How bad is my tenant? Should I be doing more for her?

How bad is my tenant? Should I be doing more for her?

Rental Property Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2018 · 14 posts · 3 votes

I have a 2 story house that I have divided into 4 units. Unit A - long term tenants unfurnished Unit B, C, D - furnished rooms with a shared kitchen - renting to short term professionals.

First off, I have had great tenants in Unit A for 10 months. No issues at all. I have my furnished units rented to traveling nurses. I found my first nursing tenant dead in her room on her checkout day. Thankfully her sister was there and able to help expedite that situation.

My second nursing tenant is my problem tenant. Asked me why I have a house keeper come every week, some hooks would be nice in her bedroom, oh! And some shelves too...

ok. No problem, I’ll work on that. Then I text her that my electrician is coming and she says she “sure wishes” he could put some shelves in her closet... So she wants to convert from her short term lease to a long term lease. I lay out the new lease terms:

Rent $550 (she was at a promotion rate of $500 for 2 months - regular price $600/mo)

Full security deposit of $600

Terminate lease for $275 with 30 days notice

6mo lease

I don’t hear back from her but do see a Facebook post from her about California landlords being greedy, she can’t get a break etc.

I then decide that I don’t want to do long term rentals and give her 30day notice to vacate. No she is accusing me of not being Christian and for turning off the internet (city wide outage.)

Is there something I’m doing wrong or is this a normal horror tenant?

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Summerville, SC · Member since 2018 · 588 posts · 252 votes
6y

@Resa David

I've been an REI x13 years. Your tenant sounds like a problem child. Someone who will likely never be happy, and someone who gets off on giving others a hard time.

I mean come on, who asks if an electrician can put in shelves?? She is being unreasonable and difficult.

My advice - don't renew the lease.

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  • Real Estate Coach · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2017 · 273 posts · 414 votes
    6y

    @Resa D. In my experience, those who accuse others of not being Christian are typically trying to manipulate, which by itslef is not very Christ-like...

    You're right - shelves and hooks are easy fixes.  She complains, but that's not necessarily a "bad tenant" - paying on time and keeping the place in good condition are higher on my list...  In this situation, since you're renting out rooms, I would worry about her in the shared-kitchen scenario.  If she's abrasive with you, she's likely acting like that with the other tenants - maybe complaining about a dish left in the sink or the kitchen not being swept properly...  It may affect your ability to find new tenants (i.e. word gets out at that hospital that she's not a good roommate) or keep good tenants (i.e. she's such a pain in the a** that nobody wants to stay there).

    Probably the best course of action is to get her out quietly.  Cash for keys usually works - basically, you offer to pay her to leave. I moved from CA and sold my San Diego rental property a few years back, so I'm not up to date on the new landlord laws...  Not sure if that's allowable.

  • Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 3 votes
    6y

    @Resa David

    I can’t imagine being her nurse manager!

  • Dan H.Pro Member
    Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Resa D.:

    @Dan H. - Yes, I will have to look up the moratorium for this area. It’s changed recently and I didn’t keep up with it. Hopefully won’t have any more issues with her leaving. 

    @Account Closed - I’m working on that skin. I’m not crazy upset, just new and needing advice. 😊

    @Joe Splitrock - Thanks! I did speak with the lawyer and he said that it would be considered an eviction... 

    According to the lawyer there is no benefit for me reporting her eviction and she can make it look bad on me if we go to court... any thoughts on this?

    I’m not a lawyer but have been a LL a long time.  

     If the lawyer used the word eviction, he was using eviction in a common use but not the legal use.   Not extending a lease, that has no regulations that mandate the lease being extended (such as CA rent control), with a voluntary leave is a common use of the word eviction, but it is not legal definition of eviction.  

    Joe initially used the word in its common, but not legal, usage.  The legal definition is removing a tenant by force (hopefully through the legal system).

    If she leaves voluntarily at the end of lease (which is what you want here and what I expect to happen) it is not a legal eviction.  It is an eviction by a common use of the word.  

    We do not accept tenants with any evictions using the legal definition.  Many local LL have the same requirement.   If your tenant needs to be legally evicted, it may effect where they can live for many years.  

    Good luck

  • New York, NY · Member since 2019 · 62 posts · 8 votes
    6y

    you found a nurse dead in your rental???? You should be worry more about that situation is the family undergoing a investigation ????

  • Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    @Resa D.. You're fine. Get rid of her. Find somebody that doesn't complain about everything.

  • Member since 2018 · 563 posts · 562 votes
    6y

    On a related note....recently reported religious artifact found thought to be the eleventh commandment....

    11. Thou shalt install shelving upon request!

  • Real Estate Coach · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2017 · 273 posts · 414 votes
    6y

    @Kendra Camp you must be a nurse...

  • Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 3 votes
    6y

    Yes. I was a nurse manager. That nurse would be a nightmare employee!

  • Investor · Miami, FL · Member since 2013 · 807 posts · 475 votes
    6y

    Oh boy! I wish I had your kind of 'horror tenant'!!

    I currently have a non-paying meth addict living in a property who is selling off everything he can rip out to pay for his addiction.

    Someone requesting shelves be put in, calling you unchristianly and bitching online without even revealing your identity, should be water off a ducks back. Wait until you have been landlording for 10+ years and then come back and tell us what a true horror tenant is. 

  • Investor · Miami, FL · Member since 2013 · 807 posts · 475 votes
    6y

    I'm more intrigued to hear about the dead nurse! It's amazing you are perturbed by Miss Complain-alot, after you had someone die there recently.

  • John CasmonPro Member
    Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Nat C.:

    I'm more intrigued to hear about the dead nurse! It's amazing you are perturbed by Miss Complain-alot, after you had someone die there recently.

     This is exactly what I was going to post. Traveling nurse ends up dead and that's not the focus on this post? 

    To be more helpful, set up clear policies on renewals and rent rates as mentioned earlier. But please tell us more about the nurse that died.

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