All Forum Posts by: Michael Jones

Have you checked the vent tube and lint filter area? The symptons you are describing sound like it has lint built up inside the back of the dryer or the vent tube going out to the outside is clogged.

Before I paid a service company I would pull the dryer out and disconnect the vent tube and run it on high heat. Within a minute you should feel warm air coming out of the tube at the back of the dryer. If so, that means the tube is clogged going to the exterior of the building and the dryer is working like it should. 

Dryers use heat and ventilation to dry clothes. The heat turns the water to vapor and the ventilation allows the vapor to escape from the clothes and drum. If the vent tube or dryer is clogged you will just end up with really warm wet clothes. 

When I used to use craigslist I would get a lot of professional renters with a lot of issues that could not meet my screening qualifications and they are very similar to yours. I switched to Facebook to list my units and I have had tremendous success. It may be the type of applicant coming from craigslist may not be able to meet your requirements and are going away quietly.

She signs the lease or she receives a non renewal 30 day letter if I am dealing with this issue.

You can purchase your first home using a first time home buyers loan with zero down. Instead of buying a traditional home, buy a four unit apartment building using your first time home buyers loan. Live in one unit and rent out the other three.

Auction!!!

In my state the 30 day notice is a lot easier than an eviction and we do not have to give a reason why. If your state is similar I would just issue him the 30 non renewal letter.

Is she on a yearly lease or has it moved to month to month? If month to month just issue her a 30 day letter of non renewal of the lease. 

Best thing about this is that you are now perfectly legal and will be rid of a bad tenant for good. It is never something we want to do, but she made the choice to be evicted this way, not you. 

If your numbers are so close that the water bill puts you under water (see what I did there?) then it sounds like the deal is too risky to start with.

As far as how to have the tenants pay for water.......there are many opinions and I am sure you will get several here.

I am of the mindset that it is not worth trying to manager the water bill by passing it along to the tenants in a multifamily property. I just figure out what the average water bill is per month per unit and simply raise the rent to off set the water bill. This eliminates me having to collect the rent and also collect the water bill divided by four from each tenant in a four unit building.

If you have dug a fox hole on the "tenant is gonna pay for their own water" then your best option would be to put water meters on the inlet water valve on each unit. Then you will have to visit each unit and calculate their portion of the water use and divide this into the total bill. Next you will have to send this bill out to each tenant and lets hope they comprehend and trust your math. I am getting tired already just explaining it. Just raise the rent :)

Having the local water company come out and dig new crocks and put water meters in for each individual unit will never ROI for you. It cost thousands to have this done on a four unit building.

Now, for someone in buildings such as a mobile home community where the after market meters can be put on and read from the exterior of each mobile home and there are enough units to make it worth the time this can be a good option.

But in a four unit or smaller multifamily apartment......did i mention just raising the rent?

I am a landlord and a dog lover. 

but when it comes to my investment, why take the chance. Put in a pet policy that will protect you as the landlord. Have an aggressive breed restriction and a size restriction. Male the size restriction small enough that it will eliminate large dogs.....say 15 inches to shoulder heights. 

Once you have a call or letter from an attorney because the nice rottweiler that you played with for 3 minutes during the screening process has chewed up little Johnny down stairs or more likely little Johnny's annoying cat, it will not matter how gentle you perceived this rottweiler to be. 

Protect yourself and do not deviate from the breed or size restriction.