First time owner, tenants not cooperating

[Diana K.]

I just closed on my first rental last week. It is in another state (Detroit), is tenant occupied, and needs many repairs (new roof, electrical work and plumbing to name a few). I spoke with one of the tenants today and she does not want to pay rent until the issues are fixed; she said she wants to look into putting rent into an escrow account to be held until the repairs are made. This is because the previous owner apparently made promises that weren’t kept. It could be months before I can get all the repairs done. Should I go along with this escrow plan or get a lawyer or try something else?? Any advice will be much appreciated. The second tenant appears to be following the lead of the first.