Tenant claiming electrical issue that is impossible, suspicious

Tenant claiming electrical issue that is impossible, suspicious

Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

Right after moving in, they claim a single element on the kitchen stove being on is causing a bulb to burn out in a bedroom but magically not trip a breaker. (I lived in this house for 4 years including just a few months ago and had 3 tenants in it years ago, zero issues or complaints) I asked them when it happened, and he said a week ago, she said a few days ago. They both responded over each other at the same time and looked at each other all of a sudden in a way that was very suspicious, then he changed his story to match hers. I asked when did they happen, he said last Wednesday, she looked at him and she said a few days ago again. I asked why they didn't contact me when it happened and she said it was the weekend and we didn't want to bother you. Mind you he said it happened a week ago on a Wednesday and the only reason she claimed it happened on a weekend after saying "a few days ago" was because I asked her why they waited so long to contact me. Still doesn't explain why they waited so long after the weekend to contact me, assuming it ever really happened on the weekend, which I doubt considering their stories don't match.

On top of this the "blue room" she claimed a lamp burned out in was actually the front room not the teal back room. It was her moms room. Her mom has an old lamp with an incandescent bulb and multiple other devices including a cpap machine plugged into the same power strip, an old power strip. I also found it suspicious that when I turned the lamp on it worked. I asked her if she replaced the bulb she said she doesn't know. I asked her how that could be, she told me the bulb burned out, yet now it is working. How would you not know that it was not changed. If what you said was true, clearly it would have been replaced. To top it off, the bulb was old and dusty and not a new bulb...
Moreover she told me via text it was the front right element that alone when turned on caused multiple lights to burn out in the house. She also claimed their router and TV in the bedroom in the very back of the house shut off when it happened. Mind you, I explained to them they are on different circuits than the kitchen, and they even admitted the breaker never tripped. I explained to them their story seems extremely suspicious to me, almost like scammers, as their story changes, they miss details and they waited a week to contact me. The most interesting thing is all the bulbs in the kitchen are the same bulbs I had put in and they said none of those bulbs burned out during the "surge". Originally their story was the multiple bulbs in the house burned out, but it later changed to just the lamp in her moms bedroom, after I pointed out that all the bulbs in the house are still the ones I put in...

Somehow her moms lamp in the other room burned out from a single stove element being on?? I turned on all the stove elements, four of them, and the oven, as well as the dryer on high heat. With all of them running at the same time and most of the lights in the house on, nothing burned out, not a single abnormality, no "surges". I explained this all to them, after running the appliances for about an hour, and explained that I don't understand how their story is even plausible, it's not only technically impossible due to the different circuits the other areas that "issues" occurred in, but they said themselves the breaker never tripped. The "surge" burned out multiple lights allegedly but then that changed to one, but they can't remember if they changed the bulb even though the lamp is now working...and the lamp is on a different circuit than the kitchen and all the kitchen lights were fine....


 On top of that, during my more than an hour at the house, I observed zero electrical issues, running ALL stove tops and the oven as well as the dryer and multiple lights at the same time. The only thing I did see in her moms room was approximately 4 appliances including the lamp in question with an old incandescent bulb plugged into a single old power strip, along with a cpap machine, everything in the house including their TV, lamp and router appeared to be working fine even while running all the stove tops and oven and dryer. The lady couldn't even correctly identify and incandescent vs LED vs fluorescent bulb...

These people are really starting to sound like scammers who are setting me up for something....

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  • San Antonio, TX · Member since 2019 · 930 posts · 836 votes
    6y
    Are they on a month to month lease?
  • Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Kris L.:
    Are they on a month to month lease?

     Yes, they are.

  • Real Estate Agent · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2020 · 41 posts · 41 votes
    6y

    I don't understand what it is you are asking.  You supplied a background story but what is the problem?  Okay, the facts of their story keeps changing, so what - what do you think they are trying to "scam"?  Do they want you to replace the supposed burn out light bulb? 

    Based on your posting, I really don't know what your tenants could be "setting you up for".  Not all individuals think or perceive situations alike. Maybe they have no understanding of electrical, they turned on a stove top burner and by coincidence the mother's light went out, so they concluded there is a connection.  As landlords we need to remove the emotions from the situation and look at the facts.  The facts will help you find to the cause so the problem can be resolved, if there is one.

    I'm not an electrician, and I assume you're not either - since you didn't mention it. Most states have building codes where several appliances are on their own circuit, the stove being one of them. Typically, the refrigerator, stove, above stove microwave, dishwasher, HVAC, and water heater are on independent circuits, to name a few. Of course, depending on your home's age, it could fall under an older code. If the problem persists I suggest you speak with a electrician or have one look at the issue. You may be surprised to learn there is a connection and save your investment from a potential devastating faulty electrical issues. 

    At the end of the day, the tenants may just have a misunderstanding and are fearful as a result. If you are abiding by your state's tenant-landlord laws and documenting everything, your mind should be at ease even if they are trying to set you up.  If you find yourself always assuming your tenants are "scammers", you'll only cause yourself undo stress and headaches.  If your cash flow can afford it, you may want to consider hiring a professional property manager.  Their small cost can be very valuable to both protecting your investment and improve your quality of life.

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