All Forum Posts by: Kathleen Leary

I've got still-usable carpeting in my SFR, but when it goes, I'll be replacing it with vinyl plank. I've heard lots of good things about it.

That said, carpet in bedrooms might still be an option - it doesn't get as much wear & people (around here, anyway) really like it.

I refuse to have carpet in any living space I personally occupy - you CANNOT get it clean. Ever. Ditto Richard's sentiment.

You might check architectural salvage places, Habitat ReStore, etc. if it's a really old door. You may be able to match (or come pretty close) & just get the door, no jamb/casing. Charge for that, plus labor, transport, installation, etc.

I've hung a million (well, it seems like that many!) old doors like that - you might have to do a little planing, etc. but I like to keep the millwork uniform throughout if at all possible.

Your tenants might even be willing to do the legwork to find the door themselves. 

Depending on the age/condition of the structure & its location, it may be totally impossible to keep mice out. Any crack 1/4" wide is like a revolving door to a mouse, so it may be a losing battle in an old house, regardless of cleanliness, vegetation, etc. (The little bastards move into MY house every fall!) 

Tenants are responsible for pest control. For bugs, they can annihilate themselves (& the bugs!) with whatever poison they want. Mice: I am a fan of old-school "snap traps" - no worries about poison, rotting carcasses in the walls, etc. I've even stopped by & emptied/reset them for silly squealing women. 

All that said, I wouldn't pay somebody to do the impossible - although you can make it less attractive for the little rodents to move in, you can't keep them out, only deal with them once they're in.

I asked acquaintances in the area how much they were paying for lawn care & went with the lowest amount. Like, what you'd pay a high-school kid to do it. I'm making a tiny bit over break-even, but that's okay with me. It's more important that it get done.

My property is in a "less-advantaged" area - people don't have a pot to piss in,  much less a lawnmower! I mow the grass & trim the bushes & pull the weeds - it's very important to me that the property looks decent. It's had a long, long history of being "that trashy rental house." I pay myself the going rate to do the lawn care & it's included in the rent every month. I don't shovel snow, but I have included the city ordinance in the lease & made it clear that I will check that it gets done.

Granted, I only live 15 minutes away - distance makes a huge difference in your choices.

At ReStore, I've gotten Glidden, Behr, Valspar, Sherwin-Williams - anything from WalMart to high-end. You just have to stop in often & check out what's come in. 

I'm sure I'll get all kinds of flack for this, but I have NO problem mixing paint together. I have not had any issues with it, over many years & many, many walls painted. You do end up with seriously "one-of-a-kind" product, but I'm okay with that. For the price, I'll re-paint, not try to match what's there.

Regarding snow removal: I went down to the city offices & got a copy of the actual snow removal ordinance, which is now included in the lease. I don't care if they're the only house on the block with clean sidewalks & everybody else has icebergs piled in front - I check!

It's kind of a crappy neighborhood & it's important to me that my property be "nice." This is made clear at move-in & so far, so good!

No immediate personal experience with this situation as a landlord, but I can add a caution based on seeing this happen many, many times: as soon as you verify that there's been a death, secure the property! Hate to say it, but relatives will materialize out of the woodwork & swoop in like vultures on a dead possum. 

Make sure the property is only accessible by the executor, lawyer, law enforcement, etc. I've seen someone (rightfully) try to retrieve Grandma's jewelry, favorite rocker, china service, etc. & it's long gone.

Not to mention the fist fights out in the yard over the tv. Seriously.

My own home was built in 1892. My "town" rental was built in 1910. If a property is structurally sound, you can update the mechanicals (which can be a PIA, just because the things we want in homes today didn't exist 100 years ago). Cosmetically, they can be updated ad infinitum, although I try to keep as much of the old detailing as possible. Creates "charm." Half (or more) of the houses in this town are 100+ years old, so people expect "vintage" accommodations. That may not be the case in your area.

Honestly, if someone GAVE me a house that was 20 years old, I'd sell it as fast as I could & go buy another old one. But that's me. You might be much more comfortable with a newer model.

Wow - if I were the tenant-to-be & were handed that type of information, I'd be very offended. How I handle my money is my business - if I make the rent, it's none of your concern how I do it.

I'm their landlord, not their mama.