this is why I collect rent in person...

[Rich Schroeder]

went to pick up rent early in the month. I did my normal inspection of the house, including an inspection of the basement. As soon as I opened the basement door I smelled something unusual. Turns out the PVC on the direct vent water heater had come lose and the unit was venting into the basement! I quickly fixed it. If I had not picked up the rent in person and done my inspection, I could have taken a HUGE HIT if someone had died or got sick. Does your property manager care about your rental as much as you do? Do you have the renters mail in the rent? Hopefully this story makes you think a little.

-Rich

[Bret Johnson]

Rich,

You're right, you're fortunate you caught that when you did. Here in Colorado a whole family died in a similar situation, and now carbon monoxide detectors are required in new or resale residential units.

But you may want to consider your own safety as well. About 20 years ago when I was living in St. Louis, I witnessed an armed robbery of a rent collector. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The perps were fairly inept. Their getaway car wouldn't start and while they messed with the battery I had plenty of time to get their license number. They had barely left when the police showed up and they were caught a short time later.

So while I like to get a chance to inspect my rental once in a while, I'm OK with having a CO detector in the house and getting the rent mailed to me.

Bret