Skip to content
General Landlording & Rental Properties

User Stats

22
Posts
8
Votes
Sean Ezeamama
8
Votes |
22
Posts

Expecting push back on rent payment, what to do?

Sean Ezeamama
Posted Dec 1 2021, 14:02

Hi Guys, 

Happy holidays - I'm a very new landlord in Philly (about 1/2 a year) in and I'm expecting 1 of 3 units to push back on paying rent this month. 

The backstory is: Last month, (I wish I could make this up) a racoon climbed the roof and made a hole on the roof & the ceiling drywall last month. I had wildlife guy come out - he instructed to cut a tree out back that the racoons were climbing, which I did promptly and then I patched the hole. The tenant volunteered to stay at her partners while this happened, think it was a few days. 

There was a metal plate over the ceiling, while the exterior work was done and early this month I had the drywall repaired and painted like new. The repair guy came outside of the time range he gave me - I think he said monday, one day job and he came back on Tuesday to finish. When he was done, the debris from the fix was on her shoes/house plants. 

She paid her rent last month!


Earlier this month - she sent me pictures of the debris after drywall was fixed AND stated that she was going to pay the rent this month -- LESS the cleaning fees. I told her to make a complete rent payment and I'd be happy to pay for her clean, she didn't respond. The email was about a page long and was more of the tenant venting. The issue is, it's the 1st and both other tenants have paid -- not sure how to proceed in this late/potentially unpaid scenario.

Questions: 

1) What do I even do if come tomorrow morning she hasn't paid. I usually collect via zelle or venmo - I have a late fee written into the lease, but how would/should I actually enforce this? What do you all normally do in sequence when rent is late?

2) I own a property in philly thats between a new construction and and abandoned home (I think PHA owns the abandoned building) -- the entire rear of the abandoned home NOT boarded so it's causing huge potential issues for my property. Is there action I can take? I've already filled the 311 forms, but not sure what that'll do.

Thanks for the feedback in advance!

Loading replies...