All Forum Posts by: Shelley Hilton

Oh my heavens! At least these put my PM concerns in perspective. Wow.

This is a good point. This was probably a college roommate rental up until now, he could very well be done with spotty occupation and student hygiene.

@John:
What confuses me a bit is that by the time this deal fell apart, I had already been accepted. The meticulous and well-done updating that could be found throughout the house made all parties involved feel that the inspection would be the merest formality: keys on Friday and all that.

My sense of the owner situation is that he had a complete rewire planned for some years down the road, and is feeling mulish about having his hand forced. He isn't going to be told what to do, and he'll eat rent than do so. This is Montana, where a landlord's representative once famously said, "Some landlord-tenant issues can only be solved at the point of a rifle." However, my impressions are based on hearsay, so I am not sure.

The thing about Section 8 is that just as I am simply not permitted to be a bad tenant (as if I would!), I am also not permitted to be taken advantage of. The Housing Authority made it quite clear I could and should not pay for things out of pocket when I don't even have a lease, but that improvements to properties may be offset by an increase in rent.

All my family thinks I'm nuts to want to continue working with these people, but I truly love this house. The best advice the HA had for me was, "You know what it's going to be like trying to get maintenance done or anything else, but maybe as this property is so well-done it won't be an issue," which was sort of my square one position too.

@Steve:
I do not have a complaint per se, I am just hoping for a landlords-eye view of what policies are 'Well, that's life in the big city' versus 'Unethical and probably illegal, run now!', not necessarily just pertaining to this situation, but to be a better informed consumer.

@Rob:
I wish! But not at this time, and my voucher time window is rapidly closing. I was hoping to have this settled before I needed to register my daughter for Kindergarten. A little unnerving to be this close to the wire and not sure where your home school is even going to be.

Hello Everyone,

I am a HCV/Sec 8 renter on the threshold of leaving my (cherished) property manager of nearly ten years for a new home. Over the past decade, I have become accustomed to a high standard of landlord excellence; they are the acknowledged best in the region and we really loved working with each other.

My prospective PMs have a very different reputation, but they also have my house. In the process of attempting to close this deal, I have been made uncomfortable more than once: starting with this otherwise immaculate property failing inspection due to electrical code compliance.

While that was a bummer, it wasn't anything that $75 of GFCIs wouldn't handle. What was odd was that the owner flatly refused make the repair, and the PMs suggested I could take care of it out of pocket.

I have never had such a request made before. I wasn't opposed, but I wondered if it augured the start of a long adventure of unanswered maintenance calls, surly managers and assiduous documentation. I haven't ever had to do That before either; but I know in my town, more PMs have reputations like these people than my current landlords.

For this property, I think it might be worth it. But the problem with being crazy in love, is that Crazy is often a big part of it. I can't let emotion cloud my good judgement.

I've severely truncated my story, as I am more interested in listening than talking, so please what Landlord behaviors do you find to be deal-breakers, and what ones do you just shrug off?