All Forum Posts by: Margharita Silva

Thank you all so much for your feedback and advice. I required a 700 credit score minimum and most people don't have it, but this is the only property i have so i am very picky. My current tenant had 802 when she applied two years ago and didn't have any issues through the pandemic touch wood!  However, i don't want the home to sit on the market for too long and this potential tenant seems very reliable and has the income. He just isn't there with his credit score, so i am thinking maybe i could work with him having said that I am still to do a full check myself apart from Zillow. 

Hi, 

I have a tenant application and was wondering whether other landlords would accept it.

He is securely employed and makes x3 the rent. His credit is 640 and has a car loan of 40K. I haven't checked the credit in a separate report for myself but received it on Zillow.  How reliable is Zillow? Background check also seems to be ok, again received on Zillow. I thought if i decide to move forward will check everything again. Do you think the credit score and the loan might be an issue. He said he can get references from his current LL and has been paying rent on time. Would you accept his application? 

Happy July 4th everyone, 

I own a condo in NJ and have a tenant in it. I was not able to do the landlord- tenant registration when the tenant moved in because i was abroad and was meant to be back in a few weeks however Covid hit. Then the tenant herself had Covid and i was stuck abroad for about a year during Covid so i wasn't able to do the registration. Earlier this year when i was still abroad due to covid travel restrictions, the tenant said she wanted to break her lease and move, so i decided to wait untill she moved and register the apt with the new tenant but then after two months, she decided to stay. Her lease is up in November but she doesn't know if she wants to renew or not. What do you think i should do regarding the registration of my apartment with the city of Passaic in NJ? Are there any penalties for late registration or how does it work? I have not been avoiding this but with Covid and the tenant being undecided about whether she will move or stay, i haven't been able to take care of this. 

Thanks for your input ! 

Hi everybody, 

I have a tenant in my condo in NJ.

She sent me an email asked me out of the blue if i intend to offer her a new lease once her lease is up and asked me "my intentions"? This same tenant very abruptly wanted to leave a few months ago but then changed her mind all of a sudden, so i was assuming she would leave when her lease is up (in 6 months) but she emailed me asking if i will renew her lease. 

I feel a bit naive about responding to her on email right away and saying i would offer her a new lease if she wants and only charge her $10 more because the parking fees went up. 

I thought she would follow up thanking me and expressing some thoughts but she just complained about the stove and asked me to fix it instead (which is fine) 

To cut it short, i regret emailing her so casually and saying i won't raise her rent and since she didn't jump on this, i am wondering if i can offer her a month to month or a 6 month lease but with a much higher amount when her lease ends?

For example can i say option a) 1 year lease with X amount (with $10 increase) b) 6 month lease or month to month with X amount (say $50/60 higher) 

We don't seem to have very communication with this tenant and she has been very abrupt lately, so i wouldn't be surprised if i get another surprise from her so i just want to have some security if she abruptly decides to move again. 

Thank you! 

Hi everybody, an update to the situation. I asked my attorney and since the courts are closed he is saying that nothing can be done at the moment. Tenant has not paid February and yesterday i saw a work order from the condo where she was requesting the door lock changed. I asked her about it but no response. The property manager in our condo said that the building requests a copy as a rule so she has to give them a copy. She is supposed to move out on the 18th but not sure where she is going with this? Anyone else had a tenant changing the locks on their way out, and what that might imply? 

@theresa harris @domenick T @johann jells also is it considered a penalty to ask the tenant pay until the unit rerents? If i am not charging an extra amount or keeping the deposit? 

hi @domenick T thank you for the feedback. I collected one months deposit but i sure will ask for a month and a half from now. I wrote to the tenant explaining that i cannot take her deposit unless she has financial hardship due to Covid 19 and can prove it to me and that i need to inspect her apartment and return her the deposit after 30 days but she is not communicating at this point. I am beginning to wonder if the email she sent me with a letter requesting that she pays with her deposit has to do with this, but i doubt she is allowed to ask for a proration and ask some of it back by Zelle. I cannot find the specific protocol required for this. I read the executive order. I will ask my attorney. I am also with letting her go. However i just want to make sure i do it the right way so she doesn't come around and accuse me of keeping her deposit etc. I know all the courts are closed now, not sure how i can fetch February's rent ? Can i give it to collections or any other recourse? 

i actually told her no but she kept saying its her legal right and started recording our conversation. I was a disturbed by this because it gave me the sense as though she was trying to make a bogus case for herself. 

@johann jells thank you. Is there a special exception for the tenant to pay with her deposit in NJ now due to Covid. I read some things online and don't want to get in trouble if I refuse to accept her deposit as her rent. I know for a fact that she is in not facing any financial hardship and i am pretty sure she bought a house.

@jonathangreene @juliehartman thank you for your replies. The thing is she wants to pay February with her deposit (which is from last year, her rent was raised since although not much) and wants part of it back claiming that she only owns partially for February. She wants some portion of her deposit reimbursed. If i accept her deposit as February's rent and not "reimburse" her for her "prorated" rent, do i expose myself to any problems regarding the return of the deposit?