All Forum Posts by: Karen F.

We too have found the various administering agencies to be different in their responses to rent increase requests.  One, we have found that nothing short of eviction works.  We have to give notice of non-renewal, and eventually file a Notice to Quit, before they'll even consider viewing comps and increasing to market rate.  Others, we simply put in a request for over market, they tell us they'll only pay X amount (usually solidly at market), and we accept it.  Once we were offered right off the bat 125% of market to take an enormous family, immigrants from a 3rd world country, who lived the same as if they were still in a dirt floored hut.  We were thrilled!  Until we found out how impossible they were to keep housed - their kids set fires, they were filthy, brought in bedbugs, the works.  We whipped them into shape, haven't ever asked for an increase because we're so afraid that they'll notice how much they're paying us!

Send the agency the form again, send them comps for what the other units in the building are going for, and ALSO send the family a notice of non-renewal, and send the agency a copy of that notice, and warn the agency that a notice to quit will follow.  BUT.... don't actually start the eviction process until the eviction moratorium is lifted.  Odds are, the agency will come around.

We have a garage in back of a multi.  It's been rented for at least a couple of years in an oral agreement with someone who is not our tenant, for storage of his things.  He's now almost 3 months behind in the rent, knows it, and is not responding.  There is no written lease, everything was done in cash (although there are texts between us and him).  I don't know what's in the unit, but I suspect it's household goods.

With no written agreement, what are our options here?  I don't want to have to do it, but I'm fed up with chasing him for this small amount of payment, and since he has stopped responding to us, I cannot really negotiate anything with him.  Since there is no written agreement, there is no schedule of how we will dispose of his property.  Advice?

Ask your parents if you can put one or more of the utility bills into your name, to help establish your credit more quickly, and of course pay it on time.  Take out two no-annual-fee credit cards, spend small amounts each month, and pay it off in full each month.  Ask for increases on your credit line as allowed, but do not use it!  Never carry a balance.  Get a second job, if you can, or if you feel that you can earn more at the dealership, increase your hours there to the max, so that you are ALWAYS there.  Earn as much as you can.  Put every paycheck straight into the bank, and minimize your spending.  Find cheap or free ways to have fun.  Car salesmen don't have to wear suits.  Jewel-colored crisply ironed shirt plus contrasting tie, crisply-pressed slacks, shined shoes look good, and don't cost that much.  On your day off, start looking at real estate.  If I were you, I'd start off with a multifamily in a working class (but not dangerous slum) area, preferably a 4 plex with 2-3 bedroom units, and plan to buy one like this, rent out the other 3 units, and get a roommate or two for your own unit.  If you have time on your hands, it helps to learn to do minor plumbing, electrical, carpentry.  If you don't have family or friends who can teach you these skills, local home improvement stores may offer free classes in it.

Springfield is a bad area, tons of violent crime.  Sell it, and buy in a neighboring town that is a little bit better. I agree, buy a multifamily, and live in one unit of it.  As for the debt - look very carefully at your spending.  Why do you have so much debt???  Downgrade the credit cards to no annual fee accounts, then freeze them into a big block of ice and leave them there.  Don't buy anything!  Stop eating out or taking in - try cooking.  Stop buying new clothing.  Pay off all the high interest debt (which compared to current home mortgage debt, means all other debt).  Use the proceeds of the sale of the home as a downpayment on a multi in a neighboring blue collar, working class town, and get a 30 yr mortgage on it, live there until you can afford to buy a private home in a better town.  Avoid Springfield, unless you feel capable of self-managing multis rented entirely to Sec 8, knowing that even going into those areas can be dangerous.  "Slumlording" can be very good money, and ethical if you maintain the properties, safe enough if you are careful about when you go into the areas.

The CAREI group, which meets in Central CT, is a useful place to meet other investors.  However, not meeting during the pandemic.

I think you are absolutely right in expecting that the NYC housing market will bounce back after the pandemic is over.  But, what will not change, is the extremely tenant-friendly housing court in NY.  Most NY landlords are looking to buy out of state now, because it's almost impossible to evict anyone in NY at this point.

Remove the outside spigot.

Sounds to me as if you have gone above and beyond returning the property "broom clean" which is the standard.  And from what you describe, assuming your lease was over on Aug 31, then they were responsible for having left the house closed up in a hot humid climate without running the A/C!  I think it's time for you to tell him that point blank, and give him an address to which to return the deposit, and if it doesn't arrive by the date mandated in your state, you're going to have to sue him in small claims court for it.  Or give it to a lawyer in that state to handle.  I wouldn't bother with a 7th carpet cleaning.  He needs to replace it, it was due for replacement, and the mildew is due to his own negligence.

The husky/rottie isn't prohibited by your LL insurance?  I'd take the dog.  But honestly, I wouldn't take either, because our insurance won't allow huskies or rotties.  And the schizophrenic (if he's a paranoid schizophrenic) could EASILY wind up being a total nightmare for you.  You can probably exclude him just because he requires someone else to pay his rent for him, doesn't qualify on the basis of income.  I'd keep looking, if you don't want the dog.

First of all, the carpet in the house is 12 years old.  If you were to wind up in small claims court, you will win, and the LL will also have to pay your filing costs.  You could point this out to him - that the carpet was WAY past its useful life, and that you will  be very likely to win in small claims court (although good luck collecting).  However, in my opinion, you do have some responsibility here, because of the mildewed odor.  Once carpet pads become mildewed, it's virtually impossible to get rid of that odor, and the carpet and padding must be removed and replaced.  From what you wrote, you aired the house for one day after the carpet cleaning, THEN LEFT THE PLACE SHUT UP FOR THE WEEKEND, then returned to find it had mildewed, and tried airing it again.  So yes, you ARE at fault, for the mildew.  But the fact is, after 12 years, it's time for him to replace the carpet anyway.  I build into the price of a rental that allows pets, the price of replacing the carpet or refinishing the floors after a couple of years, figuring that it's going to need it, if there are pets.