All Forum Posts by: Bryan F.

As others mentioned, don’t replace something that isn’t warn out. If the carpet is new (and you can prove it) and they trash it in 2 years of renting, charge them for the damage on move out. Tenants will always find a way to destroy your flooring no matter what you put down. Cross the replacement bridge and who pays for it when it’s required, not before.

I'd given them written notice based on the rules for your area to get the process started (whether that's 30 days or some other number), and then tell them you'd be willing to work with them on the official move out date (within reason) if they need a bit more time to find a place so long as they are current on rent.

You’re paying for this. Welcome to landlording. It won’t be your last clean out if you are successful enough to do this for a while. Find a small local shop (i.e. not roto-rooter) that does main line cleanings on the cheap for the next go round. Get a laminated instructions sheet with images that says what you can and can’t flush and tape it to the inside door of the bathroom vanity and include another copy in their move-in welcome packet.

Is this the type of tenant you’d expect in the area your property is located? If no, give them notice, recoup what you can from their deposit, fix the unit, and start fresh with a new tenant. If it this is a fairly typical tenant for the area, maybe switch to weekly or bi-weekly payments on a new MTM lease and charge a pet fee.

Doesn’t help now, but most utility providers will have a landlord account option that you can set up for your property. Instead of disconnecting the service when the tenant moves out and stops service, it transfers the utilities back to you without service interruption. I’d recommend setting this up now regardless if your next PM has managing utilities as part of their contract or not.

You’ve done your part. Peek winter rates on an all electric 1,100sq/ft unit in the Midwest probably isn’t going to get much cheaper. You can remind them that they are also not paying the $50/month connection charge for gas for the 6 months of spring and summer they aren’t using their heat by having a fully electric unit.

Why not try to raise the existing tenants closer to market rent first and defer the costs of renovating for another year or more if they agree?

Call me crazy, but I’d prefer my tenants let me know when a toilet is leaking, sewage is backing up in the basement, or the furnace went out when it’s 0 out. You know who’s likely to make a suboptimal decision on what to do about a property repair? Probably someone who’s never owned a house before.

You might want to just start with hiring a good local PM and have them take over management from here. It sounds like getting a crash course in screening and placing tenants, managing rent collections, and getting rid a problems could prove to be a costly education for you. If they haven’t trashed the place and are pretty much current on rent, you aren’t out much yet. “Yet” being the key word there. A good PM will navigate the local rules of getting them out legally if that’s what needs to be done, or whip them into shape, all without you needing to pay a for attorneys and taking the headache out of your hands. Might save you some $$ in the long run.

Hire a debt collector who will take 30-40% of collected funds. You might not be able to collect now, but you certainly could over the next 20+ years if you get extensions on your judgements. You can also get a lien on any assets they do have like a car. Next time they try to go trade it in or sell it, you are the first to get paid.