All Forum Posts by: Brian Teeter

You’re in a tricky spot, and you’re right to tread carefully. A few thoughts based on experience and general legal principles (though of course, check with a local attorney for specifics in your jurisdiction):

1. Joint and Several Liability Still Applies

As long as the lease is in effect and all three tenants signed as jointly and severally liable, you can still hold the MIA tenant liable for rent and damages—even if they’ve gone silent. Their absence doesn’t automatically remove their obligations under the lease unless you formally release them or a court orders it.

2. Local Statute: "Not Absent While Rent Is Paid"

Your citation makes sense—since rent is being paid in full (or was), you likely can’t take unilateral steps to remove the MIA tenant just because they're not physically present. The statute is protecting tenants from being presumed to have abandoned the unit when others are still covering rent. So unless rent goes unpaid, or they voluntarily surrender their rights, you probably can't treat them as “absent” in the legal sense.

3. Eviction Options

If the remaining tenants can’t keep up with rent, then your remedy would be to proceed with an eviction for non-payment(not for abandonment). Unfortunately, this still leaves all three tenants jointly liable—so if you end up in court, the judgment could apply to the MIA tenant too.

4. Security Deposit Logistics

You're absolutely right to consider liability around the return of the deposit. If your lease says the deposit must be returned jointly, then issuing the check in all names (including the MIA tenant) is generally the safest route for you as the landlord. If the other roommates can’t reach the MIA tenant, it may be worth suggesting they file a small claims action against them, or they could sign an agreement that indemnifies you for releasing the deposit to just the two of them. That said, without some written and signed agreement from all parties, your best legal protection is to make the check out to all original tenants.

5. Removing the MIA Tenant from the Lease

There’s typically no way to “revoke” someone’s rights under the lease unless:

• You enter into a mutual termination or amendment signed by all parties, including the MIA tenant (which seems impossible here),
• You pursue eviction, which includes them, or
• The lease term naturally expires and you write a new lease with only the remaining tenants.

Unfortunately, ghosting doesn’t equate to legal abandonment—especially if rent is paid.

Next steps you might consider:

• Keep detailed records of communication attempts with the MIA tenant.
• Consider a notice to cure/pay or quit if rent lapses.
• Talk with a landlord-tenant attorney about how to proceed with the security deposit—especially if the lease is ending soon.
• If it comes to eviction, name all three tenants in the action, even the MIA one.

Good luck—this situation is more common than it should be, and clear documentation is your best friend here.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Particularly if it's a B or C class rental area.  This tenant class tends to not be as picky and more willing to "live with it." On the other hand, if it's a A-class area, potential tenants may be more picky.  You might look for an opportunity to convert a hall closet etc to a 1/2 bath.  Or, in some cases I have converted small bedrooms to full baths.  Yes, you're losing a bedroom but gaining a bath.  With a 5 bedroom home, you may have one to spare.  For example: If it were a 3 bedroom, then I wouldn't advise sacrificing a bedroom.  

One question I always ask myself before I make a renovation/upgrade is: Will this upgrade bring me more rent? In other words, if I spend $10,000, am I going to be able to increase rents? 

Im in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bought my first home in 1997, duplex. Lived in one unit and rented the other side. Rental side almost covered my entire mortgage. I was hooked! Still own that same duplex today, plus many more. So I think you are on to something!

I always buy value add, distress property. What I have always had good success with is going to local bank and getting a construction loan. Sometimes they will offer 80% loan of projected ARV (after repair value). They will take your list of repairs and provide to appraiser. Appraiser will come up with the ARV. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the purchase price of the home, plus your repair estimate combined will come in below the 80% ARV and you can get into the home with no money down and interest only for 1 year etc. Make your repairs and then either sell or refi the home to a 30 year if you decide to keep as a rental.

Of course, thats a best case scenario with no money down and a lot of things have to line up, starting with making a good deal on the buy! BUT, even still, if it doesnt work out in that scenario,  you may get into it for less than 20% down.  

So start with a local bank. Ive also had success with credit unions. 

Just wanted to share a recent tool we've started using in our property management business—an AI platform called Vendaroo. We've mainly implemented it to handle incoming maintenance request calls from tenants.

Most of our tenants already use our online portal to submit maintenance issues. But as many of you probably experience, there are always a number who either forget about the portal or simply prefer to call. These calls can take up a lot of staff time, especially when it comes to triaging and documenting the issue properly.

So far, Vendaroo has been surprisingly effective. It answers the call, talks with the tenant, troubleshoots the problem, prioritizes the issue, and then creates a work order for our team to review. From there, we dispatch maintenance or the appropriate vendor.

While the system is capable of dispatching vendors automatically, we’ve decided to keep that step manual. We've learned that sometimes the AI doesn’t fully grasp the scope of a problem—or worse, it can be manipulated. We had one case where a tenant whose request had been previously denied just called in work order via Vendaroo and had it re-entered and dispatched. Since then, we’ve made human approval a required step before any dispatch.

One of the biggest perks is that it integrates with our property management software (AppFolio), logging calls and notes directly into the property file. Everything’s documented cleanly and automatically.

Overall, we’ve been really impressed. Our tenants have given great feedback, and it’s definitely freed up time for our staff.

Is anyone else using AI tools in their property management workflow? I'd love to hear what others are trying and what’s working (or not working) for you.

I recently stated using an AI platform called Vendaroo in my property management business.  We are using it mostly for maintenance request calls from tenants.  Most of our tenants use our tenant portal to request maintenance online. However, we have many that forget about the portal or simply dont want to go through the steps... They would rather call in the request.  These types of calls can take a lot of staff time to answer and triage.

So far, Vendaroo has worked well in answering the incoming call and speaking/communicating with the tenant.  Its actually is amazing how well it triages, trouble shoots the issue, deciphers and prioritizes the reported issue/issues. It creates a work order for us to approve and review. Then we dispatch our maintenance team or the  appropriate vendor.  It is designed to actually dispatch the vendor directly, but we prefer to approve to review and approve with human eyes. As we have learned that sometimes, it doesnt fully comprehend the extent of the issue. Or, worse, tenants have figured out that they can bypass us with Venbdaroo. For example, we had a tenant that we had verbally denied a maintenance request. The tenant then made a work order through Vendaroo.  The AI didnt know that we had already denied the request and thus dispatched Vendor.  SO, we have dialed back on the dispatching and leave that to human approval.  Finally, another great value is that is interacts with our PM software (Appfolio) and logs the call and maintenance notes to the property. So it's all documented fully.

Overall, the technology is amazing and helpful. We have had excellent feedback from our tenants on it as well.  

Plenty of great uses, even just with everyday business. Quick example: Yesterday I had a prospective property management client whose attorney made changes to our property management agreement.  The attorney did not redline changes, rather just added in new language and left it to me to figure out the differences.  I simply dropped both my master PMA copy and their amended copy into AI and asked it to compare both and provide summary of differences. 30 Seconds later, I had a full summary. Saved me a lot of time digging through

I agree with Colleen and David. Also, as an added measure, you might have a contractor go buy and give you their opinion on the steps. If they see any needed repairs and what they advise. If contractor finds nothing wrong, then thats worth documenting.  If on other hand, contractor finds an issue (you didnt see) then you know what you might be up against and can go ahead and plan that repair. That way you can demonstrate to a judge (etc) that you took action, did due diligence, etc. 

I offer below asking all the time.  There is not a general rule as to how much below will work. There are a lot of factors that come into play. For example, how motivated is the seller, is the home over priced to begin with. How long has the home been oil market and how many (if any) price drops.

Keep in your back pocket that, once under contract,  you plan to go back to seller and ask for a repair concession. I think it's money well spent to get a reputable home inspector to inspect and write a thorough report.  Then, take a contractor in and get an estimate.  Then, go back to the seller with the report and highlight the issues that concern you. Show them the report and the estimate.  I wont usually ask for the seller to concede the full amount of the estimate. But I often ask they concede 50%.  

Good luck!

 Hey Myka, we need to connect! Good feedback and I will look into the deep search option as well. I used: "What are the best investment markets for single family rentals"

I m really loving AI as a tool and find it helpful in business and research. This is a great starting point for investors looking for a market.  For example, researching my market, Little Rock, it says:

🏘️ Little Rock, AR – SFR Investment Market Overview

🔹 Market Snapshot

• Median Home Price: ~$190,000 (well below national average)
• Median Rent (3BR SFR): ~$1,200–$1,450
• Rent-to-Price Ratio: ~0.7%–0.9% (higher in some zip codes)
• Cap Rate Potential: ~6%–9% (depending on neighborhood & condition)
• Vacancy Rate: ~5%–6%, lower in workforce housing neighborhoods

📈 Why Investors Like Little Rock

1. Strong Rent Yields
   • Home prices are low relative to rent, ideal for cash flow-focused investors.
   • Many zip codes in Little Rock exceed the 1% rent rule.
2. Landlord-Friendly Laws
   • Arkansas ranks among the most landlord-friendly states.
   • Quick eviction process, low regulatory friction.
3. Diverse Economy
   • Major employers include healthcare systems, state government, logistics hubs (FedEx, Amazon), and aerospace.
   • Home to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
4. Stable Tenant Base
   • High percentage of renters (estimated ~42–45% in Pulaski County).
   • Strong demand in B-class and workforce neighborhoods.
5. Underserved by Institutional Investors
   • Less competition than Sunbelt cities like Dallas or Charlotte.
   • Room for growth and acquisition before prices inflate further.

I agree and find the above accurate! When I search: What are the best investment markets for single family rentals? Data lists:

The best U.S. markets for single-family rental (SFR) investments in 2025 typically share a few key traits:

• Strong population and job growth
• Affordable home prices relative to rent
• Landlord-friendly laws
• Stable or rising rent demand

Here’s a breakdown of top-performing SFR markets, grouped by strategy:

🔁 Best Cash Flow Markets (High Rent-to-Price Ratio)

These markets offer low acquisition prices with strong rental returns.

1. Cleveland, OH
   • Low prices, steady rent demand
   • Good for BRRRR or long-term holds
2. Birmingham, AL
   • Landlord-friendly, affordable, 1%+ rent yields
   • Strong rehab and turnkey ecosystem
3. Indianapolis, IN
   • Solid infrastructure and job growth
   • Consistent investor performance
4. Memphis, TN
   • High cash flow, robust PM networks
   • Institutional interest, steady tenant demand
5. St. Louis, MO
   • Undervalued neighborhoods
   • Good rent stability and section 8 options

📈 Best Appreciation + Growth Markets

These have seen rising home values and job migration, ideal for long-term upside.

1. Charlotte, NC
   • Rapid growth, banking/tech hub
   • Low vacancy and increasing rents
2. Tampa, FL
   • Strong in-migration, no income tax
   • Airbnb and long-term options
3. Phoenix, AZ
   • Massive growth during COVID migration
   • Tight inventory, rising rents
4. Nashville, TN
   • Booming job market and rising population
   • Still has mid-tier housing prices
5. Raleigh-Durham, NC
   • Tech corridor, research & education
   • High tenant quality and low delinquency

🧱 Emerging / Hybrid Markets

Good mix of appreciation, rent growth, and cash flow.

1. Little Rock, AR
   • Affordable SFR stock
   • Good rent yields, growing investor interest
2. Columbia, SC
   • Stable government employment base
   • High rent-to-value ratio
3. Huntsville, AL
   • Rocket/military economy
   • Excellent long-term growth and landlord laws
4. Kansas City, MO
   • Balanced market with investor tools
   • Job growth and diverse economy
5. Jacksonville, FL
   • Port city, military, healthcare hub
   • High SFR demand and tax benefits

🚨 Caution Zones (Often Overheated or Low ROI)

• Austin, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Seattle, WA
• New York City

These cities may have strong appreciation but generally low rental yields, high taxes, or tenant-unfriendly laws.

Anyone else using AI in their real estate business????  Any pro tips?