All Forum Posts by: JJ Jameson

Thanks in advance, this is a long post!  My tenants requested to break their lease due to threats made by one of their family members ex-boyfriend.  Apparently this ‘ex’ worked with my tenant and was fired for making threats.  My tenant’s wife is pregnant and they also have a toddler.  They say the house is being watched and that a shooting occurred outside the house, however have not verified.  The only evidence they provided is an email from the employer that said the man was fired.  No police report.

A side note is I discovered these tenants had 3 unauthorized dogs in the house a few weeks ago and served them notice of lease violation.  They said they remedied and I did and inspection. 

Anyway, I am willing to let them out of the lease as I don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt.  They have been there 5 months of the 12 month lease.    My lease states the penalty for early termination is 30 day notice and 2 months rent.  They have paid July rent already and I have 1 months deposit, which would cover the penalty.  

I feel bad for these folks and want them to feel safe, so I’m looking for guidance before I tell them they can break but I will keep July and the deposit per the lease agreement.  Are there any legal issues with this?  Thank you!!

My handyman reported my renters have 3 dogs inside my SFH rental. The lease clearly states no animals or pets allowed without prior written consent from me. There is no penalty dollar amount specified for violation nor pet deposit or pet rent amounts outlined since it is a No Pet/Animal Policy.

Tenants are on a 12 month lease and have not been late so far.  Since I have not seen the animals first hand and have no physical evidence other than my handyman’s report - what should my course of action be?  If I schedule a visit I’m sure they will remove the dogs.  Should I just drop by and surprise them?  Do I need to set eyes on the animals myself before taking action?

I don’t want to start eviction without speaking to them first and need to know my rights in this situation.

I just listed a property through Cozy with excellent results.  The application was thorough enough and very user friendly.  You have the option to request a credit, background check or both at the time the application is submitted, or request them after reviewing the application.  The price is discounted $10 when both reports are ordered and the applicants pay for them securely online.  After the tenant is approved you can easily set up to receive the deposit and rent electronically through their bank account with no fees.  They also have reporting features I’m excited to try out.  So far Cozy has been a great resource for our needs.