Tenant Selling Used Cars - What to Do?

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I would not be afraid to let her go end of January. I would tell her the lease renewal has a two car maximum. If she needs a short extension to get rid of the additional cars or move you would be fine with that but the new policy is to be fair to everyone.

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Ericka,Move on, she is nothing but a problem. Obviously, she has no respect for you, and I don't think that is going to change anytime soon.

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I would let her go just because of the threat. If she were my tenant, I would have already issued a cure or quit because my rental agreement forbids running a business out my apartments. You can rent apartments any time of the year. Demand goes up as soon as people start getting their tax refunds in February. My standard response to tenants saying "the old LL let me do ______" is to say "Old LL was not making any money. That is why he sold the building."

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My opinion is let her go on the 31st. If you tell her she can continue with the used car business to get through the winter then she may take advantage of this gesture and not be so willing to leave in the spring. The other option may be to pitch her an idea as if it is hers. Something to the effect of “January is a tough time to move bc of weather, I’ll do you a favor and let you stay through March/April”. Something to that effect may work for both parties but I’d suggest biting the bullet and let her leave on her own accord.

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Let it go, let it goCan't hold it back anymoreLet it go, let it goTurn away and slam the doorI don't carewhat they're going to sayLet the storm rage on.The cold never bothered me anywayLOL....I find that when dealing with Tenant's and their threats, it's best to consult Disney.In all seriousness, let this Tenant go. Her lease most likely prohibits her from running a commercial business from her unit. You can issue her a Cure Notice. This is basically a violation notice that she has to correct within 3 days. If she is not compliant, you have grounds to evict her. When you have these types of issues, you really should be documenting them through the lease paperwork that you have in front of you. The lease is your guide, and serves as your instructions for everything that comes with the relationship between Landlord and Tenant.When a Tenant bucks up like this and threatens, they are trying to leverage a power over you. Once you give that up, you're sunk. You must remain in control. I like to think of it like a parent/child relationship. It's not meant to be derrogatory, but rather to illustrate how Tenants can be similar to children in that they are constantly pushing boundaries. It is your job as the parent/landlord, to redefine the boundary and enforce it so that you both have security in that relationship. You may find that when you reinforce that boudary with this Tenant, she backs down and becomes compliant....or she moves out, and makes way for a new Tenant who won't scare off the other Tenants. Either way, it works out for you.

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Edward Hamill hmmm, yes this is in GA and it does look like she is breaking the law based on this as she is over the annual limit allowed. I will use this if she gets snippy again about moving the cars.

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Assuming it is in Georgia, she could be breaking the law (curbstoning) and you could be in trouble if you allow it, so getting rid of her is your smart move.Curbstoning is selling of 5 or more used cars without a license. If she does have a license, she is in violation of running a commercial business out of a residential zoned property, so its a lose-lose for her.- here is a link to the law passed in 2007https://giada.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ocga-...

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Ok thanks for the advice all. My gut says let her go, it being winter is the only thing that gave me pause. It is good to hear that there may be an uptick in interest in Feb as folks start to get their tax returns. In 10 years as a landlord this is the first time I’ve had vacancies during the holidays and it has been such a pain that I’m hesitant to let anyone go. I like the suggestion of making it seem like her idea to stay an extra month or two to avoid moving in dead of winter - she is also pregnant and due in spring. That said, it is clear she is “testing” me and I know I can get ~$200/mos more for her apartment than what she pays. I think the previous owner gave her a bit of a deal because it was winter. I will let her go and hope we have an early spring in ATL

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Good riddance. Never allow a tenant to operate any business out of a rental property. It is likely counter to local building codes and places you at a high risk of liability. A residential rental property is not a business location. You should have put an end to the practice when you took over the property. By only asking her to move the vehicles you were lax in your responsibilities to all your tenants.

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I would let her go.On my lease agreements the tenants have to park at their assigned spaces (if it's assigned) or if unassigned they must register with me their brand/model/plate numbers on "authorized vehicles". Besides registered cars the only other vehicles allowed would be guest vehicles.If she's buying and selling used cars do they have plates on them? If her lease ends January, and it's already close to the end of December now, don't you need to have a renewal secured and signed typically not less than 60 days? I typically let tenants know 90 days prior to lease expiration and they need to sign a renewal not later than 60 days prior.