Inspect Tenant-Occupied Unit

[Ron Rohrssen]

I'm looking for advice on how to approach a tenant on a non-renewal of the lease. I'd like to begin with an inspection of the property prior to giving them notice in order to document the condition of the unit and do some maintenance checks on filters, drains, etc.

I've included more background below. But, I'm looking for advice on how to give them a non-renewal notice in a proper legal fashion to mitigate any issues after they move out. 

1. I will not be renewing their lease and I need to give them 30 days notice which would be by June 1.

2. The reasons may not matter, but basically there have been issues that required several repairs. The cause of the damage was very strange water problems that affected 3 floors of a condo. But, I couldn't say with absolutely certainty that the cause was negligence, purposeful, some strange series of coincidences, or just multiple faucet and appliance failures that occurred within hours of each other. (Yeah. No kidding.)

3. During the process of resolving #2 I discovered that another person was living in the unit. I could have evicted at that point, but I didn't. I was sympathetic to their plight around Christmas, and that they are not originally from a western culture. I've learned that they aren't too familiar with western plumbing in a northern climate. For example, leaving hoses full of water attached to a faucet in a non-heated garage. Or stuffing massive quantities of bones and food down a garbage disposal.

The damage was around $10K. But, due to the way that the condo bylaws are written, and the fact that I carry insurance with the same insurance as the association, I had very little out of pocket expenses. In fact my out of pocket expenses were only to cover what COULD have been appliance malfunctions in two separate appliances and a shattered toilet. The toilet was a mistake that the tenants acknowledged and paid me for. 

The appliance failures caused additional water damage. The damage was an insurance item, but the appliance repairs were not.

[Andrew Kerr]

@Ron Rohrssen - I wouldn't over complicate the process by looking for issues, and giving reason. Just send the non-renewal notice based on the requirements in your lease. I have found going into more detail can just make things messy. If they ask, just say we are going in a different direction. 

If you are worried there might be issues with them vacating, make sure to leave a copy on their door, email them, and send a copy via certified mail. And document everything.