Can landlords restrict the number of holiday visitors?

The holiday visitors of a renter do not have to be a landlord’s hassle. Learn about your legal options for limiting the amount of holiday visitors your renter may entertain.

What you will discover:

In my state, how can I fairly restrict the amount of visitors my renters have over the holidays?
How can I restrict the number of visitors or the length of their stay?
What lease clauses can I apply to restrict the number of guests?
What should I do if a tenant’s Christmas party becomes too large or disruptive?
Can I make renters get permission before having long-term vacation visitors?

Some landlords may have additional worries over the Christmas season. One of the most typical complaints is the inconvenience that may often result from holiday parties. You may be concerned about big groups of visitors upsetting other tenants, causing damage, or exceeding their welcome. While prohibiting all holiday visitors is unlikely to go down well with renters, there are several legal alternatives to secure your property while still keeping your tenants pleased.

In my state, how can I fairly restrict the amount of visitors my renters have over the holidays?

The Lease Agreement is the primary means of limiting the amount of visitors a renter may have over the holidays. Some leases include visitor restrictions. Others could provide a list of general or community regulations. Those regulations may impose restrictions on visitors.

The limitations that landlords may impose may differ depending on state legislation. Many states lack particular laws and instead rely on the Lease Agreement. Other states hold that a landlord cannot limit visitors arbitrarily, and that arbitrary lease restrictions cannot be enforced. What a state thinks reasonable and unreasonable may differ. The phrases may be stated precisely in a state or local law, or they may be determined by how judges have decided in previous court cases. Consult a lawyer for a prompt and trusted response.

Landlords may also have the authority to order renters to respect municipal rules, such as fire codes. A tenant may not have the right to have more visitors than the total number of individuals permitted in the building or in their apartment.

How can I restrict the number of visitors or the length of their stay?

If you wish to restrict the number of visitors or the duration of stay, your regulations should be based on a particular legal or practical reason. This may assist persuade both renters and a court that your lease conditions are acceptable if a conflict arises.

Many landlords, for example, restrict the duration of stay because they do not want unnamed visitors to become tenants. State law may provide a person the same rights as a tenant if they have lived there for two weeks, a month, or a set number of days within a certain time frame. Landlords often prefer that visitors depart before this time has elapsed. They may also want to know about any visitors who are staying for more than a few nights so that they do not overstay.

Setting a restriction on the number of visitors may be more difficult. Typically, the major issues are noise, damage, and safety. It may be determined by the size of the rental unit, the proximity of the neighbors, and if there are any legal restrictions on the number of people who may occupy, reside, and sleep in a building or unit. It might be beneficial to learn whether there are any common regulations that landlords in your region follow, and then determine if you want to follow them as well.

What lease clauses can I apply to restrict the number of guests?

You may wish to incorporate the following lease clauses to restrict the number of guests:

There are restrictions on the number of visitors and the duration of stay.
Differences between a party or a brief visit and an overnight stay.
Tenants must keep quiet during certain hours to prevent upsetting neighbors.
Limits the amount of visitors who may use common amenities, such as a community pool, in order to limit disruptions and make such places available to other renters.
Tenants must observe all fire regulations, municipal laws, and other applicable legislation.

What should I do if a tenant’s Christmas party becomes too large or disruptive?

Many tenant issues may be resolved with a simple reminder. They may have forgotten the rules or get caught up in the moment. While some may be unreasonable, the majority will be.

If there is a continuing noisy party and the renter refuses to comply with your or their neighbors’ pleas to tone things down or send people home, you should contact local law police. If, for example, the party violates noise rules or there is underage drinking, the police may be entitled to intervene.

In more extreme cases, or if the issue persists, you may wish to give the renters a formal notice that they are in violation of your agreement. The following step is usually to submit an Eviction Notice.

Can I make renters get permission before having long-term vacation visitors?

It typically depends on your contract and local legislation whether you may ask renters to get authorization before having long-term vacation visitors. In many regions, you may ask your renters to notify you of their arrangements in advance. You may be obligated to grant them authorization unless you have a compelling cause not to, such as if they would violate a lease clause. Another excellent explanation may be because you directly banned a certain visitor for breaking your rules.

You may wish to need both the tenant and the visitor to sign a Lease Amendment if your renter intends to have a guest remain long enough to legally become a tenant. Some businesses may ask you to add a desired tenant to the lease provided they fit your screening criteria, will not exceed the number of persons permitted in the apartment, and sign the necessary papers. While you may not have wanted the new tenant, having them sign a Lease Agreement allows you to enforce the other lease provisions, such as requiring everyone to have renters insurance.