All Forum Posts by: Sarah Kuppert

Hello,

I need some advice. I have a tenant who is renting my spare room for 2-3 months right now. She lived here since June 25. We have a signed lease until the end of July and she wants to extend it until the end of August.

She keeps uneaten food and takeout containers in her room in open bags. Despite having numerous conversations, which started out as a friendly "hey, this is not ok" to a sit-down talk where I made myself very clear that it is absolutely unacceptable for her to keep leftovers or food trash in her room, she continues to do so. 

We live in a tropical climate and food attracts roaches. On top of that, I have 2 little kittens who get into trash and food leftovers and eat things that might harm them (toxic foods to cats include lemon, avocado, and chocolate, just to name a few). I made it very clear to her that it is unacceptable, especially for the latter reason. 

She is very obese and probably has a lot of shame and disordered eating habits where she does not want to eat out in the open and maybe limited energy to clean up after herself. I don't want to shame her or create more emotional pain than she already has, but I need to find a solution besides kicking her out (the rent money is good and she pays on time)

What would be a reasonable and legal course of action in this case that could resolve this problem? Get a maid every 2 days who will clean up and make her pay for it? If I kick her out, would that be enough cause to keep the security deposit for lost rent? Should I adjust the lease somehow?

It grosses me out and stresses me out to live with a slob like this, but I don't want to do anything that's not legal or grossly unfair. Any suggestions on how to handle a situation like this? I have rented my room for over a year and never came across anything like this.

Thank you.

Thanks for all your answers! I appreciate the help!

It's the first property I bought and I am still learning a lot. In Baltimore it is certainly a steep learning curve for a new landlord. :)

I recently bought a row house in Baltimore, MD, in NE Highlandtown on a somewhat "lively" block (lots of through traffic, regular drug deals, but also kids and people just hanging out and music). The houses trashcan was stolen immediately and it seems like somebody tried to break into the lockbox. I want my property to be safe from break ins, but also don't want the neighbors to feel like I am spying on them. I am concerned about the safety of the property, so I installed security bars on the back and basement window. I also added a prop up bar to secure the back door (are those effective?)

What other safety measures do you recommend?
Security camera out front or inside? motion sensors?

Also, does anybody have experience with any of these home security systems? https://www.asecurelife.com/best-home-security-system-without-monitoring/

How do you feel about paying mortgage insurance upfront? My loan officer mentioned tax benefits as a plus and lower monthly payments. Are there any downsides to that loan payment option from an investor point of view?

Here is the quote I got:

Dear Bigger Pockets members,

I am a new buy and hold investor who is currently looking for her first deal. I have been looking at townhouses in turnkey condition in Baltimore, MD, that were built between 1900 - 1950's, but renovated. While most of those houses look good optically, I want to make sure I understand the systems in the house that are not as easily visually assessed for somebody who is new to the game.

What should I look for in the heating, cooling systems, electrical and plumbing (I have heard galvanized pipes are something to be careful about) while looking at a house for the first time. 

I am trying to lower my risk of having costly repairs and some guidance from experienced investors who know Baltimore would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Sarah

Ned Carey what do you think of putting stucco over the paint? I want to make the house lead free and I heard encasing paint is the way to go. Thank you!

Thank you all for your input! It’s much appreciated! I will do the testing first and either just paint over it or get the stucco siding.

I am considering purchasing a townhouse to rent out out in Baltimore, Maryland that has painted brick on the outside. Since lead is a problem in older townhouses in Baltimore, I would either have to paint over the 2 story house to cover until potential lead paint(which is at the end of the street, so it has more outdoor surface than other townhouses). I would rather just remove all the paint so I don’t have to deal with maintenance. I am not sure if it’ll get rid of the lead completely and if it’s feasible and affordable. Is it maybe even possible to choose a different siding over the brick, to encase it more permanently?