All Forum Posts by: Carol Venolia

 Asbestos siding does sound like good advise for the next rehab! I will say that two of my units have stucco siding, and two are mobiles with metal siding. Only one has wood siding. So maybe I'm not in too bad shape?  ;-)

This week, one of the huge fires in California is close to my rental properties, which are a few hours' drive from my home. I was visiting my rentals last week; the sky was ugly with smoke, and everything was blanketed in ash. My tenants have been under mandatory evacuation, but at this point it looks like the houses will be spared--if the wind doesn't shift. 

My landlording guides don't cover this kind of situation! Have you ever dealt with this kind of thing? If so, any pointers about what to do, what to watch for, what might be different in the aftermath? Or what to do if the fire does come closer, even burn my places?

I've been in touch with all tenants via texting, and they're all safe with family nearby. I've asked them to let me know of any major changes, and to let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

Is there anything more I can/should do?

Thank you!

Hi Arun,

I can't speak to whether renters will pay more, but I can say that plenty of renters can do plenty of damage to wood flooring. I guess it all comes down to what market you're operating in.

I'm using a slate-look DIY vinyl tile for floors, and laminate countertops with a pattern that disguises some marks. 

I've also stumbled onto what I consider to be a great, affordable tub surround: I go to the local flooring warehouse and buy a roll of scrap vinyl, then apply it to the tub walls with contact cement and metal edging. If I find the right vinyl, it can look great and last a long time--and I spent about $40 instead of $350.  :-)

Good luck!

@Kyle Penland, that took guts and vision! Congratulations! Thanks for the great before and after pix. The house is really cute now!

Thank you for passing this on! I'll take your advice to heart--although, how DOES one protect oneself against a twin ID?

Anyhow, you've helped put my measly little tenant problems in perspective big-time!!

@Derek B. and @JD Martin, thank you for helping me see the important difference between multi-family and SFRs in this matter. It really helps!

@Derek B., you nailed it again! My tenants seem to think that cleaning up once or twice a week is good. I had to think it through to realize that, as you say, if this were one house with a fenced backyard, I wouldn't be complaining. But it's a shared property with no fenced yards. I just sent my tenants an email, saying:

"I’ve been asked to further clarify what “quickly” means in item 5 on your Pet Agreement, “Tenant agrees to clean up after the pet and to dispose of pet’s waste properly and quickly.”

"One measure of “quickly” is that nobody encounters any dog poop anywhere on the property. Because this is a shared property, and will soon have another tenant (with or without a pet), picking up the dog poop while it’s fresh seems like the best way to avoid anyone stepping in it, smelling it, etc. You can think of it as if you were in a public park, where folks carry their plastic bags and/or scoopers with them when taking their dogs out, and pick it up right after it drops. I think this makes your job easier, too, because you don’t have to go hunting later, trying to find where the poop landed.

"If there’s still some old, dry dog poop where your dog has been known to hang out, please make a clean slate by picking that up and disposing of it safely, too.

"I was also asked about item 13, “If the approved pet is a dog, Tenant agrees to obtain Dog-Bite insurance and to provide Owner with a copy of the policy.” Bottom line, my insurance company for the property requires it, for everyone’s protection. The nicest dogs have been known to be triggered by unpredictable things. Please get a copy of your policy to me as soon as possible, by September 30, 2015, at the latest.

"Please print this email and attach it to your Pet Agreement. Let me know if you have any further questions, and thanks for your cooperation!"

I hope that works! I'll let y'all know...  ;-)

Hi Brandon,

I'm right in the middle of these issues myself! I use a pet application and Pet Agreement out of Lee Robinson's Landlording book, and I require that both be executed before a pet moves in. Hah. People come up with so many reasons why the dog had to move in before getting legal. So far, I've been lenient and made them do the paperwork ASAP, reminding them that I don't have to accept their pet and their lease says, blahblahblah...

Anyhow, Robinson's application asks about shots, grooming, etc, and the Agreement spells out that the tenant will get dog-bite insurance and give me a copy. He has lots of other useful terms, too.

I, too, have tended to be too relaxed about compliance, so I'm now giving dates by which I expect various items to be completed. I can't bring myself to kick a tenant out over these issues if they're otherwise good, but I did recently look one tenant in the eye and say, "You keep breaking your lease. I haven't kicked you out because you pay the rent on time, you're a good guy, and you take good care of the building. But you tell me: Why are you having problems keeping your agreements? If you don't stick to the lease, there will be consequences."

I require a $300 deposit per pet, but I've been known to allow, say, a $500 deposit for two cats. 

On another thread (http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/225432-how-do-you-deal-with-tenant-dog-poop?page=1#p1496020), I got a lively discussion going about issues I'm having related to dog poop. You might find that interesting, too.

Some of y'all's replies have me seeing something anew, which leads to a sub-question: How long do you think it's appropriate to leave the dog poop on the ground? In my case, it's one big open yard (until we get the dog yard finished), and the dog poop is right there where anyone might be walking--on the driveway, in the grass. I'm wanting them to pick up the poop soon after it drops, the way one might if walking the dog on a public street or in a park. But it sounds like some folks think every few days is okay? Maybe it depends on what the yard is like?

Good points, @Kelly B.--thanks! A little humor helps, too.  ;-)