When a rental property is sold, it may come as a surprise that a part of the sale contract includes an end of rental lease cleaning clause. The main purpose of such a clause is to protect the tenant from being evicted for not paying rent or for not cleaning the premises when due. If the clause is not carefully read by both parties, it could have serious legal implications for the landlord. Read on to find out more about how this can be avoided in order to maintain your tenant's trust in you.
The first thing to do is ensure that the terms and conditions of the agreement are crystal clear on the end of lease cleaning clause. Make sure that the tenant has understood what will happen should he/she fail to pay rent or if the premises are not cleaned by the landlord when due.
End of lease cleaning clauses are usually found in leases that last up to three years. It is important to read the contract thoroughly before signing anything. The best way of doing this is to ask for a copy before signing on the dotted line.
An end of lease clause can be used to evict a tenant if they fail to pay rent or make the premises unhygienic. The end of lease clause usually states that the tenant will have to vacate the premises within one month of the termination of the lease. In addition, the tenant will have to clear the property of all personal effects and vacate personal possessions belonging to the tenant. There is no need for the tenant to vacate if the property is only going to be used temporarily, as long as the tenant does not leave personal belongings behind.
The clause is often designed to force the tenant to clean up his/her property. However, if the landlord tries to enforce the clause without informing the tenant of the consequences, then he/she may be liable for damages to the landlord's property and personal injury claims against the tenant.
Before signing the contract, make sure that the end of lease cleaning clause is clearly defined in writing. The clause should state clearly what happens should the tenant fail to pay rent or not to clean the property. It should also state clearly what the landlord can and cannot do in terms of eviction and what happens to personal belongings left in the property if the tenant leaves.
If you want to avoid any legal complications with regards to the end of the lease clause, you should also mention in the agreement that the landlord is allowed to repossess the property if the tenant does not pay rent on time or if the property is unhygienic. You should make sure that the renter understands what this means, even if the tenant does not understand the contract completely.
You should also make sure that the tenant pays the amount due at the time of the closing of the deal. It is not advisable to allow the tenant to leave the property without the money owed. This is because the property is still owned by you.
A lease cleaning agreement can be used to prevent tenants from leaving without paying the rent. If you require extra funds during the tenancy, you should have the tenant pay you back before the property is finally sold. You should also allow the tenant to leave if you are going to sell the property.
If you want to prevent people from leaving for good, the end of the lease clause can help. You can always state in your agreement that the tenant is not allowed to leave the property until the end of the lease period and can't be evicted before the end of the lease.
If you are selling your property, you should ask a professional to inspect the property and its condition before allowing the tenant to enter it. This is because you don't want to end up losing out on a lot of money just because the tenant leaves the property unhygienic or after the expiry of the lease period.