All Forum Posts by: Matt Clark

Chinmay J. Don’t overthink it. In VA, notice is considered served if you sign the affidavit that it was posted on the door, regardless of whether or not the tenant sees it. Likewise, it is considered served if sent by certified mail. If they don’t sign for it just take the returned envelope to court with you. Some tenants will have a dozen excuses, but if you end up in court the judge will be more likely to believe a landlord with organized, detailed paperwork than a tenant who hasn’t paid rent.

I’m guessing the contractor meant a “lally column” which is sometimes added to support a sagging structural member. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lally_column

A successful claim against your insurance is your only hope. The “responsible” party wasn’t even responsible enough to maintain insurance or use a licensed plumber, so I can’t imagine you would collect anything from him even if you did d get a judgement.

Yes, we use their policy on SFRs. The pricing is competitive, and the service is beyond compare. When I “married into” a USAA family I told my (then) insurance broker that I was now eligible for their coverage, and he said “you’d be foolish not to use them!”

As several others mentioned, it’s probably just a problem with the wax ring that seals the bottom of the toilet to the flange at the floor level. This can allow strange sounds and smells into the bathroom. The fix is a pretty easy DIY project if you’re interested: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ZXo9k26s4

I'd suggest Craigslist and also going to a few local apartment association meetings.

James Kojo you need a designer. They'll figure out your color scheme, fixtures, finishes, flooring, etc. and leave you with an attractive, marketable property. The trick is finding one to fit your market niche (Class B, multi family, etc). A good way to find one is through your local REIA, paint store, or floor covering supplier. In my market we pay $65-100+ per hour, and it's well worth it.

Matt Sussman although it's tempting to charge all the tenants, there is no legal basis by which to do so. You can only charge the person who caused the damage, and since you can't prove who that was it's now your cost.

Ben Seitz check with the pump manufacturer to determine how much electricity it will use each month. Multiply that number by the cost per kWh in your area, then issue a credit to the tenant for that amount.

David K. Of course it's impossible to predict without knowing the specifics. But including permit, labor, and new circuit for the dryer, etc. I'd say $3000 and up.