All Forum Posts by: Rob B.

Hi Christopher, sorry to hear you're dealing with that! There was quite a bit that the prior landlord should have provided (always consider this when dealing with inherited tenants). I will say, I'm happy to hear that you're doing your research on a platform that can help with managing things moving forward. There are a lot of great options out there; aside from providing the basics (ie. listing tool to get the property published to 10+ major sites, scheduling tool to schedule viewings, tenant screening with comprehensive applications which include nationwide criminal background checks + credit checks + eviction history, digital lease creation tool, rent collection tool, and maintenance tracking tool), some services also offer your tenants additional capabilities which makes it an easier sell on your end when getting them to transition over (ie. their ability to report on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus; this can create an added incentive for making sure they pay that rent on time). Either way, you're on BP so you're in the right place. @Christopher Krueger

There's usually a lot of items to consider when renting via Airbnb. I know at my condo, tenants will be evicted if they try to list their rental unit on Airbnb because the HOA specifically outlaws Airbnb listings. Usually it's an issue of risk/damage to the property that many landlords or HOA's are looking to avoid by outlawing Airbnb listings. Many markets are moving towards stricter policies forbidding Airbnbs. There's countless horror stories about Airbnb guests causing significant property damage to owners' properties. As some others have noted, I would recommend speaking with your landlord about your plans to list the unit on Airbnb before doing so! But best of luck. It can be super lucrative if done right!

I'm inclined to agree with Andrew B. on this one. Usually most tenants will simply ignore that demand/request. I imagine many more instances like this will come about here in Chicago as recreational is now legal in Illinois. I'd be sure to update the lease that you have (even the non-smoking clauses -- make sure you specify things like 'cultivation, manufacturing, distribution or sale of marijuana' being prohibited anywhere in the dwelling). 

Just to echo some of what has been stated, most online rental management platforms these days have it where the tenant typically fills out their own information and pays for their own reports. Reason for this is due in part to the tendency of fraud to occur throughout the industry. Not at all saying this is something you would do by any means, but, as tenants apply for various apartments, fraudsters will try to collect that information themselves for the sake of "screening" when really they're just trying to get as many sensitive details as they can, including SSN and name. I think that you can get a lot of highly pertinent information while still keeping yourself protected as the landlord when you screen using a service.

By having the tenant complete the application themselves you put the onus on them to get the application completed, and paid for, while not needing to deal with their sensitive information. This could potentially be a great way to curb any fears they might have. If entering it yourself is still the path forward, I'd probably recommend the old fashioned way.

There’s nothing wrong with sticking to your bottom-line business objectives but we also know that life can come at you fast. Ask yourself, “what has their payment history been up until this point?” – I know how debilitating certain health issues can be and that can have a direct impact on one’s ability to work, thus, impeding upon a tenant’s ability to generate income. Still, as a rental owner I’m sure you have your own bills that you need to consider. It all comes down to the relationship you have with your tenant. If this is their first month dealing with this kind of issue that's one thing... but it sounds like it has been a not so great year with this tenant given the health complications. If anything the tenant should be trying to work with you to figure something out but they sound super combative...

Hi Patty, great questions and I'm happy to hear that you're doing your research. There are a lot of great options out there; aside from providing the basics (ie. listing tool to get the property published to 10+ major sites, scheduling tool to schedule viewings, tenant screening with comprehensive applications which include nationwide criminal background checks + credit checks + eviction history, digital lease creation tool, rent collection tool, and maintenance tracking tool), some services also offer your tenants additional capabilities which makes it an easier sell on your end when getting them to transition over (ie. their ability to report on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus; this can create an added incentive for making sure they pay that rent on time). Either way, you're on BP so you're in the right place.

I'm inclined to agree with what some others have noted as well. I think there's an opportunity here to keep a good tenant by not necessarily rocking the boat(tenants who are reliable and can help you to cut out some of the stress of the unknowns). However, there's a real cost associated with pets and by completely getting rid of a pet fee you've now put your place at risk of further pet damage without that pet fee safety net. At the end it all comes down to what you want to do but I'd highly recommend breaking that out as a monthly pet fee rather than an annual up front fee if you're concerned they won't be able to make that payment all at once (during time of lease renewal). 

As others above have noted, definitely set those expectations early on and be super clear; I'm definitely inclined to agree with Sue on this in that you don't want too close to the tenants in that they are going to still evaluate their options given the ownership change and thus you have to proceed with things in the manner that you conduct business (as you feel would be best practice). Don't tip your hand, just set those expectations and clearly communicate around what should occur on their end and you shouldn't have much to worry about. taking ownership of a place with existing leases can be a real challenge, but even more so if the existing tenants feel they can get over on the new owner.

@Alex Juarez - Hi Alex, great questions and I'm happy to hear that you're doing your research. There are a lot of great options out there; aside from providing the basics (ie. listing tool to get the property published to 10+ major sites, scheduling tool to schedule viewings, tenant screening with comprehensive applications which include nationwide criminal background checks + credit checks + eviction history, digital lease creation tool, rent collection tool, and maintenance tracking tool), some services also offer your tenants additional capabilities which makes it an easier sell on your end when getting them to transition over (ie. their ability to report on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus; this can create an added incentive for making sure they pay that rent on time). Either way, you're on BP so you're in the right place.

You will probably want to consult with an attorney who is very familiar with your local municipal laws and specializes in tenant-landlord law. At a first glance though (and in no way does this constitute legal advice, as I am not a licensed attorney), in most instances that lease can't be terminated (with only a very few exceptions to the rule). That seller still has to honor their lease with the existing tenant; unless that get's settled up, usually its a no go on cancelling out that lease.