Tenant sign on door says call the cops
Monroe, WI · Member since 2015 · 31 posts · 7 votes
I just bought a duplex 3 weeks ago and have been at the property rehabbing the vacant lower unit. I was outside installing gutter screens and noticed a torn window screen and a slightly open window in the common area. I went up the stairs that my upstairs tenant uses to get to her door because the open window was at the top but not in her apt. I noticed a sign taped to her door that said "If you've made it this far without my permission, I will call the cops". I need to know my rights to post notices ect, I closed and locked the window and want to make sure I didn't do anything wrong. Her lease clearly states she rents only the space between her apartment walls, not common areas. I am in Wisconsin. I feel like I wasn't in the wrong because I did not go into her apartment, just outside her door.
@Dean Klein @Samantha Klein Welcome to the joys of rental property management. Showing up to do exterior repairs or maintenance, especially for common areas is not going to get you in trouble. You reaching out to your tenant is not harassment either. Additionally there are no grounds for eviction, even if the place is under market rent. If anything you now have a new line item you can add to your future lease that says "Tenant agrees not to post signs on doors or windows".
As I see it you have done what you needed to do which was to open up an avenue for communication and given her instructions on how to pay rent and report issues. What I would honestly do is print off a note that says "I came upstairs to replace the window screen and noticed you had an alarming letter posted about calling the cops. I would very much like to discuss because it is important for us to know if your safety feels threatened. Call me as soon as you get this at (xxx) xxx-xxxx." I would switch that note for the one about the cops.
@Ryan Wright Hi Ryan, thank you for offering your suggestions. I had first tried knocking on her door, when I was unsuccessful twice, I tried calling her and left a message, a few days past and I did not hear anything, so I text and told her that I had mailed a letter and that she should pick it up from the Post Office, she did reply and say OK but that was the only communication I had with her until last night. I bought a duplex last year and live in one side and rent the other side out to my aunt, so this was my first full investment and first time inheriting or dealing with a "real" tenant as I don't consider my aunt as much of a tenant because I know her and she's a clean person, pays rent on time, ect. Per WI law, I can post a notice on her door if I want to inspect 24 hours ahead of time. I may or may not do this right away, I don't want to act like I'm intruding on her, I don't get the vibe that she's doing anything wrong, I think since it's her first time renting, she may have been scared of a new landlord possibly thinking she would be asked to leave or rent raised but I re-assured her that the terms of her lease will remain in full effect.
@Samantha, Glad to hear you at least got a response. I hope that is a step in the right direction. Did you see the inside of the property before you purchased it? Was the tenant taking good care of it? We look at tenants application as Job Applicants, It is their job to take care of the property it is our job to provide them the keys to the Kingdom. I think when they realize we hire them to do a job the table turn a bit. Bottom line when people are in the equation you never know what can happen. Great job and taking the step in the game and getting a "real tenant" you will learn a lot and have stories to tell for years to come!
I would send a second written letter on official stock that requests a phone conversation. I would give her the "Alternate of Choice" approach and propose two days and times that you are available and ask her which one works for her. On the note you can give her two ways to reply. The first option could be to write another note and stick it outside her door, or second is to text you the time that works and if she would prefer communication by phone or face to face. If you are able to get in touch with her, I would request a walk through in the next 30 days so you can perform your due diligence. No need to evict if the rent is paid, but you do want to confirm if there is a security issue or any living conditions existing in her room that could be in violation of the lease.
I can post a notice on her door if I want to inspect 24 hours ahead of time. I may or may not do this right away, I don't want to act like I'm intruding on her, I don't get the vibe that she's doing anything wrong,
I'd get entry to her apartment ASAP, especially given the short conversation you had with her and her remarks.
Don't fall into a lackadaisical landlord mentality. You've got your hard earned money invested in this INVESTMENT, the last thing I would be worried about is intruding on her. That's an approach that will bite you in the butt sooner or later as a landlord. Unless you want to get some really nasty, and expensive wake up calls someday I get over the idea of not 'intruding' on tenants. Give no tenant the benefit of the doubt, trust but verify everything. Assume your tenants are up to no good (especially with this wacko's attitude) until they prove otherwise, it costs you nothing but will save you tens of thousands of dollars, you need to realize that not everyone in this world acts and treats things like you do. And anyone telling you you're disturbing her needs to get out of this business. It's your property, renting from you is a privilege not a right. She's too wacky, I'd want to get in there and see what is going on. Don't be surprised to find her growing pot in her place, or she's painted the entire apartment, walls, ceilings wood work black or something else, nothing would surprise me anymore.
If the building was recently for sale, maybe she's annoyed at all the people showing up to see her apartment. Some real estate agents aren't good about giving advance notice of showings to tenants, leaving them feeling disrespected and angry. It's no fun having your home on the market and strangers tromping through. I think you should assure her that her privacy will not be violated, but you will periodically do inspections with advance notice to ensure smoke alarms, etc. are working.
I actually just toured a building with such a note on the door. I knew the agent hadn't done a good job notifying tenants I would be there. This particular tenant also had a mental illness and was on subsidized housing because of it. I made an inspection of the unit a contingency of the sale and the unit was fine.
Just from reading this, in the most polite way possible, I don't think Dean and Samantha are cut out to be landlords. I have anxiety just from reading their posts. Talk about escalating a situation that doesn't need to be escalated. Don't make assumptions that someone is lying or hiding something just because they are quiet and anti-social. Would you want your landlords treating you this way? I certainly wouldn't want to live in a unit with either of you being the landlord.
I own over 30 units now and I currently rent. I prefer renting. If I had a landlord that was pestering me and not leaving me alone, I might just call the cops to give them a taste of their own medicine and show them how it feels when they are starting to be too intrusive. I've had landlord's try to evict me before (within the last year actually) and I was able to talk with them through it because they were being ridiculous. I always pay rent on time, I make multiple 6-figures, but still some people just aren't cut out to be landlords. It's a learning curve I know, and I didn't want this to be rude, I wanted you both to think about this from the tenants perspective, that's all, honestly.
To answer your initial question, I walk the common areas of my apartments whenever I want to without notice. You are completely in the right. Neither of you have done anything wrong or illegal. Best of luck to you!
just raise the rent enough that she will move out at the end of the term.
Update:
Shortly after this thread, communication was opened up between us and the tenant, in the letter we sent, we introduced ourselves and re-assured her that her lease was in full effect, and that we had her security deposit. We also encouraged her to report any repairs needing to be done. She has paid rent 100% on time in full between then and now, and I recently had to replace a water heater heating element in her apartment and she was very inviting and kind, everything has been going great. When we made this thread 7-8 months ago, we had just bought our very 1st full investment property with little experience, and we probably over-reacted. We have rehabbed the lower unit and have great tenants in there now too. We have spent many hours a day on BP just reading and have learned a great deal. Thank you again to everyone to chimed in to help us out!
common areas need upkeep, vacuuming, window washing and you don't need to get permission to do that work or give notice your going to be doing it, but should be done within normal hours.
yearly inspections prior to lease renewal is common, and you need to give notice for that.
So if you choose not to renew her lease, give her proper notice.
Otherwise as long as she pays and keeps apartment in good condition,, I wouldn't worry about the door note just make sure you give her proper notice if you ever go into her apartment for any issues.
If the exterior common door is a emergency exit and when locked does not have a automatic type of door handle to release the lock then you need to change the door lock so it has this type of lock knob. If it is not to be kept locked then take the lock off.