LandLords & Tenant

Landlord and Tenant Law

Are you a landlord? Are you considering becoming a landlord? Are you an unwitting landlord? Is your room-mate or home-mate is giving you a hard time? Do you know that if you use a local Board of Realtors® lease agreement, it could literally cost you thousands of dollars? Do you know that if you do not obtain the proper (rental housing) licenses that you may not be entitled to receive rent? Did you know that under Maryland law, an error with a security deposit could cost you treble damages? Do you know all of the licenses or permits you must obtain? Do you know that you are mandated where and how you can bank?

what we do

Let’s cut to the chase: the acquisition of and owning of a rental real estate, whether commercial or residential, is the start of a highly regulated business. You would not go into business without first consulting with an attorney, so why would you consider going into the business of rental real estate without the help of an experienced landlord and tenant attorney?

For over forty years, Stephen A. Shechtel, Esq., has owned and/or managed both commercial or residential rental real estate. Stephen A. Shechtel, Esq., has earned licenses as a Realtor, Mortgage Banker, Insurance Agent, Certified Public Accountant, and Attorney. For over a two decades, Stephen A. Shechtel, Esq. was employed either in real estate: finance, construction, sale, management, and accounting. For the past twenty plus years, Stephen A. Shechtel, Esq., has been involved in real estate as a lawyer. Now that is a lot of real estate experience.

We as Shechtel and Associates, P.A., P.A., know what you should expect to experience in the acquisition and ownership of a rental real estate. We know what happens when you are forced to go to court or before a rental housing authority. We know what happens at a real estate settlement. We know the legal requirements of licensing, notice, leasing, and the business of rental real estate, cold.

If you do not know your obligations as a landlord, we do

We at Shechtel and Associates, P.A., P.A. can keep you current with what your obligations are as a landlord as well as the obligations of your tenants. We know Fair Housing Laws, Civil Rights Laws, and Articles 8 and 8A of MD Real Property article, including the pitfalls of Security Deposits. We know District of Columbia rental housing laws too. We can help you with licensing, permitting, tenant screening, form and notice preparation, and what provisions you should have in a Lease Agreement to protect yourself. We know that provisions of a lease are prohibited, required, optional, or that will work to protect you in the event a tenant decides to sue you (they will and do).

We have the experience. Even if your problem is not on the below list, call us.

• L&T Litigation
• Lease drafting/preparation
• Lease Interpretation
• Mold and other property hazard litigation
• Insurance claims
• Unpaid rent and rent collection
• Tenant Holding Over
• Sublease and Lease Assignments
• CAM charges
• Property Management and Maintenance
• Realtor disputes
• Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination
• Repairs and Improvements
• Condominium Conversion of Rental Housing
• Self Help Repossessions
• Bread and Breakfast, short-term leasing
• Security Deposit Disputes
• End of lease disputes
• Evictions and eviction proceedings including lockouts
• Bankruptcy and Landlord or Tenant rights in bankruptcy
• Landlord premises liability

Fair housing and ADA Claims
Commercial and residential eviction suits

Call us… We know the ins and outs of rental realty… cold. You will be glad you did.

Don’t Hesitate To Ask

FREE CONSULTATION

Feel free to get in touch with any inquiries and one of our friendly staff members will get back to you as soon as possible, we are here to help!