According to Israeli law, every tenant has a right to a rental contract between themselves and their landlord. This contract is aimed at detailing the terms of their engagement and to protect tenants against being taken advantage of by unscrupulous landlords. However, some tenants may use legal loopholes to make the contract and the law work unfairly against their landlord. For this reason, it is essential that a landlord gets the services of a lawyer to avoid having any problem with their tenant in the future.
Drafting a Rental Contract
Rental contracts should always be clear about each party’s responsibilities. For instance, most rental contracts stipulate that the landlord is responsible for the repair and cleaning of communal areas and facilities while tenants must pay for any damage to the property that is due to negligence on their part. These are only two of the many things that are included in these types of contracts, and they should always be checked by a lawyer for any loopholes that a crafty tenant could use to their advantage.
Problems Evicting Tenants
When a tenant breaks any of the terms of the contract, Israeli law only allows the landlord to act against them within the first 30 days of occupying the property. After the 30-day period has elapsed, the only course of action left to a landlord who wants to evict a troublesome tenant is to sue – a long and tedious process that could take years to be resolved.
There are many tenants who have been left with tenants squatting free-of-charge in their properties as the legal proceedings continue. A watertight contract and a competent lawyer can help shorten the time it takes for legal proceedings to take their course.
Final Word
Israel has many complicated real estate laws, which often require that landlords hire a real estate lawyer. Unfortunately, many landlords seek legal assistance after they have signed a contract and this could work to their disadvantage.
