All Forum Posts by: Carlos Lez

Quote from @Chris Seveney:

@Carlos Lez

Evacuation plan is a simple plan like you see on every hotel door. Your architect can create this for you.

For hot water heaters, is there a lock on the door to that room? If you had a locked door or no access to that area that would typically suffice.

There is no lock because the laundry machines are in the basement. It has a boxed entrance typical of old buildings with a latch on it. I can put a combination lock on it but wonder if that will satisfy his requirements?

he has also asked for each electrical panel to be labeled and also gas meters to be labeled. Where can I find the labels for gas meters that are resistant to the elements?

Hello colleagues,

The fire Marshall recently conducted a review of an 8 unit, 3 storied old building in Palo Alto, CA  that I manage.

He has specifically called out for several corrections. In particular I am seeking help for the following;

1) "Provide an evacuation plan (shall include Site address, floor plan//site map, escape route(s), meeting place
outside the home, emergency number 9-1-1). "

Could someone point me to some templates etc that I can use to sketch this and put up. Any details on the typical specification of these and where to put them up would be very helpful.

2) We have tank water heaters serving the units located in the basement of the building. He has asked;

"Provide protection around water heater or furnace to prevent children from making contact with these
appliances."

I am stumped on this one as to what devices etc would I have to meet this requirement/? Photo attached.

Thank you in advance for any help with this.

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

I'd simply reply and tell her that she's clearly not happy there and would be better off finding a new place to live.  Let her know she can get out of the lease without penalty, but she needs to decide if she's staying or going by the end of next week and let you know either way.  And she's still responsible for rent until she moves and needs to be out by Nov 30 at the latest.

My lease says that they lose their deposit if they break their lease.Do you recommend we keep the deposit or should I let it go? 

we certainly don’t want them to think that we are intimidated and are therefore letting them out of the lease lest they come after us for more.

any help in wording this the correct way will be much appreciated.

Quote from @Adam Bartomeo:

Whenever we have a tenant like this, we immediately give them the option to break the lease without penalty. Whether they are right or wrong about the mold they will not stop and will continue to give your grief. 

Adam, I do agree that it is prudent to get them out quick. I have asked her for photos if the areas where she alleges mold. It’s been 3 days and no response so far. 

Kevin,  Thank you so much for clarifying and sharing your experience. What a thorough and actionable reply. I will do the things exactly as you mentioned. I just hope it doesn't come up positive for any dangerous mold. She claims she did some mold test herself - but god alone knows if it is true.

She did complete a move-in sheet 2 months ago when she moved in and there was no mention of any mold or anything on it. She mostly marked everything as clean! 

Greg, your response and analogy to pollen is spot on. There are spores I the environment all around us. I am just not experienced enough to tell what typically happens if a professional mold company tests and finds mold unbeknownst to me. I can't see any mold anywhere in the house. I am just concerned what the limits of my liability if any would be. Ofcourse I cannot assure a sterile environment. There are 2 other individuals living there who have never complained of anything like this. But of course if something is found they may band together. 

I rent rooms in a house. I have been managing this one property where everything has been going well and housemates have been happy and even renewing their lease for the past couple of years with no complaints. Now, I have this one new tenant who has been complaining about small issues here and there that have been resolved within a day of two. Then she brought about an issue saying that the bathroom has black mold. We tested it was not black mold and there were light spots with the lack of using the ventilation. That was cleaned up. Now again I have received the following note;

"Thank you for taking care of the mold in the bathroom. I was having a lot of trouble with my P.O.T.S. Syndrome and my breathing and was concerned it was from the mold. I did a take home mold test and found more mold in the kitchen and the vent in the foyer. My mom is concerned and said she can hire a professional company to do more tests if necessary. Let me know what we can do about it."

There is no mold that I can see. However, I am willing to let this tenant go as this appears to be a nuisance. The girl is 18 years old and has a helicopter mom. I know I'll have a vacant place for quite sometime as it is difficult to find people to rent these rooms during this time of the year. 

I am just seeking your advice on how to handle this and not let them feel that I have buckled. I am not even sure if she wants to leave. I just don't understand where this is heading.

Thank you in advance for any advise in this matter.

Could someone comment on petscreening if it is legal (in California) to ask for a pet screening report for an alleged ESA? I was reading online on some reddit threads and it appears it has a bad rap. May setoff tenants on the the wrong foot. Specifically, what do I tell the applicant to do? Should I just say please provide a petscreening report along with completing the usual application and providing supporting document?

Nathan, Thanks for a detailed response. I clearly don't qualify for the exemption from accepting ESAs. I will look at the HUD guidelines.

Quote from @Thomas Talbert:

As I understand the ESA Laws in Texas if a pet is a qualified ESA then you can't treat it as a pet at all. You have to underwrite them as if they didn't have one. 

A lot of those letters are fake however and we double check their authenticity with Pet Screening. It is free of charge and will catch if the letter is fake or not. petscreening.com

 Does petscreening charge the applicant? What documentation do I need from the applicant to run petscreening? Thank you.