Tenant and landlord disputes are unfortunately quite common, and both sides will need effective legal representation to navigate any issues. This can start as early as offering a residential lease agreement download covering every concern. In this guide, we look at how lawyers can create a strong service for landlord clients.
What Your Landlord Clients Need
As a lawyer, knowing your client base is arguably the most important part of the job. If you want to specialize in property law, this means understanding what landlords want from a lawyer. The real estate world is full of legal red tape. A landlord’s biggest pain point is usually finding the way around this often chaotic industry.
Ultimately, owners look for lawyers with a thorough understanding of the real estate laws in their state. Building a website with a content strategy that targets this via SEO could be your first step toward connecting with landlords. When describing your services, make it clear that you would be able to guide them through any legislative changes.
A landlord needs a lawyer who can shepherd them through disputes as well as evictions. These are naturally sensitive matters but also ones where property owners have to trust that your services will fight for their case. This means proving that you understand how difficult these disputes are, and that your main priority is getting a fair outcome.
Building a Lease That Works
Landlords often get in touch with lawyers when they want to make sure their lease is free of any loopholes and mistakes. In these situations, it’s your responsibility to check it over or even guide them through creating it. This may involve an online template — or your own mental checklist of what these documents require.
Without a lawyer by their side, landlords risk drafting a document that wouldn’t stand up in court, possibly losing thousands in the process. Here are just a few important clauses that you should recommend to landlord clients:
- A severability clause to guarantee that errors in one section don’t compromise the entire agreement.
- Access to Premises, or rights that explain when a landlord can enter the property.
- Sublet rules that set out if tenants can sublet a room or the whole property to another person.
- A cleaning clause that makes sure the occupants clean the property regularly throughout their stay.
- Painting or decoration clauses to explain if tenants will need the landlord’s permission to decorate.
Mentioning these provisions will show potential landlord clients that you know exactly what they should have to ensure an effective, ironclad rental contract.
Offer Premium Legal Advice
Beyond sorting out contracts, property owners might come to you for advice on how to approach problems with tenants without breaching their agreement. These negotiations will likely form the bulk of your ongoing work with landlord clients. You could even leverage your advice (alongside the peace of mind it brings) to get new testimonials.
As tenant rights are a hot-button topic across the country, the laws that affect landlords are often in flux. Your landlord clients rely on you to keep them informed about any changes to their rights as a property owner. To help with this, you could write regular blog posts on your website which elaborate upon recent updates to property law.
Other than setting up a website, you could also network at real estate events to find new clients or even join online landlord communities. Connecting with realtors and mortgage brokers allows you to establish referral partnerships in the property industry. This means you’ll be at the front of their mind if a landlord they work with needs legal advice.
Helping Landlords With Evictions
Landlord clients will again want assurance that you can help them with delicate matters, such as evictions. However, it’s also your responsibility to help them find other ways of addressing these issues. For example, you may instead recommend a ‘notice to quit,’ which is more of a warning.
Dedicated eviction resources on your website will show you as an expert in resolving disputes of all kinds. While the end goal is for landlords to pay for your services, it still helps to provide free information. This will inspire them to get in touch if they require more specific assistance.
To expand upon this, every eviction is different. In many cases, only a lawyer can navigate these complicated circumstances to ensure justice for all. You must strike the balance of showing your expertise in property law while still sparking questions that will get these clients to contact you.
Conclusion
Proving your worth to landlord clients is daunting, especially at the start of your career. The way forward is to show your knowledge of real estate and how your unique perspective can help. By building your website and networking in the property industry, you can make sure your practice succeeds.