All Forum Posts by: Carol Venolia

Hi all,

I've been landlording for a year now. Earlier in the year, I had two rentals available, posted them online, got plenty of applications, got good tenants, all pretty straightforward. I pride myself on providing good rentals, good service when repairs are needed, and a good demeanor even in the face of tenant weirdness.

Now I have two rentals available. I posted them on craigslist and on a Facebook group for the community where these rentals are. On the Facebook group, people started right in telling me I was charging too much, calling me names, telling me to have a heart, etc. What?? Soon others were posting in my defense ("she posted an ad, not an opinion poll," "if you don't want to rent this, just shut up"). 

I used the same process for setting my rents this time as I did before: I checked rentometer and craigslist, then set the rents at the average for the rental size and location. These are all newly rehabbed units, and everyone who's seen them is impressed with what a good job we do.

It amazes me that strangers are willing to be so unkind (AND so kind!) and to pass judgment when they don't know the details. Silly me, huh? But this didn't happen on the previous round, so... ??

All I can figure is that this is part of the fallout from the recent huge fire in that area. Lots of people lost their homes, and tension has been running high. Add to that the fact that Mercury is retrograde and a lunar eclipse has been simmering, and, hey! Why not bash the out-of-town landlord?

So, has anything like this ever happened to you? Are rentometer and craigslist a poor way to judge average rents?

obtw, I've been getting calls, showing the places, and taking applications. 

Thanks, guys! You're making my puny tenant issues dry up and blow away!

Hi Ron,

You will probably want to do a search here on BP for John Fedro; he offers a lot of useful perspectives on the subject.

You might also want to look into MobileHomeGurl, Rachel Hernandez.

I'm doing buy-and-hold with mobiles, so can't share direct experiences, but good luck!

 Hi Justin,

Can you please elaborate? What is this 6-month safety inspection? Thanks!

 Thanks!

 Good idea about asking my CPA! Thanks. Yeah, I don't think I could bring myself to raise rent now. And good points about losses being so much more than buildings.

And looters! These same tenants said that someone broke into their locked screened porch and stole some stuff. Scummy, indeed. I may not have heard the end of such things yet. And, of course, there's the repair to do. Probably not expensive enough to get help from insurance on that.

A new development! The Butte fire has resulted in one set of my tenants giving me 30-day notice due to financial hardship. I've offered them a temporary rent reduction if they want to stay, but they seem determined to move. They've been great tenants, so I hate to see them go.

I shouldn't have any trouble renting the place out, with 661 homes destroyed in the area. But I'm wondering... does it seem appropriate to make any concessions due to the tragedy? Offer reduced rent to evacuees, or something? I don't really want to lose income, but I don't want to be callous, either.

Thoughts?

 Yeah. I heard that 1/3 of the residents of Lake County (which is right next door to me) have been displaced. That's unfathomable to me, but gets my attention for sure. And no idea how much animal life has been lost, but it's got to be horrible. 

Recovery will take time. I plan to do what I can to help the larger community.

Again, my best to your family!

@Jay Hinrichs, I hope I didn't sound uncaring about the horrifying events going on around us. I have many friends and neighbors who are directly affected by the Butte and Valley fires; I have offered housing and other assistance. My heart goes out to your brother, and my gratitude for his firefighting work is deep.

My concern was that I do the best I can to help my tenants, who are traumatized by the Butte fire themselves. This is a new situation for me, and I've been seeking input that will allow me to respond appropriately.

Blessings and best wishes to you and yours.

Great idea! I have some friends who were remodeling consultants for a while, and what you came up with was exactly what they recommended to everyone, not just landlords. There's still the nosing and the backsplash to do, but I like your idea! (What IS your nosing?)