All Forum Posts by: Julie Hartman

I like your generosity of spirit! However, being a good tenant is the expectation. We often get tenants who ask for something and their basis for asking is that they have "always paid on time." We tell them that paying on time is not a heroic act, it's what is expected. The other thing is, if you get them a gift, it sets a precedent and that can be a dangerous thing. 

You may need to turn it over to a collection agent. They have ways to find people that the rest of have not thought of. Yes, they will take a roughly 40% cut of what is recovered but if you can't locate her through your own means, it's better than nothing. With that said, try checking social media. People leave all sorts of bread crumbs on socials without thinking about who could be checking. She may have left a clue as to her whereabouts or a new employer, etc. Ask the other neighbors if they have seen her or know where she may have moved. 

Quote from @Kathy Benavidez:

Hi Julie,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, we don’t have photos but we did do a walk through after the last tenant; after the cleaners cleaned; after the new floors were inserted; and the day or two before the new tenants arrived as the yard was cleaned that day. 

This is our first rental, so we will definitely be taking photos after each tenant now.

If push comes to shove, the cleaners can corroborate that the damage was not there at the time of the cleaning. Taking a video walk-through is also a good idea if you are ever concerned about something coming back on you later. Good luck to you!

@Tina Artigliere I would first check your local landlord/tenant laws and make sure you don't have to meet certain requirements for notices. I think it also depends on what type of notice you are referring to. For any non-eviction type of notice, you could say, "Landlord may deliver any notice electronically."  For eviction notices, I would only deliver those by posting on the front door and taking a photo of the posting. We never use text messages for notice delivery because you don't know who is reading the text; it should only be the person(s) listed on the lease agreement. 

At first glance, to me this looks like a tenant caused issue. Either someone is taking a bath and splashing excessively or they are showering and not closing the door completely. The water then gets out through the door corner and runs down causing the foam expansion. Since you did a full inspection prior to the new tenant, I am working off the assumption that you have photos and can point to that when explaining that they are responsible for a repair. I would tell them they need to make sure the shower door is completely closed when showering and to stop splashing. They also should wipe down the floor and side of the tub after each use and keep a mat on the floor at all times. Hopefully, this isn't causing mold to form under that linoleum as well. 

Quote from @Matt Devincenzo:

While electricity falls under habitability, the only issue with habitability is due to the tenant's actions. I would not cover their hotel...there's no obligation to EVER cover a hotel stay. You can also simply not charge the rent for times where the unit is uninhabitable.

In this specific instance I'd likely collect rent and not cover accomodations. If I was asked to I'd remind them this situation was caused by their action and has cost me to remedy, and ask why they believe I should be reaponsible for their accomodations?

I think a lot of this depends on where you live. Here in Colorado, a new covenant of habitability law passed recently and if the tenant requires a hotel stay, then the landlord is responsible for it. In the case of the OP, it's California so the standard to meet may be higher.
Yes, the tenant is responsible for the original problem but it uncovered a new problem. In California, who is responsible for keeping the electrical up to code? Hopefully, the landlord can get this done without incurring extra costs.

I am not an electrician but replacing a fuse box should not require an overnight stay away from the house for your tenants. The electrician should be able to get that done in a few hours. Maybe I am not understanding the situation fully. However, do your tenants work during the day? If so, they wold probably be at work (where there is electricity) while the box is being replaced. With that said, if this is something that requires 1 night away from the house, I would first ask them if they have a friend or relative they can stay with before offering up a hotel room. If all else fails, then yes, paying for 1 night in a hotel would be on you since electricity falls under the habitability covenants. I would put a cap on it and no extras.

This is one that falls under Murphy's Law. Just replace it because you already know it will break and it will happen at the worst possible time. Same goes for the water heater. Both of these are on the habitability covenant list so I would rather be proactive than be at the mercy of an emergency repair invoice. Plus you will be able to replace the furnace with something more efficient and there may be a rebate in your area for doing so. 

Quote from @Justin Brin:

Quote from @Julie Hartman:

We raise once per year, generally. Taxes, insurance, and HOA typically increase so raising rent to cover those costs is not unreasonable. Keeping the increase just under market to keep a good tenant usually works out fine too.

What you mean by just under market? like $50 below or a few hundreds ?

It would depend on what the cash flow is and what the market looks like, but around $100 or more. However, every situation is different so I hesitate to give you a number.

We raise once per year, generally. Taxes, insurance, and HOA typically increase so raising rent to cover those costs is not unreasonable. Keeping the increase just under market to keep a good tenant usually works out fine too.