All Forum Posts by: Karen F.

More than not wanting to pay the fees, I know that no one would be able to manage our C/D class portfolio better than we can.  We do many of our own repairs, and when we need to call in a pro, we have several whom we work alongside.  If we didn't manage our portfolio ourselves, we wouldn't be making any money on it.

I find these sites to be very off target.  In my area, they'll list come high crime areas as lowest crime, and some beautiful, safe suburban areas as high crime.  It must have something to do with voluntary reporting of statistics by the towns.  But I wouldn't trust them - make sure that you use multiple sources, including people who live there.

Notify your tenants IMMEDIATELY that they are NOT to pay rent to her this month.  Notify them to pay you directly.  Fire her immediately.  Tell her that you are contacting the police and the attorney general's office. Call the police where she is located and ask for help, also the attorney general's office.

You need to directly speak with every single one of your tenants today and notify them verbally, and in writing, that they are not to pay the property manager this month, or you will lose June's rent, also.

Surely she has a drug, alcohol, or gambling problem, and has simply taken your money.  Don't let her take June's money, too, and don't let her get away with it.  She'll do it again to someone else.

Yes.  End the old lease, prorate rent, have tenants sign a paper saying that they relinquish all rights to the unit, and start the new one as of the middle of the month.  If you want your rents to all be paid on the first of the month, collect either the first half, or first month and a half at signing, and write lease so that rent is due on the first of the month, and the lease is to end on the last day of a month a year from now.

Good for you - easy transition with no vacancy or reconditioning.  Good for exiting tenant - gets free of unit, gets deposit back.  Good for entering tenant, starts lease clean with no inherited unit damages.

The fact is, she doesn't have to sign a new lease with you, because she has a valid lease for the next 18 months.  Fortunately, you have the addendum to the lease that relinquishes her rights to use of the main house (I assume that you HAVE that addendum?).  I think that you should leave well enough alone.  If the way the rent was split before was 975/425. then it is fair and appropriate that she pay 425 for the annex, and as long as she is paying it, you don't need a new lease.  Look, you bought the property knowing that she was in place, knowing that it was an odd situation with her.  You knew she still had an 18 month lease on the property.  I hope that the lease doesn't permit subletting, cause otherwise you could have a constant back and forth of Airbnb tenants in the annex.

Just sit tight for 18 months, and then two months before the old lease is up, either offer her a new lease with your conditions and your rental rate, or notify her of non-renewal.  Remind her that any improvements or alterations that she left must be left in place, as per the terms of the lease (I hope).  If she doesn't pay her rent on time, evict.

I don't.  We're in a poor area.  They all have bad credit.  We just look them up on the court website for evictions and lawsuits, look them up for criminal background, and google them.  That, combined with rental record, employment, often a look at their social media, and meeting them up front, is enough.

And if the social media is filled with gangbanger wannabe stuff, they're not a good match for us.  There's always something we can reject them for, if we don't want them. 

Have the new pair apply for the apartment together.  If they qualify, then have them sign a new lease together beginning the middle of the month, and get a new deposit from them.  End the old lease early, do your inspection, hand the deposit back to the old two accordingly, and the new lease begins.  Cleaner and simpler than allowing subletting.

In my state, you can accept "Use and Occupancy" payments, and it doesn't stop the eviction.  But you have to write on the Notice to Quit and the lawsuit that all monies will be for use and occupancy.  Certainly makes sense.  After all, they owe you the money.

This is why we don't charge an application fee.  If someone asks, we just say, "Your file came back flagged."  If they keep asking, we just block them.

In my market, if someone is even remotely qualified (income, no evictions, no criminal background) they usually get the apartment.

How much time is left on the original lease?  If it's just a few months, live with it, collecting the $425.  DO NOT SIGN A NEW LEASE WITH HER, UNLESS IT IS A MONTH TO MONTH LEASE.  Notify her two months in advance that the rent is going up to whatever amount you want to make it worth it to you to put up with her (and don't forget, she's probably getting utilities included now), keep it month to month, and she'll either pay it, or leave, or not pay and you can evict her for non-payment of rent.

If there is a year left on the lease, you're in tough shape.  Her lease is for the main house, and the garage apt, and she could play hardball and demand to be allowed back in to the main house!  What a nightmare.  You really should have demanded that you receive the house free of all tenants.