I am a great renter. I am harasses by realtors

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I am a great renter. I am harasses by realtors

Sandra Evans
Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 0 votes

I have been renting a home through a realty company for 3 years now. I am no longer under a lease, so I’m basically month to month. At Christmas time we were told that owner was going to be listing this home for sale in January. The owner and a bunch of realtors came looking through my home. The realtor came back another day, to bring 7 other realtors through my home, the realtor came back another time for measurements and then he showed our home within a 15 min. Warning. Then phatagrapher came out and had me moving my belongings off counters, fridge, etc. and having my hide them away so they wouldn’t be in pictures! I live here!!!! So it was 7 different times within a week and half I had people strangers all through my home with my belonging in it. This realtor has made my life a living hell as a tenet!!!! He again was here Monday with two different showings at our dinner time which I didn’t get that evening! Then he text and just tells us times he has set up for people to come without asking us! He schedule 2 tomorrow and he has 4 scheduled on Saturday! I also have  big dogs that  are protective and territorial of their home and would bite a stranger. They are Great Danes and huge. I wouldn’t mind the guy showing the home but it should be on our terms which it seems it’s not. He has disrupted my husbands work because he works from home and mine as well because I have to take off work to pack my dogs in the car to ride around neighborhood for hours!! It’s not fair to the tenet to be done this way! What can I do??

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Greg M.
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Sandra Evans:

We told him we would let him show the home two to 3 days a week at certain times, and he said that won’t work. So now he  just texts us 24hrs in advance telling us his appt times he has at my home, and he has been showing it every single day! It doesn’t stop. I can’t cook a dinner in my home because he is bringing people, I can’t relax on a day off from work because he is bringing people. I just don’t know what else to do.

Look up your local laws. While the 24 hours notice is probably sufficient, some places have laws regarding frequency of visits. Talk to the realtors broker and explain the situation. 

Unless your lease says otherwise, there is no reason why you have to clean up the place for the showings. If the place is extremely dirty and smells (get a can of fart spray) when people come over, too bad. If you put your dogs in the bedrooms and close the door and let the visitors know that they will bite, but you will control them as soon as you have finished your dinner in 30 minutes, too bad. If your husband walks around the place only in his boxers when they are there and tells them they have a purty mouth, too bad. If you have 20 rats traps visible all around the place, too bad. If the TV is blasting when they are there, too bad. If you grab a bible and start damning them to hell for their sins, too bad. If you yell at the people that it's your house and you're not leaving even if the place is sold and they'll need to evict you, too bad. All these things may be extremely off-putting for potential buyers. The realtor may quickly realize that working with you is the best approach to getting the place sold.

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  • Robert Biggerstaff
    Contractor · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2018 · 303 posts · 240 votes
    7y

    You can politely tell him say no the house is not available at that time if you would like to do any showings you can do it between these times anything else would be considered to be trespassing

    2Reply
  • Sam Shueh
    Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    Two possibilities. They got all the flipping info, photos they want tell them you will not tolerate any visitors period. They can make offer subject to inspection later.  Another way is you can tolerate just one OH 1 weekend for 3 hours. Enough is enough.

    1Reply
  • Sandra Evans
    OP
    Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 0 votes
    7y

    We told him we would let him show the home two to 3 days a week at certain times, and he said that won’t work. So now he  just texts us 24hrs in advance telling us his appt times he has at my home, and he has been showing it every single day! It doesn’t stop. I can’t cook a dinner in my home because he is bringing people, I can’t relax on a day off from work because he is bringing people. I just don’t know what else to do.

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  • Robert Biggerstaff
    Contractor · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2018 · 303 posts · 240 votes
    7y

    You can ask him politely… And if he continues then whenever he brings people over start saying something like will make sure that you are look all over cause I’ve seen some bugs that I think are termites but I’m not exactly sure or say something like I’m not sure if the roof is leaking or not and say that in front of the people that are looking at the house

    1Reply
  • Alex S.
    Specialist · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2018 · 270 posts · 187 votes
    7y

    They need to give you advance notice for showing. It has to be on your terms.

    0Reply
  • Souleymane Alioune Haydara
    Real Estate Agent · Gatineau · Member since 2018 · 2 posts · 4 votes
    7y

    Hey Sandra, sorry to hear about that situation. I know that in my city, you have to give a 24h notice to the tenants by law, if not, the tenants can sue the landlord. It might be a good idea to look at the landlord/tenant laws in your city to see if what they are doing is legal. Most of the time though, it does not have to go there, a simple call to the agent, your landlord or realty company calmly explaining the situation can solve the problem. Communication is always a good way to deal with a stressful situation. I wish you guys the best going forward.

    Thanks,

    Souleymane H.

    2Reply
  • Dennis M.
    Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    7y

    this Is borderline harassment . You need more notice and some concern for your right to privacy ! I’d order an adult sized Halloween witch costume and wear it for the showings every time a realtor shows the place until they get the hint .

    3Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    7y

    Move. Might as well do it now before they have a contract when you will likely get served with an official notice to vacate.

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  • Greg M.
    Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Sandra Evans:

    We told him we would let him show the home two to 3 days a week at certain times, and he said that won’t work. So now he  just texts us 24hrs in advance telling us his appt times he has at my home, and he has been showing it every single day! It doesn’t stop. I can’t cook a dinner in my home because he is bringing people, I can’t relax on a day off from work because he is bringing people. I just don’t know what else to do.

    Look up your local laws. While the 24 hours notice is probably sufficient, some places have laws regarding frequency of visits. Talk to the realtors broker and explain the situation. 

    Unless your lease says otherwise, there is no reason why you have to clean up the place for the showings. If the place is extremely dirty and smells (get a can of fart spray) when people come over, too bad. If you put your dogs in the bedrooms and close the door and let the visitors know that they will bite, but you will control them as soon as you have finished your dinner in 30 minutes, too bad. If your husband walks around the place only in his boxers when they are there and tells them they have a purty mouth, too bad. If you have 20 rats traps visible all around the place, too bad. If the TV is blasting when they are there, too bad. If you grab a bible and start damning them to hell for their sins, too bad. If you yell at the people that it's your house and you're not leaving even if the place is sold and they'll need to evict you, too bad. All these things may be extremely off-putting for potential buyers. The realtor may quickly realize that working with you is the best approach to getting the place sold.

    4Reply
  • Sandra Evans
    OP
    Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 0 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Russell Brazil:

    Move. Might as well do it now before they have a contract when you will likely get served with an official notice to vacate.

    0Reply
  • Sandra Evans
    OP
    Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 0 votes
    7y

    I am no longer under a lease.  Which means I have no lease to abide by. Yes I don’t mind letting them show the house here and there but it should be on days I agtree to! Now I I do pay month by month and have found a home but , I can’t even get anything done in my home because he wants it in pristine shape to show and he is trapezing people through my home just about every single day at his conveinience!

    0Reply
  • Matthew Paul
    Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans , you are still under the lease terms , it just went month to month . 

    There is another thing you can do . Simply tell the agents   No .  Not tomorrow    

    2Reply
  • Catherine Emert
    Realtor · Bend, OR · Member since 2018 · 323 posts · 224 votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans what state are you in?

    0Reply
  • Jim K.
    Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    7y

    Sooner or later the guy is going to find someone and you're out. I suggest you prepare to move. You can make yourself a nuisance very easily, of course. @Greg M. has some winning suggestions.

    0Reply
  • Brandon Carriere
    Realtor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2018 · 218 posts · 147 votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans

    Im not a property manager, so this is all just a hunch, but you have to be under a lease still.. You just happen to be month to month..  Any lease I've ever seen has some sort of 30 day advertising or showing period, which means you allow the home to be showed and marketed during the last 30 days to find a new tenant or buyer..  

    You can make their life difficult by not cooperating, but remember, you're at the mercy of their references in any other home you try to rent in the future..  I'd either deal with it, or move as soon as you can..  

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    7y

    1. Stand up to them. The REALTOR is required by law to provide proper notice and they can't require you to move furniture or arrange your belongings a certain way. It's your property and you have a right to quiet enjoyment.

    2. Give them 30 day notice and move out.

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y

    @Russell Brazil  Exactly this person should be moving ASAP.. with that kind of activity its going to sell shortly.

    and for all these landlords on this site.. this is exactly why its next to impossible in most markets to sell a home with a tenant in it.

    its bad for both parties bad for tenant.. bad for seller.. 

    @Nathan Gesner  pretty much every jurisdiction I have heard of requires 24 hour notice.

    and again for those buying rentals.. this is why you Cant just ask your agent to walk through a rental when someone is living there BEFORE you make an offer and are fully qualified.. the inspection should be one time and that is during the home inspection.. other wise you risk Peeving the tenant. 

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  • Lynn McGeein
    Real Estate Agent · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    You do not have to clean or leave or even stop making dinner.  You can be right there answering the front door stating, You are disturbing our family time, please do not touch anything, beware of dogs, do not enter rooms they are in, we are sitting down to dinner in 10 minutes so make it quick, and do not turn lights or water on as it's my utilities, then follow them around like a hawk explaining everything bad that ever happened in the house, seller never fixes anything, etc., and that agent will quickly realize that he better start working within your schedule or it is not worth showing.  Or ask the owner to give you a large rent credit for the inconvenience and plan to move quickly.  

    Also read your state/local laws as you hold more power than you think in most states, as you don't have to move even with 30-day notice, although you risk hurting your landlord reference or credit if owner files eviction notice, but that would be dumb on owner's part as then you couldn't find another place easily so harder to get you to comply.  Point is, if owner wants you there paying rent while he's selling, you'll need to agree to vacate by closing if new owners want to move in.  I just had a nice home with an offer ready to go the first weekend, but the tenant would not agree to be out within the 30 days, said they need more time, so the deal fell apart as buyers had to be in by then so chose a vacant home nearby.  Even though the lease said 30-days' notice that owner had already presented, the tenant stated they had medical reason for not being able to vacate that soon and would hold-over until they found a decent place that met their requirements.  Then they said if owner didn't give them a great reference, anyway, they couldn't leave because they couldn't find another place without a good reference, so if owner isn't going to work with them, they'll just make it as difficult for owner as long as possible.  So tenants have more power than you may think if they want to exert pressure. 

    3Reply
  • Levi T.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Tucson AZ / Nice FR / Washington DC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    You said your month-to-month now, and your lease terms don’t apply. This is not true, the law normally enforced the last signed lease as the rules of the month-to-month or verbal agreement once a lease has expired.

    As @Russell Brazil and Jay said, move! Give them 30-day notice, then move. Most states require a full 30 calendar days, so if you gave notice today, January 18th, your move out date would be Feb 28th.

    Best of luck!

    1Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Lynn McGeein:

    You do not have to clean or leave or even stop making dinner.  You can be right there answering the front door stating, You are disturbing our family time, please do not touch anything, beware of dogs, do not enter rooms they are in, we are sitting down to dinner in 10 minutes so make it quick, and do not turn lights or water on as it's my utilities, then follow them around like a hawk explaining everything bad that ever happened in the house, seller never fixes anything, etc., and that agent will quickly realize that he better start working within your schedule or it is not worth showing.  Or ask the owner to give you a large rent credit for the inconvenience and plan to move quickly.  

    Also read your state/local laws as you hold more power than you think in most states, as you don't have to move even with 30-day notice, although you risk hurting your landlord reference or credit if owner files eviction notice, but that would be dumb on owner's part as then you couldn't find another place easily so harder to get you to comply.  Point is, if owner wants you there paying rent while he's selling, you'll need to agree to vacate by closing if new owners want to move in.  I just had a nice home with an offer ready to go the first weekend, but the tenant would not agree to be out within the 30 days, said they need more time, so the deal fell apart as buyers had to be in by then so chose a vacant home nearby.  Even though the lease said 30-days' notice that owner had already presented, the tenant stated they had medical reason for not being able to vacate that soon and would hold-over until they found a decent place that met their requirements.  Then they said if owner didn't give them a great reference, anyway, they couldn't leave because they couldn't find another place without a good reference, so if owner isn't going to work with them, they'll just make it as difficult for owner as long as possible.  So tenants have more power than you may think if they want to exert pressure. 

    Exactly why when I liquidated my rentals I did not put them ont he market until tenant left.. and why most landlords when they go to sell have to go through this drama.. it sucks. 

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  • Sandra Evans
    OP
    Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 0 votes
    7y

    Catherine I’m in South Carolina

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    7y

    @Jay Hinrichs my state requires "reasonable notice" and does not define what "reasonable" means. Most states require 24 hours specifically.

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  • Mike CumbieBusiness Member
    REALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans

    I suppose my suggestions would be: 

    1) Write a letter to the landlord (email etc) be very polite and very professional. Something along the lines of. While I am willing to assist in your selling of the property, the 2 and 3 time a day disruptions are harming my "Quiet enjoyment of the property". Could we possibly setup specific days where I will be out and they can show? For this inconvenience I would happily accept a 10% discount off of the rent per month. In order to not have an effect on current rent roles I will accept it returned as a rebate until the unit sells.

    That shows it is a business transaction and its nothing personal. (Now they can serve you a non renewal if they want, but that has been on the table all along). Hopefully they respond in a positive manner and everyone is happy. If that does not happen I would go to step 2.

    2) My next step would be to purchase a "Hello Kitty" baseball cap or visor.  

    3) During the next showing wear only the Hello Kitty head gear and nothing else. (If you are what one considers attractive then contact your local nudist club and find someone who is not, Luckily I fall in the "not" category so I can just do this myself). Then while the showing is going on walk around and explain all sorts of stuff and be the most helpful tenant ever. Don't let them walk in another room without you following talking about the house or space aliens, fake moon landings, government conspiracies. Offer them coffee. 

    4) Then plan on moving out because either they have a sense of humor and decide that number 1 is good or they go with number 3 for the next showing and serve you notice.

    Good Luck! 

    1Reply
  • Teri Feeney Styers
    Real Estate Agent · Grand Junction, CO · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 736 votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans ignore the advice that tells you to sabotage the showings - that only prolongs the agony and you risk a bad reference from your current landlord. Give proper notice and move if you think the ultimate buyer is going to want to occupy the property. Lastly - why are you communicating directly with the realtor? This is the job of your landlord or your property management company. They should be calling you to request showings and come to a mutual agreement. Get some buffer for yourself and make them deal with the realtor.  However, please know that most lookers only have nights and weekends available themselves. 

    0Reply
  • Ned CareyPro Member
    Moderator
    Investor · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    7y

    @Sandra Evans

    Technically you probably do have a lease. If you had a written lease originally that lease is most likely renewing on a monthly basis.  As tenant you are entitled to "Quiet Enjoyment" of the property. It is very easy for an agent to put 24 hours notice (or other requirement) in the showing instructions. 

    If a landlord is going to buy the house you may want to do your best to cooperate. If a Homeowner is going to buy it then use this time to find a new place. 

    May states offer tenants a first right of refusal.

    1Reply
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