All Forum Posts by: Armando Morales

@Dennis M. Middle class neighborhood. Good area. Standard repairs and clean up. No major renovations as of yet. 

I've generally waited until current tenant moves out before advertising and move quickly to make any necessary repairs and painting so that I don't lose out on an entire months rent. It's worked out so far since I've been able to find qualifies tenants rather quickly but I'm working at breakneck speeds to complete everything super fast and get someone in. I know that there have to be some savvy operators out there who have some kind of system worked out to expedite the process in between tenants. Any tips, suggestions, and advice would be greatly appreciated. 

@Account Closed You bring up some valid points. And I feel there are repairs that certainly need to be made but I can also be careful not to overextend myself with unnecessary fixes. Thanks for your input. 

@Thomas S. I'm glad I asked because the consensus seems to be to keep the tenant in place. Thanks for your input. Greatly appreciated. 

@Theresa Harris It does has only one bathroom and I would think she'd be open to the idea of a very short temporary in the name of long neglected repairs.

The apartment is entirely outdated so the new rents would reflect updated conditions. It is possible to scale down my initial plans for renovations and make due with repairs and possibly some painting. While I don't have a fixed number for the total cost of upgrades I'd agree with you that it certainly wouldn't be a short term gain. Great insight. Thank you. 

@Matthew Paul This is actually very much along my line of thinking. Some repairs are necessary but going overboard isn't. Excellent. Thanks. 

@Ilidio Cardoso Very valid point. Moving is an expense and hassle. I still need to make those repairs but you've given me confidence to go through with my initial plan. I appreciate you responding. Thanks. 

@Marc Winter You make an excellent point on the distinction between repairs and upgrades as well as the time necessary to make them. I may be able to pull this off without the lose of the months rent. Thanks for your input. 

I have a house I purchased with a tenant who hasn’t had much of a rent increase in the past 10 years. Nor has there been much in the way of upkeep or renovations in her apartment so it's outdated. Her current rent is at about $125-$150 below the average local market rate. Clearly I want to correct this.

Some major cleaning, painting, repairs, and renovations are necessary in order to make the apartment competitive. The tenant has no lease so I know that I can ask her to move and that would be my solution. Except that I’m toying with the idea of asking her to stay. She’s quiet (at bit messy with cats but nothing out of control), pays her rent on time, and if she were to look for another apartment to rent in the area I don’t see how she would find one that is priced better and comparable to what I offer once I make all the necessary changes.

My options (as I see them) are to start over with a new tenant. Meaning complete cleaning and painting in addition to the repairs and renovations. 

Or keep new tenant and offer to upgrade appliances, make necessary repairs, replace windows, and some painting. SOME. 

The trick is that I would need her to move out for a certain period of time (perhaps as much as a week) before I begin work. The bathroom floor repair and window replacement alone means she won't have access to the bathroom and her cats would be in the way. 

I’m trying to think up of creative solutions to work around this.

I always prefer to keep a good tenant if at all possible.

Any ideas?

Here's a new kind of question - maybe. I want to ask a tenant to vacate an apartment because I want to move into it. She's been a good tenant. Pays her rent on time but slightly dirty. She's been in the apartment for about 10 years now. Long before I bought the place. Her rent is below market. The last agreement/contract she signed was when she moved in 10 years ago. I never had her renew a lease. This isn't so much about how do I get her out - I know what to say when the time comes - I'm more interested in knowing if there are any legal type issues I should be looking out for. Since it's a month to month deal at this point can I easily ask her to move out? Thanks.