Annoying Tenant

[Lindsay Nguyen]

HI i just signed a lease with a tenant husband and wife to rent my singer family home for one year. They came twice before signing lease and checked everything inside and out.  I was nice enough to let them move in a week earlier without charging them.  They signed the lease for feb 1.  And 2 days later they text and said while they was cleaning the kitchen counter and turned the garbage disposal switched on she got shock.  I got my handyman to take a look and he said it was fine.  I also replaced a new dishwasher for them.  So now on Feb 4th they want me to hire a professional cleaner, buy new refrigerator and hire an exterminator.  He said that he found roaches underneath frigerator so the frig need to be new.  I was nice enough to let them move in a week earlier without charging them also.  I can't help to think that they will continue to bother me even more.in the future with petty stuff.  

What should I do?  Can I just bomb the place and hire a professional cleaner and not buy a brand new Frig.  I am trying to be kind and fair but l feel like the are taking advantage of me.  

[Gail K.]

You're in Florida; land of the bugs (I'm in Georgia; we know those great Palmetto bugs!).

Spray for the roaches.  Forget the professional cleaner.  These folks saw the rental unit before and agreed to rent "as is) .  And for heavens sake, forget this nonsense about a new refrigerator because they saw roaches under the current one.

Keep what is known as the "Happy Clause" in your back pocket.  You do know what this is, don't you?  Many landlords use this when annoying/demanding/PITA tenants get to be too much.  The "Happy Clause" is when you tell a tenant "Look; it appears you're not happy here and we certainly want you to be happy but it sounds like we just can't meet your needs.  How about we agree to end the lease at the end of the month and if you're out by then and haven't left any damage we'll give you back your security deposit and just terminate the lease at that point".  Everyone will be "happy" then.

IF a repair issue is justified it certainly needs to be addressed.  If it's ridiculous (i.e., replace a frig because there are roaches underneath it) the landlord can certainly feel free to open their mouth and say "Nope", and try not to chuckle at this request until they hang up the phone.

Gail