New Brunswick, Canada

NEVER write a periodic lease, especially for the first year. A periodic lease forces a landlord to keep the tenant as long as the tenant desires to stay. While a lawyer may tell you to give notice three months before the anniversary date, the tenant can report you for trying to evict them for no good cause. This is WHY smart, corporate landlords NEVER write periodic leases. Chant with me -- ALWAYS write FIXED term leases!! You'll thank me later!!

NEVER put annual increases in the rental agreement because you may need to request a higher amount due to the provincial taxes, levies, increased property assessments, or increased utilities. Writing that into the agreement locks you in.

NEVER allow the tenant control over the smart lock if the smart lock cannot be reprogrammed without being released. Now some tenants want to have granular control over their lock mechanism, and the landlord could give them shared access. But never give the tenant system administrator control, as in the Wyze Lock and Gateway, because the tenant has to release it before you can use it again (it was written in my lease but she had become a proverbial Karen so who knows what I'll get back).

NEVER serve as a landlord-occupant. Hire a property manager to manage the opposite unit if you, the owner, live in another portion of the property. And never let on that you are the owner. The reason for this is most renters accept that their neighbor is not going to jump when they complain about noises. They respect that you're just another occupant. But if you're the landlord, you're probably doing it as harassment to make them leave and they start complaining about you. I know it sounds outlandish but once you experience a proverbial Karen, you realize that the entitlement is strong in that one.

NEVER share your space thinking you have a normal person living there who will respect boundaries. It is best to let the one occupant know that their rental is just the abode and you're not sharing access to a garage or deck, even if you're away. Renters become entitled and empowered.

RECONSIDER the all utilities included model. Many landlord-occupant rentals don't have individual meters but that doesn't mean you cannot charge for those random increases or unnecessary, unoccupied heating events. Establish a fair model for the two different occupants, remember, you're not the onsite landlord, so that utilities can be divided. Property manager can send the bill for payment.

RESTRICT electrical to inside the unit. No extension cords outside the unit and absolutely never to charge a vehicle or something that requires a license to operate (there are other non vehicles that require licenses). This applies primarily for shared utilities. However, even on individual meters, the load may be too great for the system. Think about your backup generator - can it handle the load?

INSTALL outdoor cameras not just for security but to document the bad behaviors of tenants and their guests. I cannot tell you how many times gig-drivers ran over a deck or didn't know how to backup and executed a 30-point turn around to avoid backing up. Don't share access or say you have access. Hell, you don't even know if they work and you have been a tenant there for three years (remember, you're a tenant in that home too).

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, even down to the instructions for snow removal. First, you want detailed pre-move in pictures to show how clean the unit was and what items were in the unit. Second, document every item in the unit, including the wifi extender, the mini-split controller, the cords for charging lights, the lock and gateway, any furnishings or cleaning supplies. Third, show three pictures of what snow removal means with a) the driveway without snow; b) the driveway properly cleared of snow; and c) an unacceptable version of snow removal. Be very clear that they must clear all the driveway, not just what they need access to.