| Have you ever seen a movie called "Pacific | | | | guests. But I strongly suggest using what I call a |
| Heights?" | | | | "hospitality contract" instead of a lease agreement |
| Screenwriter Daniel Pyne got the idea for the | | | | for your vacation rentals. |
| movie from his personal experiences in | | | | If you use a standard lease, and run across a |
| tenant-landlord relations, saying, "I had to evict | | | | pesky guest who won't leave, you may be stuck |
| somebody from a three-flat building. He didn't pay, | | | | with that guest for up to 6 months depending on |
| so he had to leave. But then I started learning | | | | how long the eviction process lasts. Some states |
| more about the law. He was scamming us, and | | | | have stricter eviction laws favoring the landlord, |
| even though he didn't pay, he still had a right to | | | | and others have a favorable due process for the |
| be there... 'Pacific Heights' is about what would | | | | tenant, where tenants are given oodles time to |
| have happened to me had I not been able to | | | | remedy their past due rents. Any legal proceeding |
| afford the [eviction proceeding] payments, if I had | | | | is expensive unless you use a prepaid legal |
| a psychopathic scam artist as a tenant similar to | | | | service; and even then, its at least time |
| the character played by Michael Keaton in the | | | | consuming. |
| film." | | | | The key is to sidestep this potential nightmare, by |
| To happen upon a psychopathic tenant would be | | | | not granting tenancy. By using a simple hospitality |
| unlikely, but you may run across difficult guests, | | | | contract, which does not grant tenancy, there is a |
| or bully guests. Therefore, I strongly advise | | | | greater chance you can call local law enforcement |
| against using of a lease, which grants tenancy, | | | | and ask the guest to leave based on trespassing |
| consider a hospitality contract. | | | | law. Make sure that your hospitality contract also |
| All states vary with law, and you will want an | | | | has a liability clause in it too, in case someone |
| attorney review any contact or lease agreement | | | | decides they want to sue you for whatever. |
| that you would use for your vacation rental | | | | |