Tenant will not stop asking for improvements

Tenant will not stop asking for improvements

Rental Property Investor · Pulaski, VA · Member since 2016 · 70 posts · 31 votes

I have a tenant that will start a lease on May 1. The house was already in livable condition but I have improved it by installing a new toilet, painting every room, tearing the kitchen down to the studs and installing brand new flooring, cabinets, and appliances. I have added a LOT of value to this property.

I have been sending her updates of the new kitchen and freshly painted rooms and all she comments on is small things that she wants me to do and frankly do not have time to do between now and her move in date.

Recently she has asked that I paint the ceilings. all of them look fine to me. there is one bedroom that has some small yellow stars painted on the ceiling but they are not very noticeable. she wants me to paint at least this one room but I am getting married this weekend and will be gone until she moves in. I told her this so now she wants her and her husband to do the painting.

she has also asked me to tear down the paneling in the third bedroom and replace with drywall. I said no, so she asked If they could do it themselves.

another time she asked if they could frame in the basement. I said no, she asked if they could do it themselves.

now she has asked if I will do a lease to own.

I feel like I have made this house into a comfortable home for her and her husband to live in so when will the questions for more improvements stop and how can I politely answer all of these never ending requests?

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Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9y

1st tell her you will not or ever consider to do a  Lease to Own.

2nd, No further improvements will be done to the home.

3. They are not permitted to paint or change anything inside the home.

4. If you don't feel like your comfortable I will let you out of the lease. 

5 Get married, 

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  • Buy & Hold Owner · Redlands, CA · Member since 2015 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    You don't ALWAYS need to be polite - - Your lease should have forbidden all modifications by the tenant.  Remind them:

    • you signed the lease and moved in AS-IS
    • NO modifications will be made by unlicensed persons

    Ask her if she would really like to move out, seeing how upset she is and see how she responds.

  • Rental Property Investor · Pulaski, VA · Member since 2016 · 70 posts · 31 votes
    9y

    I wrote clearly in the lease, "absolutely no modifications or improvements, including hanging pictures, are to be made without prior landlord approval"

    my trouble is I just have a hard time telling people no

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

    "my trouble is I just have a hard time telling people no"....You will have a very difficult time being a landlord with this disability. The most common answer a landlord should be giving a tenant is NO. Going forward make that your go to response for anything beyond "necessary" maintenance. If it isn't broke don't do it.

    The requests will end when you send the message that you are finished doing upgrades and the unit is to be rented as is. Every time you agree to a request you teach a tenant that requests will be granted.

    You must now inform the tenant that you have finished the unit, she will be deciding if she still wants it "as is" and if not you will release her from the lease. That message will make your point assuming you are direct and to the point, If you are in any way vague or evasive in sending the message you will not get it across.

    Additionally, with this type of tenant, you must make it crystal clear that they are not permitted to do any work of any sort on the property ever, no building, no painting, no changing of anything.  

    As a landlord you have been sending the wrong message to this individual and must now un-train her. This will require some effort and you must be very strict, no more favours. Going forward your response to every request must be a flat no if you want to break the cycle.

    IT was easy for you to train her to ask and receive favours, it will not be so easy to un-train her.

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

    @Virginia Jones You gotta toughen up, or the tenants will walk all over you. Maybe hire a PM if you can't treat this as a business, let someone else be the bad guy. 

  • Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    1st tell her you will not or ever consider to do a  Lease to Own.

    2nd, No further improvements will be done to the home.

    3. They are not permitted to paint or change anything inside the home.

    4. If you don't feel like your comfortable I will let you out of the lease. 

    5 Get married, 

  • Investor · PA · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 602 votes
    9y

    If it was already livable and not in bad condition then I would not have made any improvements. They can upgrade their own home to their satisfaction when they decide to buy one.

  • Rental Property Investor · Olympia, WA · Member since 2012 · 543 posts · 311 votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones  You'll get used to saying no.  Its a skill, and from your post, you are ready well on your way to developing a strong skill in saying no.  However, don't go overboard.   Be welcoming and accommodating wherever you can do so within your comfort level.  I think you're already a bit overboard on saying no with this:

    "absolutely no modifications or improvements, including hanging pictures, are to be made without prior landlord approval"

    Hard to imagine what you find wrong with a tenant hanging their own pictures?  I want my tenants to feel at home and stay a long time.  Patching nail holes is and touch up painting is quick, easy, and if tenants don't do it themselves, even massive patching and painting is covered by the tenants deposit.   Its your rental.  Prohibit picture hanging if you want, but that seems almost antagonistic to me.
  • USA · Member since 2017 · 102 posts · 62 votes
    9y
    A lot of people, including me, had a hard time saying no in the beginning. You find it hard to say no because you've been put on the spot with a request you were not prepared to, and don't know how to, answer. I make it a practice to never answer the question when they ask me. My stock answer is " Let me look into it and I'll get back to you". That will give you to time to get on this forum and ask more experienced landlords how to handle the situation. You can also start communicating with your tenant by texting or emailing. This will make it very difficult for you to be put on the spot.
  • Investor · Portsmouth, VA · Member since 2016 · 289 posts · 107 votes
    9y

    I have a tenant that "nitpicked" just about everything on my lease. I met most of his demands as they were things I was going to do anyway...just on my own time and not his. Now I regret it because he feels like he can ask for just about any ridiculous thing. I.E. I have a feeling he damaged his own door because he was locked out of his room, now he is requesting for "better locks because the current one can be opened with a butter knife". When I went to his room the door jamb was visibly damaged (the doors and jambs were brand new before he moved in). I addressed that with him and he is claiming he noticed that a week after he moved in and he didn't do it.  This same tenant tells me just about EVERYTHING else that goes on in this house but he conveniently forgot to mention the damaged door that "happened weeks ago". My advice RUN WHILE YOU CAN. They will keep asking as long as you keep entertaining it. 

  • Nicole A.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones I think your "trouble" may have started when you decided to send her progress reports complete with pictures. She doesn't need all that. She knows her move-in date is 01 May, and that's it. It was nice of you to be so inclusive, but as you see, this can also cause nuisance to you. 

  • Investor · Sewickley, PA · Member since 2017 · 59 posts · 32 votes
    9y

    I hope you were able to resolve the situation. We had a similar tenant once, with the issue being "I don't like white walls". My husband let her paint the walls. so now...we can't really touch them up. When they get scuffed it will be back to white for us. I think the problem was that she had been married and had owned a home and so she felt like it was her right to make changes here and there. The painting she asked about. Moving the soil and planting things next to the foundation she didn't ask about. I think that even if you lose a month rent, you should offer her out of the lease and hope that she takes you up on it!  Good luck and have fun getting married!

  • Rental Property Investor · Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2008 · 168 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Nicole A. I agree with this 100%. I would try everything in your power NOT to rent to these people. 

  • Ronan M.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 352 posts · 281 votes
    9y

    I think you are being your own worst enemy here. Why all the back and forth with this person that is not even your tenant yet ??  Sending pictures, Sending updates, Facebook buddies, Breakfast in Bed !!!

    Totally unnecessary.

    Fix the property up to the standard of rental you provide and that's it. They either take it or leave it.

  • Investor · Downers Grove, IL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 955 votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones

    Since these tenants have not moved in yet, I think (as difficult as it is) you have to put your foot down. Or walk away from them

    They may start taking advantage of you once they move in and have more demands - making you even more miserable. 

    Enjoy your time away, and when you come back, then regroup. Personally, it's better to leave the unit vacant than to rent to a needy tenant who complains excessively. 

  • Engineer · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    I allow good tenants some annual work allocation for improvements as long as they add actual value to the property. For non-value adds I'll allow good tenants to do some approved changes themselves. For new or annoying tenants I'd follow what others suggested, just tell them "No" and leave it at that.
  • Rental Property Investor · Pulaski, VA · Member since 2016 · 70 posts · 31 votes
    9y

    I can't turn them away now because they have already signed the lease and given notice to their current landlord.

  • Shawn AckermanPro Member
    Real Estate Entrepreneur · Mid West, East Coast · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones Take control of the situation and put some boundaries around this new relationship.  If she is making these requests prior to moving in imagine what you can expect after she moves in.  If you don't have another viable tenant then go with her with boundaries in place otherwise the 80/20 rule will be in full effect!!!  

  • Real Estate Agent · Placentia, CA · Member since 2014 · 13 posts · 6 votes
    9y
    Deanna McCormick Agreed and well said!
  • Dave Van HornPro Member
    Fund Manager · Wayne, PA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    Why not just start raising the rent? They'll stop asking at some point ;)

  • Investor · Brownville, ME · Member since 2017 · 83 posts · 35 votes
    9y

    Just stop updating her. Don't send more pictures, don't accept requests, you're getting married and you're done renovating.

  • Rod HanksBusiness Member
    Insurance Agent · Dallas, TX · Member since 2013 · 743 posts · 462 votes
    9y

    You are in the wrong business if you have a hard time telling people no. Tenants will take you as far as you allow them. I would suggest you hire a property manager because if you don't you are going to lose a lot of money on this property.

    Rod Hanks Insurance4.9153 Reviews
  • Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones One could write an entire blog post on the red flags from your post.  If the tenant is causing this much of an issue now, imagine when she actually lives there.  I would just give her deposit back if she's given one and move on.

  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y
    You may be obligated by the lease now but basically you can say I am done with the improvements. Link that with offering them out of the lease if they aren't satisfied with the condition of the house. Honestly I think that will get the message across. The only thing I heard that I might have assumed as a potential tenant would have been done unless discussed otherwise is painting the stars on the ceiling. While it is fine to say we finished the kitchen and send a picture when you give ongoing updates they may assume they have input when they don't. Quash that assumption or they will be a ongoing headache.
  • Investor · Canton, GA · Member since 2014 · 727 posts · 500 votes
    9y
    Reset the situation... with a different tenet. Toughen up or resign yourself to using a property manager if you intend to hold rental properties. If you don't you will be miserable in your land lording experience. Be a drill sergeant, but without the screaming. Your the boss, so act like it, or get out of the business.
  • Nicole A.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Virginia Jones No worries about not making them your tenant. Continue to move forward, but today (if you didn't start yesterday!) change your behavior. If they have not given you money or signed a lease, nothing is official. But besides that, simply set your boundaries now. Next request, practice your "no". :-)

    It can be a kind no, but a no nonetheless! 

    You will definitely want these boundaries because you will be so stressed when this lady (or others like her) becomes your tenant and then is calling/texting/emailing you at all hours of the day. Speaking of which, here's another great boundary. Do not answer calls/texts/emails after a certain hour. Perhaps between the hours of 6pm and 8am you will not answer. This both gives you a break and subtly conditions her to understand she can't just demand your attention at the drop of a hat. 

    So even if you listen to the voicemail or read the text/email, don't respond. This will really help people understand some respect. This also gives you a chance to digest the information and really think about your answer when you do reply. You can also tell her/other tenants this at the lease signing..."hey you can typically reach me during normal business hours unless there is an absolute emergency such as a fire, but even then, you probably want to call 911 first."

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