@Account Closed
There's a lot of interesting comments on here, but Los Angeles is a different beast due to Rent Control. I own 4 SFR... and a 4-Plex. in Eagle Rock/Glassell Park area, Los Angeles. I do a very thorough screening to find quality tenants upfront. Did you properly screen these tenants before they moved in? I always meet tenants in person when I show vacant properties to get a vibe of their personalities... you can easily spot a complainer by just watching them walk the unit when you are showing the property. Sometimes, I even look into their cars to see how the inside is and how they take care of it... its a good indication of how they will treat your property. I also make sure I call previous landlords on how tenants were... late payments, complaints, etc. In fact, Im doing all of the above now because I have a new vacancy that I've been showing all week.
As you know, It's very difficult to evict tenants on bad or less than ideal behavior without "just cause" in CA... Particularly in Los Angeles due to Rent Control. "Managing" your tenants can be a headache at times.... sometimes you just need to bite your tongue. But like someone else mentioned above. There are always 2 sides to the story.
Unfortunately, certain repairs and maintenance are your responsibility (roof leaks, plumbing, electrical, etc..). However, I've learned that throughout the years to add to my lease contracts certain provisions for certain types of petty requests. I have an addendum on the contracts that says my tenants are responsible for maintenance of certain things (replacing HVAC Filters every 2-3mos, Refrigerator water Filters, Light bulbs... especially Garbage disposals)... of course, I will supply the materials every year (bulbs, filter etc.) If things break due to negligence or failure to maintain certain provisions then I can hold them liable for repair costs and will take it out of their security deposits.
By the way, SFR do not abide by the same multi-unit rent control ordinance. You can only raise the rent for multi-units up to 4% annually. However, you can raise the rent of SFR to the 10% limit within a year. What is your lease term agreement like? Are they on a yearly basis or month-to-month?? I have my tenants on a month-to-month basis after the first years lease so this would allow me to do so with a 30day notice. I've raised my rents 3% annually only, but I have a pesky tenant... I will bump it up to the 10%. Failure to pay rent is "just cause" for eviction under Rent Control. Thankfully, I've never had to do that. All my tenants are great because I screened them well.
At any case, if you don't want to deal with tenants directly. Just get a property manager to handle the calls. They are a dime a dozen. Good Luck!
