Skip to content
×
PRO
Pro Members Get Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
$0
TODAY
$69.00/month when billed monthly.
$32.50/month when billed annually.
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here
Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties. Try BiggerPockets PRO.
x
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Julie Hartman

Julie Hartman has started 3 posts and replied 663 times.

Post: Carpet permanent Stains

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587

We have had good luck with getting carpet stains remedied with companies who specialize in carpet dyeing. We just went through it with a property that had multiple large red stains. The carpet dyeing was a success for our situation, was reasonably priced, and saved the carpet. It depends on the type of stain but it may be worth getting an estimate to see if it could work in your situation. 

Do you manage the adjacent units in question as well? It sounds like maybe you do. If she didn't ask for special accommodations prior and you have documented proof that you tried to manage the noise, I would fight this. I am not an attorney but I would think the burden of proof will be on her and it would be difficult to prove you were negligent in this case. She would need the neighbors to implicate themselves on the level of noise they were causing and that you did nothing to stop it. Were you aware of her autism at the time you rented to her? Did she ever mention requiring any noise buffering for her unit due to her sensitivity? If this lawsuit is the first time you are learning of her special needs, then you may have a chance at prevailing. Locate a local landlord attorney and get some legal advice pronto.  Good luck!

Post: Late rent, special circumstances,WWYD

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587
Quote from @Rohan Soltau:
Quote from @Julie Hartman:

@Rohan Soltau Maybe I am not understanding but you say you can't afford to "not collect rent" so you don't want to evict her. You are already not collecting rent from her so evicting her isn't going to change that aspect of things. Wouldn't it be better to find someone to replace her who will pay rent on time each month? Why not give her notice and advertise the room at the same time in order to find a new roommate? 


 She's been paying but late, and I don't want her to leave without paying her $900 and then I have to hope I get somebody in to replace that income.(I actually don't live there but I have two tenants renting rooms out month to month)

If you keep her, prepare for this drama every month. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Did her rental history indicate what type of tenant she has turned out to be? This is unlikely to improve until you talk to her as @Theresa Harris suggested and find out if this is indeed a short term issue. If it is, give her a deadline to pay her outstanding rent, with late fees or leave quietly. Or give her notice and advertise the room. The quicker you act, the shorter the amount of pain you will go through to resolve this. You may also want to review your lease and see if there are any improvements to be made with regard to repeated late rent, late fees, etc. 

Post: Late rent, special circumstances,WWYD

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587

@Rohan Soltau Maybe I am not understanding but you say you can't afford to "not collect rent" so you don't want to evict her. You are already not collecting rent from her so evicting her isn't going to change that aspect of things. Wouldn't it be better to find someone to replace her who will pay rent on time each month? Why not give her notice and advertise the room at the same time in order to find a new roommate? 

Post: Tennant wants to install a fence

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587
Quote from @Kevin Sobilo:

@Shawn Floyd, I disagree with @Julie Hartman this is NOT a disability accommodation that you must approve. Yes an ESA is prescribed for a disabled person but a fenced yard is not required for an ESA. Its a want not a need.

I would look at this as an opportunity. I would have the fence YOU want installed and have the tenants contribute what they would for the fence they propose. If the wrought iron fence you want is $10k and they were proposing a $5k cedar fence, then you would be splitting the cost evenly between you. This way you get something you wanted long term.

If you do allow them to install the fence, I would make them escrow the monies to remove it if you want it removed. Counting on them living up to the agreement at the end is risky. So, I would get that money now and have it held for that purpose in escrow. 


 To be fair, I said "most likely" not "must". It depends on how strict the reasonable accommodation rules are for the local area. Things are getting to be so nuts here in CO, it would not shock me to see landlords forced into something like this. Hopefully things fall in favor of the OP in this case. Cheers!

Post: Tennant wants to install a fence

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587

This sounds like a reasonable accommodation request. If so, then you will most likely need to allow it. However, check local laws for specifics and how it involves ESA's.
The aspect that would concern me is the footings for the fence posts, will they be installed using concrete? Those won't be easy to remove later, if you decide to install a different type of fence. Can the footings be reused for an iron fence panel? Maybe someone who knows about that will weigh in. If you want a wrought iron fence instead, perhaps there is a workable solution where the costs are split? Good luck!

Post: Tenant Attempted Plumbing Repair Without Notice

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587

@Teddy Johnson Yes, this is a charge back to the tenant repair. I would also remind him that what he did could be considered a lease violation and the next time may result in termination of the lease. 

Post: Security Dep Damages not yet repaired

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587

@Ann Baker I would first contact a countertop specialist and wood flooring specialist and ask to get  estimates for repair if a repair is possible vs replacement. You may be able to deduct if you can prove the outgoing tenant caused the damage. If a repair is not possible before you need to send the deposit disposition, you may be able to withhold the repair amounts based on the estimate and note that as such on the disposition, but check your state law to confirm that. 

Post: Applicant refuses to give out SSN before signing Lease

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587
Quote from @Steve K.:
Quote from @Julie Hartman:

@Cindy B. If your rental is in Denver, I would strongly encourage you to stop using Zillow to screen your applicants. The laws have changed and if you get a section 8 prospect (which you must accept), landlords are not permitted to do a credit check on them. Zillow and other large screeners are not able to piece-meal the background screening information to keep landlords in compliance. With that said, I agree with the others that if they don't want thier SSN collected, then I would send them down the road. 

This comment makes it sound like everyone has to accept every section 8 tenant now, which is not true. Source of income is now a protected status in the fair housing act, meaning you can’t deny because the applicant plans to use housing vouchers to pay rent, but that doesn’t mean you have to rent to them. You can still deny them for other (legal) reasons that they don’t meet your criteria, or go with a more qualified applicant instead. Also many landlords are exempt from the source of income rule such as if you’re self managing/ not using a broker, live in the property, have less than 5 rentals, etc. People should know the law and whether or not it even applies to them before jumping to conclusions. 
I understand the law. I said we must accept a section 8 prospect, I didn't say we must accept a section 8 tenant. Those are very different things. However, for those who don't know the difference, thank you for pointing it out.

Post: Applicant refuses to give out SSN before signing Lease

Julie HartmanPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Denver, CO
  • Posts 667
  • Votes 587
Quote from @Jason Allen:
Quote from @Julie Hartman:

@Cindy B. If your rental is in Denver, I would strongly encourage you to stop using Zillow to screen your applicants. The laws have changed and if you get a section 8 prospect (which you must accept), landlords are not permitted to do a credit check on them. Zillow and other large screeners are not able to piece-meal the background screening information to keep landlords in compliance. With that said, I agree with the others that if they don't want their SSN collected, then I would send them down the road. 


 WTF kind of non-sense is that? It's illegal to run a credit check on someone that you're going to turn over an asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to? Are you allowed to sue them when they destroy it (because you couldn't check if they had had done that before)? Is this actually true?

Yep! It's insane. Even our attorneys think so and they think this is just the tip of the iceberg.