All Forum Posts by: Rob B.

That's a lot of people living in the property and I'm not sure about local ordinances or what your local laws dictate, but I can say that this is one of those instances that you have to ask yourself whether or not you want to take that type of risk with your property. Additionally, whatever you do, don't violate FHA law.

I really hate to say this, because I have a very soft spot in my heart for the elderly and the disabled (and that includes mental health issues); but, you don't want to make a commitment like that and then have to deal with a lengthy eviction process which can take a turn in any direction since the tenant is a reported schizophrenic. I'm inclined to agree with Kevin on this matter. I'd be sure to include that in the deal prior to closing.

Hi, @Andy Kaplan, there are definitely a lot of helpful tools out there and it is a good idea to consider an option which allows you to collect rent much quicker than those others but still provides other rental management tools you might find valuable (again, not to knock Cozy or these other tools like Tellus), but you can easily keep track of who paid what and on which date with a tool that is reliable and processes payments faster. Definitely can help to make the process as painless as possible and more efficient for both parties (landlord + tenant), and also offers digital leases. Again, you may run into transfer limits with some of those other apps which aren't necessarily designed for the purpose of rent collection but the right landlord software can make this seamless for you. Would love to learn about any additional needs; definitely helps to keep landlord solution providers on their toes!

I'm of a similar mindset as Anthony D. At this point you've already withheld the cost from the deposit and she may not be happy but I can imagine, neither were you when you had to go through the process of a) learning that there were flees, and b) learning that those fleas had been there for months. And as Jennifer noted, it is a great idea to include a custom clause within your lease letting the tenant know that they are responsible for pest control. @Joe P.

@Edgar Macias this is definitely a tough one, and I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with this situation. Just be happy she's not taking the ESA approach with you. The Fair Housing Act states that tenants with emotional support animals cannot be charged extra fees for having their support animals. Based on FHA, if she's claiming the dog as an ESA you must allow the dog, even if you have a no-pet policy, and you can't charge extra pet rent, pet fee, or pet deposit. That said I know a lot of landlords who have run into issues with the ESA process; there's a difference between extra fees and cost to cover destruction of property, and as far as breeds, some insurance companies are a bit more reluctant to insure the property if certain breeds are residing there. I'd definitely lean on legal counsel locally to get a better idea of what options you have; you want to make sure you're not violating law by evicting a tenant for an ESA but you also want to make sure them having an ESA doesn't violate their HOA rules (sounds like it gets a bit more complex now that the HOA has gotten involved). I'll defer to others who respond after this, but since you're ready to proceed with the eviction process, best to seek out legal counsel who is savvy in Landlord-Tenant law where your property is located.

@Manmath D. - there are definitely a lot of helpful tools out there. Definitely consider an option which allows you to collect rent much quicker than those others but still provides other rental management tools you might find valuable (again, not to knock Cozy or these other tools like Tellus), but you can easily keep track of who paid what and on which date with a tool that is reliable and fast. Definitely can help to make the process as painless as possible and more efficient for both parties (landlord + tenant), and also offers digital leases. Again, you may run into transfer limits with some of those other apps which aren't necessarily designed for the purpose of rent collection but the right landlord software can make this seamless for you. Would love to learn about any additional needs; definitely helps to keep landlord solution providers on their toes!

Go with the new prospect. At this point, it is still very early and you've given them ample time to respond. This is a bad sign early on that you may be signing up for a situation where you're chasing rent payments every month and that's the last thing you'll want to have to deal with. @Jon A.

Hi Garth, Robert here. I think you have to take into consideration a few things throughout the screening process. Brian certainly has the right idea about this; it is a good rule of thumb to ask for income 3x the rent, and typically you'll want to set a standard as far as what credit score you'd like to see. Additionally, as Brian mentions, if you can’t confirm income then it is a great idea to have the dad be her guarantor - simply add him as another signer on the lease. At the end of the day, no matter how air-tight your lease is, you want to make sure you've done your due diligence during the screening process. That's not to say you shouldn't rent to her; that just means you really need to take those key details into consideration; I'd also make sure that anyone you intend to have on the lease (even a co-signer) is screened thoroughly so this way you can better mitigate your risk of an eviction. Again, keep it legal. Set your screening standards. And then if she meets those standards, only then should you sign a lease with her and her father.

@Scott Trench Hi Scott, I am so sorry to hear that you're dealing with this headache. I agree with some of what has been stated above as far as staying out of potential domestic spats; potentially communicating with the tenant again about setting the tone, and being the bigger person in this situation but honestly, that's not really on you to have to do that. Sometimes clauses do include language around this but I'm not sure what yours states. I would say you could offer to have this tenant sign a lease within a different unit but if the issue is your tenant you won't really want to sign another lease with them. Maybe the next go-round include a clause that specifies language around causing disturbances to neighbors; again, not really on you to do anything but you also want to make sure your property doesn't become the scene of a domestic spat. So, could be a solution to communicate with your neighbor again and have them reach out to the proper authorities (again, I'm not necessarily seeing any obvious signs of negligence from your end as the landlord, but, that might be something a legal professional might be able to help you think through as far as figuring out next course of action).

@Cassidy Burns Hi Cassidy, there are definitely a lot of helpful tools out there; and since it sounds like you're moving on up into a new tier it would be very beneficial to consider some of the options that others have noted above. Definitely consider an option which allows you to collect rent much quicker than those others but still provides other rental management tools you might find valuable (again, not to knock Cozy or these other tools like Zillow rental manager - which admittedly is newer so they still have to iron out all of the kinks), but you can easily keep track of who paid what and on which date with a tool that is reliable and fast. Definitely can help to make the process as painless as possible and more efficient for both parties (landlord + tenant), and also offers digital leases. Again, you may run into transfer limits with some of those other apps which aren't necessarily designed for the purpose of rent collection but the right landlord software can make this seamless for you. Would love to learn about any additional needs; definitely helps to keep landlord solution providers on their toes!