All Forum Posts by: Jack B.

A 20 year old kid and two of his buddies try to rent a place from me. I had another older couple waiting at the same time and they called me and told me they were leaving because of them, thinking they lived there. 

So I get there and there are three absolute thugs standing around a car that looks like it was pulled out of a wrecking yard, parked with the front end in the driveway, the rear doors and trunk in the street and one third of the car on the grass. I ask them to pull ALL the way into the drive way and not park on the grass.

During the tour, I asked them all repeatedly about their credit and criminal background. All repeatedly said no issues at all, no arrests, etc. Even on their application they checked the no box for each of them in regards to arrests or convictions.

I run the first one. Comes back as a felon just released from prison. It was a child molestation thing. Tried to deny it was him. I asked him if he is claiming that there is another person with the exact same name, date of birth and SSN as him. He said no. What's the deal then I said. He say's it's not a felony and he has paperwork to prove it and he can send me a picture. Sends me the picture. It's something that could easily be printed on a home computer in 2 minutes. Claims it's legit. I told him he told me he had no record not even an arrest, so why on Earth would I believe that document is legit when the government record states otherwise? 

He demands his money back, cites how he has the receipt. I was like, yeah, and I have a signed document from you that says you have no record or arrests and that the BGC is non-refundable, as well as your felony record right here. Little boy tried to talk tough and threaten me. During my research into the statute for his conviction to find out what it was and otherwise checking up on him, I noticed his address on the sex offender registry (transient) didn't match the address on his application (living with parents). I contacted the Police. They called me back within a couple hours. Detectives already believed that he was living with his parents. I offered to send them the application, which I did and they were very appreciative. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Not sure if he got arrested, I stopped following his record after a while.

You will NOT be molesting my neighbors kids or anyone else's kids as long as I have a say about it.

Three room mates try to rent a place from me. They claim that they can't register for the background check authorization because of a system error. I suggest they contact customer support per the email they received for the authorization instructions. They instead, ask me again via text minutes later, how their credit and background looked. I told them politely that I can't get the results until they register and authorize it as we just discussed.

The system threw an error because they were trying to use fake social security numbers. They demand their money back. I remind them they signed a receipt (that matches my states requirements) that it's a non-refundable fee and that I've already paid for the check and that the screenshot they sent me indicates they are using invalid SSN's, and that I just processed another applicant for a different property minutes ago, so it's not a system error so much as the fake SSN's they are using. 

 That's basically true for me as well. The vast majority of my tenants have been an absolute pleasure. They got their full deposits back, etc. I gave them gifts for the holidays, etc. 

Then there are the low income people who are low income because they have low intelligence and it shows when you talk to them and listen to their demands and their illogical reasoning. When they start to try to argue with me and boss me around I politely try to correct them but if they keep it up I do it a bit more forcefully so they get the hint. I don't take advice from people who can't afford anything other than renting a room in a house with a group of people, when I own millions in real estate. And I was born with every disadvantage imaginable in life, no family money here. I made it because I have superior critical thinking skills. Only a fool would listen to broke tenants who can't even figure out that the water heater is already lit, by merely looking down to see the flame or turning the hot water faucet on....

OK, your advice is that the self made millionaire at a young age, takes the lead of his prospective tenants, etc. and follows their advice that they try to force upon me with comments like (that's a dumb rule, or why is that like that, I'm not going to do that, etc.). When someone can afford to buy millions of real estate and become a millionaire, they can tell me what to do. When they can't afford to do anything but rent a room in a house with several other people, they are not the beacon of success and not someone I'm going to take advice from or waste my time listening to their ridiculous arguments and idiocy.

I doubt you even own any rentals. If you did like the others who have posted, you would understand.

Yeah, frankly I have no issue telling people to take their nonsense elsewhere. I've had four room mates show up and try to argue with me about every little thing during a tour. Just constantly combative. Mind you I pay more in income tax on W2 than all of them combined grossed, but they still wanted to argue because the unconsciously incompetent don't know they are incompetent. I told them when they own millions in real estate and are a millionaire like me, I'll do things their way, but when you are so broke that you have to live as four grown adults in a single house, you're not the beacon of success and critical thinking so we will do it my way.

In other cases I've also just opened the door and gestured for them to exit when they tell me that if I want to know if their dog is a pit-bull (they claimed the don't know the dogs breed but pic looks exactly like a pit-bull) I would have to pay to get it tested (this after I said only small dogs of 15 lbs or less at the top and bottom of the listing, and emailed them about it before the tour yet they still show up to tell me they have a 40 lb pit.

I just told her no thanks, walked up to the door, opened it and waited for her to get out.

I think with intellectually challenged people you sometimes have to be stern and lead them.

I think I'm just going to ask problematic people to leave early on. In my experience when they exhibit issues once early on, there will be many more issues down the road. Without exception to date.

Tenant demanded I replace nearly new carpet after move in. When I declined, she demanded her $600 deposit back so she could do it. I explained to her $600 won't cover carpeting materials let alone labor and that the deposit is for damages, etc. not for her to remodel my house as she sees fit. 

Half a dozen similar incidents with this trailer trash.

In the end she stopped paying rent and gave notice when I went to evict her. Except she didn't move out on time. She was still there days after she was supposed to be out. When she finally did leave there were mountains of trash, carpet and flooring damaged with wax and glue everywhere, fist holes in walls, doors, etc. All of it covered up previously by her stuff. She had the audacity to call me a racial slur and tell me to go back to my own country. I laughed and told her this IS my country, and that I own the land she was standing on and she would be arrested if she did not leave. Still sent me a racial slur via text days later. I just laughed. Loser has a credit score of 500 upon move in and much less now after I sent her to collections. I have an 824 credit score, am a millionaire and pay more in taxes than she grosses in a year x3....Sure showed me...Good luck finding a place to rent with that on your credit report.

We've all read the thread 'Tenant applicants say the dumbest things'. Stay in the business long enough and you come across some real "winners" as they say.

So how do you balance being polite and being an enforcer so to speak? For example, I've had some real inept tenants that try to tell me the sink is leaking under the cabinet and that water is everywhere. When I ask for a pic, they say there is nothing to take a pic of. After much back and forth coaxing them, the tenant finally sends me a pic and it becomes really clear why there is a leak and why they didn't want to send a pic; she replaced the faucet herself (against the lease, and bought a white faucet for a stainless sink...) and in the process didn't put it together right and caused a massive leak. To top it off, she lied and tried to get me to fix her mess at her expense.

You can imagine I was not a happy camper. Then there are people who try to claim that guy is not living here and that they didn't damage x y or z, despite there being pics before move in that clearly show it was not damaged (Date, time and gps stamped pics). Yet these winners always want to argue. When they get really argumentative I just give them notice since they are on a month to month. Usually I give them a warning first. But second strike I just ask them to move.

I ask because I came across a thread on another forum where the guy was complaining about the usual crap you deal with when dealing with tenants and tenant applicants. He was stating that he has gotten to the point where he just has to hang up on people, etc. An experience I've had myself a few times. 

So how do you balance service with enforcement? At a traditional business poor service would result in them eventually closing their doors. With rental real estate it seems there is more leeway for being a bit more aggressive in asserting how things are going to work. For example, that guy you claim is just your friend is clearly living here. I don't care if you claim he is not. Unless you can provide definitive proof otherwise, I decide you get fined per the lease or you move. 

I'm basically at the point where I start out nice, but when it becomes clear they are a liar and a person with below average intelligence and keep trying to push their agenda down my throat, I basically state here are the facts, they speak for themselves, there will not be any more debate and that if they wish to continue their tenancy they need to x, y and z. 

Being a landlord is a tad different than a traditional business, where the above would be considered poor service.

After a few years now of having multiple single family rentals, I've developed some experience with what is probably a good intro to flipping. I've also made connections with contractors. To date I've done (via contractors):

Plumbing overhaul

Roofing

Appliances

Drywall

Paint

Interior and exterior doors

Electrical panels

General plumbing

Water heaters

Decks

Flooring

Gutters

I'm probably leaving out a few things.

No major kitchen or bathroom remodels which are expensive of course, but I'm getting pretty comfortable with this stuff and have a good idea how much something costs with my guys. 

I think being a buy and rent landlord first and doing maintenance on your rentals over the years is a good intro into what it takes to flip. Case in point, the plumbing and other major stuff always took twice as long as they expected. 

I think it's a good way to get introduced to flipping, what do you think?

From what I've read, storage units weathered the last crash well. I also like the fact that it's so low maintenance.

Personally I'd love to do something like land with a fence just for boat and RV storage, no buildings even. That would be nice. Extremely low overhead, and tons of cash flow for very little effort and risk.

There is a place like this by one of my rentals. It's a 2-3 acre lot with a fence and many RV's, boats, etc. for all those people who live in HOA's in the area and can't store their boats at home.

Retire and become a full time investor.