All Forum Posts by: Amie D.

Hi all, I have a mid-range rental that currently has 12x12 ceramic tiles in the kitchen, which is about 12x14 in size. The problem is the house is about 100 years old, and the floor underneath the tile has several problems which has caused many maintenance issues with both the tile and grout cracking.

For one although the tiles were installed on a cement board underlayment, under that is old wood plank flooring (with a lot of flex) that was in bad condition. To complicate matters, the house sits over a crawlspace and the floor is held up by a series of piers, which has settled over the years so I can only describe the floor as "wavy" - high where the piers are, and low in other areas, therefore not flat and inviting tiles to crack. I've had the foundation and floor inspected, it is fine and safe, but I think it's time to replace the tiles.

What would you put down in this situation? I am thinking vinyl plank flooring. I love real tile in rentals due to it's (usual) low maintenance and appearance, however they will just not work in this situation. I don't know if I'd want to risk doing tile again with smaller or thicker tiles, and later be kicking myself if the tiles or grout lines started cracking again. The floor is so "wavy" that I don't think a floor leveler would help, else you'd have to use a LOT of it.

Because the floor is not perfectly flat though, would the vinyl plank flooring come apart at the seams? If so, I'm thinking my only option would be linoleum, which I'd hate to put down because I think many times it does not look that good.

Mike Franco yeah that's what I am thinking. However, I am still going forward with my interviews of other property managers and checking references. That way if (when) he goes back to his old self, I will be prepared with a different manager ready to go.

Again, if he is about to sign someone that is one thing but if it gets into next week and so-and-so decided to go somewhere else and the excuses start again, he is out the door. He said he had two guys ready to sign a few weeks ago, then I never heard back and when I finally got a hold of him, "they rented elsewhere" and the place was still un-rented. So, we shall see.

Well, it is a college town, but mostly rents to older graduate students or community members. So even though it's not the highest end house, I don't really want it looking cheap.

I'm going down there to take a look at it myself, as I'm overdue for a visit anyway. Seems like if it was just entirely painted two years ago and needs a whole house painting already, it needs to come out of someone's deposit because that seems like a lot of unusual wear and tear, else I feel like the prop mgr is just trying to get more $$ out of me.

Yes, you know I thought about that fool me once... etc. I am an out of town landlord though so can't really go down there to show and move someone in. I'd have to advertise, stay at a hotel, etc and my schedule doesn't allow for that.

If you want my gut - No - I don't think he's not going to change. But - one thing I have not had a problem with is him moving in people that have been decent renters. That's why I am considering having him move people in, and once that is done, changing managers if (when) he goes back to his old self. That way I have renters in there already and the changeover becomes relatively painless, versus having a vacancy for a potentially long time.

If we get into next week and these supposed renters don't materialize, then we have another story. But that house is easy to rent, the area is good, so he's probably telling the truth that he has people. Also because he told me about these people yesterday before I told him he was going to be fired (today).

The interior was just painted a couple of years ago and the prop mgr (who is questionable, but that's in another thread) suggested repainting it again. Seemed too soon, but I wasn't sure. The walls have been textured so I'm not sure how a semigloss would look. I'm not sure what was used last time aside from the color, antique white, which is pretty standard.

It cost $500 if I remember right and it would add up.

I'm wondering how often you re-paint the interiors of your single family rental homes? I have one in a college town and though it mostly rents to graduate students or community members, most people there will rent for a year.

Also, I'm sure this will vary but about how much does it cost you to re-paint the interior of a single floor ~1,000 sq ft 3 br 2 ba house (Midwest)?

Thanks!

I called my current manager to let him know that I've decided to go a different direction with the management of the property, and I could get out there in a week to make arrangements for the transfer.

He proceeded to ask me to give him one more chance with things. He admits he dropped the ball with things and there's been some communication issues, but there won't be going forward. He said he was on the phone getting the bids for the painting and other work, told me the bid, and said he has three graduate students ready to sign on the house, and also there's a mother with two daughters in college who is also interested.

I told him I felt like I have given it another try, we discussed these issues last spring, and they did improve but then have gone back to the way they were. I said I can't get a hold of him when I need to, sometimes it can take a couple of weeks and he won't get back to answer my questions or concerns, maintenance has been deferred that needs to be done, the house has supposedly been advertised since April yet it's about to go vacant and still not rented. I said I went on craigslist in fact and didn't even see an ad for my house in there.

He said things would not be that way moving forward, and to please give him one more try to earn my trust back and if not we will just dissolve the contract and part our separate ways. He said we've worked with each other for several years now, and he knows he can improve on this and would do so

I told him I would consider it and get back to him. I said I have not been happy with the service so far, and feel that he has known that.

I am concerned about the upcoming vacancy. If he has qualified people ready to sign, it is tempting for me to stay with him for now, see if things do improve (though I am leery because we discussed this in the spring and they again started to lag). With a new management company, I'm not sure of how much turnaround time there would be to transfer things over, start advertising and then showing the place and get someone qualified in there, especially since I am still only in the process interviewing other managers, need to check references, go out there etc.

Part of why I am also nervous is before this manager, I had another one who was not good, she left it unrented for months until I had to go down there and rent it myself. Also besides it about to go vacant, after July/August things get very hard to rent in a college town.

If the current manager has qualified people ready to sign, I'm not sure if it would be better for me to stay with him for now, see if things improve, and if not transfer to a new manager, with the tenants already in there, versus at such a hectic time when the place is about to go vacant. It seems he will just let the contract go without new tenants causing any future monetary issues if I am still not happy. At the same time, I feel like I've already given him another chance, and he's already failed at it, which has caused wasted time and frustration.

Ok, thanks for the advice everyone.

Now I finally was able to get a hold of him (he sent me a text at least, anyway) I found out I'm going to have to pay for the front door being fixed because someone apparently kicked it in or tried to kick it in. This is why I don't like undergrads staying at my place.

He also said he now has people interested in renting the place. I'm interviewing two more managers tomorrow but it seems I need to have a talk with him as well so things don't get mixed up. He told me he was finally getting a bid for the repairs and the landscaping work done, but I have heard that for six weeks now. With all the other issues he has, sometimes I wonder if he has a drug problem or something (being serious) to be so delinquent and irresponsible/unresponsive.

I have brought up the problems before. I even had a meeting with him as well last spring to discuss the issues and he acknowledged them, made various excuses and said they would improve. They did improve, for maybe a month or two but then went back. It can take him a week or longer to get back in touch with me (if he's this way with me, how is he with potential tenants?). He has been advertising the house for rent since April but has not rented it and it goes vacant next month, yet it's in a good area. I checked Craigslist yesterday and saw there was not even an ad for my place online. I came back into town and noticed he had not paid me for the past two months. When I called him on it, he said it was an oversight and deposited the money, but I'm not so sure. The front porch and house trim need to be painted badly, along with replacing some porch boards and the front landscaping is extremely overgrown. He has even admitted this, yet it's been six weeks and I've not even gotten his bids for it, needless to say it's still not done, although he's got his own maintenance man he uses to do things. No, it's not an emergency, but I am sure that doesn't help with the curb appeal to rent the place. Last year, he waited until the last minute to rent my place as well, so I had to approve undergraduate students to live there, which I prefer not to do.

Shall I go on??

I am finding a new property manager for a variety of reasons. Should I just let the current one go now, and I take over in the interim, or wait until I find a new manager first?

I don't want to confuse the current tenants as to who the manager is (old property manager, then me, then the new one), but I also don't want the current manager to find new tenants (property goes vacant next month) and then sign a lease with them and then say he is required to stay because he found those tenants or expects some extra payment or % of the lease due to that. I am under contract with my current manager until April, but he knows there have been problems so I'm hoping he will let it go smoothly. If not, he is in breach of contract in so many ways, I know I would win in court but I hope it would not go that far.

I expect I could hire a new manager later this week, I am interviewing today and tomorrow, but I'm an out of town landlord so it's a bit more difficult - plus have to check references etc.