Should you tell your landlord if you have guests?
So your brother is visiting from Whatsamatter U. and he wants to couch crash in your Pad. Should you tell the Owner, do you need permission, should I even care?
All good questions. The answer is being open and above board with your Owner will, as I’ve noted before, win you points. Deceit and deception, probably a bad idea… So, my recommendation is let your Owner know that “BRO” will be crashing but its only 4 days until classes resume. In most cases, they’ll be OK, and will appreciate your asking.
If you do this sort of thing, make sure you live up to your word. Do not push the license the Owner has kindly extended. In other words, if you said your brother will be gone in 4 days, that’s the deal and stick to it!
Never ever take in a roommate without letting the Owner know and securing permission
Such arrangements are almost always a violation of the Lease. That’s means you can be evicted, and your odds of winning are slim, very slim.
Oh, you think no one will find out! I see. Owners are blind, and never have any idea what’s going on. Or so you think.
OKAY, that might work for a while, but Owners almost always know what’s going on. If they don’t, they know to ask your neighbors in the building, and you can count on being ratted out… it’s only a matter of time.
Think of it this way. I’ll bet you keep close tabs on your iPhone , your car, your girlfriend or boyfriend… you know, all the things you value.
Well… owners value their property the same way you value your assets. If a building like you are living in has a fair market value of 1.5 million, don’t you think the Owner will keep an eye on what happens there? Trust me, they watch more than you probably realize.
You may be leasing it, but they own it!
It’s great to have guests, to show off your posh PAD. That’s a privilege of LIVING LARGE. Remember though, there is a difference between guests and virtual tenants.
Tim Murphy
Padzilla.com
