All Forum Posts by: Alicia Calderon

Thank you all for your incite. I appreciate it!

I did have the talk with my tenant and felt more prepared for the conversation. Luckily, the tenant understood since her daughter was not on the lease and I did have that clause in my least about guests not staying longer than 2 weeks. Now her daughter isn’t on the property and is getting treatment.

@Percy Matsunaga

Hi Percy, thank you for responding. I did have a talk with the tenant and luckily everything worked out. She definitely understood and knew she needed to get her daughter help first and foremost. Now her daughter is not at the property and is getting treatment. So it’s really good all the way around.

As for duplexes, this is my first. I’m glad I did a duplex first and live in one side to get more comfortable with dealing with tenant issues that could arise. We have separate gas and electric but I pay for water. Its not bad at all. I was looking into getting a separate water meter to split that but the expense of doing that didn’t make sense at the moment. I’m still figuring a lot out myself.

I have a situation I have been trying to research to make sure that I am doing everything correctly, since this is my first rental property and I am brand new. I own a duplex and live in one side and rent out the other side to a tenant who has been fantastic thus far. However, recently her daughter who is over 18 came to "visit" and has only been there since this past weekend. First, her daughter was arrested for a fight with her mother (my tenant) the other day. Second, I found out that her daughter is a recovering addict whose sectioning was denied. Third, the tenant stated to me last night she apologized her daughter getting home last as she suspected that her daughter was no sober and stayed away. This has all been less than a week. 

I do have a clause on my lease about guests and all people living there need to be on the lease. I am worried about fair housing laws. I know they cover current illegal drug use and that technically she isn't a tenant as she is not on the lease. I want to make sure I am not missing any potential legal issue that could arise if I bring up needing to go through the step of adding her to the lease or not renewing my tenants lease (it is month to month now). I am documenting everything that is happening. It is just my first one, so I've been stressed about it for sure. If there is any advice, I would gladly accept it. 

@John Teachout thank you so much for that information. That’s exactly what I am asking. I know getting a whole new water line/ sewer can be close to ten grand.

Now I’m your experience is it worth the hassle? Or do I just use water bill increases as a reason to raise rent every so often and the tenants will be more understanding?

@Brian Ellwood I’ve heard that a sub meter inside the duplex can be around a grand or so with installation, but getting a whole new water line from the city can cost 10 grand.

If I sub meter my existing line, than once I move out of the side I’m currently living in I will not have easy access to see it each month. Thinking it’s a bit of a hassle but water here roughly is $50 for both sides per month. And this I based on one quarterly bill cycle so far since I just moved in December 20th.

@Mike McCarthy

Thank you! Makes sense the way you brake it down. I appreciate your guidance!

Hello everyone!!

I have just bought a duplex, renting one unit to a family and occupying the other. In the process of fixing up minor projects around the house to eventually have both sides rented.

I’ve received the first quarterly water/sewer bill in the mail and not the biggest fan of paying for everyone’s water. Electric and heat are all separate. This is very common for western Massachusetts where the landlord pays the water bill.

Is it worth it for me to sub-meter? Will I lose interested potential renters? Is this ultimately worth doing or do I just adjust the rent to cover the average water bill cost?

Thank you so much in advanced for your help and input! So excited to continue to grow in knowledge and doors!

Stay healthy everyone!

Alicia