Either from personal experience or some story you’ve heard I’m sure all of you have a horror story to share of a mean ogre landlord or some monster of a tenant. In my profession as property manager I hear them all the time. I recently came across a college student who, upon vacating their apartment at the end of the 6 months lease, was told that the security deposit would not be returned unless the student was able to find a replacement tenant. What about the tenant who is surprised to find out that through natural attrition they have resided in the apartment building the longest and it is now their responsibility to collect the rents from the other tenants. What about the tenant who “trashes” the apartment before vacating the premises. Or the tenant who makes major renovations to the apartment without consent of the owner. Then changes all the locks to keep the landlord out.
Clearly many of these situations are way outside of acceptable. But are they abnormal. I think not. I come across these situations often enough to know that they occur all the time. Sadly the impact of these situations could be minimized or even prevented if both the tenant and landlord knew their rights and responsibilities. It will benefit you as a tenant or you as the landlord to know your rights and responsibilities.
The payment of rent is one of the first items that comes to mind. The tenant, of course, is responsible for paying rent on a timely basis and in full each month.