All Forum Posts by: Rachael Agruso

@Jennifer T.  thank you for the detailed response and real life example. I like how you balance being lenient but also sticking to your process and still moving forward with legal action. As I mentioned, moving forward, tenants will get a NTQ no matter what their excuse.... shows tenants you don't mess around.

@Mike S. yes this is a great point. Sending a notice to quit after the 10th, should be my standard moving forward - Not matter what the tenants excuse is. I was conflicted in this circumstance since he said he was leaving. However, there is no guarantee he was actually leaving.

@Ryan Luby I will have to check him out! Seems like he has some really good content.

@Nik Corbaxhi I agree it could be a lot worse! More of a learning experience if anything!

@Bjorn Ahlblad it definitely has not! I've been through worse tenant situations and I'm still here!

@Peter Sanchez good point, I could have sent him a notice to quit after the 10th. This could have protected me if he never actually moved out. Luckily, he did.

Hi Everyone - looking for some advice. Background - tenant is on Month to Month lease. His lease states he has to give me 30 days notice. He has a security deposit equal to one month's rent.

Long story short, I texted tenant about rent on December 9th. I am located in Connecticut and while rent is due on the 1st, tenants have until the 10th to pay without landlord taking action (and many take advantage of this).  He answered and said he doesn't have rent right now, and that he'd be moving out at the end of the month.He asked to use his security deposit towards last month's rent, I said no I need December rent and you will get your applicable security deposit within 30 days of move out. He said ok he will get me rent as soon as possible. 

Days go by, haven't heard from him and he is living at his girlfriend's house at this point. He told me he was moving out at the end of the month and there were no signs of this (i live in the house). I text him for an update and he keeps pushing out rent. He finally tells me that he will be out by the 5th of January and rent will be in my mailbox/venmoed that day.  The 5th comes by and I go up in his unit, 95% of his stuff is gone, keys are on the counter and rent is NOT in the mailbox.  I called and texted him and now his phone is shut off, and he most likely changed his number. I also have no new address.

1. He left the place filthy
2. He left me a couch, garbage, a christmas tree ect....(how generous!)
3. He technically owes me rent until the 9th of January (30 day notice).
4. He never paid December's rent + the late fee
5. I had to put oil in his unit so pipes didn't freeze as he wasnt heating the unit and wasn't really occupying it either.

I obviously am keeping the security deposit. However, I calculated he owes me $650 additionally based on what I mentioned above. While $650 isn't that much big picture, and I could be a lot worse off given the nature of this business. I want to hear what other more experienced landlords may have done so I can mitigate this happening again. Also what would you do now?This was my last tenant I had that i've inherited. Every tenant i've inherited i've had issues with, while the ones I place are great.

I am trying to get his new address by sending a piece of mail to this units address and asking for return service. I am hoping this works.

@Trent Arey

I don't have college rentals, however for my rentals I buy drain hair catchers for the showers. They are cheap on amazon and will save you headaches. Also, as I have been turning over units, I replace the locks with bolts only as someone mentioned above to limit tenants locking themselves out. There will be a handle with no lock on the door and then I buy the smart key deadbolts. For units that still have the door handle lock where they could potentially lock themselves out, I keep a lock box on site.

If you do include internet make sure you get the best package. When I was in college, students would always complain about Wifi speed/service if it was included in their rent.

@Joseph Nelson yes definitely! Feel free to message me whenever 

@Jonathan Anderson

I have my tenants pay me via Venmo. It’s simple and free. If tenants don’t have the app, it’s easy to download set up. 

@Mack Bailey

I currently house hack in New Britain and also own property in Windsor Locks! Feel free to message me.Happy to answer any questions you may have. 

@Jo Ballagh Is this tenant on a year lease? If they are month to month I would give them the appropriate notice your state requires to leave. You can try “speaking with them” but that didn’t work in my scenario (explained in second paragraph below). I would start documenting the disturbance they are causing. If they are on a lease and you have to get to the point of an eviction - I know where I live an eviction due to disturbance is a lot harder then eviction due to non payment. 

I had a crazy tenant living under me a little while back. Same types of things screaming/slamming/ blasting music at 7am,the list goes on. I kept going back in fourth whether to deal with her longer or get her out. In the back of my mind, I knew I could not keep good tenants in the place with her being the disturbance she was. Luckily she was month To month and I gave her notice. It did NOT go over well so just be prepared. Eventually got her out, but we did get to beginning stages of eviction.  FYI since she was on a month to month the eviction was due to lapse or time, not noise/disturbance.