Nice kitchen apartment with white walls

Can a Landlord Tell You How Clean to Keep Your House?

by with No Comment Renters & Landlords

Do I have to Keep my House Clean?

As a tenant, you have a right to live in a clean and well-maintained rental unit. You also have a responsibility to keep your rental unit clean and free of debris. However, the property owner or your landlord cannot tell you how clean to keep your house. They can, however, set expectations in the lease agreement about the condition of the rental unit and common areas.

For example, the lease agreement may state that the rental unit must be kept clean and free of trash at all times. If there are specific cleaning requirements, such as mopping the floors or cleaning the stove top, these should be listed in the lease agreement too. If your landlord says the house is dirty, they may send you a written notice asking you to clean up.

The notice should state what needs to be cleaned and give you a reasonable amount of time to do so. If you do not properly clean up the rental unit, your landlord may have the right to terminate your lease agreement.

DADU Unit

What is a DADU in Real Estate?

by with No Comment Real Estate InvestorsReal Estate Sales & Purchases

What is a DADU?

A DADU is actually a detached ADU which has no shared walls, and it typically looks more like a condo off the existing property. A few years ago, California passed a law that allowed you to now build the secondary units on the same plot of land and they are considered DADUs. DADUs need to be permitted through the city, which means that you need to get a pull a permit.

There are then certain specifications with regards to building them that need to be met in order to qualify as a permitted ADU. Read on to find out what is a DADU in real estate, and how you can be permitted to build one.

Dog lying on bed with laptop

Does Maintenance Report Pets in Apartments?

by with No Comment Renters & Landlords

What to do if Maintenance Reports Pets in your Apartment

Since maintenance workers are employed by the property owner, they have a role in reporting any apparent lease breaches, such as the presence of pets. If the landlord has a pet policy for their apartments, they will most likely instruct maintenance to report pet issues.

In addition, the maintenance staff at a rental property knows pet policies that ban anybody from keeping pets and will report any infractions. Be prepared for someone to register your pet to the management if they see it acting aggressively against maintenance staff.

Contractors building house

Why are Contractors so Unreliable?

by with No Comment Maintenance, Repairs & DIY

6 Red Flags You Need to Know to Avoid Hiring an Unreliable Contractor

One of the hardest parts about hiring a contractor is separating the good from the bad. It often comes down to those subtle signs that are easy to miss, unless you know what to look for. We have given you a list of 6 red flags to look out for when hiring a general contractor. Read on to find out why contractors are so unreliable, how you can identify an unreliable contractor, and how to ensure you hire a good one.

House for sale on a sunny day in Texas USA

What to Wear to a House Closing

by with No Comment Real Estate Sales & Purchases

What to Wear to Closing Day

If you’re a buyer, a seller, or a new realtor, you won’t have attended many house closings in your life. It can be hard to figure out what you think might be appropriate to wear to this event. There’s a lot of work and stress involved during the purchase/sale of a property so the last thing you should be worrying about is what to wear to the house closing! In this article we save you the worry, and show you exactly what each party should wear to a house closing day.

White House in Texas

Gutter Apron vs Drip Edge – Which is the best for your roof?

by with No Comment Roofing & Exterior

Gutter Apron vs Drip Edge

Gutter apron and drip edge have been required on houses for about 8 years. You might see this on all roof replacements, and it’s actually one of the building code requirements that has raised the quality of roofs in the US. Gutter apron vs drip edge is a common question asked by homeowners looking to renovate their roof.

Read on to find out what drip edge and gutter apron are, and which one you should install on your house.

If you’re looking to add more accessories to your roof, such as roof strips, check out our zinc vs copper article here.

House in Florida

What are CDD Fees in Florida? A simple explanation

by with 8 Comments Real Estate Sales & Purchases

A CDD fee, or a Community Development District fee, covers the costs of having new roads, road repairs, school buildings constructed and repaired. CDD Fees also pay for the maintenance of roads, sewers, community pools and sports courts, parks, and sidewalks.

CDD fees are in place to pay for overall community improvements Typically a homeowner’s CDD fees range between $120-2000 each year.