All Forum Posts by: Lisa Montana

I heard a rumor that Baltimore City law requires a complete repaint job if a tenant moves out after living in a unit for 3 years. Is this true? From what I know, Baltimore City laws are extremely strict about lead paint mitigation (which I'm on top of), but say nothing about general repainting. Thanks for your input!

I'm about to start showing 2 rentals that are currently occupied by tenants who are moving out on 8/1. Normally, I would send prospective tenants to view the units at a time that's convenient for the current tenants. Due to the pandemic, I'd like to try renting the units virtually, which would mean posting videos on the sites where I advertise and giving the current tenants the option to give virtual tours over Zoom, if they want to minimize the foot traffic through their living space. 

Have any of you tried renting through videos and virtual tours, instead of in-person showings? Were you successful? What advice would you give?

Thanks!

Hey everyone—

Baltimore City landlord here. A tenant is moving her partner into her apartment, and I’m putting both of them on the lease. The tenant has a year-to-year lease that renews every June 1. I would like to keep the June 1 renewal because it’s easier to find a new tenant for June 1 than for August 1. Unfortunately, the date of the new lease offer is today, July 24. So I’d like to offer a 10-month lease that renews year-to-year on June 1. Will this look weird in court, if I have to evict or sue the tenants? I obviously don’t want to do anything that will make my case get thrown out. Thanks in advance for any advice you have.

Can anyone recommend an asset protection attorney in Baltimore, MD or the surrounding area? Thanks!

Has anyone tried any of the online rent payment tools listed on this page: https://www.biggerpockets.com/rei/pay-rent-online-...

What do you recommend in terms of low cost and security? Some people recommend Venmo.

GooglePay just cancelled the account I was using to collect rent payments. Apparently, the P2P feature only supports individuals and sole proprietorships that are designated as such, and my sole proprietorship is an LLC.

Thanks!

Hello. Does anyone know the best way for a landlord to reclaim an abandoned rental in Baltimore City?

I'm a buy-and-hold investor and landlord. A tenant seems to have abandoned a SFR 14 days before their lease ends. They won't return my calls. They left piles of trash and food on the floor, so I want to get trash removers and housecleaners in as soon as possible to reduce turnaround time between tenants.

Do I need to wait until their lease ends (in 14 days)? Is it legal to remove rotting food that might damage the property before the lease ends?

Do I have to start an eviction process to be able to go in and remove their stuff? Their last month's rent is late and they clearly have no intention of paying it.

I've never dealt with this particular situation before, so I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Hey everyone,

I'm sending a notice of non-renewal of lease to some tenants in Baltimore City. Does anyone know whether Baltimore City requires me to state a reason why I'm not renewing the lease? The tenants are expecting this notice, because I've given them warnings, and two neighbors and one contractor have complained about things like trash in the yard, dog poop in the house. I glanced at some sample letters online, and some recommend not disclosing a reason unless disclosure is required by law.

Thanks!

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice! I'm definitely going to screen new tenants. My lease does not include an early termination fee per se, but it probably allows me to keep the security deposit if the tenants break the lease. These tenants have taken exceptionally good care of the apartment, so I doubt I'd have to withhold much from the security deposit if they were simply moving out at the end of the lease.

Some great tenants just told me that the offer they made on a house has been accepted. They've given me more than 60 days notice and offered to find subletters or new tenants to move in on April 1, so there would be no vacancy. Their lease allows subleasing with the landlord's prior written consent. Is it better to let them sublet or allow them to break their lease after they find a new tenant? Either way, I would run a credit and background check on the subletter or new tenant. One of my concerns is that I'm in the process of refinancing the property and sent the lender their 12-month lease. Hopefully, the loan will close long before April 1, so this might not be an issue. Thanks in advance for any input.

Hello. I'm looking for someone who can complete a BPO on a property in Brick, NJ 08724. Any offers?