All Forum Posts by: Kimberly H.

Discovered during tenant turn while testing devices, sole CO detector in house.

@Chris K. Soon after tenants moved into a place a year ago, the tenant contacted me saying she got a letter from so-in-so, so-in-so was asking if whoever lived in the house could forward her drivers license to her when it arrived in 3 weeks to her current address in Texas. My tenant wanted to know if I knew the person...I didn't. We had only bought the house the year before.  I told her I didn't think it was a good idea of her to do that, since I didn't know if that person using that address could somehow impact my tenants and recommended they get advice from the police if need be.

Obviously that person who sent the letter didn't want to update her address to the real one in the DMV system, must have had people after her for something.

@Jack B. just had a tenant who said on their application they wanted to move June 1st. Once they were accepted, they asked if they could get the keys the day we signed the lease and collected funds, which was a week early; we responded that they could get the key earlier if the lease started earlier, and they did agree to move the lease date earlier.  So we collected another weeks rent and reduced our vacancy time from 4 weeks to 3.

Either its worth it to them for the convenience, or not.

Our lease changes so much we have them sign a new lease but not new addendums, unless an addendum changed. If our lease ever stops getting so many updates we will do a one page renewal sheet.

@Vijaianand Thirunageswaram I agree with what everyone else has posted here and especially @Patrick M.

$75 is a lot more money to a tenant than to you are I for starters.  They are not going to want to spend it. It's not their house. They don't care if a small problem becomes a larger problem, they get to move away. Your skin is in the game, not theirs.

Maybe this is different in Texas and a lot of landlords their charge the $75 but a small problem can become a big problem in any state of the union; the $75 charge is a bad idea. 

We inspect our properties every 6 months but the bottom of the sinks are so completely full so if there is a slow drip you won't see it...and if you didn't stop by just after it has rained a lot you may not see any water intrusion issues...

@Stewart McMillan even if you don't file to evict, you might want to let them know that landlords will look and see if a tenant sued a past landlord and could/would reject based on that. No one wants a litigious tenant. Also, that their addresses show up on their credit report and landlords want to talk to previous and current landlords as well...doing this may be a short payday but make it much harder to rent a nice place in the future.

@Jerome Foster that sounds like a sales pitch from a guy who puts them in.  Tenant don't care about egress windows. I've seen professional home appraisals and I'm pretty sure no adjustment for egress window. #beds, baths, square foot, garage, fireplace, etc. but not egress window.

@Danielle Moser  What did you learn regarding federal background vs state background checks?

From an upset applicant. I had emailed her agent at 9am in the morning after getting her application overnight, letting her know that her clients application was incomplete, and even if it was complete, it would be rejected because she has a cat (we don't take cats), and suggested in the future she do her searches in MLS for properties that allow cats. Agent responds,"Oh, I missed that."

Her client leaves me a voicemail at 5pm, apparently her agent never told her anything, so I forward what I emailed to her agent to the applicant. Applicants response:

"I did not see the no cats or I wouldn't have waisted my time....I am assuming you didn't take the fee for my application...please refund or I will call the bank and have it reversed.

I don't see the difference in cats vs dogs. Pets are pets and being singled out is discriminatory.

Your tone and reply also seems unprofessional for never haven spoken to you. Perhaps that is the way Illinois agents are, but I think it is rude and uncalled for. "

Should have just ignored her vmail and let her find out from her agent. Thought it would be nicer if she wasn't wondering since her agent hadn't let her know yet. No good deed goes unpunished.

@Rick S. I just emailed you, so you have the email to reply to. Thanks so much!!