All Forum Posts by: Thomas S.

Dennis M: The legal route is a waste of both time and money. Breaking in and making yourself to home is the easiest way to get a squatter out, after all that is how they get in, and practically fool proof. I personally prefer going in at night and strong arming them out without violence unless they resist.

You will not be able to protect yourself from stupid irresponsible tenants. When a landlord provides a pool they take on the responsibility. Never rent with a pool, fill it in before you get a tenant. It will be less expensive in the long term to fill in compared to the cost of maintaining it.

If you are considering renting to someone with poor credit you either have a C/D property or are very desperate. If it is a case of being desperate you will be sorry. A vacancy is less expensive than a eviction. You need to tighten up your screening standards.

If you are lucky enough to know where they work all you do is follow them home. Defiantly file in small claims, it will screw up their lives going forward, and they often come back to settle and clear their records.

I would tell, not ask, the tenant on the second floor to stop burning sage. It's your property you make the rules. Let her know it is spreading through the building and causing asthma problems and will not be tolerated. Smoke free building, sage burning is creating smoke. Worse case you may have to issue a order to cure. Dam hippies.

If the cost is not covered by insurance a HOA will generally levy a special assessment on condo owners. I have seen these in the 10s of thousands per condo owner in some cases.

Speak to your tenants. If they voluntarily agree to the work and require no compensation from you then go forward with the work otherwise you wait till the rooms are vacant.

In addition to the penalty for breaking her lease, if you have one, you hire a qualified contractor to do the repair on the stove. Get it repaired professionally and charge her for the cost. Companies like bath tub refinishers may do the job. Do not repair it yourself, get it done right and make her pay. That is the purpose of having deposits, use it. Charging her $25 does nothing to help your business.

Statistically there are likely more strippers than dance instructors. Self employed dance instructors is still a higher risk tenant. They would need to be W2/employee to qualify.

Screening applicants is a combination of self screening and 3rd party. You should be holding personal interviews and gathering all pertinent data. You need to inspect their present residence, confirming employment, contacting previous landlords to confirm payment etc. 3rd party does not check for any cash for keys bribes previous landlords may have paid or records of late payments, upkeep of their present residence or pets. To screen properly you must do a portion of it yourself. 3rd party should only be to gather credit report, known evictions and criminal.