Landlord Tenant Law

The landlord tenant law surrounding residential tenancies
need not be a daunting prospect for landlords!

Many governments see landlords as partners in providing housing and actively assist private landlords with workshops, landlord forms and legal guidelines as to their landlord rights. Their websites (see links below) provide detailed information and answers to frequently asked questions.

On the most basic level the obligations of the tenant are to pay on time and take care of the property and the landlord's obligations are to provide a habitable property and maintain it as such. Thereafter a detailed written lease will help avoid future arguments.

We've found that tenant screening is probably the most important part of being a landlord! A good tenant will not give you reason to look for legal recourse, provided of course that as landlord you also conduct your landlord business ethically.

We've compiled a directory with links to the relevant pages on how to be a landlord for your area. You can scroll down the page or use the jump links below:

USA - United Kingdom - Scotland - Canada - Australia - New Zealand

Note: Some of the areas or territories do not have dedicated pages for landlords or tenants as yet. Please notify us if you find any, and help others in the process. And if you find any of the links not working, please let us know too. You can use the Contact link top right or use the Facebook comment form at the bottom of this page. Thanking you in advance!

Additional Legal Documents

You will find a selection of rental agreements and other free landlord forms on our Real Estate Contracts page to use as templates.

United States of America

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Portal linking to HUD of the various States

Missouri Attorney General - Excellent handbook for ALL landlords and tenants, regardless of location.

Landlord tenant law in plain language!

Frequently Asked Questions - Good overview for both Landlords and Tenants.

Lead Poisoning Prevention - Federally approved pamphlet

Lead-Based Paint - Disclosure of any known presence in housing built before 1978 in the U.S.A. To be signed by both parties and attached to the lease agreement.

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United Kingdom

DirectGov - Home and Community

You will find information on:

• Deposit Protection Schemes for private tenants.
• How to resolve disputes and handle evictions.
• Financial advice - tax benefits, expenses and allowances on rental income and the benefits of Landlord Accreditation Schemes.

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Scotland

Scotland - Advice and Support for Landlords

Information such as:

• Assured Tenancy vs Short Assured Tenancy.
• Letting your property to the Council using the Private Sector Leasing scheme.
• How to register as landlord and prescribed landlord forms.

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Canada

It is important for landlords in Canada to familiarize themselves with the applicable Residential Tenancies Act in their jurisdiction. Follow the links above for information on:

• How much rental deposit a landlord is allowed to charge and how the deposit must be administrated. (In some jurisdictions the deposit covers the last month's rent and may not be used for repairs. Elsewhere the exact opposite is true.)
• The law regarding the withholding or interruption of vital services (electricity, water etc.) when tenants do not pay their rent.
• When and by how much the landlord can increase the rent.
• Free real estate contracts etc.

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Australia

The sites referenced here provide detailed information to assist you with landlord tenant law:

• Dealing with property management agencies - their services, fees and contracts.
• Rental Bonds (known as security deposits or rental deposits in other jurisdictions) - how to lodge, release, claim or transfer rental bonds.
• Payments - when you may or may not collect a rent guarantee as well as a bond, holding deposits, renewal fees, rent increases etc.

You will also find downloadable or printable landlord forms for your record keeping.

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New Zealand

Department of Building and Housing
Residential Tenancies Act

Landlords and Property Managers
For landlords and property managers this site is an extensive resource to find landlords forms, tenancy bond guidelines and forms, insurance for landlords and tenants and the rights and obligations of landlords.

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Visit our Landlord Page for additional information and tips on becoming a landlord.

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