What are the responsibilities of a landlord?

Landlords, who are representing individuals or agencies managing property, are bound by contracts and laws. This may vary for any location and also depends on the type of real estate being managed, as described above. In Hawaii, landlords are bound the Hawaii Revised Statute (HRS 521), which defines legal guidelines for the landlord to abide by. Besides providing livable conditions and rental agreements to tenants of the property, landlords have assumed other responsibilities over time. It is common practice for a landlord to maintain financial records of a rental agreement, as well as being the point of contact for renters. Also, providing services to fill vacant units and overseeing legal actions, such as evictions and collection processes, may be included. The specific terms and conditions of a particular agreement will be defined in contracts drafted between property owners and the respective parties (renters, management companies, government, etc). ... more