Should I accept a no-lease, month-to-month situation? How persistent should I be in contacting the landlord? He is out of the city and not easy to get hold of.
Am I within my rights to ask potential roommates to come up with a $10 application fee because I want to check credit and criminal records? -- Washington
First, talk to your landlord. The sooner you know what he expects from you, the better off you will be. If he is thinking about advertising the house, for example, you should know that. And you should know just how much you will have to come up with for a deposit. With this information, you can decide to work with your landlord or look for a new place to live. There is no need to make yourself scramble for housing at the last minute just because you were waiting to hear from your landlord. So, take some action and get in touch with him now.
Call him and also send him a letter asking him to put your future housing agreement in writing. Because you do not have any document outlining the rules of your current agreement, you should make sure you get one this time around so that such rules as when and how you leave, how you pay rent, and how and when you will get your security deposit back are in writing. Although many people enjoy the flexibility of not having a written lease, accepting an oral agreement is risky in that you are putting total faith in your landlord and absolving him of negligence. A written agreement better ensures that both parties involved in the contractual relationship are protected.
If you have been a good tenant, your landlord may even agree to give you a month-to-month lease up front or agree to issue separate leases for each resident, meaning that your roommates would share the load of a new deposit. They also could help you pay the overall deposit if your landlord designates you as the sole leaseholder in the house. Just draw up a formal subleasing agreement for your new housemates.
As far as finding new housemates goes, you can absolutely charge a fee to do background checks. You also could ask your landlord to pick up the tab for this -- you never know what you will get until you ask.
Also, many people who rent out fully-paid-for houses depend on the income in some way, so don't assume that your landlord doesn't need you as a tenant. He may very much want you as a tenant because you haven't caused trouble thus far in your tenancy. Be sure to make it known that you were a good tenant when you begin discussing your future residency.
Do you have questions, comments or ideas about apartment life? Contact Sara Gebhardt via e-mail atgebhardts@washpost.comor by mail, c/o Real Estate Editor, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
