All Forum Posts by: Amie D.

How long does your property manager take to complete inspections and repairs after a tenant has moved out? 

Yes at this point I’m going to call the new property manager and see if he can obtain the deposit and take over the cleaning and repairs. This has gotten out of hand. 

Is this a service dog or an emotional support animal? Either case, there should be a doctor or registered authority that you can contact to verify the dog has been trained as a service animal or the doctor has registered this animal as an emotional support animal. People buy fake certificates on amazon.com and other places. Valid certificates should have the authorizing agency or doctor for you to contact to verify authenticity. Note, you can’t ask the nature of their disability but you can verify authenticity. 

@Lynn McGeein I felt they were charging too much as well. In fact recently when I was considering hiring a new property manager I came across reviews for my current property manager online. They were very negative and from former tenants that felt the mangers overcharged them and took their deposit for things like cleaning. I wasn’t sure if it was just disgruntled tenants however it was on google reviews and there were 20 reviews - I think all negative except one or two (1.8 / 5). These reviews weren’t there when I hired them five years ago (they took over management and I didn’t turnover the property with them before). Now I feel I may be seeing it in action.

Like you I felt I may have to go there. I’m across the country involved in other projects as well but can’t have a vacant property and be getting ripped off. They hold the tenant’s deposit and there are specific laws that have backed me away from asking for them to give it to me and taking that process over. But perhaps they can transfer the security deposit to the new property manager and we can do it that way. 

This is really the worst time for this to happen. The new PM sounds good - was referred to me by another property owner and his references and policies seem in line - but so did this one originally - gah!

@Rachel H. Thank you for those links and information! Very helpful.  It has become a problem, and I wasn’t aware of where I could file a complaint. 

 @Jerry W., thanks for your input, the PM company likes to do the work themselves but I’ve felt they charge on the high side for things compared to my other property manager. It is one reason I’m changing (the other reason is that it can take them a week to get back to me if they do at all).

I actually have another property manager ready to go, but the new PM and I decided it was best to let the current property managers handle move out since they did the move in inspection with the prior tenants and were holding their deposit. 

The current PM didn’t even send someone to do the move out inspection until over a week after the tenants moved out. The neighbors were even concerned as to why the place had gone vacant and nothing was going on, and were calling me. I called and twice and emailed over three days, and finally they got back to me and said the tenants had not returned the keys to them and that’s why it took so long. Again at no penalty to the tenants. 

The property managers seem to have charged the current tenants with leaving debris on the property and cleaning the house to almost their total security deposit. The other charges are now going to be billed to me. I’m suspicious to be honest.

I’ve called for other bids, but while I do this the house sits vacant. The current pm also said it would be until “next week sometime” just to get someone to the property to clear the items left by the previous tenant.  This is frustrating as I’m across the country trying to look at other investments, while they seem to drag their feet. 

Thanks Scott this is what I thought. I am suspicious because it seems the current PM is charging them most of their security deposit for removing the trash on the property as well as cleaning the house ($698 of $750).  What is in excess of that it seems they are charging me, stating it is wear and tear. I’m wondering if they figure it’s easier to get me to pay for it than take the prior tenants to court. 

Fiver-year SFR tenants moved out. Refused showings, which made me suspect they had something to hide (addressed in a previous post.)

Property managers now want to charge me $1886 to repaint the interior of the 764 sq foot house with one coat of paint. The house was professionally painted with a high-quality antique white paint before these tenants moved in. Now however, the walls have white wall patch all over from the tenants attempting to patch holes that they made. 

The property managers said they wouldn’t charge the tenants for this because they said the house would need to be repainted anyway. HOWEVER, upon reviewing the photos, I noticed the tenants also - without approval - painted much of the house various colors (blue, orange, etc).

The property managers seem to ignore the fact that the tenant had broken the lease by refusing showings, and now that they had painted the property without permission. The tenants had asked to paint and were informed in writing they could not. 

The property managers also want to charge $1200 to lightly sand and apply two coats of poly to the about 250 sq ft of hardwood floors. The floors have black stains on them as well as water stains. They had been freshly restored/refinished with no stains before the tenants moved in.  

I get there is maintenance that needs to be done when a tenant moves out; but it seems like this property manager cares little for what the tenant actually did?!? 

Or would you just let it go In the name of “normal maintenance”? Thanks! 

 Wow. I would give this an extra like if I could. Wish your management company was in the area of this rental, ha! I am going to keep this knowledge in my back pocket for now as I am not local to the property and the current PM company seems to represent that they are unable to take further action, and it is at an inopportune time for myself as I am just about to head across the country. I'm going to interview a new PM shortly and see what actions they take in this type of situation. Thanks! 

 Hi Micheal, at the point that I have to call the tenants myself IS when I hire a new property manager. The more I have to do the more I feel they are not doing the job for which I am paying them. Your suggestion makes sense, but I have found out they were hiding an unauthorized pet as well as having repairs they didn't previously disclose, so it really was more than "stress". 

I actually had a tenant in one of my other properties move out after 8 years and it looked identical to when they moved in! I recall their previous reference had said the same about them. Was sad to have them leave! But I think their deposit will be taken up for repairs - repaint of perhaps some unapproved colors - from what I suspect. 

Your offer is so great, thanks! But the house is in N. KY very near Cincinnati. I have some friends out there that have offered as well, but I have a message out with the property manager to see what their plan is first. I am confused as to why they seem to be disorganized in contacting me back and have also attempted to clarify who is my direct contact on this property since different people seem to be taking care of different aspects. And yes I feel their maintenance costs are high, so I have some outside contractors also ready to go give me additional bids if they are very high on something, as they historically have been. 

Wow all, first of all, THANKS for the great responses!  

@Aaron Linden there is a clause in the lease that allows us to show the property with notice etc, but according to the property managers they cannot (or won't) hold the deposit for this and can only give 30-days notice, which is longer than their move out date. I am going to see how long it takes to rent the property, and may take your advice. Finding it ridiculous and the inaction is strange. 

@Cara Lonsdale, I will look into a cure notice, but at this point it's the 16th and they are moving out on the 28th, so I'm not sure it would be able to be done that quickly, what the costs involved would be to make it worth it, and then by the time showings were to be set up again it may end up being when they move out anyway. I am glad I know about this for the future though! I have contacted the property managers to add an addendum to future  leases that charge the tenants a $75 fee for each showing that they block. I like the way that you worded it though because that would also cover other lease violations, for example I just found out that they have an unauthorized pet on the property, another violation of their lease. I may get a new PM because the current one seems to be too laissez faire for my taste.

@Account Closed, realizing this thread has gotten long, I have posted a few times that the lease, as well as state law, declares they must allow showings with proper notice as well as in a reasonable hour. 

@Adam Christopher Zaleski, frankly if it was me I'd want to do that too. Ha. I am interviewing another property manager today who was recommended to me. And another one of my rentals is close to a major university and tends to follow the academic calendar as well - yep I get it - if we waited for that one to be vacant before showing, we would be totally out of the rental loop. No one there to my knowledge does or would do that.

@Ben Visser, thanks - me either, but now we know!

@Amy Beth, great suggestion! I think I had asked about that before but they were going to charge me something high for going out. I may discuss with them again. I am interviewing another property manager today and I will ask that of him as well. I tend to stay in contact with the neighbors as well, and they are pretty good at keeping me in the loop but can't see inside. 

@Bradford Clark at this point I am writing it in future leases and making sure maintenance is ready to go from day 1. It's actually a month they are refusing showings but at least it's the shortest month of the year, haha. 

@Frank Chin interesting stories! If a tenant refuses showings they will be given a 30 day's notice immediately, and in the future fined for each time they refuse a showing in the meantime before they are out. No sense in keeping an uncooperative tenant and I can see why. 

@Ned J. thanks! The other way to look at it is if the prospective tenants are seeing it the month before move out and don't like the way it looks, they will most likely have found another place before it would have been vacated, fixed up and ready to be shown anyway. I tend to buy properties in good/up and coming areas but nothing so amazingly hot. 

@Brian Cardwell thanks! will update the post in the end!

@Lynn McGeein turns out the tenants were hiding things, which I figured was the case anyway.