Here are two questions for you:

1. What is considered "normal wear and tear" in a rental agreement? I am thinking about what a landlord can deduct from a security deposit and what he cannot deduct.

2. How are home inspectors trained? Is there a home inspection academy?

Thanks! I think it would be very interesting to hear from a home inspector.

How about liens? Since Baltimore City has automatic liens, and what about Q&A on city placed liens?

If a property line crosses over a feature, how do you determine ownership? Is there a rule of majority? I can provide specifics if needed :)

I'd like to know the most reasonably priced resources for landlords to obtain tenant credit checks.

@MIchelle Brown - There's a good service I use for tenant credit checks. It's listed on the site mrlandlord.com -- there's a link at the top of the site. Very inexpensive but very effective.

I'm really concerned about rising rental costs. Are there rent consumer advocates to help us fight for our rights? For instance, it would be useful for consumers to determine if the rent is fairly priced for the area and amenities. When there's a rent increase, is the amount fair?
thanks!

I'd like to read about how the collapse of the RE market is affecting boomers' retirement plans.

Also wondering if any zoning committees have re-thought the kind of housing they want to see in their towns? For example, are any of them less likely to approve McMansion developments and more likely to approve more livable, walkable communities?

Lastly, I'm wondering about the impact of the RedLine on residential neighborhoods and retail corridors along its route. That might technically be a transportation issue, but it really is going to affect people trying to sell or lease out property along that route. Imagine you're trying to sell a place in Canton, Little Italy, or Fells Point (already horrendous parking) and now you have to deal with year-long construction right outside your door, the first thing a prospective buyer will see (if they can even find a parking spot).

Great questions, everyone -- keep 'em coming.

I'd like to see the impact w/ the Red Line too, thanks Chappy! Public Transportation does need to be addressed in the city.

I paid a lot of money for my house in Canton. Part of that reason was so I didn't have to live around a certain kind of people. I'm a racist, I'll admit it unlike most of my neighbors who try to say a redline wouldn't look nice running down Boston St. A redline will make it easier for those kinds of people to come into Canton and that's not good for my 600k row home (at least that's what I paid for it in 2007, so it's probably worth more now).

Just look at what public transportation access does to property values in the DC area. Canton doesn't want any of that.

@No surface redline

You're racist and you bought a house in one of the blackest and most polarized cities in the country?

600k for canton??? LOL

Please let me know what you are smoking. It has some crazy effects on the brain.

I would love to know about up and coming neighborhoods or better yet areas that are expected to change for the better but are still waiting for the big push!. For example, I noticed a lot of change in the Patterson Park area...for the good :-) It's moving along faster than I thought.

However, I was wondering about Madison Park, Res Hill and Druid Hill considering they are close to Bolton Hill, which is relatively nice, do you think they will change for the better....and how fast or slow.

Thanks.

1) Does the tenant need to give me something in writing telling me to not enter and not to make contact with her?

2) Can I still enter the apartment to make repairs and check on the mice traps?

3) Tenant states I can not now serve a 3-DAY NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT. Because of the 30 DAY NOTICE TO MOVE.

4) Can I serve the tenant with a 3-DAY NOTICE TO CURE VIOLATION(S) OR QUIT? As she is denying me the right to enter on a 24 HOUR NOTICE TO ENTER.

Hi, Tibs -- I've unfortunately already done a landlord-tenant Q&A, but fortunately, there's a resource for you to get answers. Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc. has a landlord-tenant hotline.

More details here: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/blog/2011/06/qa_renting.html

In regards to Adverse Possession, my family has been parking on vacant land behind the Merritt Shopping Center since 1957 in an open and notorious manner. Maintained the property, cutting, shoveling snow, filling in holes. The shopping center now has new owners and they have ordered everyone off this property. Numerous other owners on Searles Ave have used this field to park for decades. What can we do to continue to enjoy the use of this preperty?

I read Rick's comment regarding the vacant land behind merritt park shopping center, and am very much interested in hearing your response. My 80 year old parents live on that street. They have been using that lot to park behind their home since they moved there in 1957!

Can I get an answer to my question regarding Adverse Possession?
There are a number of families that are affected here.
Can you make a suggestion as what we are supposed to do next?

Thank you

Hi, Rick and Jeannie -- I'm not ignoring your question, I'm just being pulled in too many directions at the moment to go looking for an attorney who could answer it. (I occasionally arrange Q&As with experts who then answer a variety of reader questions.) Sorry I lost track of your comments and didn't explain immediately.

Either way, you'd probably need an attorney's help. But you could also try contacting your local representative and the local planning department.