All Forum Posts by: Paul Sandhu

My weekly rentals get the most responses from Craigslist.  I have ads up on Apartments.com and Facebook.  Those 2 websites might generate 2% of my yearly rentals.

Return customers are my second way of renting out places.  But, it's kind of hard to have repeat customers when you are starting out.  I have around 1100 previous renters in the last 5 years. 

My best way of renting out furnished houses is giving my potential renters a sales pitch when they come in for a pre-employment drug screen.  They all work at a refinery in town.  They are contractors.  They are from 500+ miles away.  I give them all a pen with a sales pitch and my number engraved on the pen.  They also get PG rated calendar with scantily clad women doing construction work.  When they rent from me they get a PG13  calendar of topless women in sexy poses.  When they get to their room, everything is R rated on the walls.  

@Monica Painton  My furnished houses have the same financials as yours.  A typical monthly rental for a 2 bedroom would in this town would be $400.  I charge the same for a furnished, bills paid rental each week. The first weeks rent pays for the utilities.  Weeks 2-4 are profit.  The last 2-3 days of the month are for incidental expenses.

The things they did wrong are all part of doing business.  Forget about it and go on with your life/business.  I had some renters (11 guys in a 3 story house) bring a prostitute over every evening.  I was collecting rent and one guy asked me if I was going to stick around for the show.  What show, I asked.  Then he explained about the prostitute coming over.  I didn't believe him.  He then produced a video that I will not mention the contents.  I was getting a little over $1000/week on the house that cost me $15.9k plus another $2k to furnish.

We have a standard list of things that we keep in our 22 furnished short term rentals. 

4 rolls of tp per bathroom, 3 bars of Ivory, 8 pack of deodorant soap.

One towel for each bed, plus a few extra.

Linens for all the beds, plus a spare set.

Kitchen has dish soap, paper towels, pot scrubbing pad, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, bleach, cleaning supplies, and a 4 pack of light bulbs.

Outside is propane or a small bag of charcoal for the appropriate grill.

My cleaning lady does the work for free.   She also lets me sleep with her.  7 nights a week.

When she is done, I go in and check everything.  Make sure all the lights work, all the TV's work, all the supplies are there, etc.  We pretty much throw anything away that people leave behind.  Especially Tupperware.

@Melissa Kaatman-Boettge

Yes. That's similar to what I have.  Mine's a little more basic looking and less than $20

Maybe use a sewer snake.  The kind with a coil wire, not the kind with a flat metal ribbon.  The end of the coil wire will look like a corkscrew.  Run the snake down the duct until it goes no further.  Then screw the end into the obstruction and pull it out.  Repeat.

I have no contract with the lady that cleans my rental houses.  She does it for free and I get to sleep with her; 7 nights a week.

I have a nice looking lady that cleans my 22 furnished rentals houses whenever they become unoccupied.  She does it for free.  She also lets me sleep with her, 7 nights a week.

Your situation sounds like a real headache.

My renters know what day their rent is due.  I come by their place after they get off work and collect the rent.  It's pretty easy.  I can see what the place looks like and also talk to them to see if more people are coming into town and need a place to stay.  

Sometimes I see people struggling to do a repair on their vehicle.  I usually can lend them a tool that they don't have to finish the job.  

Sometimes they offer me some food that was brought up from where they come from.  Boudan, shrimp, gator, andouille, etc.  I offer them goose and venison.

But back to rent.  If they know they won't be home they tell me the rent is in an appliance or some other hiding spot.

you should check the flappers in the toilets and all the valves in the faucets, sinks, showers, laundry room and outside faucets.  Yes, it is work.  Do you expect to make money off of rentals without doing any work?

I rent to temporary workers (contractors) at a local refinery.  My rules are this:

1. Don't park on the front grass, you may get a ticket.

2. No indoor furniture on the porch, I may get a ticket.

3. Put your trash in the outdoor dumpster, take the dumpster to the curb on the appropriate day.

4. Feel free to rearrange any furniture in the house.

5. No fighting in the house. Fight outside. Knock yourselves out.

I don't charge any sort of cleaning fee or deposit.  I have a nice looking lady that cleans the houses for free after the people move out.  She also lets me sleep with her.