All Forum Posts by: Kathleen Leary

Are pit bulls even allowed in your area? Many cities & counties ban them outright. After aggressive encounters, many jurisdictions refuse to allow specific dogs to live in the area. Repeated infractions would make any form of insurance expensive, if even available. I notice you didn't say you'd actually seen the tenant's policy.

Are they properly licensed? If you allow pets, your lease should require proof of licensing, regardless of breed.

If the owner lets them run, with ensuing "incidents," I guarantee that violates city statutes.

I (personally) would advise getting rid of the tenant. Obviously, they have no intention of following the law & I wouldn't count on them to adhere to your lease provisions, either.

Don't get me wrong - I love dogs & my pit (who went through the big doggie door in the sky many years ago) was the best dog, ever! But owners have to be held responsible for their pets' actions.

Yeah, well . . . I'm nosy. I also have pretty good relations with my tenants, which I realize is not always the case. And I don't live too far from my properties.

I do the yardwork, which gives me opportunity to check the exterior. I often meet the tenants coming home from work that way, too. (Coincidence? Hmmm . . . )

I also change the HVAC filters every month myself. (The tenant knows this before signing the lease.) I always give 24 hours notice, but usually they're fine with me coming in whether they're home or not. (Always verify!) And if they're home when I show up, I always ask if anything is broken, needs repair, etc. If I plan on doing anything that would inconvenience them (paint the porch, replace sidewalk) I let them know 'way in advance.

Twice a year, I change all the smoke/CO alarm batteries & double-check the thermostat batteries. I check all the plumbing connections & re-caulk bathrooms as needed. I also make sure all switches & receptacles are not loose or damaged.

So far, every tenant has actually been very appreciative of my attention to the property. One of the biggest problems around here is that we have a LOT of so-called "slumlords" who let their properties go to the point that if the city were to do an inspection, they would deny occupancy. 

So the short answer is: once a month.

I will not touch cash. No paper trail.

If the tenant operates on cash-only, my property's bank account will accept it.

I also am not comfortable carrying around wads of money, even if it's only to the bank - too easy a target. 

Habitat ReStore is glad to take that type of stuff.

(Which is great, because I shop there all the time!)

My properties prohibit smoking inside the residence AND outside anywhere on the property. If friends come over, they can smoke on the public sidewalk or in the public alley. There is a written provision that all discarded materials be removed. It's all in writing & is reviewed before the lease is signed.

I have the benefit of great neighbors, who are also  . . . well, nosy. I tossed some tenants who sat on the back stoop & smoked after telling me they were non-smokers. Couple of cell phone pics later, out they went.

You do reduce your potential tenant pool, especially on the lower economic end of the spectrum. (I guarantee that a smoker will buy cigarettes before paying rent!) Additionally, a non-smoker will probably not want to rent a unit that's had a previous smoker, so you need to weigh your overall costs.

Here, all utilities require a special "revert to owner" form be on file; otherwise, the service is just turned off. 

The tenant has to show a copy of their signed lease/agreement to set up a new account in their own name.

I coordinate with tenants regarding switch-over day; I schedule a specific day for MY service to end; a couple of days after that, I call the utility to double-check that the tenant has gotten their new account set up.

Believe it or not, the CS reps for all the utilities (around here) are super-nice & helpful. Never had a problem.

Be sure & check your local statutes! In this state, a pet deposit can be no more than half the monthly rent. Which, if the pet tears the place up, will pay for nothing . . . 

As noted, you can add a "pet rent" as an additional fee - around here, it's usually $10-20 a month. Again, which will pay for nothing . . .

Double-check, put/get everything in writing, keep records that the pet's been properly vaccinated &/or licensed as required by whatever area you're in & keep on top of ongoing damages. (I should say right here: I own both dogs & cats & love 'em all. But I DO know the destruction they're capable of!)

For example: if the dog tears up the blinds, don't wait until the tenants decide to move before you have them replaced. If the cat pees all over the carpet, tenants need to pay for a carpet cleaning, pronto. Holes in the yard, shredded walls & woodwork, destroyed screens; I'd sure advise an ongoing inspection routine to keep on top of things. Sometimes tenants interpret "pet" to mean "all the animals you can fit in the house."

I've seen some astoundingly extensive damage done by animals; I'm probably biased.

I put in floating vinyl plank last winter in one of my living rooms. So far, so good.

The floor was not in bad shape to start with - yours looks a little better, frankly. I did not put in an additional underlayment or a moisture barrier - the VP is impervious to water. If somebody spills (or pees!) on it, it's going to run between the cracks, anyway.

I would say to take your time, follow the manufacturer's recommendations & be absolutely sure each plank/course is securely attached to the previous, both on the sides & ends. I had a couple of pieces separate & I'd rather not tackle another after-the-fact repair again, thank you!

You're not divorced until you're divorced. You don't own the property until all the papers are signed & money changes hands. Be careful spending money up-front on something you may not get. I always have an inspection contingency in my offers; not for anything cosmetic, but for structural/mechanical damage that may not be noted by the seller.

J. Scott's book is a good way to organize your tasks & SOW, particularly if  you're starting out. For me, however, nothing beats experience: rotten floors, cracked joists, moldy drywall, crazy electrical, water-spewing pipes, code violations, etc. have taught me what to look for & what it takes to fix it. Even if you have an inspector & GC go over the property & potential SOW with you (& you should!), nothing beats your own eyes & know-how. 

And in time,  you'll develop working relationships with tradesmen who will know you're a stand-up investor who won't screw them over & waste their time. I've found it to be a reciprocal relationship.

Here (Shawnee may have additional requirements - check!) you have to send it to their last known address unless it's hand-delivered. If they give a new address, great. If not, that would be right back at your property! Send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery & if it comes back, too bad. 

If they're wanting their money, it's up to them to give you a way to return it. Do what's required, document everything & if they still can't provide timely information . . . well, it must not be too important.