How to deal with problematic renters

Question

I bet everyone has one of those renters that are constantly causing problems. The ones That are constantly complaining about anything:

• The rent is too high (but never move out)
• There is a toxic mold in my house.(Maybe if you clean the cinder/dirt in that completely dry corner you would have none.) I know your handy man told me that this is not mold but he is lying.
• The plumber stole my husbands $250.00 toolbox when I left him unsupervised because I could not wait 10 minutes for him to finish and leave. (The plumber have a brand new set as a present from me and have never seen any toolboxes there.).
• I can never send you the check on time but can I come to your house at 10PM tonight (5 days after it is due) so I don't get late fee charges.
• Your handyman did not completely fix the problem in the way we wanted him to fix it
• Would you pay $300 to our handyman because he did a great job. I know you authorized only $150 (which was twice over the prevailing amount) but I didn't want to bother you.
• There are too many cockroaches even after you gassed and spray them. (Maybe if you bother to clean your kitchen and stop leaving food all over the place they would not come back so fast).

How do you deal with people that are never happy with what they have and are pain in the A$$ to deal with?

Elizabeth Colegrove · Answer

AS you can see, a smile and not giving in!

Marcia Maynard · Answer

Same here. Complaints about the cost of rent sometimes occur when I do a rent raise, which is usually only $30 at a time (only a $1 a day!), and not every year. I will let the tenant know "I wish I didn't need to raise the rent, but due to rising costs of keeping our properties in good shape and available to rent we must." If they persist, I also will tell them about PadMapper and Craigslist, where they can explore other options. We purposely keep our rents under market, so one look at the competition and their opinion about the rent being too high quickly subsides.

Marcia Maynard · Answer

I agree, communication is key. Being firm, fair, and responsive is a must. It is our job to keep our units habitable. We do not leave pest control entirely up to the tenant, if we did, we would be inviting bigger problems... especially in our multi-family units. We swiftly address pest control issues. If the tenant caused the pest problem because of something they did or failed to do, we will charge the tenant for the remedy.

Aly W. · Answer

Just about exactly what I would have answered! I also go over the lease in detail on the phone with the tenant prior to signing, and when they do sign it, they initial the bottom of every page as well. When problems arise that are addressed in the lease, I refer back to it.

I've never had a tenant complain about the rent. It is what it is when they move in, and if they are unhappy with it a year later, they can move out when their lease expires. If they make me unhappy, same result.

Bryan N. · Answer

I like @Sibbir Noman idea of raising the rent for their hassle. On the other end of the spectrum... I have tenants in a property that are so good I am actually considering reducing their rent if they renew the lease to keep them.

Colleen F. · Answer

I hear what you are saying.  I think the individual problems aren't the issue but the constant complainers.  Nothing is ever right.   It is hard to screen that kind of person out and while you deal with each individual issue the cumulative effect starts to grate on you. They are the tenant you don't want to see and you don't want to pick up the phone for.  I try to treat them like the children that they are.  Set firm limits, introduce rules and policies for their benefit.  I had one recently who texted me 3 times in 24 hours about a light bulb out, after half a dozen other petty things and wanted to move her parking space but the space she wanted to move to was still between two other cars which was what she was complaining about! I just sent a pretty short "No" email, I think she got the message. You have to accept they won't change their disposition.  So limit your availability, bite your tongue and walk away, and don't let their infractions slide.  It is sometimes the best you can do.

Aly W. · Answer

@Marcia Maynard , exactly about pest control. Our leases state that if the tenant causes such a condition, they are responsible, but we realize that in our SFRs (rowhouses), even if they are responsible for a problem, we still need to control the situation. The tenants may not be able to afford regular pest control treatments, and in rowhouses, where the next door properties are abandoned, mice and roaches can easily get out of hand.

Sibbir Noman · Answer

@Bobby Narinov

Hi Bobby - I would do two things:

1. Communicate with the tenant in email or a written form to confirm the issues are taken care of so if he tries to cause trouble in the future you will have proof

2. Increase rent when your lease is up, this will do one of two things, tenant will move out or he will realize you are charging more to deal with all the unnecessary issues.

I'm assuming you do you best to keep the place safe and liveable.  Regardless what you lease says, I would be upset if I had cockroaches in my place.

How to deal with problematic renters

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