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Updated about 7 years ago on . Most recent reply

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15
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Brigitte Beauchat
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Titusville, PA
6
Votes |
15
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DESPERATE NEED of landlord help

Brigitte Beauchat
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Titusville, PA
Posted

Hello! I am brand new to BiggerPockets and semi new to real estate in general. I am a real estate agent and landlord to one property in Northwest PA. The property is a 2/1 single family in an alley. I have had a tenant for 9 months with the lease expiring at the end of this month (August). In the last couple months I have noticed an extra vehicle in the driveway and extra belongings (a motorcycle). Long story short my tenant has a new boyfriend that lives out of state but "visits twice a month".The lease we use is straight from the Managing Rental Properties book and obviously this situation is against the lease in several aspects. I (through texting) asked about adding boyfriend to the lease. She was instantly defensive and ended up upset with me claiming invasion of privacy and that I accused her a being a bad tenant (I actually said THREE times that she was a great tenant). We were going to sign a new 9 month lease this week but after this exchange she is unsure if she would like to stay and I am unsure if she should stay. She said she definitely doesn't want to add boyfriend to the lease. How I left the conversation is that I would "follow up with you on Monday with a list of options to stay or instructions to vacate. I hope we can work something out so that both parties are satisfied. Have a good weekend." I can provide the whole conversation if needed! I also want to mention I heavily used reference to the lease and that I was just following policy.

 So now I need help on how to proceed?! I was thinking I would provide her with three options: 1. Add boyfriend to lease and nothing changes. 2. Have boyfriend sign a document stating that he does not live there and he is not a tenant. And furthermore requiring the removal of the motorcycle and only allowing his car to be parked in the driveway on a temporary basis (not sure what the parameters should be on that?). And 3. Not renewing the lease. Does this sound reasonable? Am I being too strict? She really has been a great tenant and I would hate to lose her but I also want to follow the lease to protect my business. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Thank you in advanced!

Most Popular Reply

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Dawn Brenengen
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Raleigh, NC
1,866
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2,667
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Dawn Brenengen
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Raleigh, NC
ModeratorReplied

@Brigitte Beauchat I would put yourself in her shoes for a moment.  She may be into this guy, but that doesn't mean she wants to have a legal document binding herself with him in a living situation.  I think your plan #2 of having him sign that he is NOT a tenant is better, but I don't really see why you need that necessarily.  Honestly, if she's a great tenant, then I'm not really sure that I would worry about her boyfriend spending the night there.  Do you suspect that he's living there or do you think he's just there a lot?  On our standard leases we have a place to list "additional occupants," so if I really wanted to be by the letter, I would list his name there.

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