In an effort to entertain our readers, I return to our forums. One of our users, All Cash, asked what excuses people got from their tenants when the rent was late or simply did not show up. I’ll give you a few great ones our members have heard:
Las Vegas Real Estate – “I had it on the first but when you didn’t call I spent it”
Greenfieldent – I had a tenant who said they mailed the rent out and they mailed it to the correct address. BUT they did not put a stamp on the envelope. They actual thought the U.S. postal service would still mail it out without a stamp.
All Cash – 1. Man, I had to buy tires for my TA! I found out TA meant Trans Am, so I quit renting to people who were more in love with their cars than with a roof over their head.
2. I’m a bit short because I started my own (sheetrocking) business! No, YOU didn’t start a sheetrocking business, I started a sheetrocking business!
3. Tenant calls and says on the way over with the rent. “It better be full rent” I said, “it’s all there” he said. Shows up an hour and a half later (the house is about 2 miles away) but the rent is short $250! Hey you said you had it all, I HAD it all but I saw a cool stereo on my way over”! Let me type you a receipt I said and typed him a three day notice to quit the premises and gave him that with the receipt. I hope you like living in the stereo!
If you have any good stories, stop by our real estate investing forums and visit the Lamest Excuses for Late Rent Thread
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the tenant from allcash who needed a stereo more than he needed to pay rent. Classic! lol.
Well, some of the funniest stories I’ve heard have come from my partner, who manages one of our properties himself. He’s gotten hicks with pit bulls who say things like, “Na, I’ll be honest with ya. My last landlord don’t like me one bit.” Well, why is that, my partner would ask. “Cuz I owe ‘em a buncha money.”
The lamest excuse I’ve gotten is:
“I couldn’t pay the rent because somebody put tape over the slot in the mailbox, so I couldn’t mail the rent to you.”
I inherited some nightmare tenants when I bought my first property. One guy in particular would get paid on Friday afternoon and be drunk and broke by Friday evening when I stopped by for the rent. I threatened to kick him out unless he met me at his work and signed over his check to me, which he did on numerous occasions. He also once talked his boss into giving him an advance to pay last month’s rent, but his boss would only agree to it if I came by and picked up the money directly. This tenant was 45 years old. Sad.
Wow Ryan, that really is pretty sad. How did things end up?
Simple rule, when you go over the lease with the tenant also show them what a notice to vacate looks like. If you do not have the rent by the 5th, personally hand them the notice to vacate. If you do not get the rent right then, start the eviction process. If you handle your REI business in this manner you will be much happier in the long run. If you decide to listen to any words coming from the tenants mouth, you will not do good in landlording. I would advise you to cut your losses and immediately sell your properties while they are current on the mortgage and occupied with paying tenants.
I have learned that if they have not paid the rent and their lips are moving, they are lying.
Sad to say but I really don’t agree with Dennis. I am one of those who find it hard to pay on time. I’m actually struggling right now. I just lost my job, my car is leaking transmission fluid (without a car I can’t find a new job to pay these bills), I have other bills behind as it is, and my landlord surprised me last night with a rent visit. Of course I panicked, I don’t want to lose my home. I have an amazing landlord and I’m not giving up without a fight. Just because I don’t have all of my rent doesn’t mean I’m a liar. I just wish there was some miracle to help right now.
I would have to agree with lisa, not all tenants are liars that can not pay rent on time, alot of things may come up with health issues or loss of a job or even in my case the bills that are in landlords names that we pay they hold until we get a shut off notice in our mail box and everything is racked up and they want us to pay the late charges as well. Even though it says tenant may take off rent they tell us they find it as a threat when we say we will be taking the late charges of our monthly rent. I’m in a boat where i have slum lords who sue for anything just to get money and keeps everyones security deposit and never fixes anything in the house and allows the tenant to do it. when the rent has nothing included, never gives rent receipts, calls every day to harass or shows up in the middle of the night to see if we can pay next months rent early or what day we can have it smelling like alcohol. is there any advice anyone can give me. because they always say we have money so dont go trying anything.
Mike,
You should move. Decent landlords are NOT hard to find. You might want to consider going back to an building after you see a place you like, and asking the other people that go in and out how they like the building. You can just let them know you’re thinking of moving to the area, and you’re looking for a good building, or that you’re considering the vacant apartment on the second floor. Trust me if it’s a slum lord they’ll let you know. They’ll also let you know the land lord’s pet peeves, so you can avoid them. Mine are late rent and not recycling. I make that pretty clear when I’m interviewing tenants, so I don’t usually have any difficulties.