Episode 31: Shining a Light on Landlord-Tenant Law

Have you had a client who wants to turn a property (newly purchased or already owned) into a rental property? Kaitlyn Jackson joins Jennifer Nelson on Pocket Hours to help us navigate how to walk through this with our clients through the lens of Landlord-Tenant Law. Kaitlyn is a Senior Associate Attorney with Dimension Law Group in the Seattle area, and her practice focuses on Business Law, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Landlord-Tenant matters, and Estate Planning.

Landlord-Tenant Law can be messy because cities often implement their own ordinances in addition to state and federal laws. It’s generally considered the responsibility of the landlord to stay apprised of the laws and ensure they’re not violating tenant rights.  

If a client is thinking about purchasing a rental property, there are some considerations they’ll need to be aware of:  

• The overlap of city, state, and federal laws
• Lease agreements that are already in place (get copies!)
• The Rent Ledger –– the paper trail of rent paid and when
• Stipulations for increasing rent –– timeline and possible payment of relocation fees for the tenant
• Estoppel Agreements –– to protect yourself from oral agreements made between tenant and previous landlord
• First-in-Time Laws 
• Evictions (Unlawful Detainer) –– when and how you can/cannot evict a tenant and the right-to-counsel for all evictions 

Landlord-Tenant Law is constantly changing! So if you have clients who express interest in stepping into that landlord role, make sure they tap into resources for how to stay ahead of changes and protect themselves. 

If you have more questions or could use help with Landlord-Tenant matters, connect with Kaitlyn Jackson at dimensionlaw.com/about/kaitlyn-jackson.

Learn more about SCOUT Real Estate and connect with Jennifer at scoutrealestate.com.