All Forum Posts by: Anne Smith

I am not an agent, but your ignorance to the situation doesnt mean you arent at fault. You smelled how bad the house was. You made assumptions without doing any due diligence. Geez, just reading some of the threads on here would have given you a heads up on how difficult (not impossible) it is to get pet odors out. You can't blame others for your lack of due diligence. Thats on you. Sounds like you will keep blaming everyone else for your problem, instead of taking some of the real information that people have been generous enough to give and using it to your advantage. Just because you dont know something doesnt make it someone else's fault. Its like if you went and bought a car with no tires, and tried to drive it off the lot, then blamed the salesman because the car wouldnt drive. "But I didnt know a car wouldnt move with out tires". Due diligence.

I was also going to make the point that, no matter how responsible the people are owning the female, once she's in heat, you'll have every neighborhood dog and stray coming around. And dont think they wont, because the renter will have to let them out to go potty. Its like ringing the dinner bell.

Did she sign a new lease? Is she on a month to month? If shes on a month to month, you could send her a notice for non renewal. Bet you'd hear from her then.

A couple of hens will have no more smell or mess or noise, if not less, than a dog would. Now if you're talking 20 hens, then smell might be an issue. But just a couple should be a non issue as long as they are zoned for it.

I would think you'd be better off not mentioning allowing animals or not, and have the question on your application "do you have any animals". Declare on the application that any questions answered untruthfully are cause for eviction or denial. Then if they put down No and show up with 3 pit bulls as ESA's you can deny/evict due to lying on the application.

At least I think you can do this, hopefully others will answer.

I think I have read that you can ask on an application how many animals a person has...not pets, animals. If they say none, and then show up with a ESA, couldnt that person be denied due to lying on their application? I agree with keeping your rental criteria high enough; I do think people trying to scam the system generally dont have the best credit scores, or rental histories.

I do hope something is done on a federal level to make the criteria for ESAs more critical. I dont see why some sort of formal training shouldnt be a part of licensing. Also, why do people need 4 (big) dogs as ESAs? Ive come across this more than once. 

Six months is a long time to be stuck with a tenant that goes bad. Id start out with month to month and give it 3 months. You should have a good idea what kind of tenant she will be in that time, then you can go to a 6 month lease if you want.

I think theres definitely more positives in keeping this tenant than not. He pays on time, looks out for things, no kids, been there for 6 years, takes care of the place. The problem with him is he's paying under market rent (whos fault is that?) and he's complaining to you about minor stuff (whos fault is that????) You have taught him that he can complain to you and that you will listen. I think 99% of the landlords on this site would take that tenant in a skinny minute.

I think you should raise your rent to market rate in increments, and if he leaves, he leaves. If he doesnt, he will continue to pay and take care of your place. Do not answer his calls anymore, let him leave voicemails. Then answer what you feel is important to be dealt with; you contact HIM, he doesnt contact you.

The devil you know....

I hope this isnt your tenant....

http://www.city-data.com/forum/renting/2231384-fussy-anxious-tenant.html

I am looking to adopt a couple of dogs. I have been checking the shelters in the surrounding counties for YEARS. They are full of pit bulls, probably 90% of all dogs in shelters now are pits. If pits were to mysteriously disappear from this earth, shelters would be out of business. No one wants them. Theres a reason for that.