Tenant Advice

[Seth Martin]

I have a tenant that lives in one of my duplexes and I am not sure what to do about him.  He is good and bad.

His good points.....
Pays his rent on time, no questions asked
He maintains the property, and keeps it looking very good.  From mowing the lawn and maintaining the bushes to planting flowers and fixing the detached garage, all on his own dime.   He keeps his apartment immaculate, and keeps all the common spaces clean.  he treats the duplex like it is his.
His bad points.....
He is a jerk to the other tenants.  he is older and he likes his quiet.   if the other tenants are make too much noise he yells and screams (and it is not that loud).  He is gruff and rough around the edges.  Over the past two years I have had two different groups of tenants not renew their leases because of him.

The duplex is in a good area and attracts B-B+ tenants.  I have spoken with him several times over the past couple of years and he can usually keep his cool for about 2-3 weeks after we talk, but that is about it.

Not sure if it is better to keep him because of how well he maintains everything (which is very hard to find) or is he costing me time and money because of constant turnover?

[Nicole A.]

I've had a tenant like him, and while he took care of the place and paid on time, I was quite relieved to see him go. I have a tenant in his place who also takes care of the place, pays rent on time, AND is more friendly with their neighbors!

Politely and professionally send him a notice to vacate whenever his lease is about to be over. He might vent some anger towards you. Just don't respond to him if he does that...even if he ends up threatening damage to the unit or to sue you or something silly. They are almost always all bark and no bite...especially if you stay professional, neutral, calm, and friendly/polite.

Keeping one good tenant while costing you multiple good tenants is obviously not worth the trouble or lost money.