All Forum Posts by: John Koontz

I've only been doing single family and duplexes. I've found a pretty good niche in the neighborhoods that are a little nicer with the better schools in Waterloo. Allowing pets has helped. I think the nice neighborhood/nice schools/pets area there is a real shortage. In the lower class neighborhoods in Waterloo, there is definitely plenty of rental properties. The difference is that you can pick up a property for 50-60k that you can get $850-$1000 in rent in the worse neighborhoods, vs being a lot closer to just over 1% rental:purchase price in the better areas. 

CF is tough due to a lot of supply, cost to purchase properties, and increasing restrictions from the city government. 

I'm not familiar with Waverly, but I had heard that Wartburg now requires students to live on campus for the first couple of years, whereas they didn't before. I haven't verified this as I haven't really looked into the Waverly market. If true, this could have an effect on demand.

Welcome, @Jeremy Staker, 

I'm just getting started as well. I'm pretty familiar with Waterloo especially, so let me know if you have any questions. 

@Jenny Moore I currently live/invest in Waterloo. Where's your property and who's your PM? Feel free to PM.

@Ben Kirchner You're going to be better off going the civil route rather than the criminal route. In civil court, the standard of proof is a preponderance of the evidence, i.e. 51% or more. The standard of proof in a criminal case is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Short of a confession or recovering the property, police aren't going to be able to file charges.

Regarding the laminate, you can usually find a color match pen/marker used to repair scratches. If it's only the one scratch, I'd go that route rather than all the trouble of replacing the plank.

The trim you should be able to fill with some wood putty and paint. If you can avoid it, I wouldn't replace it. It can be a major pain to try to match trim up.

Screens can easily be replaced. You can buy a kit to do it yourself at a hardware store for about $15, or most stores have a service where they'll do it for a fee.

If it's just a little touch up paint and you have the paint, I'd just do it. If you have to repaint entire walls or buy touch up paint, charge them. 

YMMV

@Eric Fisk

You said "Actually, under state law in Iowa you cannot evict for nonpayment of rent unless you have a rental certificate. You cannot lawfully receive rent, either." Maybe I misunderstood what you posted, or maybe it was misstated. I was just saying this will vary from municipality to municipality and is not a statewide thing. My understanding was based on reading the pertinent section of the Iowa Code.

@Erik Fisk

My understanding is that while many municipalities have rental requirements, there is nothing in the Iowa Code that requires a rental to have a certificate. It does allow most municipalities to enact local ordinances. The ability to collect rent will vary from city to city. 

@Mary White

It's still not a crime. Police do not have ANY authority to act in this situation. In your situation, what is the officer going to do? What ability do they have to "handle" the situation? Can they make the landlord leave fans on? Can they punish him if he refuses? Can they authorize the tenants to break their lease? Can they give the tenants permission to withhold rent? Police cannot do any of this because the proper venue is in the civil court system. I'm a landlord and a police officer, and it is very frustrating when people are encouraged to contact law enforcement for situations that are not criminal in nature. Misuse of law enforcement resources in cases such as this is a big part of why officers do not have the time and manpower to conduct proactive policing and end up chasing calls for service the entire shift. You throw out the mantra "protect and serve," but I don't think you (and many others) understand what it actually means. 

Anyway, I won't hijack this thread any longer. My suggestion to the OP is to handle it through the proper venues mentioned above. Don't drag police into your drama.

@Mary White

Please do not call the police. It's not a crime. It's a civil issue. The police will not tell your landlord what he can or can't do. They don't have the authority nor probably the knowledge to know what he can or can't do. All you're doing is putting the officers in a tough spot by asking them to solve a problem they are unable to. They will not arrest your landlord for harassment, assault, trespassing, or attempted murder. They will wish they could arrest YOU for harassment (on them) or theft (of their time which they will never get back). Call an attorney, legal aid, or some tenant advocacy agency.

@Deanna McCormick

For the love of god, please don't call the police on your landlord for "trespassing." It's not trespassing, posting a sign doesn't matter, they can't/won't do anything about it, and they'll just be frustrated you're taking them away from legitimate work. You might as well call the fire department or your local library. Then, if/when you have a legitimate issue, you'll be remembered as the d*****bag who tried to call your landlord in on a BS complaint.