should be aware of those living in your rental home for liability reasons, including extended family members who stay for extended periods of time. Unapproved visitors could cause you and your landlord legal problems if something turns out badly.
- Smoking inside or using drugs. Here’s another typical trait of a bad tenant. If your lease explains that you cannot use drugs or smoke inside and you do it anyway, your landlord will be furious and may have you arrested (if the drugs are illegal) or evicted – or both.
- Ignore your lease terms. You might think that ignoring any of your lease terms, including the ones we’ve already reviewed, won’t make a difference in the short term. But your landlord will eventually find out sooner or later, and they will be indignant. They may lead to them issuing you a warning or evicting you.
Now that you’ve learned how not to be a bad tenant, make certain you avoid these unacceptable actions! The last thing you need is to get a bad reference or be blacklisted, making it difficult (if not impossible) to rent a new place to live. If you are in the market for a new rental home, browse our listings. We can help you find a quality rental home in Columbia.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
