All Forum Posts by: Moshe H.

@Thomas Hickey thanks! You're sure it's ok if they exit out the same stairwell? I'm going to look into whether the layout will allow for that. Also only got 1 opinion on the porches and I plan to get another contractor or two to look at it and see if it can't be reinforced.

I'm very excited to have closed on my second MA investment property today. It's a doosie of a fixer-upper and I'm a long distance investor so I may be about to go through trial by fire but I hope it makes me stronger. My main concern here is with the existing second egress upstairs (porch leading to stairway), which is structurally unsound and must be taken down. I have heard that now in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 4-unit buildings are treated more or less like 5+ when it comes to building codes, meaning that I must hire a GC and architect to draw up plans for this minor renovation. I have also been told that I need covered stairs for the egress and possibly a second landing (sounds bizarre for a regular second story height). I have been quoted an ungodly sum to do this work and I really would like some insight into what the codes are and what I "really have to" do. I can't find any ready info on this and I wasn't able to gain any insight from trying to peruse the MA Building Code.

Help!?

Another problem is the second apartment upstairs, which is non-conforming with only 1 egress (seller thought it was "grandfathered in" and never bothered to make it conform to code). My plan is to try to get the tenant out of there until I can figure out what to do, but I'm interested to know what the exact problem is. Can a tenant technically live in a 1-egress apt legally for any length of time? Am I subject to fines for just letting him continue to live there, and am I obligated to evict him immediately? Or even better... pay for him to live elsewhere while the necessary changes are made? (C'mon, this is MA so it's believable.) Again, any insight would be most greatly appreciated and, of course, upvoted.

Thanks!

There are actually areas of Massachusetts that lie outside I-95, and if you venture there you may find many deals exceeding 1% and even dare to dream about 2%. I know in the wild west of the Berkshires where I am involved there are plenty of those deals, but I guess you might as well invest in Timbuktu! Springfield's not so far though - are you telling me there are no such deals there worth a < 2-hr drive?

FWIW, my MA attorney has advised me over and over again not to take security deposits... because if your tenant fights in court it will most likely end up in housing court and there you will not win, and if you have been found to "misappropriate" even a few dollars of the sec dep, you can be fined triple damages on the whole amount of the sec dep.

Contractor I spoke with said "those days are over." I have not done further research but I don't doubt it. They're always adding new burdens onto landlords :-)

@John Warren thanks. It's 2nd floor. There is a window where you can jump out onto a low roof (few inches down), but stairs must be built from the roof down to the ground. Alternatively there is a window on the other side that can be turned into a door leading out to a fire escape, which will have to be constructed.

This is made more complicated because it's a 4-unit, which in MA code is now treated basically like a 5+ multi. I need to pay an architect to draw plans before a contractor will touch it.

Hi guys, I am in contract on a 4-unit building. It's a very old building and one of the units does not have a second egress. I am planning to create one ASAP after closing but after speaking with some local contractors it looks like it will not happen for a couple months. The apartment is coming with tenants - and I am concerned about liability should something happen. Does anyone have any recommendations? Should I give the tenants 30 days notice to move out as soon as I close? Or maybe if and when I actually get them out it will only be a few weeks until I do the work anyway, so it's not worth the bother...? Can I have them sign some kind of release?

Thanks!

John thanks for the insight (can't tag you on my mobile). I hope I don't need an inspection. Am I understanding you correctly, that you put a manual shut off for the landlord after the meter and you just paid the minimal fee to keep your name on the utility? That sounds like a good strategy should this come up again.

Thanks for the advice @Rich N., lesson learned. Next time I will verify with the utility. I was kind of relying on the PM. She's great but didn't catch this. And she did itemize the money owed on the gas on her 14 day notice.

Part of what was tricky was that her move in date coincidentally was the same day as the gas bill, so I went a whole month without getting a new bill and without expecting one - until it came!

@Alexander Felice, I agree with you. It will be hard to decide to go thru eviction if she pays all money due within 14 days but somehow I don't expect that to happen anyway.

Thanks for your advice! It wasn't so recent, but she was notified several times after I realized the gas hadn't been transferred to her name. Finally, when PM threatened to evict her, she wrote a letter saying she had a prev unpaid bill to the utility ("not her fault" of course!) and they wouldn't put it in her name. She knew this for a few months and never reached out to us to reimburse or deal with the issue. 

She also lost her job 2 weeks ago, from which rent was being deducted from her paycheck, without telling us until PM called the office and they said she didn't work there anymore. So, these are as much red flags as you can get.

As she's still being uncommunicative after the letter, we're serving a 14 day notice... :-( My first eviction experience, I hope she either pays up or leaves right away. We'll see.