All Forum Posts by: Freddy T.

I just bought a duplex about 2 weeks ago with tenants in one unit already living there. I realized that the tenants are heavy marijuana smokers and have permeated the smell to my other unit. I am having issues showing the apartment to potential tenants given how awful it smells of marijuana. Any suggestions from landlords who have had a similar problem? I don't know if I should tell the tenants to stop smoking (given that it is legal and technically they can smoke how they want and whatever they want). Should I just kick them out? The smell is really bad and im concerned that potential tenants would not want to move in. I would greatly appreciate any advice or help. Thanks. 

Hello all,

So I have a Duplex property in a rough part of town. Originally I rented out my top unit in 2020 (3 bedrooms and 1 Bath) for $775.00. I didn't go too high because the area isn't all that great so I thought it was a fair price. I just realized yesterday that single family homes with only 2 bedrooms in the area, these new companies are charging $1300.00 in the same area. Obviously everything is going up because of inflation so now I want to raise rent on my tenants to at least $1050.00, tenants who have been loyal these past 3 years paying their $775.00.

How should I approach this situation?  Thanks. 

Hi guys,

So I have a huge problem. Apparently mice have taken over my duplex property. There are mice in both units and colonies in the walls and vents and they are even chewing the walls. The bottom unit tenant is complaining and blaming me for the problem, telling me that "This isn't a good way to keep tenants," and that I should be "ashamed of myself."  

Before any tenants moved in, I had it inspected with a pest specialist and he told me it was clean of any kind of pests and saw nothing wrong with it, but won't know until humans actually start living there. 

The tenant did take with him a bunch of boxes that he kept in a storage unit for many years and has boxes everywhere in the apartment, his closet, the garage, kitchen, living room, the basement, everywhere. Boxes upon boxes upon boxes full of old stuff. I suspect that that is the problem, but he gets defensive when I tell him that. 

I bought him lots of mouse traps to set up everywhere in the house but he keeps nagging me everyday and wants me to magically have them disappear. Its in the middle of winter too with freezing temperatures everyday. 

Has anyone experience this? What should I do?

Hi guys, so I have a new situation at my duplex property.

As stated in the lease, the tenants are responsible for their own gas, electric, and internet and the landlord (which is me) pays the water, sewer and garbage. 

The problem is that just recently, the water bills have been coming outrageous for both units in the past few months, where the water bills every month for the unit are coming to approximately $150.00 a month for EACH unit which is a total of $300 a month for both units which is ridiculous. 

I am thinking of having the tenants pay for their own water after their lease is up. What is a good way to get around this situation?

How do you save for appliances that you are probably going to need down the road 20 years from now?

For example,

Furnaces last approximately 20 years if well maintained.

Air Conditioning units last 10-15 years

Asphalt roofs last 15-20 years

Water Heaters last 6-13 years

All of this isn't cheap. Do you deduct from rent each month and put into a savings account, if so how much?  I have a duplex and I need 2 of everything but Im looking long term here knowing that this is something I have to look forward to sadly.

Rockford, Illinois is where its at right now. Houses here are dirt cheap compared to the suburbs. Go on Zillow and look in the Rockford area and you are sure to find many cheap houses in that price range. Good luck. 

Thank you guys for all your advice. I recently told him that I will not pay for fixes or repairs of any kind and he emailed me saying that the place is "slummy" and that tenants will treat it the way it is "perceived". 

I agree that the happy clause will be a good course of action for this situation. Thanks. 

Im looking at real estate in my city and I want to buy a cheap house to rent ($30k to $55k) but sadly a lot of the houses in that price range are in some rough neighborhoods. Do you guys recommend investing in such places? Are tenants likely to go into bad neighborhoods? How are tenants like in these types of places?

Im a new landlord and a newbie. I recently have a new tenant who has been there for a month and wants a new fridge, wants me to add a new light switch to the bathroom to turn off fan exhaust to save money on electricity, wants me to buy new door alarms.

The fridge is functional and working, he is upset that the insides bend a little when he puts a lot of food in there. Its a little on the old side but it works fine. 

The fan exhaust in the bathroom turns on with the light at the same time and wants me to add a new light switch specifically for the fan exhaust to save on electricity and said "I'm not going to pay extra for that."

There are no door bells on the apartment and wants new door bells.

It feels like its never-ending. He also wants to get compensated for doing extra fixes around the house like changing the flapper from the toilet for example.

How do I fix this situation? It feels like its never-ending.