It’s not required to be best friends with your landlord or property manager – but in New Orleans where everyone seems to know each other, it wouldn’t be unusual. Whatever the case, landlords and tenants are still connected in legal ways, at the very least, and it’s important to know your rights and expectations as a tenant. Both the lessor and lessee have certain conditions of their agreement to uphold, and these are the main points.
Provide a secure environment – First and foremost, the landlord or property manager of the unit you’re leasing must ensure that the space is properly equipped and sound. Make sure apartment safety features like smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are installed, the structure is stable, any necessary repairs are made, etc. All doors and windows should have working locks, and should open and close correctly. Make sure to inspect the space thoroughly when viewing the apartment before signing the lease so no surprises come up after you’ve already moved in.
Be attentive and responsive – As an extension of the first expectation of a landlord, whenever a problem arises in the safety or operations of your apartment, the landlord is responsible for addressing it in a timely fashion. Issues with the plumbing, power, framework or any other essential areas of your residence need to be attended to right away by the landlord or a repairman sent by the landlord. Report any negligent situations immediately.
Welcoming of everyone – Most cities have a fair housing action center that enforces the rights under the Fair Housing Act, the most prominent being that a landlord or property manager cannot turn away a potential tenant based on gender, race or disability. They do have the right, however, to run a background check, ask for references or request proof of income. If the landlord finds that any of those are violated, he or she has the right to deny the applicant.
Damage control – While a landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining a safe environment, the tenant has to do their part as well. Besides keeping their apartment clean and sanitary to live in, any damage inflicted by the tenant must be taken responsibility for. It’s one thing if any damage incurs that’s not the fault of the lessor, but anything that’s broken by the tenant cannot be held against the landlord and may be subject to the security deposit not being returned.
Be respectful and considerate – This may go without saying, but the tenant is responsible for preserving a peaceful environment and not disturbing their neighbors. Besides the fact that it’s just polite and considerate, it could also keep the tenant from being kicked out. Most leases include a noise ordinance section, and so the landlord has the right to suspend it if it’s violated in any way.
Obey lease – In addition to keeping up the safety and sanitary conditions of your apartment and keeping the noise down, the #1 obligation a lessee has to a lessor is to pay rent on time. This may seem like common knowledge, but it’s a problem landlords run into often with their tenants. So if you don’t take away anything else from this list, remember to always pay your rent by the time the lease states it’s due!
It’s important to thoroughly read and have an understanding of your lease agreement and have a copy to refer to if there is ever any confusion or conflicts. Otherwise, if you stick to these basic responsibilities, whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, not only will you have a civil relationship with one another, but it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
So you’ve moved into your brand new apartment in metro New Orleans. Now what? You unpack, stock the kitchen, hang some pictures, and you’re all set, right? Wrong. There are a few safety features and measures to make sure you have and take in order to be prepared for any unforeseen danger. Chances are you may never need to use them, but if you ever do, you’ll be thankful they’re there.
Cooking for one doesn’t have to be difficult or depressing. Sure, there can be cooking constraints, but with planning, the right resources, and a few helpful tips, 1st Lake Properties aims to make cooking for one easy, healthy, and maybe a little fun!
1st Lake Properties celebrates the grand opening of Brewster Commons apartments in Covington with an exciting array of giveaways for leasers. Starting on Friday, April 20th, leasers and anyone who tours the grounds will be eligible for the fabulous prizes.
Before we get to what you could snag by becoming part of Brewster Commons, here’s a little bit of background info on the Northshore’s newest luxury apartment complex. Brewster Commons is located in the River Chase subdivision, in close proximity to downtown Covington. There are a variety of floor plans to choose from based on how many bedrooms or square feet you require. Brewster Commons units are available in one, two or three bedrooms.
The state of the art interiors all have modern features including energy saving appliances from washers and dryers to self-cleaning ovens to refrigerators complete with ice makers. The amenities might just be the best part – because who doesn’t like extras? Brewster Commons affords the best in safety and convenience for its tenants, including a community access gate, garages, alarm systems and free wi-fi. Other leisure amenities include a resort style swimming pool, hot tub, massive sun deck, 24 hour fitness center and a Wii and yoga room.
Enough of all the extraneous details. Okay, well not extraneous, but on to the prizes you could win by leasing an apartment in Brewster Commons. The first 50 leases go into a drawing for six months of free rent. Anyone who leases from April 20 through May 27 and moves in before June 1 will have a TV installed in their kitchen. In addition to these incentives, anyone who leases now will receive $100 off their monthly rent for 12 months. Both seven and 18 month rents will also be offered.
Not only leasers, but anyone who just takes a tour of the premises will be entered in daily drawings for prizes up to $100 in value. So with the great features, convenience and amenities of Brewster Commons and all the lagniappe offered for just becoming part of the community, there’s no reason not to.
In a perfect world, neighbors would be friendly and helpful whenever you’d need them to be and otherwise out of the way. But this isn’t Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood; it’s real life, and in real life sometimes neighbors can be less than what society expects them to be. One of the most common annoyances among neighbors is noise pollution, but there are constructive ways to deal with the problem no matter how extreme it may be.
It’s important to consider how serious the problem is before taking action. If the issue is minor and one that may come with living in an apartment complex, it might not be appropriate to report. Considering that the New Orleans festival season is underway and that Jazz Fest is just around the corner, neighbors might be a little louder than normal, especially if they have guests in town. That’s not to say that if it is indeed a violation, it should be ignored, but make sure that it’s not just due to an out of character one-time occurrence, or due to a low tolerance or abnormal sensitivity to noise.
Giving your neighbor the benefit of the doubt at first is always the best approach. After all, this is someone you live in close quarters with, especially if you share a wall or ceiling. Begin with addressing the issue from a non-accusatory stance, as the neighbor may not even be aware of their noise level. Ask if they realize how audible they are and make sure they aren’t having the same problem as you. The first step is establishing an understanding of the shared living conditions.
If after calmly addressing the problem in person, it occurs again, a second verbal request is necessary, unless the neighbor was unreceptive or hostile the first time. If that is the case, a typed or written letter may be in order outlining the date(s) and nature of the disruption. If your apartment complex or association has policies regarding noise, you should include that in the letter. Make a copy of any written request sent so you have a record in case you need to prove correspondence on the matter transpired.
If the problem persists after a verbal and a written request to cease and desist, this is the time to take more aggressive steps. Contact the landlord, apartment board or property manager to intervene. If you ever feel threatened by the offending neighbor, do not hesitate to contact the authorities, but this is the worst-case scenario.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
