In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Even if you get a lease form from a reputable legal document company, it still may include provisions that don't comport with local ordinances. Some illegal provisions can serve to invalidate the entire lease agreement. Make sure your lease is ironclad, so you can legally enforce it in the event you have problems and need to evict a tenant. You also want to research the market in the area you are renting to make sure the rent you're charging is reasonable. Keep in mind that some cities have rent-control ordinances that apply to certain types of property. An experienced landlord-tenant attorney can help you with this. Background and credit checks help protect you from potentially unreliable or otherwise troublesome tenants. Set clear standards tenants must meet and communicate those standards before they fill out an application. Keep in mind that typically there are anti-discrimination laws that forbid you from discriminating against applicants on the basis of their race, gender, or other factors. However, these laws typically don't require you to rent your property to someone with an extensive criminal history, or whose credit score is so low that you don't trust them to pay rent regularly. Be consistent and run background and credit checks on all applicants, even if you know them personally. Keeping these records can protect you in the event you are accused of discrimination, because it shows that you treat all applicants the same. Even if you're able to resolve a problem with a tenant over the phone, or through a personal conversation, write up a letter confirming the agreement and send it to them, keeping a copy for yourself. Written documentation of any communication with your tenants, no matter how minor, gives you legal proof of the agreement in the event you end up in court. It isn't necessary to confirm conversations unrelated to the tenancy, but anything that concerns the rental unit should be written up. For example, if a tenant who previously did not have a pet tells you that they are going to adopt a puppy, send them a letter confirming that they are going to adopt a puppy and letting them know your pet policy. Repeat this information even if it is included in the lease, although you may want to reference the provision in the lease. Your tenants will appreciate it if you send statements at least a week in advance before rent is due, particularly if utilities or other costs are included in the payment they make to you each month. When other payments, such as for trash, water, or other utilities, are included in the rent, provide itemized statements that detail the exact portion of the total that is covering these other services. Keep in mind that your tenants will be more likely to pay rent early or on time if they have a statement before their rent is due. Often, people pay their bills when they get the statement, so this also can be a way to incentivize your tenants to pay rent early. Any time you communicate with your tenants in any way regarding the tenancy, make sure a copy of that communication goes into the tenant's file. You can use these as reminders, even if you never end up in court. For example, suppose you have a tenant who has a problem with a leaky faucet. Perhaps it's a minor problem that's easily fixed, but they've provided a maintenance request for this faucet three times. Keeping those notices allows you to specify the dates the problem was addressed when you talk to a plumber about it. You also can use copies of old letters and notifications to remind tenants of past agreements if they fail to follow through. For example, suppose a tenant agrees to make a minor repair themselves if you reimburse them for the parts needed, but they have not sent you a receipt for reimbursement. You might send them a copy of the original letter and inquire whether the repair has been completed and ask for the receipt if it has. There are a number of online services for landlords that can make it relatively easy for you to accept rent payments online as well as manage all the documents related to the tenancy. Most of these services require you to pay a monthly subscription fee. Do an internet search and compare and contrast several to find the service that will best meet your needs with costs that are within your budget. You also want to look for reviews of these services before you subscribe. Make sure the website is easy for both you and the tenant to navigate, and that the service has a healthy track record and positive reviews from other landlords.
Summary: Get a lawyer to review your lease. Do background checks and credit checks on all tenants. Get everything in writing. Send statements promptly. Save copies of all letters and notifications. Use online services.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: If you're hanging out with other people and trying new things, you are almost guaranteed to have more fun. Finding good company to try new things with will make you have fun no matter what. Here are some great things to try: Join a team sport. Whether you're joining a volleyball league or just playing badminton with two of your friends, you'll be set to have a great time. Do a cultural activity. Go to the theatre, a museum, or a concert with your friends and see what a great time you have. Throw a theme party. Throwing a theme party with your friends is a great way to have fun, whether it's a costume party or a murder mystery party. Check out a new restaurant. Go to a completely new place for the food or for the happy hour specials, and indulge in the great conversations you'll be having with your friends. Cook together. Invite over a few friends and create an elaborate meal, or have fun baking new kinds of desserts. Dancing with your friends is always a good time, no matter how silly or insecure you may feel. You can dance at a house party, at a club with a few close friends, or just dance in the middle of the street with your best friend if the mood strikes. Moving your body and even singing along to the lyrics of a silly song will definitely make you have more fun. If you really like dancing, then taking a salsa, cardio hip hop, or another type of dance class will definitely make your life more fun. Part of having fun is hanging out with people who bring more fun and joy to your every day life. If you're hanging out with a Negative Nancy or a person who is always sad for no reason, then you'll never be able to have more fun with others. Here's how to hang out with people who will make your life more fun: Hang out with people who are spontaneous and adventurous. These people are guaranteed to find fun in the most unlikely places. Hang out with people who crack you up. If you're laughing, you'll be able to have fun no matter where you are. Hang out with people who are positive. Positive people are excited about life and are guaranteed to have more fun than negative, whiny people. One of the best ways to have fun is simply to laugh more. Other people can help you do this, whether you laugh because of their corny jokes or because you find yourself in the middle of a ridiculous situation with your friends. Here's how to have more fun by laughing more: Watch something funny with your friends. Go to the movies to see a comedy or even see a stand-up comedian, and you'll instantly have fun. Play a silly board game. Board games are guaranteed to make you laugh when you're hanging out with others. Play charades. This old school game is always a riot. Don't be afraid to be silly or goofy. When you're hanging out with friends, you can sing into your hairbrush, dress up in the most ridiculous outfits, or dance like a fool. Let go of your inhibitions and you'll be having more fun in no time at all. Another way to have fun with others is to go on an adventure. This could mean taking a road trip just a few hours away, booking a vacation, or just going on an adventure to a local park or landmark that you've never seen. A road trip is a guaranteed way to have fun. Bring on the candy, bad pop music mix, and a map, and you'll be having fun in no time. Go to the beach or the woods. You'll be guaranteed to have fun outdoors if you're with a pack of friends who are up for anything. Go on a fun vacation. Go to Vegas, Mexico, or just the next town over just because you feel like it, and enjoy the feeling of being a tourist and acting a little bit outrageous.
Summary:
Find a new activity to do with your friends. Dance. Hang out with the right people. Laugh more. Go on an adventure.