All Forum Posts by: Sam Leon

All of my multi-family renters (duplex, triplex, quadplex) are single, retired or unattached folks.

They rent my place because:

(1) They want maximum privacy besides a SFR. That means less neighbors.

(2) They can walk to the laundry area within 30 steps, not 2 buildings over.  Same goes for the trash dumpsters, and mailboxes.

(3) They feel better to deal with an owner who self manage so less number of people with keys to their place - now this doesn't mean all small buildings are self managed, but large complexes are never self managed.

(4) They know they have a maximum of two shared walls, and for end units only one shared wall, no one above, no one below.

(5) They have a fenced off dedicated area where they can do some gardening or BBQ.  Large complexes typically have a large common area, but not private outside areas for individual units.

(6) If they get along with their 1, 2, or 3 neighbors, they can informally resolve guest parking issues, laundry hour issues etc...with large complexes, you don't know, the guy in front of you may have just washed a load of soiled cloth diapers.

(7) Rent is lower, typically.  For example, my 1/1 (800SF) units rent for $1100 a month.  Behind me there is a large complex of 30+ units, their 1/1 (600SF) rent STARTS AT $1650 a month depending on which floor.  They do have new SS appliances, granite countertops and some upgrades I don't have, but I can do that if I want and up the rent too.

Interesting.

I wonder what technology they are using.  I clicked "Technology" and it says COMING SOON.

In my case I have one property this would be helpful.

I do know where the pipe comes in to say UNIT B.  However in my case the pipe CONTINUES further downstream and goes into UNIT C...then D.

So I am curious if I do not have a "hub and spoke" configuration, would it work?

In other words, I do not have access to where the pipe serves units A, B, C, D exclusively.  I have access to a point in the pipe where I know it's downstream of A, but upstream of B,C,D.  Then another point where it is downstream of A,B, but upstream of C,D.  Then another point where it's downstream of A,B,C and upstream of D.

Like many others, I charge a $30 application fee per adult occupant.

The fee is credited to the security deposit.

I have never had anyone back out AFTER application is approved though.

However, during the application process I let them know I expect the lease to be signed within 1 week, at which time I would collect first month's rent, last month's rent and security deposit - basically 3X rent.  If they can't cover it or need to wait, fine, I will wait to accept  or process the application and most likely someone else will jump ahead.  This of course would only work if your location and market is used to paying 3X to move in.

Anyone use those rubber curb stops?

I have concrete ones at my multi-family spaces and tenants bump into them in some cases cause the concrete stop to crack and break away from the rebar that fasten them to the driveway.

I wonder if these rubber ones would take more abuse?

@Kim R.

I will have them do a paper application, and the background check online info is separate.

Typically information you need on an application is more extensive then the info required on an online background check, which typically you only need SSN, DOB, name, and 1 or 2 former addresses I think that's all.

In my application I would need to know how many vehicles, each vehicle's license plate number, how many pets - breed/weight/markings/age, who is their emergency contact, etc etc etc...and then I incorporate the completed application form as a component of the lease.  They will sign when they hand me the application form that they certify all info on the app form is complete and true and if it's not, it's consider a default of the lease.

I bought a property where the backyard adjoins a lake.

The backyard when I bought it was a concrete deck leading from the back of house to the seawall, no grass.  Most of the other houses around the lake is the same way.  However, I bought it as a foreclosure and it has an existing city lien due to unpermitted work. The unpermitted work was the concrete deck the last owner illegally put in, and the city's code calls for 40% landscaped areas in residential lots and he was at around 75%.

The other houses that did it did without permits.  They claim their backyard deck was in place before the code was adopted in 1992 and hence was grandfathered in.  He applied for a permit but was denied, and he ignored it and went ahead and did it anyways. That's how he got caught.  His denied permit application in 2006 was proof he did not have a concrete deck in the back LOL.

Anyways I knew I had to make the changes prior to the purchase and factored in the cost.

Fast forward I had the entire backyard torn up and put in sod.

As soon as I did that I have poop on the grass every few feet, all over.

I don't know what they are.  It's a rental I am getting ready and all I know is the poop are not from one animal.  I have seen cats, ducks, my neighbor said could be opossums, raccons...I have no idea I am not experts on poop.  Could be dogs too.

Normally my solution would be to put up a fence all the way around the back, but this is a lake so this will block the view.

My backyard extends to a seawall, then from the seawall slopes a few feet down to a platform where a kayak, paddle boat etc... can be launched.  This platform goes around other properties too.  I saw ducks swam to the edge of the lake, went up the platform, up the slopes, across my backyard, went up to the side yard, couldn't get out, and wanders back.  I could see neighbor dogs, cats, and other animals doing the same from a neighbors yard to my yard, through the common platform.

I am wondering is there anything I can put down on my seawall to stop animals from crossing over?

I heard that cayenne pepper?  Tiger pee?   What can I do?  I am tired of stepping on turd!!!

@Marcia thanks for the advice.  However I don't think I am changing the terms of the lease agreement mid-term if the change is already reflected in the lease, right?

Like I said, in the current lease agreement I have several clauses on parking and one of them says "16. Vehicle parking allocation shall not exceed one vehicle per bedroom per leased unit. Landlord reserves the right to assign parking spaces to individual units in the future." so the expectation that I might assign parking spaces has been set.

I also have several other clauses in my lease that may trigger changes.  One that I often have is the "Landlord reserves the right to remove the kitchen sink garbage disposer".  I would tell them they can enjoy this "extra" that most other landlords would exclude BUT as soon as there is a disposer jam, a kitchen sink backup or blockage...I am getting rid of it. 

So I want to double check now, if I assign spaces now in mid-term, is it a change of lease terms even when the lease made provision for such a possibility?

I am having a bit of trouble with parking spaces.

On a fourplex with only four 2/1 apartments, I have four parking spaces - unassigned.  Simple.  One parking space for each apartment.  Never an issue, never a complaint.  Everyone knows there is one space and one space only.  End of story.

On a triplex with two 1/1s and one 2/1, I have seven parking spaces, I have never assigned spaces, although in the lease I stated the parking space allocation is one space per bedroom, and the rest is guest spaces, and I reserve the right to assign spaces in the future.

Now, even there are seven spaces, that's not seven single spaces.  It's actually three regular spaces, and two double depth spaces that could be used to park boats or RV.

Trouble started when I had a turn over recently, the new tenant has a personal vehicle and a work vehicle.  I made it clear I would let that tenant (apartment 1) park in one of the deep spaces with both vehicles. 

It appears that apartment 2 feels that with apartment 1 getting a double space allocation is not fair and he started to park in one of the deep spaces - which is not a big issue because there are plenty of spaces anyways.

Now apartment 3 is a 2/1 so the couple gets two spaces and they typically park in spaces 1 and 2, and apparently the new tenant in 1 decided to go out one night, pulled out his work vehicle into space 2 (which "belongs" to apartment 3), and drove off with his personal vehicle.  Apartment 3 came home and felt her space taken, and hence parked into the space normally taken by 1.

The next weekend apartment 3 had a party with several guests and one of the guests parked in someone's spot...one thing led to another, now there is a problem and I am hearing it and getting forwarded texts about who said what to whom.  I am a landlord not a baby sitter there are seven spaces and between the three units they can't work it out.

So my only option now is to assign spaces.  And I know once I do that all three units will complain because they lose some flexibility,  yet two of them asked for assigned spaces without knowing it may not be in their best interest to ask for that.

What I want to find out from fellow landlords is when you transition from parking anywhere to assigning spaces, what are some things to do to make the transition easier?

(1) Are there any new clauses or amendments you need to make in your leases?  Right now it says "allocation of 1 space per bedroom..." do I need to modify anything there?

(2) Is it essential to paint the unit number on the concrete stop bar?

(3) If they don't follow the assignments, what then?  Do you warn them?  Tow the car?   I am not there, so let's say at 11pm Friday night if apartment 1 calls me and say apartment 2 is parked in his space, do you just tell him to park in apartment 2's space or tell him to knock on apartment 2's space to try and talk it out, or is this now my issue?  I try to not assign spaces initially but if I do assign them I feel like I am now assuming the responsibility of enforcing which car goes where. 

(4) Now what happens if apartment 2 knowing that he will have a party or overnight guests on one weekend decides to park his car into a guest space, so that his guests can park into his assigned space?  Is this a violation of the assignment?

I haven't done the assignment yet, I am now thinking through all the potential issues.  May be it's inevitable but I feel this is not really a true shortage of spaces but people not getting along and the parking spaces is where they push their boundaries.

The tile walls are rock solid.  The substrate was manually floated and over 2" thick.  Same thing with much of the interior walls on some of these older properties.  They put gypsum boards over real tough southern yellow pine studs, then manually put on a brown coat over an inch thick, then a thin layer of egg shell finish.  Makes very good insulation for sound between apartments, instead of two layers of 1/2" sheetrock you have 1.5" of wall on each side of the studs.

Even though I patched it with another tile, it looks patched.  If I remove both dishes, it would still look patched.  Now if I remove the entire row, it would still look patched because more often that not, the sink and the tiles are not centered to each other.  So if you replaced a row of tiles, from 1" left of the sink's left edge to 4" to the right of the sink's right edge, it still look patched.

It's also a lot of work to remove those.  The faucet is often in the way of grinding wheels and chisel, so in one case I had to remove the faucet, and really covered the sink so it doesn't get chipped and dented while I was cutting away.  That's why I am thinking may be the next time I had to do it, I would try to cut a piece of wood and lay it across the chipped out tiles.  If I put a piece of say 2X3 over the tiled wall, from one end of the sink to the other end, covering the damaged tiles, secured with perhaps recessed Tapcon screws.  Then another piece of 1X3 over the edge of the 2X3.  That would conceal much of the damaged area, and if I stain the wood dark it may look OK.  I don't know, just thinking out loud.

I prefer older buildings when it comes with rental.   They tend to have better bones and better quality construction...but I hate the bathrooms that comes in teal, pink, yellow, green, blue...I have nine bathrooms in various properties covering the entire rainbow color spectrum.

I am seeking advice on two things.

First, most of these bathroom have the integrated ceramic soap dishes, tooth brush holders.  Tenants would crack them or break them...they are impossible to fix.  Here are a few pictures.  Note the two over the pedestal sinks.  There are also soap dishes next to the bath tubs.

Now here is a picture of a broken one.

These are not glued on or screwed on, there is a ceramic protrusion in the back about 3/4" thick, and it's set into the wall with thick set mortar.  The only way to remove this from the wall is to use a diamond blade grinder and cut into this and score horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines and slowly carefully pry or chisel it out piece by piece trying not to damage the adjacent tiles.  Very laborious and dusty.

This is what I did to fix the broken one.  I am not too happy with it but heck, it's a rental.

Now, I have another one in another property that cracked...and a third one that chipped.

So I am looking for ideas what I should do with these.  May be if one cracks or breaks, I would take out both the left and right sides and do something else instead - but what?  I was thinking some sort of a ledge or shelf across the width of the sink?  Ideas?

Second, anyone has done tile refinish/glazing?  I have done cast iron bathtub refinishing re-glazing, but not wall tiles.  Can these colored tiles be reglazed to white?  Would it last?  How often does it have to be redone?