All Forum Posts by: Corinne Johnson

 Thank you for that explanation - it was very helpful! I'll definitely keep this in mind for the future.

 I'm glad it worked out for you! Did you witness the noise violations yourself, or did your tenants provide documentation? I have only watched my tenant's (complainant) videos of the noise they've been experiencing, but I haven't heard/seen it for myself technically, which makes me a bit more hesitant. Is there any other sort of documentation that might help besides other neighbors corroborating? The police & animal control are very little help because of a lack of resources... always good to see my tax dollars at work!

 I did independently verify the health provider and their letter met the requirements, so I didn't do a PetScreening. It doesn't seem to be fake/bought. Does PetScreening offer anything besides what I did, which was call to verify them & their license?

I didn't meet the dog before. I wasn't sure what grounds I had to do it since I had the letter which seemed to check out. I couldn't find anything within FHA regulations regarding this. It might be a moot point because it's not violent or aggressive from what I've seen.

I've been ardently searching for relevant case law or news of enforcement (fines, etc), but so far no luck! 

 Hi Theresa, based on everything I've observed with the way they live with their dog, I think you're absolutely right. The only problem is, they seem to be very lazy and inconsistent (just irresponsible all around) - in the past when I've had to send them warnings (short of an actual 3-day notice), they do mitigate the most important issues but only half-assed and temporarily. 

My only experience is with non-payment of rent, and to me that's very cut and dry. No wiggle room. But when it comes to noise clauses, do you prefer to start with a 3-day notice? And if they at first comply, only to fall back into old habits, do you usually give them another 3-day notice (assuming they're not doing anything egregious or disrespectful)? 

 This is also great advice. Thank you, Russell. I don't have much experience with animals so a walking service wasn't on my radar at all. 

 Thanks Greg, that sounds like good advice! They are definitely that type - their excuses are always poorly-reasoned, convenient, and kind of dismissive to be honest. It's always draining talking to them, but I'm trying not to let it get to me. 

Do you think 3 days is too aggressive for a noise issue? How many days did you give your tenants? And what's worrying me most is: what kind of pushback did you receive? Did one notice do the trick? 

Hello, 

I have a two-unit SFH (first floor unit & second floor unit which share a main entrance but have separate private entrances once inside the house), located in California (I know...). This is my only property.

The upstairs tenant has an ESA that is left home alone for several hours at a time during the day. Its barking is on and off, but almost every day there are easily blocks of 30-45 minutes when it's barking pretty much non-stop. It's a really high-energy dog and I don't think they take it out often enough, so they play indoors a lot. The downstairs tenant has sent me videos of the noise, and it seems excessively loud and obnoxious. I know it's not as bad as some of the other stories I've read (like barking all night), but am I crazy in thinking that is clearly a violation of standard noise clauses by any reasonable measure? 

Noise travels easily in this house, and the first floor tenants have been complaining every day. I think they're justified, and I'm committed to helping them because this seems unfair, but I've never had to enforce the lease except for non-payment of rent. And this is my first time renting to a tenant with an ESA. 

Has anyone been in a similar situation before? Could you please share your experiences, tips, things to look out for? Thank you so much. I've been losing sleep over this!