Tenants With Too Many Vehicles What Can I Do?

What to do when tenants have too many vehicles on your rental property and what should the lease say is the question this week for Ask Landlord Hank. Remember Hank is not an attorney and he is not offering legal advice. If you have a landlord question for him please fill out the form below.

Hello Hank,

Can we ask our tenant who has two cars, a truck & camper, boat & trailer, toy hauler and another truck (6 total) to move the vehicles that aren’t parked in the double garage or in the driveway?

The city allows a car parked on the street up to three business days! We have received complaints about this issue from neighbors

-Pat

Dear Landlord Pat,

Please check your lease. It may address parking restrictions but many leases don’t include anything related to parking.

I would also check to see if you home owners’ association (if you have one) has parking restrictions and see what the municipal restrictions are.

Did you talk to your tenants up front about their vehicles?

This seems to be an absurd amount of vehicles to be parked somewhere in a neighborhood. Your lease will say that tenants must abide by local laws and if this collection of vehicles is in violation, then you can talk to the tenants and if that doesn’t work, put a legal notice on their door that they are violating their lease.

Next lease ad something like this:

VEHICLES: Vehicle(s) must be currently licensed, owned by TENANT, registered, operational and properly parked. TENANT agrees to abide by all parking rules established now or in the future by LANDLORD or condo /homeowner association’s rules, if applicable. No trailers, campers, vehicles on blocks, motorcycles, boats or commercial vehicles are allowed on or about the premises without LANDLORD’S prior written approval.

TENANT is not to repair or disassemble vehicles on the premises. Vehicles not meeting the above requirements and additional rules of LANDLORD are unauthorized vehicles subject to being towed at TENANT expense. Parking on the grass is prohibited.

TENANT agrees to indemnify LANDLORD for any expenses incurred due to the towing of any vehicle belonging to the guest or invitee of TENANT. TENANT shall not use or install any portable or permanent electric or hybrid vehicle charger in or on the premises without the prior written permission of OWNER and an EV Vehicle Addendum signed by all parties.

TENANT agrees that only the following vehicles will be parked on the premises:

Sincerely,

Hank Rossi

Editor’s note: Check your local laws on vehicles on rental property or other issues as many cities and states have different rules.

Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal.   https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/

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