Rentals
QUESTION: Our association is experiencing as high number of rentals with multiple and/or unrelated adults living in single family dwellings. The renters are pretty much ruining the community. What can be done?
ANSWER: Many Associations have become concerned about there being a large percentage of rental units available in their communities. In such cases we recommend that the Association consider enacting a leasing amendment which limits the percentage of units which are available for rental at any one time and has other provisions related to requirements in the lease as well as the length of term.
Depending on the conduct of the current renters, you can also urge your Board to enforce the specific rules and regulations for your Association to insure that the renters are in compliance in the same way that owners are required to be in compliance. If you have a provision in your documents that allows the Board to suspend services or fine violators, then you can proceed directly against the owners of the property, which will certainly get their attention and compel them to make their renters behave. This is a difficult situation encountered by a number of our clients and, while the alternatives available are frequently not easy to achieve, we have found that the effort put forth for these communities has been well worth it.
Jeanne S. Lauer, Esquire