All Forum Posts by: Kathleen Leary

Wow. That is  . . . . . . sure something. (Aren't I polite?!?)

I would not allow either to be used by tenants. Close the fireplace, remove the stove, etc. (you may want to leave the fireplace operable for future salability, of course) & make sure provisions in your lease or agreement address the situation.

I can't afford the insurance on my OWN home if I were to add a wood-burning stove, much as I'd like to.

Given that students are supposed to be studying (!), you may well need to add a co-signer on your lease or agreement. Most likely this would be a parent - check them out just as you would any other applicant. Just because they have a kid in college doesn't mean they can foot the bills. This does give you recourse if/when they skip out or tear the place up.

I'm actually in the process of refinancing one of my properties. Keep in mind, this is the Midwest, so things are probably a little different, but in my experience with banks/lenders, you just don't have enough equity in your property to warrant the risk they would have to incur making a loan on it. You'll have to increase the worth of your "dog in the fight," as it were.

My agreement specifically states that if the tenant wishes to change the existing window coverings (which I provide), they may do so ONLY by having me install whatever new hardware may be required. Otherwise, it is considered damage & will have to repaired or paid for at move-out. We go over this before anything is actually signed. 

In your situation, I'd install new window treatments & be very glad they asked to have it done before bashing holes in the walls themselves.

I got my best tenants BECAUSE I offered them M2M. The husband had a high-paying job that required their relocating every year or so, & a M2M was preferable for them. 

I screen carefully & have a nice property, priced accordingly. Some folks do have legitimate reasons for needing less than a year's lease & a M2M may be a selling point for them.

I am considering switching to a six-month lease, then reverting to a M2M. Almost all rentals around here are Y2Y. 

I have one - old-school arm-powered. My in-town property is rather "elderly" - personally, I'd like to see more slope from the main waste tie-in to the sewer, but that's not my jurisdiction. Anyway, I've snaked all the waste lines from the fixtures to the main tie-in multiple times. IT IS A GROSS JOB! Probably doesn't help that I have to access the cleanouts from a crawl space, lying on my back in the dirt . . . ugh. 

You might consider starting with a closet auger, since toilets are a sure clog-up, regardless. Then you might decide to get a general-purpose, bigger one. It's not difficult to actually do, just annoying & GROSS.

I would not provide a microwave to any tenant. They grow legs quite often.

If you wish to go forward, keep an eye on moving sales, garage sales, auctions, etc. & stock up. Black Friday sales can generate some decent deals, too. You may be going through quite a few more than you anticipated over time.

And lord help you if someone has used texture-in-a-can to patch an area. That stuff will NOT come off. Period.

Otherwise, I may try this on my next removal. I kinda like getting right up close & personal so I don't put big gouges in the ceiling, but this has some real merit. Thanks!

You can get a nice stove for $100 (used!) - just replace it & take the old one to the scrap yard. You'll spend more time & effort trying to fix the existing one than it's worth.