Tenant Complications

[Nitin Aggarwal]

Greetings everyone,

I just found this forum and wish I did a year ago. I am sorry for the long message but would really appreciate any help.

I bought a duplex in Alabama last year and live on one side with me renting out the other side. My tenant had a lease from January through December 31st. She has chronically been late with rent and when I went into the place early July, she had ripped out the entire carpet without even talking to me and was placing some sort of hardwood floor. She had repainted part of the bathroom without any discussion. Lease does not allow this.  

She had emailed me in June with concerns about a leak and possible mold, and she did not reply to my emails asking me to meet her so we can sort the issues out. I knocked multiple times and she never was there. She told me she took the carpet out due to the leak.

After extensive discussion, we mutually agreed that she would move out on August 31st. She then gave me a written notice that she would move out on July 31st to which I agreed. She wanted me to use the security deposit for July rent (I just wanted her out so I agreed). She asked me for an extension and paid rent until last Thursday, August 6th, and still has $300 rent overdue. 

I saw a U haul truck and her moving some stuff out on Thursday and Friday. She emailed me Saturday that she was repainting the part of the bathroom and that is why she had the delay.

She has yet to return my keys and is not replying to my emails. She must have gone to someone in community housing and now there is a notice outside that unit saying that it is unsafe to live in. I haven't received any letters or any in person notices from them - just the posting on my duplex on the tenant door. No one answers the door when I knock on it.

- Am I able to key in and take photos of the place as a walk through or should I do that with someone as a witness? Do I need to wait a certain number of days before I can do this?

- I was going to go into the community housing office to see why they have deemed it unsafe and what I need to do to get it "safe" again. Do I need to call my homeowners insurance or umbrella policy or anyone before doing this?

- Anything else I should be doing to cover myself in case there is any more trouble coming from her end?

I have learned a hard lesson about screening my tenants and will be doing a lot more thorough screening for the future. Any help to sort out the current situation would be helpful.