All Forum Posts by: Gabe G.

Just an update. The issue with the oven, ended up being a shorted out light for the oven, the wires arched and caused the spark they saw.

Repair man came out last night, and adjusted the wires so they could use the oven, while the part is being ordered.

The issue was addressed in 2 business days. Perfectly acceptable in anyone's world.

@Thomas S.  Thank you for breaking it down. Any oven issues I have had. I just replaced because they were older. This is the only one that is somewhat newer, that I would like to try and save if possible. I will hope for the first two.  Have you ever ran the numbers on used appliances vs buying new for a rental?  Meaning, if you buy used sometimes you get duds. Does paying up for new ones at say 500 for an oven actually cheaper over the long run?  I go back and forth on this one.

@Scott Steffek  I agree. Rent has already been late last month and I worked with them.

I expect the same this month.

Hahah. It's funny. I am suppose to be flexible when rent is late, however if you have to wait a few extra days for a non essential repair than you think is necessary, it's a crime:)

A lot of tenants want a one sided relationship where the landlord is flexible with the tenant. But the tenant does not have to reciprocate .

@David Faulkner  That is currently what I am doing. I don't see any other way, with the way property managers run their business.

Maybe if the properties were paid off, you could have the extra money to hire a PM and not care and about all the BS they pull. But definitely not with leveraged properties.

@David Faulkner  My point exactly. 

Property managers take 8 to 10 percent off the top for nothing.

Then charge, fees, for whenever they actually have to do something like pick up the phone or get a new tenant.

What are you really paying for?

And all the fancy software and relationships they have with contractors, actually results in a worse experience for both you and the tenant. 

@CJ Ashton

And if this oven, was 10 years old. I probably would just replace.

However, the oven is a few years old, which indicates I should at least see what a repair might be.

@Nicholas Cook

In indiana there are no laws that allow a tenant to withhold rent, or rent concessions based on how fast a repair was made.

If the tenant believes and can prove the house is not habitable or some issue that needs to be addressed, they can move out breaking the lease, and not be held liable for doing so.

Beyond the law, if this was a situation that got drawn out weeks, I could see some compensation being appropriate. But we are currently on the 2nd day.Furthermore, they were late on rent and I waived a late fee for them last month, because of an issue they had. So that is compensation in a sense as well, where I was being flexible to their situation

@Deanna McCormick

Haha.  Well the fact of the matter is. I use the same companies and people I trust, or only companies with great reviews from Angies list. I would trust each one in my own house while I am not there.

Me being there, during the repair, is not going to expedite the request one bit.

It's their choice that they don't want my maintenance people in their while they are gone, but they should understand that will delay the repair.

On a property manager. I had to call a property manager(one of the major ones in our area) for a tree that was on their property that was an issue.

I was on hold for one hour, and then someone was scheduled one week out to come out and look at the situation:)

I am pretty sure my tenants are getting more prompt communication and scheduling from me, than they would be at a property management company.

 Thanks for the input

@Ryan Murdock

Sure. But what is the point of the 8 and 10 percent they take off the top?

If they are upcharging for anytime they have to get on the phone or actually do something?

@Anthony Gayden

True. But the point of getting a property management company to do the properties, is to free up your time.

If every quote, they are either mismanaging the quotes by 1000 dollars in your case, or flat our screwing you. That means every repair that comes up you have to go out and get quotes and find the repair person and schedule.

Which is one of the big annoyances of managing yourself.

Now you are managing the manager.

What's the point?