All Forum Posts by: Corina Eufinger

I would definitely do some research on how the programs operate in each city you are considering. Enforcement and rules can vary dramatically even though it is a federal program.  I.e. Lake County Section 8 holds the landlord responsible for everything including tenant damage. I once had a landlord who had to PAY SOMEONE to clean an OCCUPIED apartment because it failed housing for cleanliness and Lake County placed the responsibility on him.  In Kenosha County they remove the liability from the landlord for tenant damage and cleanliness. I've had tenant damage that they require the tenant to fix or pay us for within 30 days.  Some Housing Communities can be more of an ally to you than others so research other people's experiences in those areas.  

AirBnb cannot "police" local ordinances, the sheer overhead of that would drive up their costs exponentially.  Those listings are breaking the rules.  It is your responsibility to set up your AirBnb profile so it meets the requirements of the local ordinances. Whether that be the duration of stay, disclosures, etc.  

And I'm don't agree with the advice that if they can't be bothered to return your phone call they aren't serious about enforcing it. That's a sure-fire way to get into trouble.  You already know the ordinances are there, they are passed they are 100% enforceable regardless of whether they return your phone call or not. Since the Dells is a huge tourist destination it may simply be they are incredibly overwhelmed and understaffed.  Start out by following their guidelines to the best of your ability based on the ordinances.  If you find yourself gaining their attention at least then you would have an open line of communication and in my experience if you serve honey, nearly any municipality will work with on their first contact with you. 

You need a new attorney! In Wisconsin, you can issue a 5-day notice for illegal drug and gang activity. Wisconsin Legal Blank has one you can purchase.  Have the cops actually arrested anyone on the property (associated with the unit) for drug activity, if so then you can use that to evict?  Remember tenants are responsible for the conduct of their guests (hopefully your lease says that!), so even if the tenant wasn't the person who was arrested for drugs you can still issue that 5-day notice.  Get copies of those police reports. I would wait till I have 2 arrests for drug activity or possession attached to the same unit before issuing. If you initiate on just one a judge can easily side with the tenant and say maybe that one person was a bad apple...  

As for the assault that happened you can absolutely hold the leaseholder responsible for that! Is there a police report?  You can issue a warning letter anytime police are called for a disturbance. Habitual criminal activity is grounds for not renewing a lease. 

The police are correct, it is really hard to guests removed from the property or banned.  That needs to be adjudicated in a separate court case, you can't just prevent guests from showing up or decide you don't like a guest and call the cops.   

You are also having a much different experience with Housing than I have had in the past.  Did you tell them you suspect drug activity either on the part of the tenant or their guests? I've had Section 8 workers in the past tell me that I can let the tenant know that drug activity at their unit or caused by them on the property can result in their Voucher being suspended. 

You don't mention the length of the lease, if they are month to month then just issue a 28 day non renewal. 

I honestly have decent luck buying at used appliance stores. Milwaukee has one to two I believe. Racine has a good one called A&D I think. You can also consider checking out Habit for Humanity Restore.  They have appliances sometimes as well, and yes they are decent ones. Not like new, but they are good running appliances. Usually between 3-7 years old. 

It's not very well known that in Wisconsin case law points to strongly encouraging (and some judges take it as law made by case law) to giving 60 day notice. If you think about it, only a 30-day notice is rather unfair. If you give them 30 day notice but they are also required to give you 30-day notice they are stuck paying one month of the increase because they had no choice. 

I had to give big increases to my inherited tenants as well recently. I choose the route of halves. 1/2 of increase amount right away then second half in 6 months all on a MTM lease. This gives them a little bit to plan and adjust their finances. 

Your best bet to finding "on market" deals and quickly would be enlisting a realtor. They can provide you MLS access which would include "coming soon" previews. It can be an automated search set up that takes away the hassle of browsing realtor.com or other places for hours every few days.

A good investor realtor worth their salt would have their own places to find you off market deals as well. Whether it be from previous clients, having connections with other investors, mortgage brokers, etc. Not to mention being present and active in local real estate groups. 

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd love to be of help to you. (I happen to be an investor and realtor.)

Marcus is correct. It's just 12 hour notice. While the law doesn't give specificity on who provides notice, the section of law is know as "landlord and tenant law" and its covered in rare section of law that is landlord's "do not" section. 

It might be best if the notice is worded as "Your landlord has given us permission to post this notice for..." because of this ornery tenant.

And no, they don't need to approve the time or anything. The notice is only meant to say "Get ready, I'm coming in no matter what you say".

I would consider finding a smaller brokerage that would allow you to park your license in Wisconsin. This way you would get MLS access and be able to stay up on the market as an investor. Depending on where you are, I might be able to refer you to a few places to do that.

Hi @Evelyn V., please feel free to reach out to me via DM.  I'd love to chat with you about the rental market and help you find some deals.  There are opportunities in the area or if you are open to other markets we can chat about some similar markets that offer the same potential but are not as competitive since they haven't gained national attention yet.  (And to correct Rebecca's statement on me, I'm actually the Chairman of the Wisconsin Apartment Association.)

You will need to consult with an attorney on this matter.  In Wisconsin, it's not a cut-and-dry matter of abandonment because they are in prison.  You will need to see about getting a mutual release from him (if he's on a long-term lease).  If he's not you likely could issue a non-renewal but I'm not sure of the logistics of serving (mailing) it when you know the tenant is in prison.  I've never had this happen where the family didn't contact me to surrender it.  If you have an emergency contact on file you could try contacting them.