Tips For Handling A Tenant Death And Deceased Tenants Belongings
One of the most difficult situations that a landlord can encounter is the death of a tenant because it’s the landlord’s responsibility to make sure that the rental is secure, the belongings are sent to the tenants surviving relatives and the property is made rent-ready for the next tenant.
Thankfully, landlords can prepare for this unexpected situation by following these simple tips:
Tip #1 – Wait To Take Action Until Receiving The Notice Of Death
Although the first inclination may be for a landlord to secure the property immediately after the tenant dies, they must wait to secure the property until after they receive notification of the tenant’s death.
This step is vital because the notice of death may come from the tenant’s next of kin with instructions for how they plan on removing the former tenants’ personal belongings from the property.
Tip #2 – Secure The Rental Property
After receiving the notice of death, the Oregon andlord should secure the rental property by making sure that the former tenants’ doors and windows are locked.
Once checking doors and windows, the landlord should re-key the locks to ensure that nobody who has a key can help themselves to the belongings inside the property.
Most important of all, when entering the property, the landlord should consider videotaping their actions inside the rental just so the tenants’ heirs can have peace of mind with the landlords’ actions should any of the tenants’ belongings go missing before the rental property is cleared.
Tip #3 – Coordinate With The Executor Of The Will
Last of all, after the property is secured, the landlord should coordinate with the executor to determine how they would like to receive the former tenant’s property.
It’s also important to note that if the tenant was not on a month-to-month lease, the tenants’ kin will be responsible for paying the last month’s rent and the security deposit will need to be returned to them once the property is cleared.
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