spare bathroom remodel while tenant still occupies dwelling

spare bathroom remodel while tenant still occupies dwelling

Rental Property Investor · Everett, WA · Member since 2020 · 32 posts · 12 votes

Bit of an odd scenario:

SFR with 2 separate leases, each lease to occupy their respective half of the house (clearly laid out in each lease). The tenant in one half of the house has broke his lease and moved out. (A totally different issue). The second bathroom associated to this lease and this tenant who has vacated the premises needs to be remodeled. The second tenant renting the other half of the house does not want me to do the remodel on the second bathroom until he moves out (if he even does, yet another issue lol).

I am having multiple issues with the tenant still there, but luckily his lease ends 4/30/2022 (next month). 

So this is a 2 fold question I suppose:

1) Am I allowed to have the remodel done in this scenario?

2) Risk vs reward, do I do the remodel (if I can) now and make the tenant still there angry, or do I just wait until his lease has ended in 1 month? To me this issue is somewhat time sensitive as we plan on selling the house ASAP while the market is on fire and re invest the money into a duplex. (we stand to double the initial purchase price of the property if sold soon). So naturally the sooner the remodel is completed, the sooner I can list the house.

Thank you.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y

It's two separate spaces (technically) so you are under no obligation to wait on the renovation. His lease only gives him access to his half and you control the second half. Don't let your tenant push you around as if he owns the place. If he doesn't like you remodeling while he lives there, offer him the chance to get out early.

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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    4y

    It's two separate spaces (technically) so you are under no obligation to wait on the renovation. His lease only gives him access to his half and you control the second half. Don't let your tenant push you around as if he owns the place. If he doesn't like you remodeling while he lives there, offer him the chance to get out early.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
  • Rental Property Investor · Everett, WA · Member since 2020 · 32 posts · 12 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

    It's two separate spaces (technically) so you are under no obligation to wait on the renovation. His lease only gives him access to his half and you control the second half. Don't let your tenant push you around as if he owns the place. If he doesn't like you remodeling while he lives there, offer him the chance to get out early.


     Thank you, that's exactly how I see it. I have offered him the chance to get out early (instead of evicting him for other reasons) but he has no where to go, poor credit and no w2. So no one else is going to take him. So I'm trying to avoid him causing more damage to the property than his security deposit will cover. I could sue him if it goes that way but ill never collect. As of our most current verbal agreement, I told him if he stays until the end of the lease, next month, that since he isn't going to pay the other tenants portion of the lease that i am going to do the remodel and hell just have to work around it. At this point unfortunately he is turning out to be quite the bad apple, but i knew the risk when i let him sign the lease. Some friend eh? lol

  • Investor · Van Isle · Member since 2021 · 455 posts · 226 votes
    4y

    Wait. You might loose a good Reno resource, subjecting them to harsh conditions. The price for a sale is only going to get better.

  • Rental Property Investor · Everett, WA · Member since 2020 · 32 posts · 12 votes
    4y

    Reno? whats that short for? lol

  • Member since 2021 · 4 posts · 2 votes
    4y

    Renovations

  • Long Beach, CA · Member since 2016 · 21 posts · 17 votes
    4y

    I would for sure just give the tenant notice that this work is going to commence. There is nothing they can do about it nor are allowed to do about it, they cant prevent or restrict you from maintaining or doing upkeep on the bathroom. 

    There is risk either way, and either way you risk ticking off your tenant or looking money on not being able to do the reno especially if it is in bad shape. 

    if you think they will take it out on your contractor or on the property I would wait till they are out of the property, i would let them know that you are not renewing the lease and go through the proper legality of it. you Do not want that bad apple to stay in that place. 

    I would probably just wait and get the poison out before I do any reno. assuming there is no way that you will lease out the other half, your current tenant is probably why the last one vacated anyway... 

  • Rental Property Investor · MI · Member since 2019 · 192 posts · 205 votes
    4y

    I would wait until May 1 when he’s out of there.

  • Rental Property Investor · Everett, WA · Member since 2020 · 32 posts · 12 votes
    4y

    thank you everyone for the input!

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