New tenant - 3 services calls in 1 month - time to get tough?

Question

I recently moved in a tenant to my 4-plex apartment building who seemed like he was going to be a great.  Income verification, background, credit check all were great.  He is a male in his 40's with a teenage daughter and a younger son.  However, he has been there a month and has already put in three service requests.  Two stuck toilet requests (same toilet), and a stuck garbage disposal request.  The solution has been very simple to all these requests - Plunging the toilet with a proper plunger and hitting the reset switch after using an Allen wrench on the disposal unit nut (to free the clog).

So the issue isn't that the problems are hard but they are quickly eating up time and handyman money.  As I live 30 minutes away, each 5 minute fix is an hour round trip - and my goal is to have these investments be as passive as possible.

So what do I do?

I don't want to be up there every week doing trivial fixes.  But, I don't know if I can just start calling a handyman and sending him the bill.  He pays his rent on time and isn't a problem to the neighbors so I don't want to start a problem.  I'm still a fairly new landlord so I'd like suggestions on how hard to be on this tenant that is being a sore thumb.

Robert P. · Answer

I agree with @Steve Vaughan. Educate the tenant. The requests seem legit, so you can't blame them.

For example, my tenant told me that the toilet is clogging a lot, seeming like there is not enough flush power. I went over, looked at it and how she flushes and told he she simply needs to hold the lever down longer to allow more water to enter the bowl. Haven't heard from her about it since.

Steve Vaughan · Answer

At least the requests are pretty legit, though most likely self-caused.  Thought it might be for fake mold or some such.

Educate him on what clogs toilets and garbage disposals and how to clear them.  Say you've done it twice and it's his turn to take care of future incidents himself.   Make sure he has a plunger. Make sure they are not using Charmin or other super plushy paper.

If the garbage disposal keeps clogging, pull it and put in a regular trap.  Those things can drive you crazy with an apathetic or uneducated tenant!

Good luck @Dan Jones!

Bryce Wong · Answer

@Donald Dickerson You might also want to add in a clause that tenants have to report to you on anything they fix even by themselves. You don't want an uneducated tenant to be fixing up a major problem that they think is "cheap" only to cause you more headaches down the road.

JD Martin · Answer

First thing that comes out in a unit I buy, if it's there, is the icemaker and garbage disposal. Both will cause you neverending aggravation, chances for damage and injury.

As for the toilet, are you sure it's not some kind of obstruction in the toilet that is the root? I pulled a toilet in a house currently under rehab the other day and stuck at the mouth of the toilet was a huge plastic toy, too big to get through the bowl and fall into the pipes and just small enough to let water pass through. It would have been clog city every time it was used if it had been left in place.

Tyler Ansell · Answer

I would definitely educate them on how to do some common repairs. Pick them up a garbage disposal clearing tool, plunger etc and leave in the home. $20 worth of some household items like that can save a ton of time.

Also something to think about for the future, putting a monetary amount on repairs in the lease and notifying tenants that they are responsible up to $X.XX. Some homes in my area have as high as $200 tenant responsibility.

Stephen E. · Answer

I have found that it is relatively common to have more service requests in the first few months of a tenancy. After that things tend to die down. If they do not it may be time for the happy clause - you are not happy in your unit and we will let you walk away from your lease to find a new place. You will know what is needed in a couple more months. It is entirely possible that this will settle down. But I am guessing that each call out for a handyman to solve these problems would be at least $50. If you hire out and they keep calling your margins are going to suffer.

Donald Dickerson · Answer

That's a good idea too. I do have a clause stating that they must contact me regarding any repairs, but I may have created some ambiguity.

Donald Dickerson · Answer

In my rental agreements, I have a paragraph explaining that they are responsible for the first $100 for simple repairs, (items that I'm not responsible for like AC) or for any repairs that cost less than $100.

It may be a little too open ended, but, my phones are quieter.

Dan Jones · Answer

My word you all replied so quickly!  Thank you!

It sounds like the thing to do is a bit of education.  He got a better plunger after the first toilet incident and he talked to his daughter about proper female hygiene disposal after the 2nd.  So it seems like he has a willingness to learn.  I'll give him a call this evening about how to fix his disposal.

I do also like @Neal Little's suggestion - going to wrap up some kind of service call surcharge (after x visits) into new leases.

Thank you again for the replies.

Neal Little · Answer

Unfortunately these fixes are the reasons some tenants aren't interested in home ownership.  This is also the reasons Landlords use Property Management companies.  Real Estate is not a 'Passive' business.  There are always decisions to make.

Deciding what kind of investor to be is a challenge we all face.  If this is your one and only, the distance was the same when you bought it as when you have to go maintain it.  If you aren't interested in doing the maintenance, you need to hire someone...either a management company with in house maintenance, or a reliable handyman.

If you think this tenant is being a pain intentionally, you have to make a decision. It could be they just need a lesson in using the appliances.  You could also institute an agreement of x number of calls for the same reasons gets a surcharge...clogged toilets and garbage disposals are caused by improper use.  Learn from this and adjust your lease wording in the future to eliminate or minimize these calls.  Educating the tenant on the proper use would be the first step.

New tenant - 3 services calls in 1 month - time to get tough?

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