Would you renew a lease on a disrespectful tenant?
Realtor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 88 votes
She has been there a year and a half and on multiple occasions has been demanding and rude to me. She’s also a former lawyer for the FBI. She is very demanding, and kind of high-maintenance.
But she always pays her rent on time.
Her lease is up at the end of January, but she asked for a six month extension option when we signed it. She wants to stay, and wants another year lease, and wants me to sign it now. I’ve told her we will keep the terms as-is for the next six months, then revisit. She’s again asking me to sign the lease for the end of the six months now. Her last landlord sold the house and she had to move when she didn’t want to, so she is probably afraid I might do the same.
Would you tell her you are waiting to see if she can be more respectful in her communications before you sign the lease? Because that’s the only reason I want to wait. I’m not sure turning over the place is worth it either, but I don’t like the intimidation and threats I get from her.
She has been there a year and a half and on multiple occasions has been demanding and rude to me. She’s also a former lawyer for the FBI. She is very demanding, and kind of high-maintenance.
But she always pays her rent on time.
Her lease is up at the end of January, but she asked for a six month extension option when we signed it. She wants to stay, and wants another year lease, and wants me to sign it now. I’ve told her we will keep the terms as-is for the next six months, then revisit. She’s again asking me to sign the lease for the end of the six months now. Her last landlord sold the house and she had to move when she didn’t want to, so she is probably afraid I might do the same.
Would you tell her you are waiting to see if she can be more respectful in her communications before you sign the lease? Because that’s the only reason I want to wait. I’m not sure turning over the place is worth it either, but I don’t like the intimidation and threats I get from her.
You need to cut out all of this additional & unnecessary communication. Tenants are not your friends nor do you need to engage with them when they reach out to you for things that are not absolutely necessary. Here is the deal, no matter what you do they will not like you. You've got to accept that fact moving forward.
I am gathering that she has your cell number & feels like she can call you whenever she feels like B*tching about something? She feels that way because you answer the phone & try to work through everything with her Cut that out. Give her one form of contact & one form only. I'd use email. From there ignore all other modes of communication & only respond when necessary. Your job is to respond to her when you are changing the terms of the lease, rent is late or you need to handle a repair. Other than that there is no reason you need to communicate with her. She doesn't know this because you've trained her to believe that she can communicate with you for other reasons. Train her to know that she cannot.
On top of eliminating unnecessary communication I wouldn't negotiate or argue when communicating about necessary things. I would tell her this.
"Your option is to sign a new lease for 12 months under these terms or move out. You've got until X date to figure out what you want to do. End of discussion."
Do not engage in any of the additional comments she has.
"but I want to do this because" or "but why" etc.
If she is unable to call you on the cell & you only respond with her options & avoid engaging in that nonsense she will learn it's a waste of her time & you'll have a more appropriate relationship with her.
I would raise the rent , quite a bit on a new lease
I would keep her and not take a chance on getting a nice tenant who doesn't pay on time.
Also you will likely loose rent during the turnover and have to paint and do other cosmetic repairs.
I would keep her but raise the rent
She will remain a ignorant disrespectful tenant for as long as you keep her. It's your decision but as long as there are no other issues and as long as the colour of her money is green why care if there are no other issues.
You need to grow thicker skin.
She has been there a year and a half and on multiple occasions has been demanding and rude to me. She’s also a former lawyer for the FBI. She is very demanding, and kind of high-maintenance.
But she always pays her rent on time.
Her lease is up at the end of January, but she asked for a six month extension option when we signed it. She wants to stay, and wants another year lease, and wants me to sign it now. I’ve told her we will keep the terms as-is for the next six months, then revisit. She’s again asking me to sign the lease for the end of the six months now. Her last landlord sold the house and she had to move when she didn’t want to, so she is probably afraid I might do the same.
Would you tell her you are waiting to see if she can be more respectful in her communications before you sign the lease? Because that’s the only reason I want to wait. I’m not sure turning over the place is worth it either, but I don’t like the intimidation and threats I get from her.
You need to cut out all of this additional & unnecessary communication. Tenants are not your friends nor do you need to engage with them when they reach out to you for things that are not absolutely necessary. Here is the deal, no matter what you do they will not like you. You've got to accept that fact moving forward.
I am gathering that she has your cell number & feels like she can call you whenever she feels like B*tching about something? She feels that way because you answer the phone & try to work through everything with her Cut that out. Give her one form of contact & one form only. I'd use email. From there ignore all other modes of communication & only respond when necessary. Your job is to respond to her when you are changing the terms of the lease, rent is late or you need to handle a repair. Other than that there is no reason you need to communicate with her. She doesn't know this because you've trained her to believe that she can communicate with you for other reasons. Train her to know that she cannot.
On top of eliminating unnecessary communication I wouldn't negotiate or argue when communicating about necessary things. I would tell her this.
"Your option is to sign a new lease for 12 months under these terms or move out. You've got until X date to figure out what you want to do. End of discussion."
Do not engage in any of the additional comments she has.
"but I want to do this because" or "but why" etc.
If she is unable to call you on the cell & you only respond with her options & avoid engaging in that nonsense she will learn it's a waste of her time & you'll have a more appropriate relationship with her.
Why would you renew? Isn't the idea that this should be as passive and stress free as possible? There are other tenants out there, just tell her you are choosing not to renew and wish her the best. Not enough rent in the world to deal with people who add stress to your life.
@James Wise She is not calling me about unnecessary communications. She is texting me about repairs, then demanding they happen on her timeline, rather than what is realistic. And just being rude.
We do not talk about anything other than lease terms, rent payments and repairs. It’s the repairs issue that gets her being rude.
@James Wise She is not calling me about unnecessary communications. She is texting me about repairs, then demanding they happen on her timeline, rather than what is realistic. And just being rude.
We do not talk about anything other than lease terms, rent payments and repairs. It’s the repairs issue that gets her being rude.
Then respond with "The repair will be completed on X date between the hours of X & X. Be home at that time if you'd like to be there, otherwise the Tech will let himself in." After that the discussion is over. Do not engage in further communication.
Turn that unit over to the management company and go up on the rent
I would think more often then not, most people are like that. However the tenant acts isnt a personal attack towards you, try not to let it affect you personally.
A strong personality that demands repairs but pays on time for a year straight is a heck of a lot better than someone who will avoid those same repairs because they are more concerned with making excuses come the end of the month. Take the good with the bad! Im slowly learning myself, its like a chess match.
@Sarah Young My reading is this: It appears, she is causing you some stress or some type of aggravation or discomfort. How much is this stress/discomfort/aggravation worth to you? An extra 10%? 20% on top of what she is paying? if so, ask her to pay as much.
If a tenant's behavior is impacting your health, then fix it. We are landlords, because we want the control. Control also means to make tough decisions. Including decisions that might negatively impact our wallet, but are good for our health.
My health/balance is more important than $$$. If a tenant is impacting, my health, then I know what to do. Yes, there is no guarantee that the next tenant will be better. Do what's right for you in the long run and be at peace with your decision.
Another option is to have a buffer between you and the tenant. it is called Property manager. Again , it is not free , but it shields you from situations like this. I'm always thankful I use property managers.
Good Luck.
I had a very high maintenance tenant. They paid on time, every time for 2 years but the constant requests for anything and unreasonable timelines as you noted were to much for me. Even if I had increased the rent it would not have made it worth it to me to deal with the headaches. It is up to you how much of a pain she is or if the complaining is really just her wanting things fixed that can be better managed on your end.
@Sarah Pursell, I don’t agree with many who suggested to keep her to avoid turnover expenses. It’s eminent that she will eventually leave and turnovers are part of the business. I rather have a tenant that is respectful. As far as paying on time, it’s up to you how you train them. Give her a notice of non-renewal. If you raise her rent, fine, she may agree but with that her expectations will increase too. Why go through all that hassle when there are plenty of people who are looking for place to leave? Granted it may take 4-5 weeks to re-rent, but that will happen eventually when she leaves on her own. Cut your losses and headaches when you have a chance to do it now.
Make sure to pick the right tenant next time. No lawyers who can intimidate you. Lol.
I had a lady just like her. on move out, I docked her like 150 for repairs, within minutes I had a letter from her attorney..
just be ready for handing her over her entire deposit.. she will fight you tooth and nail if you keep her.
I think in your case, the relationship may not be salvageable, i.e. you won't be able to gain control since she already got away behaving this way, easily. so up to you,
you can take this as a challenge and see how you turn her around or raise the rent and move on to a blank tenant and train them from day 0
My 2 cents:
I agree with others that you're being stressed out over phone calls. Eliminate phone calls (as mentioned) and go to e-mail. That should help eliminate the stress having to talk to her. I agree with others on setting boundaries, e.g. using an online form, e-mail contact.
I think you DO have to factor in turnover. Is it worth the hassle and lost rent of finding a new tenant?
I'm curious what the repairs were. Do you think a different tenant would have asked for the same repairs?
I agree with raising the rent, but $100 seems reasonable, not gouging her because of your disdain of her.
You do have some leverage BEFORE you sign the lease (as you mentioned, she doesn't want to deal with a move). Now is the time to bring up your issues. Quit being so nice! You'll at least feel better saying something to her than renewing the nice and saying nothing at all.
Spend your efforts on another deal instead of tenant screening.
I am kind of amazed at the responses.
If this were me i would sign the 6 month extention, and not worry about her being rude or controlling. Remember that YOU control your emotions and how you respond to others.
I prefer tenants text me so i let them know that is how I will respond, if i have a tenant that wants to be there for repairs i will see if I can facilitate that request. If so great! If not then I give them the info on time /date and that I will be there to let worker in.
Basically dont let it bother you. Its just a job!
She has been there a year and a half and on multiple occasions has been demanding and rude to me. She’s also a former lawyer for the FBI. She is very demanding, and kind of high-maintenance.
But she always pays her rent on time.
Her lease is up at the end of January, but she asked for a six month extension option when we signed it. She wants to stay, and wants another year lease, and wants me to sign it now. I’ve told her we will keep the terms as-is for the next six months, then revisit. She’s again asking me to sign the lease for the end of the six months now. Her last landlord sold the house and she had to move when she didn’t want to, so she is probably afraid I might do the same.
Would you tell her you are waiting to see if she can be more respectful in her communications before you sign the lease? Because that’s the only reason I want to wait. I’m not sure turning over the place is worth it either, but I don’t like the intimidation and threats I get from her.
She pays on time, so keep her. No need to not renew or raise the rent substantially to drive her out. "She is controlling" - well don't let her do that. You are in control. You decide what maintenance issues get fixed, when they get fixed, how, and who does the work. Ignore anything else. And since she expresses that she doesn't want to move, throw it back in her face - "It sounds like you're unhappy with the unit, and that being the case, can I expect you to vacate the unit upon termination of the lease?".
Don't take calls after hours, or at least implement a fee for non-emergency or unfounded maintenance calls made after hours. If its an emergency she can leave a message or call multiple times in a row. Respond to maintenance calls after 8-12hrs minimum even if you are available before then so that responding faster doesn't become an expectation. This tenant can work out, you just need to redefine the standards you set previously.
@Sarah Pursell I’d interview some property managers and talk to their references to find one you think you can work with. See if the property managers think they can get rent high enough to cover their fees.
People exhibiting high emotion bother me as well. Because of that, I love my property manager. She has raised the rent every lease renewal or change of tenant because she knows the market a lot better than me. She deducts damages from their security deposit when I’d probably “let it go”. She takes care of everything including a tenant that bled out and died in the house, leaving his kids to break a window to see if he was ok. She got the window boarded up, window replaced, carpets cleaned, damages deducted from deposit and new tenants in within a week or so. Just because I’m not as strong and forceful as some, I don’t want to miss out on the cash flow and tax benefits of real estate. My property manager allows me to do that.
She paying rent - check
She’s not trashing the place - check
What more do you expect out if the tenant ?
Look if she harassing you about repairs then that’s on you ! It’s your lack of professionalism . Don’t wish it was easier , wish you were better ! As a landlord you set boundaries and train the tenant . Improve your business model as others suggested . The tenant is going to hate you regardless . You are not doing this to be their buddy . You do it to get paid so learn to do what Nancy Reagan did : just say NO