Philadelphia Weekly

REAL ESTATE

Signs you need a better property manager

Pattern of deadbeat tenants suggests breakdown in screening, enforcement

By Inman News Feed

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Dec. 1, 2011

But I think that you and other smokers have a legitimate concern and you need to take steps to protect your desire to smoke inside your rental unit. However, like any other change in the terms, your lease cannot be modified during the term.

So your best protection is to have your new lease contain a clause that specifically addresses your right to smoke inside your rental unit. I think you should also specifically include your entry area and private patio, as many rental properties that convert to nonsmoking properties start out specifying the common areas and then include the patios and balconies because they can often lead to smoke emanating into adjacent units.

This column on issues confronting tenants and landlords is written by property manager Robert Griswold, author of "Property Management for Dummies" and "Property Management Kit for Dummies" and co-author of "Real Estate Investing for Dummies."

Email your questions to Rental Q&A at rgriswold.inman@retodayradio.com. Questions should be brief and cannot be answered individually.