Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
I'm one year into being a landlord, and I loved it for about the first six months--in spite of numerous challenges. I could handle it! My motto was "Nothing's gonna stop this cowgirl!" I rode high in that saddle.
But then a series of unpleasant tenant things happened, and too many units needed to be rehabbed and rented out at once. I got physically and emotionally depleted, and I rarely had time for any life outside of rehab, rent, deal with tenant problems.
Now I'm worn down--and NOW I get my worst tenant situation of all, involving a felon with serious anger problems, who moved in with a seemingly good single-mother tenant, without my permission.
Dealing with the problems themselves is one thing, but I'm really struggling to not collapse emotionally. I'm female, I'm sensitive, I'm somewhat introverted... is it possible I'm just not cut out for landlording, or are there good tricks for riding above the storms?
Thank you for your input. I'm going to slither to the floor now.
Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
10y
@Carol Venolia We totally understand and feel for you! Try not to let it overwhelm you. I think with time as a landlord, you will naturally become a little more tough-skinned.
Has this unauthorized tenant been angry directly at you?
Always remember, you do NOT have to stay in a conversation that is going nowhere or is making you feel stressed. In fact, you don't even owe a conversation in the first place. Send a notice that the lease is being violated (assuming you have a clause about unauthorized tenants or guests). Or like someone mentioned, have someone else handle these conversations for you.
Another big part of being a landlord is having a team of people to help you. Don't feel stressed. It's bad for our health. And remember this problem will pass.
I, too, was going through a very stressful period as a landlord when I first started. If it wasn't a nonpaying tenant, it was an angry one, or one threatening to sue me, or a neighbor claiming my property was damaging his! So much. Too much.
I finally somehow just learned to disconnect emotionally. I learned to not have lengthy conversations with tenants (especially when talking about an issue). I've learned not to make promises. I've also learned not to respond to tenant's calls and texts immediately--especially if it's in the evening--unless it's a true emergency. Once they realize I don't jump to their every tiny complaint (the neighbors are loud! my mailbox is crooked!), they stop "harassing" me so much.
Disconnect emotionally. Run your business like a business. Don't take people's rude behavior personal. You're a great person! And never never take your stress out on loved ones. :-)
Deerwood, MN · Member since 2014 · 184 posts · 122 votes
10y
I dealt with stupid, my first tenant. Had to evict when purchase of a Harley trumped payment of rent.
I recently learned of a situation a friend was going through with a property manager and the contractor he had out to bid on a very small problem. Turns out he was about to be ripped off by the combo.
Want a new set of problems? Hire a property manager.
Or, get through this and move on. I agree with others who say vacations help. Good luck.
Washington, DC · Member since 2013 · 10 posts · 7 votes
10y
On questions, we don't have a formal list but I can give you some sense of how we approach the conversation. We start by asking about whether the tenant paid timely, kept the unit neat, was cooperative and flexible when the landlord was showing the place to new tenants and kept wear and tear to a minimum. We then ask the landlord for an overall take on the tenant. Typically, they say he/she was "fine." Most people don't like to speak ill of others. This is where we press for more info. We point out that, like them, we're very interested in good tenants and that we value a fellow landlord's insight. With a little prompting, they typically open up about their deep down feelings about the tenant. This is where we sometimes lean about the frequent complaints, service calls, personality issues, etc. Hope that helps!
Investor · Middletown, NJ · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
For some reason, when I started out, I thought that too! I was too eager to answer every call and email immediately, since tenants are "customers". Eventually, I remembered what happened once when I was a tenant. The landlord hired a contractor to fix the roof of my apartment house. The contractor started the work but didn't cover the roof with a tarp, and that night it rained nonstop. My bedroom ceiling started leaking...I put a pot on the floor to catch the water and called the landlord at 11PM. His wife said he was out of town on business and that she would try to reach him.
As the rain continued, I had to swap the pot for a garbage can from outside, and then a small hole opened in the ceiling and the rain came down like an open faucet. 2 more calls to the landlord's wife and she just kept telling me the same thing...her husband was out of town.
And I was out of luck - no sleep that night, and I had to have a garbage can in my bedroom. The contractor came back the next day. I was young and naive and it never occurred to me to get hostile or even ask for compensation. But my landlord knew there was nothing he could do at the time and he probably didn't lose any sleep over it. His wife did though ;)
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@James Wise, thank you so much for the good wishes!
@Dan Vleck, what a lousy experience! I am concerned about that kind of thing, since I'm the "big-city fat-cat landlord" (so NOT!) operating in a small town 3 hours from my home. Everybody knows everybody there, and every felon I've met tells me he has good friends on the police force. I'd LOVE to go on vacation, but with this situation in full swing... I can't really, can I?
@Marcel Bryar, thank you so much for those insights into how to interview past landlords more deeply. This is what I need. Of course, then there are the easy cases, like when I called the last landlord for this guy who shouldn't be living in my rental, and his first statement was "he was full of horses**t." Next statement: "He left the place with $4K worth of damage." Of course, the girlfriend (my legit tenant) says it was the boyfriend's ex-wife who did it...
@Aly W., yikes! How awful! But doesn't that support the notion that the landlord should have been available for that emergency?
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
10y
@Carol Venolia I was wondering were these rentals were you should not have these issues in Santa Rosa as long as you were getting criminal backgrounds on tenants .. but I see you say they are 3 hours away.. So taking out anything to the West IE your at Jenner by the sea in 40 minutes your rentals have to be up in Eureka area or in the Sierra foothills or central valley.. Or down by Monterrey somewhere.
I had a bunch of rentals in the day in Lake co... and they were very tough... much like what folks run into in the mid west.
If your tenant base is a chore this may not get any better you can't change the demographics of the area quickly.. I would consider selling and buying better properties.
Me personally I am the worlds worst land lord and I HATE landlording.. so my next step into it was to have enough units that I never dealt with tenants and I made the PM Equity partner so I never paid for PM services. This worked pretty well .. But I can tell you the happiest day of my life was 2 years ago when I sold them.. I had 350 of these lower end units and tenants.. its a constant struggle... My next venture into rentals will be class A I would much prefer 5 to 7% return with no Drama than 8 to 10 or 12 to 15 which you never really get when you sit down and figure your TRUE costs.
I own 4 acres right next to the Graton Casino that could be my next project put in about 100 apartments and call it a day.. won't have great returns 5 to 6% but I will get them and not have all the stress and drama like what your going through...
Landlording is NOT for everyone I totally agree and its not for me.
Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
@Carol Venolia First off, you say he has anger issues. How do they manifest themselves? Because people that have "anger issues" usually are mentally unstable, and can thrash properties very easily, punching holes in walls, breaking things, etc.
You don't owe that guy a thing, and he has given you reason to evict him, so do it.
If you don't want to do that, maybe hiring a property manager would make sense for you. Or, you might want to sell some units and upgrade to higher end tenants.
What you need to own though is this, NOBODY ... HAS THE RIGHT TO ABUSE YOU IN ANY WAY OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. You own the property, and it is yours to choose or decline tenants. Don't let tenants start running your business. If you need to talk to the tenant and are intimidated, do it on the phone, or take someone with you. But if that's the case, it's a sure sign you need to get that tenant out of there!
Investor · Middletown, NJ · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
@Carol Venolia, at the time, I absolutely thought my landlord (or the contractor, actually) should have taken care of it in the middle of the night. That was my tenant perspective.
As a landlord now, I can't imagine how I would take care of that in the middle of the night. Neither myself nor my husband would be getting up on any roof, and no contractor would come out in a rainstorm at night either.
I'm surprised now that the landlord's wife kept answering the phone ;)
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@Jay Hinrichs, very interesting observations! My properties are in California's Gold Country--where there are many lovely people, and many low-lifes (oh, did I say that??). I really am beginning to wonder if I've picked the wrong area. My latest theory is that anyone in that area who's responsible and earning a living can afford to buy their own place there, so what's left is a renter pool of marginal folks. Not always, but it's a factor.
Anyhow, your story and your analysis of what works for you are very helpful. And great good luck with the property near the Graton Casino!
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@Karen Margrave, thank you so much for that boost! You've got this guy pegged. He's blown up at me in email, and in the background when his girlfriend (my legitimate tenant) was leaving me a phone message. In each case, there was no reasonable provocation, and he knew he was acting against his own interests, yet he blew up anyway. And, yes, I'm concerned that he may trash the place; I've just had to let go of that worry so I can sleep. One day at a time.
I did tell the non-tenant boyfriend that he'd outstayed the legally allowable time for a houseguest and had to leave. His emailed (yess! a paper trail!) reply was that he'd see me in court for discrimination. I don't think he has a legal leg to stand on, and I've swiftly called in my own legal help; action is underway.
Thanks so much for reminding me that I own the place, I operate professionally, and he can't cow me.
Investor · Thermopolis, WY · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
@Carol Venolia, you have gotten such good advice here there is not much for me to add. My first thought is that we all have areas that we are great in and areas where we are not cut out to do things. I was a great jockey (in my mind), but I was lousy at football. Maybe because I weighed 105 pounds in my gear in high school. We cannot be great at everything. You have done a great thing already. You called legal counsel and let them do what they do good. You keep being a good landlord and good person. There are some truly bad people out in the world and not everyone is ready to deal with them. Some folks make a living dealing with folks like them. Hell a fair number of the attorneys I have had to deal with fit the description of the new illegal resident. Do not let people like that steal your peace of mind or your satisfaction with what you do. My signature line has a motto I borrowed from my little brother, Don't let others decide your attitude. Get the support of mentors and friends to deal with things. We all need the reassurance that friends and family can provide.
I know about being overwhelmed. As if my day job isn't stressful enough, throw in 30 rental units. I thought I was so very smart by setting up all my rentals to roll over in the summer when they are the easiest to rent. then have about 5 rentals come open in one month and they all need some rehab, and what do you get? Insanity hehe. We all get overwhelmed, we are not perfect, but we all can over come it. Hang in there and let me say good job.
Rental Property Investor · La Quinta, CA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 779 votes
10y
@Carol Venolia if your property is in Nevada County, or surrounding area, that's where most of my rentals are. It's a very interesting mix of people. If I can help provide you an eviction and related attorney to help get this guy out, provide a competent property manager, or even buy your place if you just want out of it, let me know! I've picked up a bunch of rentals in the area over the lat 2 years, and know the landscape pretty well.
Regarding @Aly W.'s story of when she was a tenant and your question asking if that supports the notion that the landlord should have been available for the emergency... I think that sometimes, things just can't be avoided.
It would be a bit much to expect a person to *always* be available just in case of an emergency such as the huge leak Aly experienced. Perhaps....but only perhaps...this situation could have better been prepared for if the landlord had given Aly his list of contractors to call in emergencies if she can't reach the landlord. But even then, if she called a roofer who failed to put a tarp up...it was the middle of the night and raining. I doubt they would have answered the phone or come back out until the morning anyway. So, no, I don't think anyone should expect a landlord to constantly be available. If he was, what could he have done anyway? Going up on the roof in pouring rain is way too dangerous.
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@Jay Hinrichs and @John D., actually these properties are in Calaveras County. Probably a similar demographic, but also probably a bit far from a Nevada County attorney. But I really appreciate your offer of referrals (or to buy the place!), John!
Flipper/Rehabber · Mechanicsburg, PA · Member since 2013 · 189 posts · 84 votes
10y
I didn't read all the responses but this is exactly why I finally decided to hire a property manager after 2 years of self managing. I'm happy that I did it myself so I understand the process but hiring a manager has renewed my enthusiasm for REI.
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@Jerry W., yes, I've gotten lots of helpful advice and soothing here, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of what you wrote! I deeply appreciate your words of comfort and the way you put things in perspective. Yep, getting overwhelmed sucks. Yet when we own multiple rental properties, I suspect that even the best planning can't keep overwhelm from happening sometimes. So we look for coping strategies, eh? And I'm getting lots of them from you and others, so hallelujah. Your encouragement means a great deal to me.
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
@Aly W., thank you very much for your thoughts on "middle-of-the-night availability." I've struggled with those same concepts. If I give a tenant a list of people to call in an emergency, they could abuse that privilege; I sure prefer to always be in the middle of that conversation. And, yeah, what subcontractor is going to answer their phone in the middle of the night?
Sounds like my best bet is to show tenants how to turn off utilities in case of an emergency (which I do in our beginning walk-through), check messages even during my off hours--and not worry about what happens while I sleep.
Flipper/Rehabber · Monterey, CA · Member since 2014 · 193 posts · 117 votes
10y
I've been thanking you all individually, but now I want to give you some blanket appreciation and an update.
Appreciation: Y'all have been better for me than even my closest friends! You've given me everything from sound advice to emotional comforting to sharing your stories so I can see (and feel) how others have struggled and survived similar situations. You are all a big part of how I'm getting through this current crisis. And especially those of you who firmly advised me to bring in legal help and move forward with eviction! I'd been thinking, "I should be able to handle this myself--but now I have to really study up and make sure I don't do anything wrong, cuz now this precious squatter is threatening me with legal action--AND I want to avoid lawyer's fees." But many of you helped me cut right through that with your strong suggestion that spending the money is well worth it. Thank you, bless you.
Update: Hm, maybe I shouldn't say much because this is a public forum and I've begun legal action? So I'll vaguely say that the person in question has escalated things, and I now have a legal dude taking over for me. I felt kind of weak until the illegal occupant stepped up his outbursts and threats to the point where he made me strong again; there's no more grey area ("oh, maybe I should give him another chance; maybe I should spend more time looking for reasons to accept his application..."); he has shown his hand, and I'm rising up tough.
I'm back in the saddle, and nothing's gonna stop this cowgirl! Thank you for riding the trail with me. And thanks to the founders of BP! Where would we all be without this forum?
Investor · Soldotna, AK · Member since 2015 · 103 posts · 64 votes
10y
Like someone mentioned earlier, pick up a copy of E-Myth, it will change how you think. I read it years ago for another business adventure and it helped to make me much more profitable.
Investor · Central Valley, CA · Member since 2012 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
Would you manage these same properties with the same tenant pool for someone else if you didn't own them? How much would someone have to pay you to make it worth your while? Would you do it for 10% of rent amount? Does that sound like fun? Is that how you would choose to spend your weekends and travel time?
Of course landlording is not for everyone. Of course, everyone is not cut out for it. Of course you can learn with help and time and experience. But the question is: why? Is this the skill you want to develop at this time in your life. Or are you actively managing because the properties won't cash flow if you hire it out?
Rental Property Investor · La Quinta, CA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 779 votes
10y
Glad you've got someone handling for you. If for some reason you are unhappy with eviction/RE attorney, let me know I have someone that i great (and I thought her rates were fairly reasonable for the nightmare eviction I had to use her on).