All Forum Posts by: Jane S.

Hi did they move out??????? Youre brave to buy a prop with sitting tenants! I would never risk it.

Thanks Michael,

Tenants are responsible for repairing everything up to a certain dollar amount each month ($175 or $300 on my better properties). EXCEPT I will replace the HW heater, furnace, AC if necessary and clean gutters, prune trees etc. They are using the appliances so they are responsible for repairing them if there is breakage but only after all repairs have been made that occur within their first week after they move in that I should have fixed. Broken windows, but not if wind did it. I maintain the roof and the black water drain. I urge them to get a home warranty but most of them just dont. I’m lucky if they can prove they have renters insurance.

Tenant screening is really getting tricky. So many folks not able to show tax returns. I am requiring these for every applicant who makes it thru the first hurdle as well as 4 months of their bank statements. I require a checking account at a local bank. Also I am going to avoid any “judgement proof” tenants who can skate whenever they feel like it, courts cant get them to pay. A lot of bottom feeders out there.

These tenants were habitually late and always complaining about not having money to pay rent or repairs as required by their lease. So I hired an attorney because this is my first eviction and the timing was all wrong, the attorney left the US for 2 weeks and the court hearing was yesterday, took 4 hours because the city systems were all malfunctioning and Magistrate wasn't able to see our paperwork. Tenants claimed they paid for repairs but had no proof and provided no hard copy docs, just messy notes on a printout of an email. 

The Magistrate asked if we wanted to settle and tenants said very clearly yes. The Magistrate wrote up a trial settlement that required tenants to pay December rent by 3pm yesterday to which they said “We dont have the money” and my atty said “You wanted to pay December rent where is that money?” Tenants didnt answer. 

Settlement also required them to forgo the security deposit which they fought for but lost on that. I dont have to provide any accounting although tenants tried to tell me how to allocate the repairs. The house looks like the start of a Hoard.

The settlement also suppressed the case so tenants wouldn't have eviction on their records. I am un-suppressing it because …

Guess what they didnt pay so now they are in default and don't have to perform any of the settlement requirements and a writ of restitution will be served on them SOON I hope. That gives them another 10 days to vacate but meanwhile they can do a lot of damage to my property and the sheriff is now part of the situation.

If you can avoid evicting my advice is there is very little help you can get from the law, no matter where you live. These tenants were OK until halfway through their 2nd year (I extended their lease—also big mistake)

I now understand, anyone wanting to rent my house will put on a good show of how reliable and honest they are and how they admire me, until we sign the lease. Then they will let their hatred of me show, little by little by defaulting on the lease and trotting out their list of excuses.

I dont know if this will ever be over without $1000s lost.

In the beginning stages of an eviction so dont know what to expect

Its legal to rent out a house that has a VA loan? And not live there?

Thanks scott

Start eviction NOW it will take a while

Hope your lease forbids it

A while ago I think I read about a very low or no cost tenant background app being offered on BP?  Any ideas? Thanks

First find a really smart and supportive mortgage lender with a great refinance package. Shop around! I get 10 letters a week begging me to refi! Hopefully there is equity in your duplex otherwise the bank wouldnt have underwriten it. Why not talk to the banker who wrote your loan? What was it appraised for? How much do you owe? You need to get married to all the numbers relating to this property. Maybe you should move to the basement & rent the other unit. Also you should have a CPA on your team. If you are a veteran you would be in good shape but … not suggesting you join up …

Had a guy call about house FR said he has 2 great danes is that Ok? I asked if he owns a backhoe for cleaning up after them he had No sense of humor

Another call she has 3 cats and one dog and “the cats are very respectful”