Free rent in exchange for fixing a place up/caring for it...

[Mouse]

Ok, so I was offered an opportunity to move to Baltimore into a friends rental property. She lives in south florida and has owned this house since the 80s and it's been kinda in disrepair over the past few years. It's been lived in but not properly taken care of so a lot of work needs to be done.

I'd live rent free in one of the two apartments in exchange for organizing and overseeing the place getting fixed up (roof needs work, electrical, etc.) and maintaining it, and also finding a tenant for the second portion of the house once things are all fixed and ready.

my question is... how does one do this legally? I'd like to make an official agreement and have everything worked out on paper to cover both of our asses but I really have no clue where to start looking. I'm sure I'll have to sign paperwork for permits and things like that so I'd have to have some sorta contract saying I'm allowed to make decisions about the house and work being done to it.

Hopefully someone on here has had a situation like this before. Please help!

 

[BrittanyTheBananarchist]

this is quite interesting. i do believe you will have to make some kind of contract so that they cant just up and say one day get out. see im in a situation where im getting money from the state for housing since im still in school but im living with my brother and what we are doing is saving half the money i get(not suposed to) so that i will have at least some small amount when i graduate. i know for me i have to fill out forms saying i paid this much to them they have to sign it all tht crap. but tht covers their ass and mine as well. i have to be in compliance with the state . you might try and contact the citys DHS and they should be able to give you the right information. but i just know that its a pain in the ass and i hope that yours is a simpler route than mine! good luck!

 

[Dmac]

where i live, they have a "legal aid" office that will give free advice involving landlord/tennent rights and responsibilities. if there was a similar type office in your area that might be a good place to start. hope that helps some, mouse.

 

[Mouse]

I'm not too worried about her trying to kick me out at any point in time, I just want to be able to legally fix up the house without a bunch of issues and snags. I'm hoping we can do most of this in the beginning with just a agreement and keep it all on the down low and if it works out ok I might try to get some sorta real estate licensing so I can do it officially at some point.

 

[BrittanyTheBananarchist]

thats a good idea. how long do you think it will take?

 

[Mouse]

no clue whatsoever

 

[Nemo]

You should not only be worried about being able to make changes without a hitch.. You need to cover your ass too! My sister moved in with one of her best friends Kim into a house owned by the parents of someone the two of them know very well. It's been about 8 months since they've lived there together and when they first went in together they basically had the idea that things were going to last a lot longer. Of course my sister was upset when her roomie Kim decided to move out and get married to a guy she just met four months prior. But that doesn't change the fact that she has no where to live other than where she presently was. The tenants came by to speak to them, didn't even look my sister in the eye. But said: "We think it's best if one leaves, the other goes too." She's paid rent on time, every time. Never had a noise complaint or anything. Basically just lives at this house.. no parties etc.

Turns out that the mother had gotten a face lift and they wanted to raise the price of rent to get MORE money for MORE plastic surgeries. So she kicked my sister out for her gain. Never know what people have on their mind or what they may do from one moment or the next.

Just sayin'

 

[Linda/Ziggy]

Hi,

I would say you need to have a legally binding agreement with your friend,
that YOU are the caretaker/overseer etc and YOU are not legally responsible
for the work that will be done (incase anything goes bad).
Also that you are legally given permission by her to contract out
work on the property, you are the caretaker of said property etc etc.

In effect she is contracting YOU to be her caretaker/employee.
Get it in writting to cover yer back.
Be very clear what you will be doing - have it written out clearly.
Have a witness cosign anything !

Hope that helps
Good Luck

Linda/Ziggy

 

[wizehop]

Laws can very place to place but at the end of the day if you guys type something up and both sign it that's good enough on its own. Just right down what is expected of both parties and each keep a copy. If you guys ever went to court over anything it would make life a lot easier.
Mind you there are somethings like certain laws that a contract wouldn't over rule.

 

[Mouse]

so I'm going down tomorrow to check this place out. She's sending me a form letter that will state i have limited power of attorney over dealings with the property.

Let's hope that I don't find this guy dead inside the house.. she hasn't been able to get ahold of him for 6 months and his phone was finally cut off so lord only knows.

 

[Dylan Hanson]

lol, that would smell bad.

 

[Mouse]

I went, I saw, I found out he's been renting the 1 apt and a room in his apt for monthly fees and not paying the owner anything. The work he's done on the place as meager at best but it's still livable and looks in fairly ok shape... just kinda patch worked together.

a few years back rent does in no way match up to the shoddy work he's put into the place and the fact that he's being a fraud and collecting rent on a place that doesn't belong to him. the owner wants him out asap.


Eviction in the works. I have a key to my new place, just gotta wait for them to get cleared out

Then the fun part of fixing and remodeling takes place. this is gonna be a very interesting summer!