All Forum Posts by: Gail K.

Toss the pillows and bed covers when your tenant moves out.  Would you like to sleep on a pillow that strangers have used before (lots of folks even bring their own pillows and bed covers to hotels while traveling).

All of the above items and inexpensive to purchase and replace.  Tenants who are moving out aren't going to worry about these.

So...you are asking if your tenants can legally steal your furniture just because you haven't added a "no stealing" clause to your lease?

Tenants can (and sometimes will) take anything they want at move out.  The "good" news is that they usually leave you enough junk in return that you don't notice your stuff is missing right off the bat.  Folks have reported light fixtures, sinks, ceiling fans, washers and dryers, refrigerators and stoves, microwaves, etc. walking out the door when the tenant vacates.  I've had houses where EVERY lightbulb was missing after a move out.  It's like "back up the bulbs, we're leaving".

If you are providing a furnished rental and worried about stuff being taken add a clause to the lease that the furniture, etc. remains as part of the rental property.

Everything on.  Sometimes a potential renter will want to test a gas range to make sure all the burners come on.

I used to be hesitant about leaving the water on because one house I was interested in purchasing had this on and two days before closing I stopped by only to learn the bathroom was flooded because the water connection to the toilet had loosened.  On the other hand at one of my other houses that were available for showing by "lockbox" the PM company I had at the time reported that several interested parties commented on an unsavory odor in the house.  I went by and learned that ALL three toilets in the rental had been used...and I'm not talking urine in them either.  I carry a water key with me at all times and the water meter at the street was easy to turn on to allow flushing away of this deposits and then bleaching each toilet.

On Craigslist highlight the section to the left on "help, faq, abuse" etc. then go to the miscellaneous section at the bottom right that states "contact us" and report the ad.

The police are going to do nothing about this except, perhaps, file something that is forgotten.  Often these scammers are not local and may not even be in this country.

I have seen stolen ads with watermarked pictures.  Unfortunately  watermarking may help but it's no guarantee when you've got applicants blinded by the unbelievably low cost of a rental and too dumb to check that it's legit.

 I've had my own ads stolen and, at one point, had some woman call me crying because she sent some guy in New York a deposit of $750, showed up at my rental (in Georgia)  and my tenants answered the door.  All they could do is give her my phone number and she thought I could somehow get her money back.   I suggested cancelling her deposit check but she had sent a money order.  Ironically the woman lived locally and I asked her why she didn't want to see the rental first before sending a complete stranger these funds and she said she was so desperate for a rental that she just went ahead and forwarded the money.  The local police could do nothing about this and told her so when she contacted them.

And that's what often happens.  Desperate people looking for a rental. At one point my partner commented if they were dumb enough to believe this perhaps they deserve to get taken.  

You can report the ad through Craigslist as a stolen ad but it can take several days (or longer) to remove and there is no guarantee it won't show up again a few days later.

Before the backhoe business (which is going to be expensive) consider running a camera down the line starting from the clean out to determine any issues with tree roots.  I have one property that has, periodically, backed up for different tenants.  Always cleared by running the line only to have this reappear again.  Finally got some brains and ran a camera and yes, found tree roots but off my property and onto the city owned land.  Now arguing with the city to come out and take care of their responsibility.  

What issues are they experiencing?

If it's frozen water pipes (and perhaps this is unusual; however, I don't know how "brutal" your weather has been where you are in NC.)  Here in Georgia we've not hit the problem but the leases I have do contain a clause that if the temperatures go below freezing the tenants are required to allow faucets to "drip" during the night to prevent pipes freezing.  If they leave during the winter holidays they are not to turn their heat off (as some like to do to save $$) or the cost of repairing frozen pipes will be on them when they return.

You want to put the current microwave and coffee maker you use in your own home and replace these for yourself and think you can deduct the cost of these as rental appliances?

It's already been confirmed that the documentation has reached this address.  There is no need to follow up to confirm the deposit has been received.

Gail

I agree that speaking with the daughter is a good idea.

I have a feeling if you wish to continue with this owner there are going to be many challenges to getting the purchase finally completed.  You may, along, the way, simply give up attempting to complete this.