- The primary issues/problems in landlord-tenant disputes are problems in communication; primarily that notices to the tenant are not delivered in writing.
- If the tenant is required to do something in the lease and is not doing it, very often landlords will complain to the tenant verbally, and then try to go to court. If it’s not in writing, the court will likely dismiss that particular complaint.
- Another problem is retaliatory acts. It is illegal to shut off the water or electricity. If the tenant complains about such an action to the county or other government agency, you could be penalized by an amount three times the rent.
- The Justice of the Peace court is very particular about requirements for written notices. If you do them wrong, you could spend a month trying to get through the court and have the case dismissed because the notices were not proper.
- If you have any questions about landlord/tenant code issues, contact a competent landlord/tenant attorney.