All Forum Posts by: Ash Townsend

@Dawn Boehmer I appreciate the suggestion. And yes, one never knows if a new tenant will be better or worse. Fortunately for me, the other tenants I evicted in April were replaced with an awesome couple who pay their rent on time! :)

@Anne 

@Anne Smith California has very strong tenant laws making it difficult to evict tenants. Plus, legal evictions are expensive so I want to proceed as economically as possible. If I increase the rent by 10% starting November 1, it basically gives them 70+ days to decide whether to stay or to move out. The way I see it, the right move is for them to give notice and move out by October 31. If they decide to stay, then they must pay the rent on time or face eviction. In the end, their irresponsibility will cost them much more than it will ever cost me.

@Dave Nixon thanks for the reply. The tenants have paid the rent on time twice in sixteen months. This was partly due because I enabled them to do so. Respect is a two-way street: they took advantage of my kindness; they made empty promises. I'm done. No more favors.

It comes down to priorities; either you want a roof over your head, or you don't. Most people make the rent/mortgage payment their #1 priority (over partying, car payments, etc.) because being homeless really sucks. Not a single one of our creditors could give a damn about our personal situation. It's the agreement you sign and the promise to fulfill the said agreement that matters the most.

@Ray Johnson thanks for your reply. I am the owner of the property. The lease went to month-to-month in May 2018, one year after the tenants signed the one-year lease agreement and moved in. They paid the first month's rent, plus a security deposit which is saved in my business checking account which they will get back as long as the apartment is left in serviceable condition. In California cities without a rent control ordinance, the rent can legally be increased to any amount once the lease has expired and continues on a month-to-month basis. A ten-percent or more rent increase is legal, as long as the tenant is notified, in writing, at least sixty days in advance. These days, most landlords in California use some type of online screening service. As for future landlords, they should sign up with Transunion Smartmove. After I had to evict another tenant back in February for destroying my other rental unit, I made a point to use T.S. to screen all candidates. No more verbal verifications, no more lies. f they have a prior eviction(s), or their income is too low to support pay the rent, then sorry, their application will be declined.

Hello,

One of my tenants has paid the rent late seven out of eight months (including the rent for August) this year. Typically, they pay less than half to half the rent around the 8th or 9th of the month (which is already late), then the remaining rent plus a late fee between the 18-22 of each month. I told them numerous times, both verbally and in writing, that the rent must be paid on time every month, yet they continue to break the terms of the payment terms per the rental contract. This morning, I verbally notified them that I will serve them a 3-day pay rent or quit notice if they pay late again. However, it would be easier if they moved out on their own, which will not happen at the current rental rate. My rental property is in Sacramento County, which currently has no rent control. I read online that a rent increase of 10% or more requires a 60-day written notice. Do you think Increasing the rent by 10% with 60 days to decide whether or not to pay the higher rent or move out by October 31 is a good plan? This is not about raising the rent; if they paid on time like my other tenants, there would be no problem.

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Thanks,

Ash