All Forum Posts by: Peter M.

That's an interesting question that I have not had the pleasure of learning from personal experience but one major marketing target could be those people who have fan clubs/ are in love with the inmates. Potential goldmine. 

You should probably learn some magic tricks. The RE talk will soften her up but the the magic tricks will really seal the deal. 

Bill back the tenant for the work. That will stop those types of calls. My lease has provisions in it that say if the problem is caused by the tenant, they are responsible for the costs. If they keep clogging the sink, it's their responsibility. I don't change light bulbs either. 

If it is not their fault (ie a tree root has grown through the sewer pipe which is why the toilet keeps backing up or something like that) then I would probably get the problem fixed after the 3rd time it happened. In the previous example I just cut the tree down and had roto rooter clean the line out one final time. Cheaper than digging up and replacing a sewer line. 

Knock on the door with the paper in hand when they are home. If they won't sign it right there, hand them notice to vacate then mail another copy certified mail with the rent increase/lease addendum. 

The most thorough checklist will be hiring a property inspector to check each unit individually. I will be expensive but if you watch him do them and read the reports afterwards you could easily do almost all of it yourself the next time. 

I have a code enforcement inspection each year and the biggest issue is usually smoke detectors and any other safety violations. This is only a 4-plex but the CE officer told me that the big complexes will send someone through a few days before to change the smoke detector batteries and make sure they work but by the time the inspector comes, 25% have been removed by the tenants. 

I go through my 4 units before the inspection to do this. Most of the time the tenants remove them because the battery starts chirping. You can buy the type that are guaranteed for 10 years to reduce chirping. Most brands also have a tamper proof tab you can activate when you install it that makes it hard to remove unless you know exactly how to do it. I also make sure all the deadbolts latch properly and have strike plates. Over the years you will learn what CE will look for. They always find something to put on the report so don't take it personally. Just get it fixed and move on with life until the next inspection. 

Other non-code enforcement issues I look for when doing inspections on my own: change air filter, check to make sure toilets are not running, run water in sinks and check drain pipes for leaks, check for signs of unauthorized pets, check to make sure all windows operate, check all GFCI outlets with a tester and make sure they reset. 

Yes my lease has that provision as well. Anything caused by them is their responsibility. I once had a tenant complain who had 2 small kids. I expected toys to be found in the toilet but the plumber snaked out a bunch of roots that had broken into the pipe. I paid and had the tree cut down. I don't understand why developers/builders plant trees directly above the drain pipe. The cleanout was about 10 inches from the stump. 

I'm with @Kat Horn. If they are good improvements, I'd be happy with it. In 4 years there will be a lot of wear and tear so if it looks good and keeps them happy, I would let it go. Explain very clearly that they must get approval next time. As for the holes, I include a repair sheet when tenants move in that has a list of the base cost for a bunch of repair items. Holes bigger than 1/4 inch in diameter are something like $5 each. Any hole 1/2" or bigger is $15. Most leases have a provision for "Landlord Rules" so you should be able to add something like this in after the fact. 

If they mess up later and you end up having to evict them, you can add the shelves onto the damages but if it were me, I would let it go. Good luck. Congrats on a 4 year lease

Yes you can do this. You'd just be refinancing the loan. Both of you go to the bank together, explain you want to refinance into your name (or both it doesnt matter). The new bank pays off the old loan, you get a new note and deed the property into whatever name you want. You just have to factor in the costs of a new loan and if the lower payments will make it worth doing. Unless you do a cash out refi, you (or your wife) wont be able to get any money out of this deal, it will just stay in the property as equity. It is pretty simple, I think you are overthinking this plan. 

Post the laundry room rules, send a copy to all the tenants and put in a dummy security camera (or a real one if you want). People will behave better when they think they can be caught doing bad things and it will give confidence to people worried that other tenants will take their laundry out without putting it in the dryer.

That's a bummer. In that case, I would start the eviction process and try to get them to agree to just walk away. But Texas is obviously much different so I would talk to a lawyer who knows how courts there generally rule when it comes to health issues. Even in Texas landlords will lose when it comes to health and welfare so try to avoid court.