Tenant decoration advice

[Karyn S.]

I have this tenant, there for almost 1.5 years. SFH. M2M lease. She is good overall - pays on time, no issues from her. Single mom with one kid, we think she will be a long term renter.

But, she keeps a very sloppy yard (yes, I’ve been in house and also not very neat). Neighbors keep meticulous yards. I talked to landscaper friend about him taking over yard care this year and was going to update lease in the next month and up rent to cover. Right now everyone’s yards look like crap because it’s winter in New England. But she still has a couple Halloween decorations out. I’ve been ignoring that (although plan to address in updated lease!) but the neighbors called my husband and complained about the decorations still being there. They are meticulous, but very nice neighbors that we want to stay on good terms with. I’m guessing they just don’t like the overall sloppiness of her yard care. There’s nothing specifically illegal or against the current lease about still having a skeleton and cobwebs out. Don’t want to text her to put them away and then send new lease and rent increase as though that’s the only reason. Also don’t want the neighbors to think they can start complaining to us every time they have a neighbor issue. Yet want to be on good terms with them.

Would you ask to take them down? Or just wait and address with the updated lease and rent?

Thanks.

[Account Closed]

I bet there's a clause in your M2M agreement that says tenant must keep the property in good repair or clean or something to that effect, even if it doesn't specifically address decorations.

This is how I would present it.  I'd do it all at once.  I'd tell her that you received complaints (make it sound like more than just one neighbor so she doesn't focus on one) from the neighbors about the yard being a mess.  You realize that it's really hard to be a single mom and take care of the yards, so what you've come up with is a solution you think will be best for all involved, that you're going to have a landscaper start taking care of the yards and you're only going to raise her rent to x amount to cover it.  In the meantime, you will need her to take down the Halloween decorations (and I'd use the word Halloween, to nicely drive home the point that it's ridiculous).

And, I'd tell her when it will go into effect - which would be in a couple of months?  No need to wait until the last minute.

Then, I'd close with the fact that you really enjoy having her as a tenant and you hope she chooses to stay a long time.

And keep her as M2M, because you may decide she's not so great after all, if she's too much of a slob.  

And then I would not make the rental agreement more harsh.  If it has language already in it regarding keeping the place tidy, etc., no need to get specific.  That might be salt in the wound in her eyes, and unnecessary (assuming there already is a clause that covers this).

Tenants know when they're being unreasonable.  She'll know she should have cleaned up those decorations.  And that she probably wasn't going to get away with leaving them up forever without someone saying something.  No tenant wants their rent raised, so she'll initially be irritated, for sure.  

But, as long as you check Craigslist or wherever listings are posted for your market, and see that you're still a little under market for what she's getting, she'll see that when she checks the listings.  Because she'll check them for sure when she gets her initial mad on.  But, when she sees it's cheaper to stay put, she'll probably stay.  They usually do.  As long as you're decent about it.  No need to grovel or apologize, but be decent.  "yeah, we know it's hard for you to handle everything, so we thought this would be the easiest solution for everyone."  That's fair.  It won't be what she wants - which is to keep the status quo, but she'll most likely stay and get over her mad pretty quickly.