All Forum Posts by: Mike Huggins

Regardless if for personal gain or business gain it will help it sounds like.  Is one option better than the other?

We have a second home that is currently being rented out.  With no owner occupied, house is worn more and also needs to be updated due to be dated.  We are 19 months from moving back to this second home full time.

From what I understand, we cannot perform a renovation and move back in immediately and claim the renovation as an expense/depreciation.  
In order to take advantage of the tax situation we must show that we have a renter in the house after the renovation.  Right?  How long do they need to stay in the house?  3, 6, 12 months?

Anyone else run into a similar situation?  What did you do?

8 months ago a new tenant joined two existing tenants in one house.  All three are on the lease.

Today this tenant says, "since you are raising rent $100 on the renewal coming up could you pay for someone to clean the house.  It was very dirty when she moved in she states". Other Tenants say it was clean as I am collecting information from them.

I have asked to talk with her to understand what needs to be cleaned.  

Should I have the house cleaned at my expense ($300-400) even though she has been living there 8 months?  Why didn't she bring this to my attention on move in?

I think this may be a roommate issue.  As in, not everyone is doing their part to keep the house clean. 

This was verbally communicated several times to check once a week.  Plus text messages as a reminder through out two years.  This was not written in the lease.  Tenant did tell me they checked on it once a week.

@nathanG   Tenant is about to move out soon.  That is why I was looking at using the deposit.

@Scott I like your kitchen leak example...I guess location plays a factor.

I have a situation where the boiler room pipe sprung a needle size hole, spraying a very small amount of water against drywall.   From the beginning of the lease, I have instructed the tenant to look at the boiler room once a week.  Check for smells, smoke, standing water, spraying water, anything out of the ordinary.

I show up at the unit and find out that the boiler room pipe is spraying water.  I call a plumber and get it fixed right away.  I asked the plumber how long its been like this and he responds saying looking at the black mold on the drywall, it has to be over a month.  Turns out small pin hole leak can be a lot of water over a month.  Makes sense.

I ask the tenant when they were last in the boiler room and they say 2 days ago.  They did not see the standing water or the straying water or the damaged drywall with black mold on it.  Obviously they were not in the boiler room 2 days ago or even 20 days ago.

Does this situation warrant me using part of their security deposit to fix the moldy drywall issue?

I have a situation where the boiler room pipe sprung a needle size hole, spraying a very small amount of water against drywall.   From the beginning of the lease, I have instructed the tenant to look at the boiler room once a week.  Check for smells, smoke, standing water, spraying water, anything out of the ordinary.

I show up at the unit and find out that the boiler room pipe is spraying water.  I call a plumber and get it fixed right away.  I asked the plumber how long its been like this and he responds saying looking at the black mold on the drywall, it has to be over a month.  Turns out small pin hole leak can be a lot of water over a month.  Makes sense.

I ask the tenant when they were last in the boiler room and they say 2 days ago.  They did not see the standing water or the straying water or the damaged drywall with black mold on it.  Obviously they were not in the boiler room 2 days ago or even 20 days ago.

Does this situation warrant me using part of their security deposit to fix the moldy drywall issue?