All Forum Posts by: Elliot B.

@Henri Meli big congratulations on your successes and thanks for sharing! Commercial, value-add deals seem like a great way to go!

I'm currently considering an upgrade to my heating system. I have 2 old (30+ year) oil boilers servicing my 4-unit. I was ready to get some heat pumps (sick of fossil fuels) until I realized how many heads I would need to cover the sprawling layouts of my units and deliver heat to all of the bedrooms. This adds a lot of cost. Plus there's the worry about cold temps.

The next best route for me is natural gas. No deliveries to worry about, no leaky tanks in the basement, cheaper fuel (for now), and works with my existing radiators. There are some super efficient, (95%+ AFUE) wall hung, condensing, combi boilers that I'm going to use to split out utilities unit-by-unit. They are usually NG and propane compatible and I'm speculating that a lot of the maintenance/longevity issues can be sorted out by doing a proper installation with water filters to cut down on heat exchanger scaling, which seems to be on of the biggest complaints.

So I'm betting on the newer, more efficient technology but I also see the draw towards sticking proven oil boilers.

Hey @Kyle Gautreau,

Greetings from a fellow Biddeford investor.

I can't recommend a snow removal service at this time because I do my own but I'll let you know if I get a good connection. I think in general tenants are looking for the landlord to provide snow removal but every situation is different. Some tenants are used to removing snow themselves because they've lived at the property forever and take more ownership or some simply don't mind helping out. I'd just go with my gut feeling based on the level of expectations that my tenants have.

Feel free to reach out anytime.

Cheers

@Stacey C. Congratulations! I'm on a similar path - house hacking a 4-unit. Feel free to reach out anytime

Had a great time talking RE and Maine with everyone. Looking forward to the next one!

Looking forward to meeting more Maine investors

So in hind sight, I should have included language in my rent increase / new upcoming lease letter that explicitly stated that the prior lease will effectively terminate on the date the new lease takes effect?

I did include this language in my letter: "there will be a new lease from July 1 onward that all current tenants will be provided and be required to sign, unless they are not renewing their lease and intend to move." and also "If you will not be renewing your lease for July, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible and no later than June 1, 2018."

It seems like my course is action is to seek legal support, issue a proper 30 day termination notice, prepare for eviction but cross my fingers that it isn't necessary. The tenant has been civil so far (despite giving me no heads up) and is allegedly actively searching for a new apartment. Neither one of us wants to go to court.

I delivered a 45 day written notice of rent increase and notice of new lease back on 5/15. It's my understanding that I should have been given 30 days notice if they were going to terminate the lease (I was not). So not only is the rent increase valid but they also didn't give me any notice that they would be leaving. Both the old and new leases are month-to-month. I don't see any provision in the old lease for "hold over".

Does the tenant's verbal termination and failure to sign the new lease qualify as terminating the existing lease and start the 30 day clock for their move out? It was my impression that they would have to be out by the end of the month since they declined to sign the new lease.

I want to do this the right way and I would rather have a clean exit then fight them on the $200 I'm owed.

If I issue a 30 day notice now, is their last day 30 days from today?

@Ryan Murdock

@Ryan Murdock Have any recommendations for an attorney down my way?

Thanks for the help

Hey all,

I just had my first tenant inform me that they will be "moving on". They informed me on the day that their new lease was due to be signed and returned to me (7/1). Additionally, they paid me the old rent amount... $200 short of the new amount. I gave them 45 days notice of the new lease and rent increase (5/15). I believe that I legally should have been given 30 days notice of termination by 6/1. This is a month-to-month / at-will tenancy (these are the same thing, right?)

Now, I just spoke with the tenant again and was told that it might not be until September that they move out. When we first spoke about their intent to leave, it was clearly stated that they would be moving out at the end of the month. They made it clear that they had spoken with Pine Tree Legal (big tenant advocate) who allegedly had advised them to only pay me the old rent amount and not sign the new lease.

In summary:

- The tenant did not sign the new lease for July nor give me any indication that they would be leaving.

- They stiffed me $200 (the difference between the old and new rent).

- They claim that their verbal termination doesn't count and that they can stay until the end of September because I haven't received a written notice to terminate.

How should I handle this?

I would obviously like to get the $200 that I'm owed (Am I owed that since they didn't sign the lease but did have 45 day notice??)

But if push comes to shove, I'd rather forfeit the $200 and get them out at the end of the month as pain-free as possible.

What should I do?

- Immediate Intent to Terminate notice? (anyone have a template?)

- Immediate Eviction Notice? (template??)

- Late rent notice?

Any advice from the veteran landlords out there would be appreciated!

My current provider (Vermont Mutual) just increased my premium by 20%. Any recommendations out there for an owner-occupied 4 unit?

Thanks