I spoke to the landlord last year because the house was empty and I was considering buying it. He wanted about twice what the house was worth. Since the house was empty and there was no "for rent" sign on it I decided to wait. I think the guy's game is that he gets tenants who are poor and ignorant and want to fix up the house for a lower rent. When they get behind on rent because they're spending their money on drywall he evicts them. Thanks to DeeperPockets.com I now know more about the rental business and am more confident in my ability to turn the house around and protect my investment in my house. When the young guy renting the house had a minor difference with his girlfriend he threatened to slit her throat. He was probably just running his mouth, but I'm concerned that if I speak to the landlord or report the situation to the authorities there might be trouble. I haven't seen any evidence that he is really working on the house.