Flipper · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 2 votes
Hey ladies and gents,
I recently move from my old home and decided to rent it out to pay down the mortgage. My wife was a real estate agent so we used her old firm. I spend close to $6500 before signing an agreement with them to fix any issues and the year before I spend 12k on the exterior. On top of this we lived in the property for 5 years with minimal issues. Just the normal HVAC once or twice a year. Long story short the property is in excellent condition.
I do understand that there is some growing pains to be expected with any new tenant, however, 13 service requests in 6 weeks seems to be a bit excessive. One request was for a screen coming out of a window...
Should I find a better management company or just go it alone? I never received a signed contract from the management firm, so I’m sure I can get out of it easily. I can’t afford to pay $600-800 a month in service calls a month, which is what they’ve been averaging.
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
6y
This kind of tenant needs to be shut down. If you can't shut them down, you need to get rid of them.
Every Landlord can avoid chronic complainers by:
honestly disclosing the condition of the home prior to application/leasing/occupancy;
including a disclaimer in your lease that says the applicant was given a chance to inspect the home and they are accepting it "as is, where is" unless cleaning/repairs/improvements have been agreed to in writing
If they insist on complaining, simply respond back by pointing them to the disclaimer. If they continue to complain, tell them they can terminate the lease (with or without penalty, depending on the situation and your lease).