As a landlord or property manager in Grand Rapids, Michigan, you have a lot on your plate: negotiating leases with tenants, fulfilling maintenance obligations, handling receipt of payments, pursuing eviction of tenants who have breached their leases or become holdovers, and so much more. Any of these obligations has the potential to develop into a complex legal dispute, one that could put your finances and your future at risk. If you’ve found yourself in a real estate disagreement, you need an experienced attorney to protect your interests and seek the fair resolution you deserve.
SBS Law PLC is a real estate law firm that combines the personalized touch of a small office with the experience and acumen you’d expect at a larger firm. We can review your matter during a confidential consultation, advise you on your rights, and explain what we can do with the goal of resolving your dispute effectively. Contact SBS Law PLC for an initial case review with a real estate lawyer for landlords and property managers in Grand Rapids, and let’s discuss your next steps together.
You have enough to worry about without adding a complex legal dispute to the list. Instead, let an experienced real estate attorney from SBS Law PLC help you manage your income property because:
Landlord-tenant laws governing residential and commercial leases provide a legal framework that landlords and property managers must operate within. Owners of rental properties bear ultimate responsibility for legal issues involving their properties. However, some landlords delegate the day-to-day operations of their properties to management companies.
Large apartment buildings/complexes, office buildings, and retail centers may have property managers who operate the property on behalf of landlords. These property managers typically have contractual obligations to landlords to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations governing residential rental or commercial properties.
Landlords and property managers require well-drafted lease agreements with tenants to govern relationships with tenants. Residential and commercial leases must cover essential terms, such as:
While there are services that offer standard lease templates, landlords and property managers who use these products risk overlooking critical issues or unique circumstances that could lead to serious issues down the road. Tailored lease agreements provide greater protections, especially for those with more complex landlord-tenant relationships, such as in commercial leases. The real estate attorneys at SBS Law PLC can draft lease contracts for you or your company that are focused on the unique circumstances of your property or properties and your specific needs or concerns.
Landlords and property managers must also navigate state and federal laws that govern tenant rights, especially in residential leases. For example, residential tenants have the right to a warranty of habitability, which requires landlords and property managers to maintain residential properties in a sanitary, functional, and safe condition. Furthermore, fair housing laws also prohibit landlords and property managers from discriminating against prospective residential tenants based on protected characteristics like race, religion, sex/gender, disability, or family status.
The law also imposes various duties on landlords, which they may contractually delegate to property managers, including maintaining common areas of properties and responding to tenants’ repair requests. However, landlords can negotiate maintenance obligations with tenants, making tenants responsible for certain maintenance and repair issues.
At SBS Law PLC, our attorneys can help you understand the legal rights, duties, and protections you have and that must be afforded to your tenants. We will advise you on any legal responsibilities they may have, including maintenance and property repair obligations.
State property laws also govern the ability of landlords and their property managers to evict tenants. The law gives tenants the right to notice of a potential eviction and to a court proceeding before a landlord or property manager can evict the tenant. Landlords must give tenants a demand for possession to start eviction proceedings for nonpayment of rent, physical damage to the leased premises, or creation of a health hazard.
For landlords dealing with late or unpaid rent, we provide focused guidance on rent collection for landlords and the legal steps available under Michigan law.
Alternatively, a tenant has a right to a notice to quit before the landlord begins eviction proceedings for breaches of the lease that permit the landlord to terminate the tenancy. Notice allows a tenant to correct the issue(s) motivating the landlord to seek eviction. Once a landlord has given notice and the tenant has not corrected the reason(s) for the notice, the landlord may file a court action to obtain an order for the tenant’s eviction.
When tenants violate lease terms or disagreements escalate, our firm offers lease dispute representation for landlords to protect rental income and property rights.
The eviction process can be both legally and emotionally fraught, but you do not have to go through it alone. Our firm can represent you throughout any eviction proceedings, advising you of your notice obligations under state law and guiding you through each step of the eviction process.
If you’re a property management professional who’s been hired to oversee someone else’s properties, you may find yourself with issues involving:
SBS Law PLC can also help landlords with real estate transactions. We can advise income property owners on purchasing, selling, or refinancing rental residential or commercial properties.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a new property, our attorneys can walk you through zoning, land use, and permitting considerations, such as obtaining certificates of occupancy or determining what uses or business activities can occur at a commercial property. We can also draft and review purchase and sale documents, including sale contracts and disclosure statements.
Do you own a rental property, or has a landlord has hired or contracted you to manage theirs? If so, SBS Law PLC can help you address any legal matters you may be facing. Contact us today to speak with a real estate attorney for landlords and property managers in Grand Rapids, and let’s sit down during a confidential consultation meeting.
