Tenant keeps complaining

[Kar Sun]

My AC has gone on and off for the past week.

We are checking on it daily and additional fixes are required.

It will probably take additional couple of days to fix it as it has been trial and error.

We are keeping the tenant in a loop but she has gone crazy.

She has actually been a huge complainer and her demands id that everything is fixed right away.

She has mistaken us for hotel service staff because she thinks she is at Ritz Carlton and we are her bus boys. 

She has demanded that we bring on a licensed and bonded specialist and that the property is uninhabitable (it is 77F-82F) inside.

She also stated that when we rented to her we told her that everything was working well.

Well, everything was working well and we have a walkthrough checklist.

Again, I am not in a business to spend thousands on the new AC unit or pay someone 1500 to come and look at it.

This is fixable and take time.

We also took a portable AC unit to her. 

Basically her lease runs out end on October of this year.

I want her out as she has been extremally mean and nasty.

I already told her (verbally) that her lease wont be renewed.

Do I need to sent her the official letter for early lease termination?

My contract does not have early lease termination clause in it and I am in Tennessee.

My preference would be to give her until end of August and start showing the property right away.

Otherwise I have to wait until September to start showing the property.

Thanks

[Tom T.]

@James Hamling

well said James!

I have been a landlord for 20 years. Stuff happens and we have to fix and adapt quickly. James is right.

If you think AC is bad.. just wait until a septic drain field needs replacing!

So, new landlord guy.

1. never tell a tenant you won't be renewing next time. You are inviting damage.

2. When problems happen, its okay to try and use a good reputable handyman BUT, if that fails you Must hire a local well known "expert" to prove you are doing all you can to repair the item.

3.

Consider what happens next if the tenant or someone has to be carried to the hospital for heat stroke...

What happens next is you will likely be sued.

4. If you want to be as cheap as possible maybe you buy and install 4 window units and offer the tenant to leave And get all their deposit back.

5. Know that as a landlord there are years where you lose money.

One year, I had to replace both an AC and the septic field... I knew the AC was on borrowed time but the septic field was a "suprise"..

6..Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Good luck, You will need it.

[Alecia Loveless]

@Kar Sun I have a tenant who has been toxic since I bought the building last April. For the first 12 months she was calling and texting as much as 10 times a day. The other tenants are complaining that she is ruining their enjoyment of the property because of her toxic rants and personality. I even renovated her unit last October to try to improve the complaints.

Nothing has worked. Two Mondays ago I had workers installing a new heating system in her unit and she swore the whole time they were in her apartment about me, the new heater, and just generally cussing.

I am done. She is out. I am having a lawyer draft the letter of non-renewal as she has vowed she is never moving the 4 times I have suggested she would be happier elsewhere because it is clear my management style is not to her liking.

I’m not sure if you can terminate a lease early simply due to a tenants cantankerous attitude. I’d recommend consulting an attorney.

[Ned J.]

You have her until the lease is up..... you can not legally terminate early for what you are complaining about. You can offer to let her leave with no penalty.... but you cant force her to leave over this issue. 

In the meantime.... DO YOUR FRICKIN JOB...... get the AC fixed properly or replace it. If the delay is out of your hands (ie. waiting on parts), then provide multiple portable or window units to provide adequate AC as close to what a central unit would do..... THATS THE JOB. If you don't like the job, quit the job and do something else. Sometimes you have to spend $$.... get over it or get out of the LL business.

Tenants can be a nightmare..... this tenant sounds like she is over the top emotionally but the issue is real... her response may be inappropriate, rude and nasty.... but the issue is real. 

[Jeremy Melloul]

Kar,

It sounds like you’re dealing with a diva tenant. I’ve had my share of those, and they’re never fun. However, be thankful you’re in Tennessee and not California. I recommend giving your tenant a 30-day notice to vacate as soon as her lease expires in October.

I can’t stress enough the importance of thorough tenant screening. Even if someone has great credit, finances, and references, they can still turn out to be problematic. It’s crucial to identify the potential issues early. If an applicant is difficult during the application process or has a lot of questions, they are likely to be just as challenging as a tenant.

Of course, there are always exceptions, but I’m speaking from 17 years of property management experience.

I hope you get this sorted out soon!

Best,

Jeremy

[Philip Ray]

In Tennessee, absent a specific early termination clause in your lease, it's generally difficult to evict a tenant before the lease ends without a valid reason. "The tenant is a complainer" wouldn't qualify. 

A better approach might be to follow proper procedures to address the AC issue and potentially evict for breach of lease later if necessary. You can serve a "notice to cure" which gives the tenant a specific timeframe (usually 14 days) to fix the violation (in this case, not properly maintaining cleanliness or disrupting the peace). Document everything.

[Colleen F.]

@Kar Sun one point I forgot to mention and I don't see people mentioning is if you rent a unit with AC then that is a diminishment of services if you don't provide the AC.  So despite the fact it is not required in your state you rented with AC

[Silvia Baier]

I wouldn't evict just because of complaining. She is paying the rent I assume.. but the other poster was correct, try to remove emotion. Tenants just want a place for "quiet enjoyment". It might not be scorching hot but she has to sit in the heat all day, not you. Sometimes there's not much you can do but apologize and absorb the complaining. I'm guessing you haven't been married? Sorry, bad joke. Just try to be a good landlord... as long as she is paying the rent and not trashing the place. Hope it works out for you.

[Danny Grey]

You are the type of landlord that gives landlords a bad name.

[Melanie P.]

@Kar Sun If you're seeking information on how to properly terminate her lease we need to know what state the rental is in.