Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
They gave notice of move out end of March. I've had two showings in about 1.5 weeks. Usually I do an open house in summers but it's slim pickings and waiting for enough people to justify an open house is not feasible, it would take a month and they would find another place by then.
The one room mate asked about an open house and I explained this to him.
Now the other room mate (there are four of them) called me after I gave notice that there would be a tour tonight at 6 PM (2 days in advance) that he doesn't want me there, it's valentines day, etc.
I explained to him I don't need his permission to enter the house, their lease and the law requires them to allow me to show the house. Interfering with that will result in a 10 day notice to comply or vacate....
He said he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be naked in the house...
I call his bluff and show up anyway. Not sure if it’s that serious to serve a 10 day. But personally, I would try to work with the tenants to make showings happen around a schedule that’s fair. It is after All Valentine’s Day.
He's aware that you will be there with outside people. If he is naked, call the police. He'll soon find out that indecent exposure laws can apply to the inside of your home.
It'd be no different than if he said "I can't guarantee that I won't assault you and steal your wallet".
If he was smart he'd wear a unicorn onesie and offer the people being shown the property some Lucky Charms in a bowl. We had that come up last year in the forums. Being naked would be stupid, unless he made it part of a religious ritual.
@Jack B. call his bluff and bring at least another person with you... you shouldn't be inspecting alone anyways. I'm sure it'll be interesting when he realizes that it's not just one person it's multiple people.
The law states that they must allow me access and ability to provide tours to prospective residents. Him deliberately being naked knowing I'm coming would be violating that...
Fore him a text/ email and ask if he was serious when he told you on __/___/2020 that he intended to disrupt showings by being naked. Grab a call recorder app for your phone, but push all communications to written when possible. If you receive a call to your cell at an inconvenient time let them know you’ll need to return and then document well when you do.
He likely won’t rely to the text, but you’ll get your concern on record.
Indecent exposure is usually defined as deliberately exposing your genitals to others in a public* place for sexual gratification or to cause offense. The tenant would have a defense if he had a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, the landlord outright notified him that he will be entering the property with other people. The act of being naked was 100% to cause offense.
*Public being a place others might see you. The tenant clearly knows that others will see him. He was told that the landlord would be coming over and bringing potential renters.
Depending on where the property is, the tenant is looking at anything from a cop telling him to knock it off, up to prison time and registering on the sex offenders list for life.
Just do a quick search for people convicted of indecent exposure while in their own homes. Lots of results!
I basically read them the riot act. Including the jail for indecent exposure followed by eviction of all four of these morons. One idiot called me to apologize. Told him he better get the other moron under control before I do come evict them all. RIDICULOUS. "I don't want you to come down here tonight" followed by "We'll I'll be naked" after I tell him he doesn't have a choice...after I left $500 a month rent on the table for them for 3 years and didn't do any inspections...they want to give me guff over a tour....
Indecent exposure is usually defined as deliberately exposing your genitals to others in a public* place for sexual gratification or to cause offense. The tenant would have a defense if he had a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, the landlord outright notified him that he will be entering the property with other people. The act of being naked was 100% to cause offense.
*Public being a place others might see you. The tenant clearly knows that others will see him. He was told that the landlord would be coming over and bringing potential renters.
Depending on where the property is, the tenant is looking at anything from a cop telling him to knock it off, up to prison time and registering on the sex offenders list for life.
Just do a quick search for people convicted of indecent exposure while in their own homes. Lots of results!
Very good post. I did a search and got tons of results. Which matches my earlier post that he KNEW I was coming, I gave 2 days not just 1 day notice as required. He first told me he didn't want me to come down. Then when I told him I already have an appointment and he doesn't have a choice, he said well I'll be naked....at 6 PM on a Friday night...not exactly reasonable of him.
SO he knows I'm coming....
He didn't want me to come....
Then he tells me he will be naked to discourage me/cause offence if I come...
6 pm on a Friday night, on Valentine's day? Sounds like a power trip and just plain rude to me. They're vacating at the end of March?? Maybe it's just me but we typically wait till the tenant moves out and we get the place rent ready before we do any showings.
That system sounds like a good way to unnecessarily forego a month’s rent. Notice -> immediate inspection for damages/ required repairs -> immediate repairs to make rent ready -> move out (last day of month at noon) -> exit walk forms itemizing deposit deductions for repairs listed -> cleaning crew in -> new tenant moves in to ready unit (1st at noon).
6 pm on a Friday night, on Valentine's day? Sounds like a power trip and just plain rude to me. They're vacating at the end of March?? Maybe it's just me but we typically wait till the tenant moves out and we get the place rent ready before we do any showings.
You're hilarious! Valentines day isn't a public holiday. It was a tour for 6 PM not 2 AM or 11 PM. Most people go out for dinner on valentines day at 6 PM, not tell their landlord they can't come down then say well I will be naked on my couch at 6 PM. Is that a normal thing a normal person does? NOPE. It's a reasonable tour time. My focus is on keeping my rental occupied, not romantic idiocy for four room mates who each will have some conflict and a big mouth. I gave them twice the required notice and only hours before the tour, despite my 2 day notice the one guy complains and says I can't come down, then when I tell him it doesn't work like that he doesn't have a choice, he says he will be naked and you tell ME I'm on a power trip????? What a joke...Get a clue, your tiny little portfolio of 2.1 million for 19 properties makes you God? Just four properties I own here are worth more than that lol.
You go ahead and forego a months rent for the small town you operate in to accommodate unreasonable requests, if this is how poorly you manage I pity the people who crowd fund with you and your partner. Despite having 2 days to say something, they waited until the last minute. And I purposely booked it two days out so that I had a chance to maybe get more tours into the same showing so as to minimize the impact on them. Instead the prospect found another unit during that time and canceled when I tried to confirm the appointment, letting me know right before the appointment...from now on I will book the tour within 24 hours of notice. Grow some critical thinking skills dude, seriously not surprised a person from small town Cali has such a bleeding heart for "Valentines day and respecting tenants privacy", give me a break....they agreed to the terms and by law I'm allowed to show the unit. Telling me that he will be naked on the couch at 6 PM to prevent me from doing a tour and you're attacking me???? WOW, what a joke. You want privacy for them, buy them a house and give it to them.....your cheap little 110K houses or whatever you paid for them when you bought them, probably half that should be easy for you to buy for them. I'll send them your way....
And all this after I gave them 18K of discounted rent over 3 years and no inspections....yet I'm supposed to let them do whatever they want too. What a troll, it's people like you that have turned Cali and this country into a cesspool...
That system sounds like a good way to unnecessarily forego a month’s rent. Notice -> immediate inspection for damages/ required repairs -> immediate repairs to make rent ready -> move out (last day of month at noon) -> exit walk forms itemizing deposit deductions for repairs listed -> cleaning crew in -> new tenant moves in to ready unit (1st at noon).
Yep! My leases require the tenants to clean and shampoo the carpet and leave the unit move in ready otherwise I ding their deposit for lost time while I have to turn the place for a new tenant. I just had another unit turn over, two dentists making well over half a mil a year. Left the place great. Had a new tenant move in the first of the month. No vacancy. I sure as heck wouldn't hire someone who has such poor management skills that he leaves a unit empty to do tours or repairs. Let alone invest in dirt cheap properties in the slums with him...ugh. 110K houses, which I'm sure he bought for half that, is this some town of 200 people or something in California???
I basically read them the riot act. Including the jail for indecent exposure followed by eviction of all four of these morons. One idiot called me to apologize. Told him he better get the other moron under control before I do come evict them all. RIDICULOUS. "I don't want you to come down here tonight" followed by "We'll I'll be naked" after I tell him he doesn't have a choice...after I left $500 a month rent on the table for them for 3 years and didn't do any inspections...they want to give me guff over a tour....
In the landlording business, no good deed seldom goes unpunished.
6 pm on a Friday night, on Valentine's day? Sounds like a power trip and just plain rude to me. They're vacating at the end of March?? Maybe it's just me but we typically wait till the tenant moves out and we get the place rent ready before we do any showings.
I see your point about VD eve, but if you are waiting to do showings until after your current tenant vacates, you are cutting your revenue by at least 8% per year. Most of us would prefer not to do that, and would want to keep our performing assets "performing." Showings of occupied apartments are absolutely par for the course around here. And he's showing in February because the good applicants, whom have their ducks in a row and are planning ahead, are usually looking prior to the month before they need housing.