All Forum Posts by: Anna Sagatelova

Just going to add my two cents: just because a tenant may not (to your knowledge) be able to afford an attorney, you should not proceed to break any landlord-tenant laws in your state. There are lots of legal resources available to indigent persons and if you do end up in court, you are far less likely to prevail (and far more likely to pay damages to the tenant who has already taken advantage of you and the seller) when you start with that strategy.

Your first step should be to call the housing department of the relevant municipality and ask them what your obligations are.

@Marcin G. I agree with @Brendan Lawrence that you are flipping the logic on protected classes. Students are not a protected class so you can discriminate AGAINST students. But by saying "students only" you are discriminating against other classes, including familial status.

I don't agree that it would be fine to advertise "great location for students" because you should always avoid advertising TO a specific demographic, as that is implicitly saying "if you're not a student, this is not a great location for you". However, you can absolutely state proximity to businesses, such as restaurants, schools, employers, etc. Make the listing/ad about the rental itself and its physical location, not the "who" of the place.

25% rent increase at renewal? What market is this in?

@Michelle Fox I may be able to recommend a local attorney, PM me.

I think monthly pet fees are more common... is this fee charged in addition to a monthly fee, or is it a one time annual pet fee for every year (or lease term) the pets remain in the unit?

I think if it is in addition to a monthly fee, yes your dream tenants may complain that it's steep/unfair. But also, if you inherited them with these terms... they did agree to them in the first place when they signed the lease, they may have even renewed with those terms in place already.

If there is no monthly fee on top of this, I really don't see it being an issue; it breaks down to under $17/month/pet, which is actually much lower than most monthly pet rent, which typically ranges from $25-45/month/pet, depending on market.

@Mauricio A. It sounds like they are conflating two unrelated issues, but more importantly, that they are generally not abiding by your new monthly rent. Whether they must really hinges on their original lease... was it ever cancelled? Did they have to sign renewal paperwork agreeing to the increase? You may want to review the language of the original lease very carefully and I always recommend having tenant sign off on the renewal paperwork, even if there are no changes other than an extension of the lease term. It makes it clear to any third party, such a court, that there was a meeting of the minds to form the agreement.

It's important to make it clear to them that the rent increase is not because you are giving them an extra habitable bedroom, but because the market rent for a 3 bedroom property in your area has gone up. I would also strongly urge you to let them out of the lease, rather than renewing, if they will continue to insist on getting a 4th bedroom where there currently are 3.

These tenants don't sound like the type a landlord should bend over backwards and add expensive improvements for. With inherited tenants, there is often this tendency to see how far they can push the new owner, but I also see it as an opportunity to set the record straight. No, I purchased a 3 bedroom home, which is also what you rented. If someone else promised you a 4 bedroom, that's on them, and if you need a 4th bedroom, I am happy to let you out of your lease. Rent is due on the 1st.

Did they sign the renewal but pay the old rent amount?

@Paul Shepherd does your lease have anything about what amenities are provided? It sounds like they can still use the garage, just have to open/close the door manually.

@Maria G. Before you even so much as accept an application or start advertising your property for rent, you should outline exactly what your qualifying criteria is. You've identified that credit score is important to you. You can't discriminate on familial status, so throw that out. Yes, landlord references are a good criteria to have, but be specific - what questions will you ask? Will someone be disqualified if the landlord says they were delinquent every month but paid before the month end in full, or if someone was delinquent only once but never made up the balance?

Income is one of the most common criteria, but you can't just say I'll wait and pool 5 applicants and pick whoever has the highest gross income. Pick how much is acceptable (3x monthly rent is standard) and enforce that.

Once you have your criteria, the applicant you approve is the first one who applied who meets it.

I'd love to be able to attend, but it's too far of a drive. If video recording is available, I'd be very interested.