Do Your Tenants Try to Revise Their Lease After It's Signed?

[Jane S.]

Why do tenants try to just do what they want even if it's forbidden by the lease they signed and which they should read once in a while? Actually it's kind of entertaining because they have signed so many leases they get confused about the terms they agreed to in mine. Recently a woman complained about how she hurt her shoulder moving a couch out of the garage when (she thought) it would have been OK to leave it there. Of course she blamed me. I referred her to the lease para which strictly forbids any furniture being stored in garage. (That's the beginning of a hoard.) Another tenant put mattresses in the garage that a few of her many relatives died in. I was so glad when they moved out. "I'm not a hoarder!" I've heard it a few times. When they yell this, they probably are. One tenant said I "used up" my 4 visits for the year. She spent about an hour looking for that in her lease with me. I would never put that in a lease. It's my property and I can visit (with 24 hour notice) any time. Actually I don't like to visit. Every rented property ends up looking like a tornado blew through. They swear they don't have much stuff, but what is the purpose of a collection of 8 (ugly) couches? Remember the ugly couch website?  How about 6 big jars of peanut butter? Guess I found out what her kids eat ... They refuse to keep trash cans in garage, because they tried it and it stunk. I bit my tongue about how their dog poop was most certainly the reason ... as well as the flies ... I need to stop renting to dog owners. Never allowed cats. Especially if the property has /had a nice lawn. 

[Nathan Gesner]

It sounds as if you need to clean the place up, increase the price, and screen your applicants better. Nothing's guaranteed, but I manage 400 rentals and only rarely get crazies like that. If you're getting them regularly, there's something wrong with the property, the location, or your screening that is attracting them.