Rental Property Investor 路 Lawrence, MA 路 Member since 2020 路 252 posts 路 153 votes
Hi BP family! So one of my tenants asked me if I can let her build a walk in closet. I told her that I would think about it. I feel like there could be a red flag. She is a very good tenant but I didn't want to say no right on the spot. Any advice? If she is asking is because she is going to pay for it. I am open to any suggestions or advice or does anyone have any experiences?
I would never let someone A) do the work themselves or B) hire it out to someone I didn't know where I wasn't involved in the process. A lot of people seem to think a bedroom requires a closet of some kind. If you really feel obliged to provide one, Amazon has a lot of affordable RTA/knock-down models in the under $50 range.
Personally I would decline this... Even if completely control process including arranging and vetting labor, review plans and cost with tenant, get in writing that tenant is willing to pay that cost for the improvement and upon moving out/end of lease that they make no attempt to dismantle or remove the built-in closet, it can still lead to a sticky situation. That last part is important since a walk-in is much more involved process, with framing, drywall, electrical and trim etc and if they tried to remove it or damage it when they left it could be a headache. But if it all went to plan it could also be a great benefit to you. As with all things in the real estate world, there is risk and reward.
I would evict her on the spot just for asking! How dare a tenant want to pay for an improvement to my property. 馃が Eviction may not even be enough; have you considered hiring someone to give her a good beating?
On second thought, yes, I would allow her to do this. You have a large room used as a bedroom and the tenant is willing to pay for its improvement. Find a contractor you are wiling to work with and put him in contact with the tenant. Let them both know that before any work starts it needs to be approved by you and it need to be up to code and any permits necessary must be pulled. Put it in writing that she pays all costs and it remains when she leaves. In the end you got a free improvement to your property.
So you're out a little bit of time finding the contractor and going over everything with him and the tenant. You'll probably spend less time doing this than finding a new tenant since this one left because they found a better place.
I would evict her on the spot just for asking! How dare a tenant want to pay for an improvement to my property. 馃が Eviction may not even be enough; have you considered hiring someone to give her a good beating?
On second thought, yes, I would allow her to do this. You have a large room used as a bedroom and the tenant is willing to pay for its improvement. Find a contractor you are wiling to work with and put him in contact with the tenant. Let them both know that before any work starts it needs to be approved by you and it need to be up to code and any permits necessary must be pulled. Put it in writing that she pays all costs and it remains when she leaves. In the end you got a free improvement to your property.
So you're out a little bit of time finding the contractor and going over everything with him and the tenant. You'll probably spend less time doing this than finding a new tenant since this one left because they found a better place.
Thanks for the laugh Greg! I was able to handle it just by saying no. Suggested the tenant to go to Amazon to get a portable walk in closet. You have a great day!