Hey Landlord! Supercharge Your Lease: Two Provisions Every Landlord Should Include In Their Lease

With property tax increases in many markets in the United States, a little extra effort is needed for landlords to keep profit margins from shrinking. While it may be possible to increase rental rates between lease years, there are more subtle ways to increase profits by making some changes in your lease form.

Here are two clauses that can save you money.

1. Utility Problems: We are living in strange times. If the utilities fail, the power goes out, or a utility service becomes unavailable, that risk should be firmly and unequivocally shifted to the tenant, unless you as the landlord are at fault. Utilities should be in the name of your tenant. Here is your sample language: All utilities shall be maintained in the name of Tenant, and Tenant covenants and agrees to make sure all utility payments are made on a timely basis. Any unpaid or past due utility charges may be deducted from the Security Deposit without notice. In the event of a permanent or temporary failure of any utility service for any reason, Landlord shall have no liability whatsoever for any costs or expenses incurred by Tenant as a direct or indirect result of such utility failure. By way of example, in the event of a public waterline failure, and temporary suspension of water service to the Premises, Landlord shall have no liability or responsibility for providing temporary housing or temporary laundry accommodations, and shall owe no damages to Tenant, nor…