Things To Keep In Mind When Renting To Elderly Tenant

When you get a property, you probably don’t think about the different types of tenants that are present for your property. You only think about them generally, without taking into account their, income, age, lifestyle and so much more. People rent houses for different types of reasons, their behavior is dependent on those reasons.

If you are also planning to provide home away from home to others in form of vacation holiday rentals  or long term rentals, you might want to know what type of tenants you prefer. Generally, elderly people make good tenants. They are sweet, understanding, reliable, and away from any kind of trouble. Due to pensions and social securities, they also don’t circulate the rental payments.  

However, not everything is on the bright side when you plan to give vacation holiday rentals to the elderly. There can be some problems too. These may include health problems, mental health issues, housing discrimination rules, eviction concerns and so much more.

In the case of vacation home rentals, some problems might be eliminated, but still, some might persist. We are here to take you through it and make you understand so that you don’t ignore these factors.

1.    Discrimination-

Discriminating against the elderly for rent houses is a violation of law in many jurisdictions. You don’t have to favor them whole taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of granting them the rental, however, you cannot also disqualify them solely because of their age. If you don’t want to flout the law, make sure you don’t take this step in the future.

2.    People with Disabilities-

Just like normal discrimination against the elderly, discrimination against elderly people with disabilities is also prohibited. You have to keep in mind that the responsibility of making accommodation and your rent houses disable friendly is your responsibility, not theirs. You will have to make pet allowances for service pets even if you don’t allow generally them. You have to provide handicapped-friendly stairs, parking space, etc. These are not rigid rules and may vary according to jurisdictions, but still, even for vacation home rentals, you should keep up your end of the bargain when you are giving a home away from home to an elderly person.

3.    Rent rules-

Adjust your rent rules according to the payments and income of the tenants. Elderly People usually get their income through social security and pensions. So do not choose a date which is before their pension payments, because you'll inevitably receive late payments. It might also endanger the tenant since sometimes the rule says that if a payment is late for more than 30 days, the tenant might have to search for another home with the help of authorities. So it will be a disadvantage for both of you. Make sure you receive the payment on time.

4.    Hoarding problems-

Hoarding is also a clinical disorder, something we ignore very casually. Sometimes tenants and especially the elderly are very fond of hoarding, which might cause damage to your property. You cannot evict a tenant on the grounds of hoarding, However, you can still regulate their behavior. You can include conditions for evictions for damage to the property, attracting rodents or pests, blocking emergency exits, and so on. It also becomes difficult for the elderly to manage the dwelling with hoarding. So while you are drafting the rental agreements, make sure you include these terms to prevent hoarding indirectly. Of course, if you are giving temporary vacation home rentals, this is not going to be a problem.

5.    Eviction-

Many jurisdictions have a special procedure for the eviction of elderly tenants. If you want to evict them, and you are including some terms in your agreement, take advice from your attorney first on whether it's legal or not to evict them for the reason you have chosen. If not, it might become a problem later if they decide to take legal action.

Everyone wants a home away from home. In all types of renting accommodations, including vacation home rentals, it is always the case that people want a comfortable living space. It is your responsibility to do so, and in the case of elderly tenants, you have more responsibility, both legally and morally. Despite the compliances needed, it is always good to have elderly tenants living on your property. They will treat you like their kid and give the warmth that normal tenants don’t. Don’t shy away from giving opportunities to elderly people and couples to make your house their home away from home.