All Forum Posts by: Craig Smith

 Great share!

Amazing how many people try use a fake landlord. That's why if they are local, I verify the landlord online and do a surprise visit to the house to sign something or collect money. This allows me to see if they really live there, their cleanliness and any pets that they didn't declare and might up as "just visiting".  

Got a good laugh about the important info they leave behind. Amazing how they walk away with all this financial info lay around. Had it happen a couple of times. My partner on a property actually rented to someone that I had previous disqualified a year before when the unit was previously available. They told her it was short term 6 months or so as they had purchased a house and were rehabbing it. Turned out to be a horrible tenant. Collecting rent was like a game. Left a ton of crap. However, found the paperwork for the house they purchased. Turns out it was 6 houses down from my residence. They were slowly remodeling it. Well about a dozen overloaded pickup and utility trailer loads of there crap were nicely delivered to the house. Filled the garage, the side door was open  so we filled the hallway straight to the basement. Another door the opened to an elevator shaft got filled. Best part we charged them a moving fee! Added it to the judgement that we liened against the house. 

Nice feedback. After years of trying different methods, I personally have found it best, for me, to make the phone call quick and schedule people into time slots. Granted many don't show, so I usually do double bookings and during the walk through I tend to qualify them. It seems to take less time. 

As to your reply to my question, I do tend to relay much the same information about honesty. I've learned that there are many horrible landlords in town, so I do listen to the stories and verify them. I know the city inspectors pretty well at this point so they often give me their opinion and background that I use to match up the stories. In this case, the PM, Bob, was clearly lying about the tenant. As far as the security, I already ask for the max allowed, (first, last and one security). Unless they have really good references and credit I won't work with them on this. I actually had accepted a deposit, but they previous prospect couldn't come up with the other 2 months in time.   

 $700. Going rate should be $600 to $650. Once I install a bath on the third floor in the master suite I can up it to around $750. 

 Actually it's been on open for 2 months. Had one tenant give a months deposit, but they couldn't come up with the other 2 months to move in. (they lost the deposit) Parking is the real issue. It's a small one-way street with parking on only one side. The other side of the street has no backyard access for parking so very few house have a spot for even 1 car. People are often forced to park a block away. This unit has access to the alleyway but the parking is for my other tenants. 

 Very much so. Usually the first question I'm asked is "Do accept Section 8?" Even though right next to the phone number it states "No Section 8"

 I have been upgrading the unit. Unfortunately the neighborhood is slowly going downhill. I purchased it as I owned the other half, but not this side, and I wanted to control who lives in there. Nightmare, from the previous owner/tenant. Never buy half a house!

 YES, The pity thing was a hard lesson, even still, to learn. 

 For this property in this neighborhood, there just isn't alot of perfect tenants. No OSP  (little onstreet available), shootings and poor schools, tend to scare off great tenants. Plus a next door neighbor that has broken into this house and stolen my tools and my electrical contractors tools (Legal disclaimer - My personal opinion, not provable) I don't like leaving it empty for long. Besides, if they are decent credit, they could buy a house for cheaper than the rent.  Don't get me wrong, it's not the ghetto. It is safe. I've never felt threatened at any hour of the day here. I have a large garage for rental properties in the alley way behind this house so I'm around alot. 

 I might have not been clear. The only damages that I saw as "tenant related" was a kitchen drawer faceplate. I saw no holes in the walls as the PM stated or trash around. The yard was spotless and well maintained. The mold smell in the kitchen was from the basement. Which, if it was from water penetration from the outside it's on the owner. The house is about 100 yr old. so the foundation is exposed in the basement, only a partition wall made of sheetrock was down there and it was covered from floor to ceiling in mold. Stagnant water on the ground. 20+ yrs of experience I'm putting this on the owner. Add in the PM Bob obvious was lying to me about the damage. Tenant also complained about the pigeons roosting under the eves and getting into the attic. I'm just not buying the PMs side on this one. Especially, when his assistant was sad to hear they were leaving.

 Ahh, didn't think about the legal side. No offense, but this is why I avoid Attorney's as tenants. One bad one can really ruin your day. LOL. 

However, the first line here in Pa. for evictions and judgements is in front of a magistrate. Though they might have a couple of weeks of legal training they don't always know the letter of the law. Basically, if the tenant didn't pay the rent they show up to court they lose. If they try to claim the property is uninhabitable, they would have needed to have put the rent into escrow or for the most part the judge won't even listen to the story.  (As a landlord you can't even file unless the city has inspected the property within the last 2 yrs and passed it as occupiable)  Usually 45 days and they are out. They can only appeal to the county court if the put the whole amount of the judgement in escrow with the court. (I've never heard this happen). In our area, at this rental level we don't see a lot of litigation on the level your talking about. Granted, my lease is 12 pages long. For the most part only the stuff in the first half of the first page even gets mentioned.