Nightmare Landlord Stories

[Nicholas Helm]

What are some of your worst experiences as a landlord? So far, my experience has been great with only normal maintenance. I am in the process of purchasing my second rental and plan on doing a flip in early 2021 which will then fund the downpayment for my third rental property here in KC. I am interested in hearing your worst stories as I have heard many from local investors.

[Jim K.]

I generally don't like these posts because down where I am in C/C- class properties, most of my difficult experiences with tenants come from people who are undergoing genuine mental crises. They have unpredictable responses to chronic stress and long histories of poor choices. They especially can't manage to stably escalate and de-escalate in their responses to stimuli. I've run across precious few genuinely bad tenants who have managed to hurt me, and I put that down to extensive screening. What damage they do ultimately comes from what's wrong with them, and if I am being perfectly honest, what's wrong with me.

I grew up in exactly this kind of housing, in a family that spent a lot of time on food stamps. It leaves a mark.