Rental Property Investor · Fort Lee, NJ · Member since 2019 · 82 posts · 22 votes
Hi there,
Looking for some advice from other landlords...1 of our tenants is claiming the heat in the house doesn't work. Therefore, he's refusing to pay his rent. For the month of December he gave us 1 check that bounced and then another check that bounced. My husband is a plumber and manages the property and the heat is working. He has been there 2x and checked in. Any advice in this situation? We have already filed the eviction paperwork. I think the tenant obviously doesn't have the money so is making up excuses but will this hold up in court?
Investor · Eau Claire, WI · Member since 2014 · 33 posts · 13 votes
6y
How annoying! People having a tough time paying bills will always come up with some reason why they shouldn't pay. One thought on the situation... it might be worth calling an HVAC contractor you have used in the past and explained the situation. For ~$100, maybe they will come perform a quick inspection so you have written proof the heat is working and the HVAC system has no proof that it has not been working. Just in case it comes up in court, you can have that as backup.
Just have documentation when you go to court if he shows up. That way you can prove that he bounced previous rent checks and also you made sure the heat was working. Also I would require that you get money orders or cashier checks from now on. Or you could have him pay online by using Zelle for example.