Tenant Putting My Rent Money Into Escrow w/ The County

Tenant Putting My Rent Money Into Escrow w/ The County

Hyattsville, MD · Member since 2009 · 41 posts · 4 votes

I have a very obnoxious tenant that does the most over small things. One time I forgot a water bill payment and they cut the water off. When she told me I immediately paid the bill but they didn't come until the next day to cut on the water. So she took it upon herself to go to a hotel that night and when rent was due, she attempted to charge me her hotel bill. That didn't go her way. But now she is upset that there is a reoccurring issue with a shower leak in the house. I'm trying to get it fixed without replacing the whole shower. I ended up calling a plumber to check it out. But then she decides instead of paying me the rent, she wants to have the court hold it until the issue is fixed. Is she within her rights to do that? Mind you she is currently in a month to month lease. In our contract she has agreed to allow me the ability to show off the property to potential homebuyers. But I decided not to sell it. But now I plan to give her a 60 day notice to vacate and market the house to potential renters. So my other question is when does the 60 days start? When I write it or when she receives it?

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Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2014 · 730 posts · 1k+ votes
9y
Write the 60 day notice, tape it to her front door, and move on. We are far too busy in our lives to worry about entitled tenants.
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  • Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2014 · 730 posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    Write the 60 day notice, tape it to her front door, and move on. We are far too busy in our lives to worry about entitled tenants.
  • Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    Ya she probably could, that's the step that is there for her so you can't file eviction action against her or charge her late fee's until the issue is corrected. I'd call her tell her you have a plumber scheduled and when you'll be in to fix it.. just say.. I understand your planning on putting your rent in  escrow  pending repairs, but that's really not necessary. I've agreed to fix the problem. 

    Check your landlord tenant laws for your state and call county, you'll want to verify she has made a escrow payment there.. 

    Get it fixed and when her lease comes due for renewal I'd be giving her a non-renewal.. 

  • Kim Meredith HamptonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · St Petersburg · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Allen Lucas Not sure of the timeframe for repairs in your state, but in Florida the Landlord only has seven days from the time the complaint was filed in writing. If the issue is not repaired within the seven days, the tenant can put the rent with the registry of the court.

    As a PM, I could have had the repair done with 24-48 hours on the shower issue. Did you already know that the entire shower needed to be replaced before this tenant moved in, or is it just a simple repair. If you get rid of this tenant, the repair is still there. My suggestion is to take care of the repair right away. Its not like shes asking for a light bulb to be replaced!!

  • Hyattsville, MD · Member since 2009 · 41 posts · 4 votes
    9y

    In my state the Landlord has 30 days to respond to a complaint. And I have responded to this complaint about 3 times. The guys I hired could not seem to get the job done. So now I need to hire a licensed plumbing service to ratify the issue. But let her tell it, I wait an entire year to fix things in the house. But yet my contractors have been in that house pretty much every month fixing things or replacing things. 

  • Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    9y

    60 days notice should be considered as 2 months notice. Regardless of when it is given count from the 1st of the month following notification to the end of the second month. You could choose otherwise but you first need to confirm with your landlord tenant regulations as to how 60 days is defined.

    I would plan on giving her notice near the end of February and the termination date would be the last day of April.

    It is within her rights to have the court hold her rent however that does not mean the court will rule in her favour on the matter. Go through the process to resolve the rent matter and try to collect damages if allowed in the case they rule in your favour. Call the court and find out the answers you need.

    I would be getting rid of this pos tenant asap.

  • Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
    9y

    @Allen Lucas around here, they don't turn off the water without several bills and warnings being sent out over several months. In any case, not having running water IS a big thing, not a small thing.  Assuming she wasn't staying at some high end hotel I would have paid the hotel bill.

    I'm no lawyer but the 60 day notice probably starts from when she receives it or is assumed to have received it. When I did hire a lawyer due to a tenant problem they had me send two of the exact same letters, one by regular mail, and one return receipt where you get that green card back. 

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