Residential Rental: Landlord Rules

(Year 231, Winter) The residential rental market seems to explode these days, and it is now easier than ever to find affordable rental units in most regions. All kinds of standards are covered, from the glamorous apartments in Del Sol Valley to the hardly-enough-space-to-move units in Newcrest - well suited for singles or elders. We've also seen some farmers setting up a small rental cottage intended for renting farm workers - most of their rent is traditionally paid by tending crops or animals, while the Landlord is to harvest crops. This model also existed for generations with the vicarages of Church of Similius.

Leader of Trades & Taxes dept. Fanny Silverbone (LEFT party)

With all these sudden changes, which of course also might result in a significant population boost, the Trades & Taxes dept. has been busy deciding on a new set of rules - the Landlord Rules. There is also a new public webpage listing all rentable units and their landslords.

The Landlord Rules are meant as a start, and paragraphs might get adjusted in a couple years. Leader of Trades & Taxes dept., Fanny Silverbone (RIGHT party), states that the work is still ongoing:
- There is a political limit of 99 rental units, and we need to share this cap with our neighboring nations, Empire of Snorthia (incl. Tomaranf and Mt. Komorebi) and Sea kingdom (incl. Sulani and Selvadorada). Mazaloom got more than a third of those 99, but we will need restrictions in order to secure a good spread on regions as well as standards. Therefore - you are not allowed to rent out multiple units without first purchasing a Landlord Deed. And those deeds are limited. We are not looking for complex rules, but a way to secure a good tax system as well as the rights of Tenants.

1. Rent
The daily rent is set by Owner and not by Tenant. In order to avoid extreme charges, there is an upper cap for each rented unit, based on that unit's value and features accessed.

2. Furniture
This applies on the day when a renting household moves in or out.

Technically the Tenant buys all content when moving in, so it is recommended to only add necessaries as the Tenant might bring personal items. Single items can be replaced or upgraded by Tenant. When moving out from renting "Full" the Tenant can keep (or sell = leave in unit) all content. When renting "Necessaries" the Tenant must leave items according to the list (see paragraph c). Each item must be fully functional, but quality, swatches and placement is not an issue.

a) When the unit is up to 25 floor tiles and within Landlord's home, no strict rules are required. Landlord and Tenant can adjust furniture as agreed/needed.

b) When the unit is a separate build or a rental unit of minimum 26 floor tiles, furniture shall be classified as either NECESSARIES or FULL.

c) Necessaries must include (minimum):
   - Kitchen: 2 counter sections, 1 sink, 1 fridge, 1 stove.
   - Bathroom: 1 toilet, 1 sink, 1 wall mirror, 1 shower.
   - Beds according to the number of bedrooms.
   - All rooms: 1 ceiling lamp
   During the stay the Tenant can make any changes and cover the costs.

d) Full must include Necessaries + items for dining, lounging and sleeping. During the stay the Tenant can only make adjustments to item colors (swatches), wall and floor covers, and can add items via personal inventory only. Adding a private heirloom is possible when Landlord approves. The Full classification is not recommended when Tenant is expected to stay for generations.

3. Lease length
Lease length is the period covering the current agreement. Neither the Tenant nor Owner can end the period within the lease length, without being fined. Minimum is 7 days. When the period ends, the deal and length can be adjusted for the next agreement period.

4. Restrictions
a) Tenant can not charge another Tenant/Roommate for staying. Specific Unit Rules set by Landlord shall not be changed during the lease length.

b) Mazaloom kingdom currently provides a total of only 56 units. For a start there is a limit of 7 units per each of our 8 regions. Based on future demand we might be able to adjust this somehow.

5. Registration
Each unit must be registered with the Trades & Taxes dept. This includes Landlords' home units, rentable units as well as shared units. Landlords letting out more than one unit within their own home, must purchase a Deed to run a bigger rental business, either limited or unlimited version. The deed comes with a one-time cost, but value will expectedly increase over time and it can  become a desired heirloom.

Fanny Silverbone says there were issued only 4 unlimited deeds, but 8 limited deeds:
- We see this as a start where we get a better routine for the residential rental business. It might be a bit too restrictive, but it is better to start of carefully and expand later. We want to give all regions a fair chance to become involved with this business, so the 8 limited deeds are intended to spread regionally. After the upcoming regional reform we will evaluate this all.