COVID-19: Resources for Housing Providers
These are truly unprecedented times. There is so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic and so many questions being asked by housing providers. These range from tenant outreach plans and future payment strategies to status of lender forbearances and employment considerations. Consolidation of legal to ensure clear dissemination of information is paramount. Now more than […]
HUD Issues New Guidance on Requests for Assistance Animals
On January 28, 2020 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued new guidelines on requests for assistance animals and how they relate to the obligations of housing providers.[1] These are intended to replace the 2013 guidelines. These types of requests are known as “reasonable accommodations” and are made by tenants who state they […]
Tenants and Bankruptcy: Chapter 13 Delinquencies, Part One
One of the toughest challenges for a landlord might be when a tenant files a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Oftentimes, this type of bankruptcy can result in an ongoing delinquency that can last up to five years – a daunting prospect for a landlord’s bottom line. The automatic bankruptcy stay, which prohibits a landlord from attempting […]
2019 Year-End Report
INDUSTRY NEWS Michigan Proposal 1: As we noted last year, Proposal 1 passed in the fall of 2018 which permits the recreational use of marijuana throughout the state. The sale of marijuana recently took effect on December 1st, so properties may run across more tenants seeking to use marijuana regularly. Our blog earlier this year […]
The Current State of Criminal Screening
Ardent readers of the Paletz Law blog know that landlords need to be compliant with the Fair Housing Act[1], which prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability. Also, states and local municipalities may have additional protected classes, such as age and marital status in Michigan and military status and […]
Michigan Legislature Revisits Emotional Support Animals
Forrest M. Wall, CAE is the Vice President of Government Affairs & Industry Relations for the Home Builders Association of SE Michigan/Apartment Association of Michigan, located in Bingham Farms. Paletz Law is a proud member and like Forrest, a staunch advocate of the apartment management industry. For our blog this month, we invited Forrest to […]
The Importance of the Move-in/Move-out Checklist
For a landlord, the transition from one tenant to the next can sometimes be time consuming and expensive. It becomes especially difficult when the vacating tenant has caused damage to the unit. Although photos are the best way a landlord can document the condition of its property, as we previously advised (see our blog on […]
Tenants and Bankruptcy: Consequences on Unexpired Leases
Bankruptcy, in general, can often be confusing and misunderstood. This is especially true for landlords because bankruptcy cases frequently involve the interplay between federal and state laws. Under state law, a lease agreement is a contract and when one party fails to honor its terms, the party is in default or breach. For instance, this […]
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