All Forum Posts by: Brian Maxwell

To be quite blunt you look like the bad guy if you evict especially peaking. I would make installment, like most compassionate people are doing.it  sound like they’re not that far behind and are try too do whatever they can. There are  large number of people outrages  at your actions and creeping by.

 You have let money blind you and to be such a young man And newborn who reqruiws things .compaasiom umderstanind, and helping your neighbors. Your business won’t last 3 years. He to the advice of elders.

I’m curious how you’re able to have people deposit into a bank account since most of the large ones are now putting policies into effect that ban anyone other than the account holder to deposit by cash, check, mo, or cc. I’m not including Zelle, Venmo etc in this scenario as they don’t apply.

It’s a different ballgame down South. M2M contracts are typically for those here on long-term business, fully furnished and paid by company. Or, I’ve seen very low income offer this and it is a legal nightmare. NY is a beast all in it’s own rights. If this is a house rather than in units, it will most likely be in the Suburbs and not in a market where M2M would be prudent. Based off rental rates where he says he lives (if the rental is in the same general area) the tenant(s) by my guess appear to be 1-2 months behind, less the amount just sent. It’s more complicated to evict at this stage than to do partials. Courts don’t want a homeless situation that no one is equipped to handle. At my monthly Realtor meeting, the average tenant is 3-4 months behind not including June. All are waiving late fees for April, May and June. We see Feb and March as people still being employeed, businesses open and schools in session. Approximately 75-80% are giving a free month, or discounts. The lady above talked about kindness and I agree. I’m giving until July 15 to catch up for families with children.

We don’t use social media to screen anyone. It’s a well-known fact that people always make themselves look better, more accomplished than reality. Go on the facts.

White vinegar applied to animal urine, smoke etc will initially blow you away. However, apply heavily, use a few fans and in a few days you won’t smell either. My Grandmother taught us this trick years ago.

This really depends on your demographics. We don’t accept Venmo, or PayPal. My understanding is that PayPal owns Venmo. With long-term tenants I accept based upon an initial agreement that can change based on prior authorization after 6 months. Again, assess your demographics. People 60+ are insistent upon using checks, while 40 and below always ask about Zelle, or online payments and most don’t even have checks.

I’ve seen this trend before. We’re about to enter a housing crisis and the rental market is going to suffer greatly. Most educated people know they can buy and get a lower mortgage rate than renting. The rental marketing has been at full capacity for quite awhile, but with SAH orders, layoffs, food shortages etc, the rental market will most definitely drop considerably. If you got tenants locked in try to keep them. People aren’t looking right now and you’ll lose money. If they’re behind, work with them. Waive a month and late fees. Don’t evict unless absolutely necessary if you’re even able to do so. Your kindness now will benefit later when we crash. This isn’t my first rodeo and unfortunately this is growing worse by the day. Get in the trenches with them. I have clients still waiting on stimulus money and on a lay-off so I’m taking partial payments and working with them. My response rate has been around 96% because they feel safe and that we care. We absolutely care about this. These are unknown times. 

A fresh coat of paint always improves the property and often is what puts you over the edge. Lots of great advice above, especially where cleaning is concerned. We always exterminate once a quarter. It’s a pain, but extends the longevity of your property and prospective tenants have always had positive feedback about this.

You would be best served consulting a landlord-tenant lawyer. 

Not the time to evict during a Pandemic and protests. The housing market is on the verge of failing and you’ll no doubt be forced to lower your rental rate quite a bit and have problems getting tenants. I would work out a plan, especially if it’s a family w/kids and trying. You mentioned 3,400 and they paid some. 1,500 is fair to pay immediately (not knowing rate). Courts are going to ask you to work with them as most landlord and management companies are already doing right now. Most are doing partial payments. Judges tend to remember landlords and if they’re attempting to pay, your credibility is at risk.Returning rent money is in poor taste. If you’re growing a business, kindness will get you farther presently. If this were any other time, or situation, I would offer different advice. Our rentals have plummeted. People aren’t looking right now. Do the right thing during this unstable time. You’ll get farther.