My unit is infested with bed bugs and the landlord does not want to take responsibility to exterminate them. What are my rights?
The world has seen an explosion in bedbug infestations in the past few years. Renters in multifamily dwellings are especially susceptible. If you have a bedbug infestation and your landlord is giving you the runaround, here are your rights: Per Florida Law, landlords are responsible for exterminati ...
As a Tenant, are You Responsible for Damages to a Home About to be Foreclosed?
Tenants and landlords share many responsibilities, but when it comes to the property the bulk of liability falls to the owner. For the most part, tenant responsibilities amount to operating appliances in a reasonable manner and keeping the premises which they occupy safe and clean. Unless you yo ...
If You Find Mold and Mildew in Your Unit and the Landlord Refuses to do Anything About it. What Action Should You Take?
Mold is not only a nuisance; it can also be highly toxic, capable of causing a number of ailments such as asthma and even chronic fatigue. So it’s no surprise that mold is a growing concern for renters across the country. Though there are few states with mold-related laws in the books, your landlord ...
Under the Protecting Tenants Act, What is Required to Qualify as a Bonafide Lease Agreement?
With the housing market still recovering from the economic stint, many people are thinking twice before they sign mortgage papers and starting to lean towards a rental agreement. But since many of these renters aren’t your typical kid out of college, they might be taking a second look at the quality ...
In the State of Florida, Who is Responsible for Paying a Deceased Relative’s Mortgage?
It’s not something anyone wants to think about, let alone try and figure out during a grieving period, but settling the estate of a loved one is something the bank will only let you ignore for so long. Given that the average American family has more than one child, specifically 2.5 children, decidin ...
If I buy a home in an auction am I responsible for the previous owner HOA FEES in FL?
Navigating the ins and outs of real estate foreclosure isn’t always simple. Purchasing a home at auction can seem like a lucrative and astute method of acquiring property, but what many prospective bidders do not realize when entering a foreclosure auction is that when they purchase a property, they ...
In the State of Florida, What Does Final Judgment for Plaintiff in my Landlord's Foreclosure Against him/her Mean to Me as the Tenant?
When you’re a tenant, there’s always a chance that your landlord will sell the property you rent. Generally speaking, a regular sale will not have adverse effects on tenants; your lease will not be terminated, but rather acquired by the new owner and in most cases you will be able to continue to occ ...
What Precautions Can I Take to Avoid Real Estate Scams?
At the peak of the housing bubble, real estate scammers were crawling out of their proverbial fleapits in troves, running get-rich-quick house flipping scams or posing as mortgage brokers issuing predatory loans to susceptible borrowers. When the bubble burst, it seemed real estate scammers were at ...
Can a Related Party Purchase my Property via Short Sale?
Short sales are transactions in which proceeds from the sale amount to less than the balance owed on the property. Though short sales can be a fiscally smart and a radically less agonizing option when facing foreclosure, it is not possible to have a related party purchase your property in a short sa ...
If I'm Not Paying my HOA or Condo Dues, Can the Association Take My Tenant's Rent in FL?
In 2010, the Florida legislature passed Statute §720.3085(8) enumerating powers for Florida Homeowner Associations (HOA) to bypass property owners in order to collect delinquent assessments fees directly from their tenants. The statute is designed to hold homeowners accountable for past due fees by ...
