All Forum Posts by: Colleen F.

Can't comment on that master lease but I am not sure why you would want it. Some towns do enforce but it usually is a greater number then 3 unrelated people.

I do know someone who lived in this kind of arrangement and they used to leave stuff all over when there was a potential other tenant coming around. She was pretty successful in not getting roommates!

@Robert Leonard Thanks, the quality of tenant has not been great so I will see what turns up and give this some thought.

I guess this posted twice. Here is the other string if people have more contributions to make:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/108399-negotiating-rent-for-the-right-tenant

@Bill S. Believe me I know the laws about contractors and employees and frankly as a contractor who was by IRS terms an employee, the only one who wins are the lawyers.

There is no place to put a lawn mower so either we work something out with ours or we mow it. I am willing to take the risk on the mowing at this time. Technically I may need to get workmen' s comp anyway because my kids are doing it.

Advertise a lower rent to get a full crop of new nuttier people this time of year just doesn't appeal to me. I can wait. I can sign with a couple who wants it in February if I have to.

It is never the case that everyone gets the chance to apply lower rent or not. I talk to them and I usually show it. I don't run an open house. They fill out the application after not before. I keep a detailed list of who called/came/applied. If you tell me something stupid I don't show it or I don't give out an application, I guess if they insist I would and then reject them but they don't insist.

The question though was also is if you were to negotiate how would you do it. I think I am getting all non negotiaters.

Having just lived through this with a furnace repair issue all I can say is watch your property manager. Mine called to get my approval to send someone out and he said he had someone, ok send them, this is 7 pm Tuesday. Call from another tenant the next morning heat still out. call PM someone is going out this afternoon and they get there 7 pm at night. My son was there all day and we had determined that the dual oil tanks weren't fueling properly and were equalizing tanks about when the guy got there. We still need a permanent fix but the guy they sent can't do that. He was nice enough not to charge though. In this case I wish we had called someone, the PM 's fixer was the wrong guy for this job.

@Zac P. I don't take fair housing lightly and the building with uneven rent I am trying to bring tenants on par not because of any law but because I don't thinks business wise it is good. . For this one though I was just getting a sense of whether other people negotiate and if so how.

. @Jon K. I agree I don't want a nightmare tenant and will leave vacant longer if I have to but saw this as a possible win-win. I have done most of the above (except sign in yard, because you have to drive off the road to see it). It is just the people that want to move now well a lot of them are not my ideal tenant. Too many pets, wrong kind of Pet, too many cars, smokers, the social worker is going to give us the deposit (?), We need to wait for the income tax return for the deposit? This potential tenant seemed good. I can see your point on negotiating opening the door to of course they will work with me when I don't pay the rent etc. I need to give it some thought , should I always expect the worst. to happen.....

We bought one older then that. It depends on the area, the property construction, and what has been done in the interim. One piece of advice though is check lead laws in your state and see how they apply if you buy older properties. If you need to be lead compliant how is that done? What is a qualified house ? What houses are exempt?

We just put in some combo ones with 10 year battery in one of our rentals. It is worth it to me. You are right though people don't want to do it. I found out my brother did not have CO detectors. I ordered them paid for them, and had them mailed to the property, you know he could not bother to put them up! This is a damaged property that is part of our parents estate. When I got there we couldn't find them to install them... stupid. This and fences around pools are safety precautions that are so important but some people just think it can't happen to me.

If you want to consider it interview the dog but as far there is no such thing as no damage risk as I know they still pee....

@Zac P. I appreciate your view on Fair Housing being an issue but it is not a duplex and every price difference is not discrimination. I have similiar units that now have different prices. On this property everyone I rejected was rejectable (pets , smoking , etc). I could have accepted but I didn't want to . Are you saying offering a discount for mowing I will be busted for not calling everyone back and giving that offer ? or not offering everyone use of the lawnmower ? Just saying this looks like the most stable, rooted in area, and likely to stay awhile candidate that was why I was thinking to approach the issue. My kids are mowing now so we can keep mowing but it would be more convenient if someone on site did it and she mentioned liking to do it.

I will see where we are when I get the lead cert.

@Sean Kuhn we did that but last time was a swap, funny thing was that the unit that came out did not beep at us. This time we will get a new unit for her apartment and I hear I should also used some compressed air on the unit in case there is dust.Anyway we will see.