Note from the Editor: Vol. 5R

VOLUME 5R

Note from the Editor

In my condo rental days, I had a landlord who sent me an email in the middle of my rental stay, asking me to sign an amended lease. The attachment had all of these rules demanding that I pay for court costs should I file a lawsuit against her. I was a little perplexed, considering she and I had never had a conversation anywhere close enough to going to court.

I found out a couple weeks later that she’d spent hundreds of dollars on a discrimination case after evicting a tenant. That tenant also previously lived in my unit. Somehow, she decided that since her last tenant had accused her of discrimination, I would too. Guilty much?

In Go4Rent’s rental magazine, I still try to take an unbiased approach. As a condo owner now, I’ve learned the woes of landlords that I just didn’t know as a tenant. One of the most common miscommunications between the two is the terms of the lease. When a lease isn’t properly written, that leaves too much room for error.

Still, I couldn’t help thinking how uncomfortable a mid-lease change would make a tenant, who feels like if she doesn’t sign it, she’s out of a home. This is why I approached “Navigating Mid-Year Landlord Lease Changes?” with the goal of being a peacemaker. In this post, you’ll read ways to diplomatically negotiate with a concerned landlord.

If you two cannot reach an agreement, then it may be time to move. If you’re worried about your options, consider “8 Tips to Help Improve Credit Scores” before terminating your lease. With better credit scores come better options. Do you already have potential rentals lined up? Make sure to read “10 Questions Tenants Should Always Ask Before Moving In” beforehand to avoid miscommunications (and potential emergency moves) later.

“3 Ways Evicted Renters Can Secure a New Lease” and “9 Reasons Renters Insurance Is a Necessity” also fit the theme of helping tenants figure out how to troubleshoot uncomfortable situations. In the former post, the goal is to let tenants know that all is not lost in their rental search just because their rental record may have red flags.

In the latter post, tenants need to know exactly what they’re responsible for before they drop their boxes inside of the doorway. Too often, homeowners insurance is confused with renters insurance. Both landlords and tenants need to protect their physical assets.

Finally, in every issue, Go4Rent offers a suggested DIY home decor option to make home feel a little more like “home.” This time around we cover “Building a Bar In Your Rental” for your at-home entertainment nights. Drink up. Enjoy!

We hope this fifth rental issue answers questions you may already have and some you didn’t even know to ask. Is there a topic you’d like us to talk about? Contact me at shamontiel.vaughn@go4rent.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Shamontiel L. Vaughn, Editor-in-Chief

About Shamontiel:

Shamontiel L. Vaughn has been in the publishing industry for 17 years as a newspaper reporter, a web editor, social media specialist and a print editor. Her areas of expertise include K-12 and adult education textbooks; local and nationwide news; and health news. She's also completed approximately 235 interviews in a variety of areas, including business management; entertainment; internet technology; law (entertainment, business and real estate); nursing; and travel. Some of her bylines can be found in the Chicago Defender, Chicago Tribune and CBS Chicago.

The unapologetic dog lover also owned two prior dogs (German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever mix) before becoming a two-year dog walker (519 walks with 93 different dogs) and adopting a third dog of her own on Juneteenth 2021: a Hound mix named Junee. When she's not writing, editing or playing with her dog, she's a current condo owner, former condo board president and treasurer, and a five-year officer for a community Toastmasters club.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 7R

I was oddly grateful to have programmed those cameras before this incident occurred. This verbal altercation was what led to the cover story idea, “Know Legal Ramifications of Recording Tenant-Landlord Disputes.” Although I wouldn’t let this dispute ruin the family gathering, I did contact legal counsel in the new year.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 6R

In Go4Rent's sixth rental magazine, our team looks at the pros and cons of subletting via Airbnb, repair responsibility for subletters, installing portable washers and dryers, the pros and cons of fireplaces, when to report building violations, and proper balcony and deck maintenance.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 4R

Go4Rent Magazine's Editor-in-Chief welcomes new readers to the fourth edition of Go4Rent Magazine Renter Edition.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 3R

Go4Rent Magazine's Editor-in-Chief welcomes new readers to the third edition of Go4Rent Magazine Renter Edition.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 2R

Go4Rent Magazine's Editor-in-Chief welcomes new readers to the second edition of Go4Rent Magazine Renter Edition.

Note from the Editor: Vol. 7R

Note from the Editor: Vol. 6R

Note from the Editor: Vol. 4R

Note from the Editor: Vol. 3R

Note from the Editor: Vol. 2R

Go4Rent Magazine: Renter Edition

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