Need help. Brainstorming session. PM wants to quit due to crime

Need help. Brainstorming session. PM wants to quit due to crime

Carolina · Member since 2017 · 519 posts · 222 votes

He folks, hope you are all well. So the title says it mostly.

I have 5 buildings totaling 11 units. They are all on the same property. I'm having increased issues with crime around two of the buildings. It's been slowly getting worse over the last 3 months. One building is empty right now and someone broke in one of the units and had been squatting, based on all the stuff, and then I guess tried to light a fire to catch the building on fire? So there is that. PMs nailed windows shut. Then someone got back in somehow.

Next, they finally moved someone into the other building and she was robbed, had her car broken into, and her gas siphoned out of her car. There have been on and off other crime issues over the last few months. This REALLY upset the PMs because it looks awful on their company and they had been doing a lot to help me really find renters for all the empty units and whatnot, on top of dealing with crime/insane tenants they evicted for me.

Basically, the property management company is saying that the amount of time they are having to spend on these units has become too much for the fee and their staffing. I can't manage these myself and I don't live there. It is a small town. These are very much low-income rentals. Lots of people on disability. So some unsavory characters end up there from time to time. The one tenant that has more of these sketchy people around is an old man that is really nice but his family and people are awful. We are fairly sure his grandson sells drugs out of there and has been breaking into the other units. We think he may sell out of the unit that the lady had been just moved into and was mad that he couldn't use that spot anymore...

Anyways, this is all obviously ridiculous. They didn't use to be like this. So much crime. I need help figuring out how I can keep the property managers. They do a good job and there isn't another company in the area since it is small. These properties have a fantastic ROI.

Do you think approaching them saying I am willing to install security cameras? And pay them more to help me out? And we probably should evict the older fellow because he's been talked to about his people that are always around and don't do anything to control them and keep some from coming around. That way they are all gone... but I do worry about some retaliation in the immediate future if we do that.

I'm desperate lol any ideas??? Thank you SOOOO much!

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  • Member since 2021 · 112 posts · 59 votes
    4y

    Whoa! Sorry you're having to deal with all of this. Here's a few of my thoughts. Yes I would evict the older fellow because he is in violation of the lease by allowing illegal activity to take place in his apartment. I'd also tip off the police so hopefully they catch the grandson in the act and he will be gone as well. Cameras are a great idea but they will simply be vandalized if that's all you do. I would ask the PM what their suggestions are. What can you do to keep them and to turn around the environment. Low income does not have to equal a headache. I'd also use their assistance as sort of a parent. To my understanding evictions, illegal activities, etc are all cause for them to lost their government assistance so I would get in touch with their case managers as well. It sounds like you need to turn the whole place around. Request increased patrols as well.  

  • Property Manager · Williamsport, PA · Member since 2020 · 93 posts · 74 votes
    4y

    I have had to make this same decision for properties in areas that did not attract qualified tenants.  My business runs on the premise that the properties we manage are able to attract and retain qualified tenants.  Now, it would be worth seeing if you can invest in the property to stabilize it and if they would work with you on that.  I call these stabilization plans and mine would likely include terminating leases/evicting anybody who is compromising your ability to stabilize the property, possibly some renovation and installation of security features that go above and beyond.  That would likely be my approach and if our client was willing to do that and compensate us for our effort to implement I would consider that a win/win.  But I also love solving really tough problems!

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