Uncooperative tenants in Texas

[Jeanie Crisp]

I've had the same unmarried couple as tenants for 4 years now. They were good tenants at first. But the past couple of years whenever I go in to access repairs, I've noticed they are not clean people. The walls are nasty and have holes in them that they've attempted to repair. Kitchen light fixture is broken.  Mold on the bathroom tile. Its their responsibility  (per lease) to take care of the AC Filter yet its not only been nasty the past couple of times I"ve gone in-the male tenant actually told me he hadn't changed it out since last spring. I recently had water damage due to an old dishwasher. The female  tenant was upset because I wasn't going to completely remodel the house and "didn't the insurance company give me enough money?"I explained to her it was my job to repair damage, not remodel because she'd let the walls get dirty. I've offered to let them paint but apparently the male "doesn't want to spend his days off painting".  I've had issues getting access to the house (as someone else said they'd had) . I had to replace the carpet due to the water damage. They knew several weeks ahead of time (while waiting on the insurance check) that it would be replaced and were told a week in advance once the date was set. They were STILL not prepared when the installers came. A 3 hour install took all day because nothing was picked up. To explain the type of tenants I have renting, this scenario took place. When the house was flooded due to the dishwasher, I called a restoration company to come in. According to photographs, there were clothes/toys/misc things all over the floors, covering the floor of 3 front closets.  The tenants made no attempt to help pick their wet belongings up so the company could dry out the carpet. Then complained because the company had "piled everything in the middle the room like a mountain" and "it took forever to get it straightened back up" (can't see that ever happened). I've reached a point to where I am not sure how to handle them anymore.  I've been unable to do all of the repairs that the insurance company wants due to their uncooperativeness and their filth. They are no longer contract , just month to month. Should I just give them 30 days notice THEN finish repairs after they move out? I'm on the fence about this because the female is pregnant and expecting soon. Or should I just continue as things are?  Yes, they pay their rent on time (mostly). 

[Elizabeth Colegrove]

Pregnant or not, I personally would follow the letter of the law to getting out. This is a business and my job is to protect my investment and rental empire. I do not putmy families finances in jeopardy. Personally  even with them paying the rent every month yet not following the lease and destroying my house is the opposite of the type of tenant I want in my rentals. Unless this type of tenant was the only ones I would attract, I would get them out asap and find the type of tenant that would pay rent ontime AND take care of my home.