What do you do when tenants harass each other?

Question

Hello BP,

I've got a tenant harassment problem and I'd like to know how you would handle this situation.  We'll call them tenant A & tenant B.  Both A & B pay on time, every time.  Both take care of the property like it is their own.  Recently a friend of Tenant B parked in tenant A's space.  In response tenant A did not knock on the door and ask them politely to move their car nor did he call me and ask me to reach out to the tenant. Instead he called the police.  Not an ideal way to handle the situation in my opinion.  Other than this specific example they just aren't very cordial to each other.  I'd love for them both to continue to live there for years to come.  They both have stated they would like to live there for years to come but they aren't sure how much longer they can handle each other.  Are there any tips on how to build better tenant teams?

Thanks,

Troy

Bjorn Ahlblad · Answer

@Troy Froistad as frustrating as it is I recommend ignoring it all together. These are adults even when not behaving like it. You are just the LL.

Eliott Elias · Answer

Stay out of it.

Theresa Harris · Answer

No different than neighbours who don't get along. Just remind them of the rules as they relate to the lease (eg assigned parking).

Dondre Roberts · Answer

I personally would not get involved. If it escalates, provide them both with the number of the local police department. Absolutely do not get involved.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

Don't get involved in Tenant drama.

If there is a lease violation, notify the offending party in writing and move on. If you aren't sure who the offending party is, send notice to both of them.

If they want to call the cops on each other or flip each other off in the parking lot or give each other the stink eye, that's between them. They are adults. Your only involvement is with lease violations.

Jim K. · Answer

@Troy Froistad

One of the sad realities of multifamily is that one of them might simply have to go. When faced with these situations, our default strategy is to stay out of it. But occasionally, one of the parties is just too off in the head to repair their behavior. In our seven-plex, I inherited a tenant, a young mother, who rent was paid by a local hospital system's psychiatric clinic. She seemed to manufacture beefs with almost everyone in the building. Finally she started washing her clothes and leaving them in the building's washing machine for two days at a time. Wet clothes, just sitting in the washer.The conversation I was forced to have with her went off the rails immediately. The "medical marijuana" stench was pouring through her door as she looked at me. "You have to understand," she told me. "I'm going through a lot. I work. I cook, I clean every day..."

Me: "So does everyone else in the building. You can't plan to leave your clothes in the washer for twelve hours after you wash them, then fall asleep and leave them there another day. You just can't. It's unbelievably rude and selfish. Look, I'm not here to do childcare, OK?""Oh, I'm about to get upset. You can't talk to me like that.""OK." I turned and left. A month and two more conversations later with her handler at the psychiatric clinic, and she was gone. It cost me a bit, but sometimes, it's the only way to handle people who just can't pull themselves back from their marginal behavior.

Paul Pratt · Answer

If one simply has to go, I've know some clients to have success with paying them to leave and signing a lease termination.

Drew Sygit · Answer

While you have an incentive to try to be their counselor, it's best to stay out of it.

You will just get sucked into their problems and in the end, they will make it 100% your fault.

If do fee the need to send something, make it general and send to ALL.

What do you do when tenants harass each other?

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