Legal

How to Handle Tenant Modifications Without Any Hassle

Summary: Are your tenants proposing to modify your property? Make sure they’re doing it within the contract that they signed or you may face a number of problems.

If you are planning on renting your property out to others, it’s important that you clearly communicate what is allowed. Setting rules and boundaries are important parts of the leasing agreement drafting process, because it helps clear confusion on how much freedom the people living in your house will have throughout their stay.

A Change in Value

If you do decide to allow your tenants to make modifications, you will need to let your tenants know what they can and can’t do. Although the tenants may be living in the house for years, think about the kinds of modifications that can drastically impact the value of the house.

For example, if your tenants want to build a pool in the backyard, they would have to get rid of a lot of grass or pavement to create space for the project. A pool can sometimes drive house value up, but it is also an expensive addition that requires a lot of maintenance to keep it safe and looking fresh. A request to repaint the walls, on the other hand, can easily be reverted after the tenants move out. Always make sure you are comfortable with the proposed modification. While you may have a relationship with the tenants, always put your property and your investment first.

Hire Reliable Workers

When it comes to construction projects finding reliable workers you can trust to get the job done is crucial. If you agree to allow the tenants to make an alteration to the house, it would be wise to look into the construction workers to be certain that they are qualified enough for the kind of work the project demands. Failing to do so can result in a botched project and more money out of your pocket to pick up the slack on repairs.

Blog submitted by Lyle Charles Consulting: Lyle Charles of Lyle Charles Consulting is an expert in the construction industry. If you need assistance in handling construction delay claims or a construction expert witness, visit them online for more information.

Different types of construction claims

Construction claims have become a common part of majority of construction projects. They usually arise from various sources of disagreement between the contractor and the client. According to Lyle Charles Consulting, following are the most common types of construction claims.

When the project usually takes longer than stated in the contract, the client files a delay claim and against the contractor for the loss arising from late completion.

Sometimes contractor accelerates the works by spending more money. Disputes arise for the acceleration cost between the parties because the contractor files a claim against to the client for extra payment. Moreover, the client is not willing to bear the costs for acceleration.

During the project execution phase, client may request extra work to be done, without making any written request. As a result, disputes arise from the discussion whether the requested change falls within the scope of work or not. In some cases, disputes arise related with the unit price of the extra work.

When the actual site condition is different from the conditions written in the contract, contractor files a claim. For example, the kind of soil specified in the contract is clay in a highway project. But when the contractor starts to investigate ground conditions, he finds out that the ground is rocky soil. Then the contractor files a claim to increase the unit price of excavation.

If the contractor damages a property owned by the client, the client files a claim to retrieve a loss. You can avoid all of these potential issues by hiring a construction claims consultant.