Do you own a rental property in North Carolina? As a North Carolina landlord, it's vital that you remain up-to-date on the North Carolina landlord-tenant law!
In the state of North Carolina, the written or verbal lease agreements give both the landlord and their tenant certain rights and responsibilities.
As a landlord, it’s important to understand everything that you’re obligated to do for your tenant. This will ensure that you’re not only able to build a solid relationship with them, but that you’re able to prevent potential legal issues.
The following is a general overview of the landlord-tenant laws in the state of North Carolina.
Required Landlord Disclosures in the State of North Carolina
Each state requires landlords to make several disclosures to their tenants. As a landlord in North Carolina, you must make the following three disclosures to your tenant prior to signing the North Carolina lease agreement:
- Disclosure of lead-based paint. This is a requirement for North Carolina landlords renting out units built prior to 1978. You must disclose lead concentrations in paints and finishes.
- Disclosure of late fees. Do you charge tenants a fee for paying rent late? If you do, North Carolina law requires that you disclose it in the rental agreement. If you don’t, the late rent fee will not be enforceable.
- Disclosure of water contamination. You must disclose and provide your tenants with a written notice of contaminant levels that exceed the state guidelines.
Tenants’ Responsibilities & Rights in North Carolina
Tenants in North Carolina have the following rights and responsibilities. The right to:
- Not be retaliated against for exercising any of their rights, including forming or joining a tenants’ union to advocate or fight for their rights.
- Be treated equally and fairly regardless of their race, color, nationality, or other protected classes as stated under the Fair Housing Act.
- Have requested repairs carried out in a reasonable time frame.
- Break the lease early in certain legally acceptable situations.
- Live in peace and quiet enjoyment of their North Carolina rental.
- Have their security deposit returned either wholly or partially at the end of the lease agreement term.
- Be evicted through a judicial eviction process.
Tenant is the state also has list of responsibilities which is as follows:
- Comply with all North Carolina material health and safety codes.
- Maintain the rental property to the required habitability standards.
- Ensure waste disposal is done in a safe and clean manner.
- Maintain all components and fixtures in a clean and sanitary condition.
- Notify the North Carolina landlord whenever repairs need to be made to the smoke or carbon monoxide detector.
- Not to unreasonably cause disturbance to other tenants.
- Care for the North Carolina rental property.
North Carolina Landlords’ Rights & Responsibilities
Landlords have certain rights and responsibilities under the NC General Statutes Chapter 42 Article 5. A landlord has a right to:
- Evict a tenant who violates a term of the lease or rental agreements.
- Ask for a security deposit from tenants.
- Charge a fee if tenant fails to make rental payment on time or if they withhold rent.
- Screen prospective tenants as long as the process is free from any bias on the basis of certain protected classes.
- Charge as much rent as you want for rent payments and increase rent for whatever reason.
- Enter your tenant’s rented rental property to perform needed or required tasks.
The following is a list of responsibilities for North Carolina landlords:
- Abide by all terms of the lease agreement.
- Treat all tenants fairly regardless of their race, color, nationality, and any other protected class under the NC Fair Housing laws.
- Only make allowable deductions on a North Carolina tenant’s security deposit.
- Follow the statewide eviction process when removing a tenant from their rented premises.
- Carry out requested property repairs in a timely and reasonable manner.
An Overview of North Carolina’s Landlord-Tenant Laws
Tenant Evictions in North Carolina
Landlords can evict your North Carolina tenant for a number of reasons. The most common reasons for eviction in the state include the following:
- Failure by the North Carolina tenant to pay rent on time or if they withhold rent.
- Violating a term of the rental agreement, such as unlawfully subletting the rental property.
- Failure by the tenant to leave after their North Carolina rental agreement has expired.
- Engaging in illegal activities.
Each of these reasons has a specific procedure for eviction which a North Carolina landlord must follow for the process to be successful such as providing a written notice for eviction. For instance, the type of eviction notice landlords send will be dependent on the lease agreement violation.
Security Deposits in North Carolina
As a landlord, you have the right to charge tenants a security deposit. You also have a responsibility to abide by the statewide security deposit rules. The following are some of those rules:
- Charge the right amount. For leases that run weekly, landlords must charge a maximum security deposit of two weeks’ rent. For month-to-month leases, landlords must charge no more than 1.5 months’ rent. And for leases that are greater than month-to-month, you must charge no more than two months’ rent as security deposits.
- Return the deposit on time. North Carolina landlords must return their tenant’s security deposit within 30 days after they move out.
- A landlord can only make allowable deductions from their tenant’s security deposits.
Early Lease Termination in North Carolina
Renters in North Carolina can break their lease early in certain legally acceptable circumstances including:
- In the event that there’s an early lease termination clause.
- If a tenant is starting active military service.
- If the tenant experienced landlord harassment.
- If the tenant’s rental unit becomes uninhabitable.
Please note, however, that North Carolina landlords have a duty to “mitigate damages” after a tenant moves out.
Housing Discrimination
The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from discriminating against their renters on the basis of 7 classes: race, color, religion, nationality, sex, disability, and familial status.
The state of North Carolina doesn’t offer any additional protections beyond those offered at the federal level. The state department tasked with handling housing discrimination complaints is the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings’ Civil Rights Division.
Bottom Line
Understanding the North Carolina landlord-tenant laws will help you keep your rental operation legally compliant. If keeping up with your legal and management duties is daunting, consider hiring a North Carolina property manager.
For expert legal and management help turn to the trusted team at House In Order Property Management. We are a professional property management company you can rely on. We serve Asheville and the surrounding areas. Get in touch to learn more!
Disclaimer: This blog should not serve as a substitute for professional legal advice from a qualified attorney. Laws change and the content in this post may not be updated at the time of your reading.
