All Forum Posts by: Ronan M.

Check out this previous forum on same subject.

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/187775-chicago-first-time-landlord---lease?highlight_post=1474925&page=1

Use the Chicago Assc. of Realtors lease to be safe.  

The first one. Shorter is always better and you get your point across completely without the inclusion of the last s. First one has a better ring to it.

Best of luck.

Kelly

I would ask him and the worst he can say is no. Just suggest the idea and ask him to think about it. He knows he will have to replace the carpet/floor sooner or later with his own money and you are offering to pay half so it is somewhat of a good deal for him. Also maybe explain to him that well kept wood flooring might reduce his carpet changes a few times thereby saving him more money in the long run.

Landlords don't liked to be asked for money or for possible non essential changes so NO is the immediate gut reaction. So don't ask him on the spot for a yes or now. Suggest the idea and tell him to think about it. That might I believe give you a better outcome.

And I agree with the other comments. Your home is your castle...and it is great that you are taking care of the place...but this is not your castle. Save your money like crazy to get a castle of your own for you and your kids that you will be proud to call home and can take care of just the way you want to. Then all the great care you take in the place will be an investment for YOUR home and your family.

the property or the breakfast ?

Per an NBC & Chicago Tribune report the most MURDEROUS neighborhoods in Chicago in 2014 were was follows (ranked from the worst down)

Burnside

W Garfield Park

Washington Park

Greater Grand Crossing

Englewood

Riverdale

West Englewood

E Garfield Park

North Lawndale

Roseland

Humboldt Park

South Chicago

Fuller Park

Grand Boulevard

Chatham

South Shore

The Citywide murder rate was 19.7

The first on the list Burnside was at 85.9 and the last on the list, South Shore was at 37.1

Now maybe the most iphones were stolen from Logan Sq or Mag Mile...I don't know.

But if wanting to determine high crime areas of a city I think the report that covers it most adequately is the one that records body bags.

Have Granny sit closer to the unit

OR

Stick in an window unit to provide additional cooling. 

Chris

I will tell you why he wants a jury trial and move it from suburban to a downtown court. Because he is clever or has a clever attorney. Downtown (or inner city) juries are much more likely to be made up of like minded individuals similar to him.

Think about it. If half of the jurors in anyway think he has some right or is giving the good fight to the "greedy blood sucking landlord" anything is possible with the outcome.

Example...take your exact situation and a Jury trial in Beverly Hills. The defendant will most likely be thrown out on his *** and forced to pay back rent.

Have the same trial with Jury in south central LA its highly possible Jurors will empathize much more with him and his cause.

Think about it again. Would you want this trail with jurors like yourself..common sense people, money loving capitalists, property owners etc etc or the crap shoot of a jury you can get in downtown jurisdictions...half or whom might be tenants themselves and half of that half might hate their landlords as well ??

I believe its relatively common knowledge that suburban jurors tend to be much more conservative right from wrong type of people than the screwballs that can make up jurors in big cities.

I suspect THAT to be their primary motivation for a change of venue to downtown...followed by the buying for time theory.

APOLOGIES TO ANYBODY both city and suburban dwellers by my post and to the fine residents of both Beverly Hills and South Central Los Angeles who are all great people. Am just talking extremes to try to make a point. NO OFFENSE intended  

Do you own your own home ?

Could you get a line of credit to use as the down payment ?

""I would be OK with a private lender"" Do you mean hard money ?

Be careful...that's usually short term. Could leave you in a bind in 6 mts or so when the big ballon pauyment comes due.

Linda

This might seem like a ridiculously obvious question but I will ask it anyway.

By chance does the building have a Property Manager ?

Mickey

Your question is somewhat vague but I believe 3 scenarios might help to answer it.

A) Tenant rented a unit with no AC. Tenant has no recourse really as they should have known and acknowledged that fact before agreeing to rent the place. That's probably explains the silence from the Landlord.

B) Unit has central AC or window units and they are not working properly. Landlord is obliged to correct the problem within a reasonable amount of time OR failing that, tenant could have the repairs done and deduct from the rent and provide receipts for the work done.

C) Tenant rented a unit with no AC and now wants AC. Depending on the particular landlord and tenant relationship, a compromise could be met whereby the landlord provides a window unit in return for  security deposit.

For good tenants I have gone the route of C) from above.  I require a $50 dollar security deposit for the use of a window unit and that deposit is fully refundable if the AC unit is returned in same condition at the end of the season or end of the lease. I charge $50 because good window units are expensive and are MOVEABLE. They can miraculously be "lost" "eaten by the dog" or "stolen by aliens" who never seem to take them back to their space ship but only as far as the nearest pawn shop. Hence I only have this arrangement with long term good tenants. They get a (basically) free AC unit to keep them cool and I keep happy long term tenants who pay rent. This might be something to propose to help your current situation/question. Landlord might be more willing to assist if the tenant proposes something sensible and shows they are willing to have some skin in the game (the deposit).

Hope this helps.