All Forum Posts by: Matt Huber

Hello! I had an acquaintance with a real estate investor not long ago. He self-manages several properties, but also has a full time job which keeps him on the road quite a bit. He said that he purchases a home warranty for every rental; that way when something breaks, he can just call the HW company and leave it up to them.

As a relatively new landlord, this sounded like a fabulous idea. I purchased a home warranty for my single rental house from Select back in October. Three weeks ago the tenants reported that the pool/spa heater is malfunctioning. I happen to be out of town, so I call Select HW and report the claim. Two days later they send me an email saying they can't find anybody to make a service call, but that I can find my own provider then submit the repair estimate for approval. Lots of calling around to pool repair folks. Everybody is on vacation (it is late December, after all). One guy said that if a HW company is involved he won't even consider working with me. Finally I find somebody who will look at it. Repair estimate comes to about $1,700 (a new replacement heater would be about $3,000). Estimate and photos of unit (per their request) were sent a week ago, but they are still "evaluating" the claim. It seems to me they've been dragging the timeline out a bit.

Some recent web searching on the topic has rendered the expectation that they will probably deny the claim or offer a very small settlement. Some additional web searching nudges me toward the idea that filing a small claims suit would probably result in a favorable judgement, so long that I can provide evidence the claim is legitimate.

My gut reaction right now is get everything in order to file a suit, so when the denial comes through I can get the wheels moving as quickly as possible. Because properly "serving" the out-of-state HW company might be tricky, I was thinking of engaging my RE attorney to help. (Not sure if I can recover attorney fees as part of the suit in California - but I think not.)

In the mean time, I need to provide a working pool heater for the tenants. I will probably just have my pool guy install a new one while all of this transpires.

So there it is: feeling like a sucker with my dirty laundry hanging in the wind. Am I going about this the wrong way? The benefit of your experience, and any other advice, is greatly appreciated in advance.

Agreed. Thank you for the input.

Great, thanks. Good to know of an actual case about this. I had a hunch that CA courts would hold a landlord to the new safety standards, regardless of the age of pool or familial status of the tenant. Hunch confirmed.

Health and Safety code 115922 says that two safety devices are required. If a fence is one, I suppose a pool alarm (sounds when someone falls in) or exit alarms (for doors that lead to the backyard) would be a good choice for the second device?

Thanks Justin. I've already been talking to pool service people. I think I'll have to replace my old DE filter with a newer cartridge type. Sounds like nobody wants to service a DE filter anymore.

Darius - I was leaning this direction. Sounds like the investment is worth a good night's sleep. Really appreciate the input.

Thank you Kyle. All understood and noted. The CL ad was a bit of an experiment to gauge interest. If we can't get a qualified renter from this pool of applicants, then of course we plan to use another (more capable) platform. I should have mentioned that.

Appreciate the feedback, and I'll check out the guide.

Great, thanks. Reading it now.

So, it sounds like it's okto sort them based the qualifications they claimed on first contact. ie credit score, income, years employment (Of course, subject to verification.)

Thanks guys. I very much appreciate the advice. I'm trying not to look like a rookie in the face of the prospects.

Awesome, thanks for the reply. The main door to the backyard is a sliding glass door, which is not self-closing. That door leads to a small patio area before you get to the pool. Would a fence (with self-closing gate) enclosing the patio area be sufficient?

To make sure I understand: if I have self-closing doors with alarms, no need for a fence around the pool?

Many thanks!

Hey all,

Total newbie here.

We're getting set to rent our house in the Sacramento, CA area. I posted an ad on CL a couple days ago and have received about six replies so far. We will be ready to show the property on Sunday Aug 30.

Now, I want to be fair to the tenants, and so I'm trying to figure out the "fairest" way to give them an opportunity to rent the house. The ad was very clear about our requirements (ie minimum FICO, income, rental history, etc), so here's what I'm thinking:

I'll invite the prospects to view the house, giving them choice of time lots in the order I received their inquires. After viewing the property, I'll provide them with the application and instructions for submitting it with a deposit. Then I'll process them in order received.  Of course, if the first applicant doesn't meet the criteria based on the credit/background check, I go on to the next,so as to not waste somebody's application fee if there is another application in process ahead of them.

Does this sound like it meets the requirements of the law and general decency? Is there a better way I'm not seeing?

Many thanks in advance.

Hey all,

I'm a newcomer to the discussion here; so far this forum looks like a fantastic resource. We are planning to rent our SFR as we move up to something bigger for our growing family. Our property has a pool, and the perceived liability issues surrounding that fact alone are causing me a great deal of stress. I'm hoping to benefit from the wisdom of the crowd.

As far as safety/liability is concerned, the pool doesn't have a "safety fence" around it. The backyard is fully enclosed with no outside access, except for a gate that can be locked. However, our house was built in the 1980's, and I suppose that the code concerning pools and fences is different now than it was then. Is anybody knowledgeable about the specific requirements in CA (Sacramento County)? Does renting my house out automatically subject the property to any newer rules requiring a safety fence?

Many thanks in advance.