Tenant doesn't "like my contractor". What would you do?

[Brian Garlington]

One of my rentals in Cleveland has tenants that are a little bit challenging to deal with. The tenants have been there for 6 months and 8 months respectively. I'm getting this information from my property manager. 

One of the duplex's I have out there is an upstairs/downstairs unit so it takes coordination if there's a leak in the upstairs unit that goes down to the downstairs unit and neither tenant has made it easy for the contractor to get in either unit. My PM finally had to place notices on both units with 72 hours notice saying essentially, "This is when we are coming in to do work."  

Today, my PM emails me and says she is on the phone with one of the tenants and the tenant is extremely frustrated because "Things in his unit aren't getting done and he is going to put the rent in escrow if they are not repaired properly. He mentioned kitchen cabinets and holes in the closet and a few other issues. He does not like the contractor's guys- he said they really don't know how to fix anything and that they are extremely difficult to communicate with and he does not want them in his house".

I immediately picked up the phone and called my PM for clarification and I told her this is the first I am hearing about holes in closets and something being wrong with kitchen cabinets and she said the tenant claims that upon moving in he pointed these things out, but he was told, they would get handled. I mentioned that the tenant has been there 8 months and that he is mentioning holes in closets and something wrong with kitchen cabinets. We looked through his previous maintenance requests and there is no mention of this anywhere. I then asked if she could clarify what it is about the contractor the tenant doesn't like. It seemed like she was trying to be very measured with her words about what she would and wouldn't say and I was doing my best not to "read between the lines." English is not the contractor's first language and English is the only language that the tenant understands and I'll leave it at that.

What do you folks think? Would you switch contractor's to appease a tenant? 

[Jaysen Medhurst]

Assuming I was happy with the contractor's work, they were hitting budgets and timelines, were responsive to communication and (VERY IMPORTANT) were not rude/creepy/threatening to tenants, I would NEVER ditch a contractor at a tenant's request. A great contractor is worth his weight in gold, and frankly, a lot more valuable than a PIA tenant.

Talk with your lawyer (*I'm not one*) but in most cases the tenant can't just decide to "put his rent in escrow" on a whim. There is no evidence of these maintenance issues being reported. Address them immediately. If he doesn't pay rent, start the eviction process.