International Tenant Ghosting Me

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International Tenant Ghosting Me

Ryan D.
New to Real Estate · United States · Member since 2017 · 27 posts · 21 votes

Hello all, I have an international student as a tenant and I haven't been able to get ahold of him in the past week. He doesn't have an SSN.

A couple weeks ago, I found a post on the university's housing page of him stating that he is looking for a place to move immediately, I wanted to bring it up to him because we had a discussion about me being a little overbearing. I also noticed that his communication with me has been decreasing drastically up to the days leading up to his disappearance. 

The problem is he is in the middle of his lease with 3 more months to go. The last time we spoke, he texted me that he was having medical issues and asked me for the address of a hospital nearby, which I gave him. Yesterday, I called the hospital, another hospital near his university, and some other nearby hospitals just in case, and they said they had no one with his name in the record.

His roommate also brought up some concerns that he hasn't been in the house for the past couple of days and was asking me to do a wellness check, which I am doing today. 

He paid this month's rent so he currently doesn't owe me anything. I want to give him benefit of the doubt but I can't help thinking that he is trying to break the lease given the clues that I have been given. 

My next step is to call his employer/university professor and see if he's been coming into work. If he has, it would mean he is breaking the lease and if not, that would mean he is missing somewhere (should I file a missing persons report in this case?)

I want to be prepared in the upcoming month in either situation, whether he is sick somewhere that I don't know or trying to break the lease without me letting me know.

My question: Is the best course of action for March be to file an eviction (assuming I don't hear back)? How would I do that without an SSN? I have his F1 visa, work information and employer contact.

And an additional bonus question: I don't think I handled the situation with the Facebook post well by not bringing it up, what would you do in this situation?

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  • Travis TimmonsPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Ellsworth, ME · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y

    I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't like holding tenants hostage. If they want out of a lease, I let them out of the lease. If it were me, I'd send a text message mentioning something to that effect. I bet that he'll respond. Just kind of a "no big deal, I'll let you out of the lease as long as you pay until the end of the month that you leave" type of message. If he wants to stay, that is fine too. 

    I get in my head regarding tenants and tell myself stories that are not true all the time. He has paid up to this point and your biggest problem is that he is unresponsive. Don't borrow worry...you don't have a problem yet.

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  • Ryan D.
    OP
    New to Real Estate · United States · Member since 2017 · 27 posts · 21 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Travis Timmons:

    I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't like holding tenants hostage. If they want out of a lease, I let them out of the lease. If it were me, I'd send a text message mentioning something to that effect. I bet that he'll respond. Just kind of a "no big deal, I'll let you out of the lease as long as you pay until the end of the month that you leave" type of message. If he wants to stay, that is fine too. 

    I get in my head regarding tenants and tell myself stories that are not true all the time. He has paid up to this point and your biggest problem is that he is unresponsive. Don't borrow worry...you don't have a problem yet.

    That makes sense... honestly, that's a good point and something I'm considering - my issue is that would make signing a lease rather pointless as a tenant could just break it whenever they want without consequence.

    However, youare correct, I don't have a problem yet... the problem is that this lack of communication is night-and-day as opposed to before. I actually wouldn't mind letting him out the lease as long as he pays his utilities and maybe a fee (my lease doesn't have this lease break clause... this has taught me a lesson in adding it now)


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  • Travis TimmonsPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Ellsworth, ME · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y

    I totally agree...I usually go month to month on my leases and sometimes wonder, "what's the point?" The thing is, though, if they want to leave and ignore the terms of the lease, they're likely going to do it anyway. I'd rather skip to the part where they are gone. 

    I view a lease like I view insurance - I don't have health insurance to solve a $2800 problem; I have it to solve a $280,000 problem. A lease is the same thing - it's there to protect me from serious offenses. I'm willing to let the little things go...lose the battle, win the war regardless of what the lease says. I try to keep small issues like this in perspective. I can find a new tenant and pay for the basic turnover items relatively quickly. What I don't want to deal with is an eviction, squatter, tenant that trashes the place, etc. 

    All of that is far easier when I am talking about your property and your tenant though. I can be pretty level headed when solving someone else's problems that have zero financial and emotional investment from me.

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  • Ryan D.
    OP
    New to Real Estate · United States · Member since 2017 · 27 posts · 21 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Travis Timmons:

    I totally agree...I usually go month to month on my leases and sometimes wonder, "what's the point?" The thing is, though, if they want to leave and ignore the terms of the lease, they're likely going to do it anyway. I'd rather skip to the part where they are gone. 

    I view a lease like I view insurance - I don't have health insurance to solve a $2800 problem; I have it to solve a $280,000 problem. A lease is the same thing - it's there to protect me from serious offenses. I'm willing to let the little things go...lose the battle, win the war regardless of what the lease says. I try to keep small issues like this in perspective. I can find a new tenant and pay for the basic turnover items relatively quickly. What I don't want to deal with is an eviction, squatter, tenant that trashes the place, etc. 

    All of that is far easier when I am talking about your property and your tenant though. I can be pretty level headed when solving someone else's problems that have zero financial and emotional investment from me.

    And it's nice to talk with someone who is objective in this situation rather than make choices based on my emotion. The point about the lease being insurance is a good point - penny rich dollar poor. Thanks for the advice!
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