Skip to content

Let's keep in touch

Subscribe to our newsletter for timely insights and actionable tips on your real estate journey.

By signing up, you indicate that you agree to the BiggerPockets Terms & Conditions
Followed Discussions Followed Categories Followed People Followed Locations
General Landlording & Rental Properties
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

User Stats

1,396
Posts
665
Votes
Mark Updegraff
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Rochester, NY
665
Votes |
1,396
Posts

Share your WORST tenant requests?

Mark Updegraff
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Rochester, NY
Posted

Relative newbie to Landlording 101 (just over 2 years)

What is the WORST (stupid, funny, challenged etc) request a tenant has made to you? It can be written or verbal

I'll go first, I expect you more experienced landlords to have some excellent ones :D

"Will you sign this document that says my boyfriend has lived here for the last 6 months so he can collect taxpayer dollars for degenerates?" (OK, I'm taking creative liberty on this quote)

me: "No, he isn't on the lease and no one told me he was living here, by the way, have him fill out this application."
fast forward 2 weeks, I get a letter from DSS saying that he lives there and I need to do this and that so he can get taxpayer dollars. I say, he isn't on any lease of mine. DSS: Well, we have it right here in front of us... that's right they forged a new lease and sent the sucker in!

"I know the rent was due on the 5th, and it is now the 18th, would you mind waiting until next week to cash that check?"

"Our hallway window is broken, can you come fix it"
A new Double hung vinyl window looked like a brick was thrown through it. After I got there to "fix" it I reply "Fix it? Why didn't you say REPLACE it on the phone? I'll have to schedule this with my contractor"

OK OK, that is all for me.
Give it a go, it feels GOOD :D

Most Popular Reply

User Stats

8,666
Posts
4,017
Votes
Jon Klaus
  • Developer
  • Garland, TX
4,017
Votes |
8,666
Posts
Jon Klaus
  • Developer
  • Garland, TX
Replied

"Hey, you cashed my rent check it made a bunch of other checks I wrote bounce. You need to pay all my bank fees."

Ummh, No.

"Well you deposited it on the first and you usually deposit it on the 6th or 7th, so you need to pay"

Ummh, No.

Email less than one hour later."We have mold in our house and we are going to sue you."

User Stats

72
Posts
21
Votes
Marco Y.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • North Jersey, NJ
21
Votes |
72
Posts
Marco Y.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • North Jersey, NJ
Replied

I have one "interesting" tenant who gives me a good story every few months. Last week he called frantically in the middle of the night saying his car was stolen. I tell him "call the police". He says ok hangs up.

Calls me back 20 minutes later and says "hey can I borrow $300 it turns out my car was towed by the city because I kept parking it at the hydrant."

Me: "No, you can't borrow $300"

Tenant: "Ok well just GIVE ME $300 from my security deposit then" (By the way this guy still owes half a month of deposit that I still havent received).

Me: "Seriously?" 

User Stats

22
Posts
34
Votes
Keith N.
  • Investor
  • Ottawa, IL
34
Votes |
22
Posts
Keith N.
  • Investor
  • Ottawa, IL
Replied

A tenant called to complain that the dryer wasn't working, and could I replace it?  When I went to check it out, I found a dense blanket of lint in the trap.

Me: When was the last time you emptied your lint trap?

Him: What's a lint trap? My mom always did my laundry

Another tenant complained that the heat wasn't working, so I went over to check it out.  They'd removed the thermostat batteries for their remote control.

On that same visit, there's a cat, litter box, cat toys everywhere.  They didn't have a cat in the lease.

Me: I'm sorry, sneaking in a cat is a violation of your lease.  You have 30 days to move out.

Her: No, it's okay! I'm just watching him for a friend of mine.

Me: You aren't allowed to have any animals, per your lease. That includes watching them for a friend.

Her: That's not fair! The least says I can't have a cat, but it's not my cat, so it shouldn't count!

Another tenant called around 8pm to ask if I could replace their window right away that night.  He'd lost his keys the night before, so he broke the window and climbed in. The apartment was cold all day and he was worried he wouldn't be able to sleep that night.  This was in January in Illinois.  I boarded up the window that night, then had the glass replaced and gave him the $95 invoice.  He asked if he could get a pass on paying the bill since this was his first time.  I told him it's only $10 to have the door unlocked if he's locked out (I live down the street).

  • Keith N.
  • Steadily logo
    Steadily
    |
    Sponsored
    Need property and liability insurance for your rentals? BP Investors trust Steadily for great rates and tailored coverage for short and long-term rentals.

    User Stats

    7,695
    Posts
    7,862
    Votes
    Caleb Heimsoth
    • Rental Property Investor
    • Durham, NC
    7,862
    Votes |
    7,695
    Posts
    Caleb Heimsoth
    • Rental Property Investor
    • Durham, NC
    Replied

    Some of these make me very happy my tenants don’t have my phone number.

    User Stats

    175
    Posts
    94
    Votes
    Shane H.
    • Investor
    • Spokane Valley, WA
    94
    Votes |
    175
    Posts
    Shane H.
    • Investor
    • Spokane Valley, WA
    Replied

    haha these are great, i could read them all day. I remember reading a much longer thread with the same/similar subject. There was a "crazy things applicants say" and a "things tenants say/do" but i can't find the tenant one for some reason.

    1 2 3 4