All Forum Posts by: Marlen Rum

Hi all! I would greatly appreciate some input on my situation.

I purchased a condo in 2022 that needed extensive work. Renovations were done by a close friend who used to be a Reno contractor but had left the business and had a W-2 job at the time; he did the work for me “on the side” when he had time. I paid him several thousands of $ - well above the $600 tax threshold.

Am I required to issue a 1099 to my friend for his labor? From my research, I understand that as a homeowner one is not required to issue a 1099 for the $ paid for the remodel. Is that right?

That said, this property was purchased in my name but not as my home. It was intended to be a gift for my mother, who for various reasons ended up not moving in, and I sold it in 2023 - 13 months later - for a substantial profit. The property was vacant the whole time. I was issued a 1098 by title upon sale, and I understand that I have to declare this in my taxes, but I’m not sure how to go about it given that this wasn’t my home. Are the profits capital gain or income?

I’m also not sure if I can deduct the remodel expenses from my taxes w/o the 1099.

I own a rental property and have an LLC but I'm not in the business of flipping properties. This wasn't exactly a quick flip and it wasn't purchased under my business name. Not sure if that makes any difference.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I leased out of my house in Georgia through a Property Manager for 1 year. Now that tenants have moved out I am told by PM that tenants kid scribbled on multiple walls and walls need to be repainted. On top of that, it appears tenants had the fireplace going without opening the flume so there’s “smoke damage” on walls, trim, and ceiling. PM tells me we can’t charge the full amount of repainting & that we can only charge for prep work, because anything that can be covered with 1 coat of paint is the landlord’s responsibility. This does not seem right to me as I do not consider scribbles on walls & smoke damage ordinary wear & tear. Anyone have experience with this? PM quoted me a section of the law that seems ambiguous to me. Any RE lawyers out there that can shed some light as to how to handle this situation?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up calling a pest control company, since the house is currently listed for sale and the tenant has been cooperative (she has 1 month left on the lease).  They said there seems to be something that died between floors (1st floor ceiling & 2nd floor). They recommended to not tear up the ceiling and just let it run it’s course. They ran an air cleaning machine and will do it again tomorrow. They’re charging me $150. Does that sound right?

Seriously, every month?! Wow

Do the tenants get upset, or complain that the place is uninhabitable?

Thanks Patricia! I’ve never had this happen anywhere I’ve lived, so it never crossed my mind as a potential landlord problem. 

Tenant notified of a bad smell, like dead animal. Who is responsible for discovering what’s causing it & fixing the situation? If it’s the landlord’s responsibility, who do I call? Thanks in advance for responses!