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The hot topic among landlords and property managers is the emergence of the Georgia's sex offender database website.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation or any sheriff maintaining records required under this Code section shall release relevant information collected under this Code section that is necessary to protect the public concerning persons required to register under this Code section, except that the identity of a victim of an offense that requires registration under this Code section shall not be released. Georgia-Sex-Offenders.com

To read a discussion of the rules for the use of the database and the liability landlords may be assuming, whether they elect to use the database or not to use the database, JOIN Georgia Landlord Solutions NOW!

The Internet Evils Have Entered the Rental Business. By Mike Hill, Georgia Landlord Solutions.

The scammers will “hijack” a legitimate manager’s ad, substitute themselves as the landlord and try to collect the deposit and first month’s rent themselves for a property they don’t own or manage.

I belong to the National Association of Rental Property Managers (NARPM), formed for those who manage houses and small rental properties, instead of apartment complexes, which is a different world. Following is a shortened story from a property manager in California who, like many others, advertises vacancies on Craig’s List.

The manager had a house listed at $2,500 a month, but had the ad “hijacked” by someone who advertised the same property on Craig’s List for only $1,500 a month using the current tenant’s name as the landlord/manager, substituting the scammer’s phone number and using a private P.O address to receive the deposit and first month’s rent. Which worked.

The “new” tenant then confronted the current tenant, ready to move in which, of course, the current tenant didn’t know anything about. The “tenant” then demanded the current tenant return his security deposit and rent money which, of course, the current tenant also didn’t know anything about. That’s also (of course) when the real landlord/property manager was dragged into the mess.

Turned out the new “tenant”, by the way, was a police officer who, the manager said, should have suspected there was something wrong with a $2,500 house being rented for $1,000 less. To add insult to injury, whoever pulled the scam now has all the personal information the policeman put on the fake application. You know, stuff like his Social Security #, where he banks and his account number, his dog’s name, the size of his gun .. plus his money.

If they catch that guy and he’s gonna have a serious cop problem, I suspect.

Join Now to Find Out More About Mold and What You Need to Know...........

In recent years, there has been an increase in media coverage of mold-related problems in rental property. While mold has always been present in our environment, there has been an increase in mold occurrences in buildings. 

This increase has been attributed to an aging building stock; new housing construction where porous materials may not have been kept dry during construction; and modern building techniques designed to conserve energy that also seal in moisture. 

In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued mold remediation guidelines, and in Georgia, legislation was passed that requires the Department of Health Services to establish standards for mold hazard identification, disclosure, and remediation. 

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Federal Laws that Apply to All Landlords

Fair Housing Laws:

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (the Fair Housing Act) prohibits discrimination in the rental, and in other housing-related transactions, based on seven categories. In order to be sure you are in compliance with fair housing laws, you should be familiar with those seven categories and understand how they are applicable to the provision of housing. For specific information on tenants’ rights under the Fair Housing Act, order our complete article.

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Our complete article contains links to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 109 of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

Advertising: Our complete article contains a link to guidance for landlords to use in advertising property to insure the landlords’ compliance with federal fair housing laws.

After September 11, 2001, landlords and property managers began developing security policies as a result of their concern for the possibility of future terrorist attacks. For information on how to insure that your policies are effective but fair, order our complete article.

Lead-based Paint

At the direction of Congress, who recognized that tenants have a right to know about potential lead hazards in the homes they rent, disclosure requirements were developed for landlords to make to their tenants when leasing homes built prior to 1978. These requirements became effective in 1996. To obtain a link to the rules and obtain the forms for disclosure, order our complete article. download form here. (FREE)

Fair Credit Reporting Act

The FCRA requires landlords, when they decline to rent to a rental applicant based in any way on a "consumer report" from a "consumer reporting agency," to provide an adverse action notice to that consumer. Our complete article describes how landlords may insure that they are complying with all aspects of the FCRA.

Immigration Laws

The Federal Immigration and Nationality Act governs the activities of "illegal aliens" and imposes penalties on those persons who assist them. In contrast to the federal law, some state laws prohibit inquiring about an applicant’s citizenship status. Our complete article describes this dilemma in detail.

Subsidized Housing

Some Federal laws apply or have additional provisions that are applicable to landlords who receive certain funding, such as rental assistance, from the federal government. Our complete article contains links to detailed descriptions of specific programs with special provisions.

Mold

Despite the lack of specific legislation related to mold, mold has been the subject of countless lawsuits, many involving landlords and tenants, in the last ten or more years. Our complete article describes how landlords and managers protect themselves from liability where mold is concerned.

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