All Forum Posts by: Claudia Schmidt

Thank you so much once again for your response. I'm sorry to hear about your current tenant eviction situation. I wish you the best of luck. I guess all us landlords have our stories...I recently had one too.

I'm sorry, I feel silly to say this, but I can't send you a PM for the verbage because I don't find the location on your profile to do this? I think I have to upgrade to Bigger Pockets Pro?

What do you use for vmail?

Do you get your tenants to 'sign-off' that the repair was done satisfactorily? Or is the repair receipt proof enough for you?

Thanks Tracey!

Originally posted by Tracey Bowers:

Claudia, I have done this from the beginning of my rental business and I do not get a lot of maintenance requests. As far as painting, my lease states that they can do whatever they want to the unit as long as they get written permission and pay to bring it back to its original state upon move out or they will be charged to do so. You can send me a PM and I will copy and paste my verbage for you. As far as your questions:
1. What does moldy mean? Is there a ventilation issue or mold growing on the walls? If so, I would repair that issue for free.
2. Using the toilet for example, she called the repair into my maintenance line, we repaired it and then I sent her a bill for $100 and told her she had to pay it with next months rent.
3. All repairs are required to be called into our maintenance vmail or sent to us in writing. My lease states repair payments are due like rent and non payment is grounds for eviction.
4. I am a very fair landlord. When people have issues, I always get to it within a few days if non life threatening and immediately if a serious emergency. The types of issues I have had over the last 3 years have been clogged toilet, clogged tub, drippy faucet, broken fridge, broken stove, missing screens, roof leak and busted drain, spray for pests. I repaired all the issues. The only person who had to pay was the clogged toilet because it was a third offense. After I sprayed for pests, tenants were informed that subsequent visits would be billed to them if required. The guy who had the clogged tub had already paid a licensed plumber to snake the line before he called me to come fix the issue so I did not charge him. The reason I do this is to prevent being called every week over dumb stuff. I read my lease line by line and discuss in detail with tenants at time of lease signing so they get the point that they are not going to harrass me over dumb stuff and if they do, I will be billing them. I have recently started doing a lot of government tenants so we'll see how it turns out with them. One thing I check for when screening is to see if they have judgments against them from management companies or landlords and whether they have filed any kind of rent escrow against previous landlords. If so, I will not rent to them. I have one government tenant I am trying to evict right now that had a judgment against them from a previous leasing company and I overlooked it. Now I am paying the price.
One last note is when people move in, they usually mention some things I may have overlooked like screens and I fix it right away.

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Thanks to everyone for you fabulous feedback! Much appreciated!

Tracey you're brilliant! I think this is the best solution for my situation too and will save me a lot of headaches! I really thank you!

Would you kindly be able to share with me this clause/paragraph from your contract? As I will translate and incorporate into my contracts too.

1) Tracey what do you do if the tenant wants to have the rooms painted, just as an example, because they say it's moldy? Do you apply the rule so that "'anything" under $100 they pay (excluding the 45 day-period) and over you pay?

2) How do you bill the client? The next time they come in to pay their rent? Or do you deduct it from the security deposit at the end of their contract?

3) Do you have a kind of maintenance log (online/offline?) where the tenants can submit their repair requests? ...Or do they just call or send you an email?

4) Have you tried other tactics and found this has been the best solution for you too? And I guess with this structure, the tenants think twice before submitting a request because they know they might end up paying for it? In your experience has this also helped you cut down substantially your maintenance costs?

Thank you sooo much for your help...You really helped me a lot with your response!

Originally posted by Tracey Bowers:

My lease explicitly states that after 45 days, the tenant is responsible for all minor repairs up to $100. So if they call me 3x a year about their toilet being clogged, the first call is free if within 45 days and the rest I repair then bill them $100. Recently had to do this and tenant paid no problem. I also explain this to them at lease signing so they get it. If the toilet or sink is always stopped up, it means they are doing something wrong (I always have plumber go through house before they move in to make sure no stoppages in lines). I also fill out move in checklist and make tenant sign it during the first week they move in.

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Do you have a section of your website (or other online interface/software?) where your tenants can login to see a copy of their rental contract, maintenance issues submitted, where they can submit feedback, get alerts when their contract is expiring, etc?

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1) Do you keep a maintenance log where tenants can submit their requests? If so, what do you use or how do you do it? I was thinking of creating a 'form' by Google Docs and in the move-in inventory check-list mention that any requests can be submitted at www.linkhere.com.

2) If you send the plumber let's say to do some repairs, do you get the tenant to sign-off on the spot before the plumber leaves that it's been satisfactorily repaired? Or do you have them simply sign-off when they come in to pay the next rent?

3) If you bill the tenant for repairs, do you get them to pay the next time they come in to pay the rent? Or do you discount it from the security deposit at the end of their contract?

I'm trying to find the best way to manage this, as I recently had a tenant that I made repairs for, but then she was trying to claim I didn't do them satisfactorily so she didn't have to pay.

Thanks in advance for any help and guidance.

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I rent my properties unfurnished and already have insurance on them (excluding contents, as it's unfurnished), but was thinking of including a clause that states its the tenant's responsibility to have insurance for their belongings (contents). Do you do this? If so, could you please kindly share with me how you phrased this part in your contract? Many thanks!

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Do you ask your tenants for testimonials? If so, how do you get it from them? Thanks

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I have been working with a real-estate agency for a while now, but due to the recession, he has had to downsize. I am considering getting a network of agents in my city to advertise for me. Because I do a lot of advertising myself, but of course the more the better. Does anybody have any experience with this? Or other ideas? Thank you.

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1) Can anyone please help me determine what is normally a landlord's responsibility in terms of maintenance of a rental property?

2) And what are the items that should be repaired by the tenant through regular wear-and-tear? My rental properties are long term.

3) Do you detail this in the rental contract so that it's clear for both parties? If so, can anybody please share with me a sample of their rental contract clause please?

4) Is painting the apartment something the landlord has to include every year? Every 2 years? Should it be mentioned in the contract too?

Thank you in advance for your advice! Much appreciated!

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1) Can anybody please share with me if you for long term rental properties normally charge a security deposit equivalent to 1 month's rent + the first month rent + last month rent?

2) And if the tenant wants to renew their contract for another year let's say, do you carry over the security deposit and the last month's rent over into the new contract? If so, has it happened to you that the tenant doesn't pay their last month rent thinking they paid it in their current contract? What do you do in such a case?...Just charge them the last month rent again for the new contract?.

3) Can anybody please share with me a sample of the clause from your rental contract about renewals?

Thank you in advance for your kind advice.

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Hi,

I'm already using Craiglist, olx, kijiji, etc.

Was wondering if anyone can share other good sites where I could advertise my long rental properties?

Thank you in advance!

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All Forum Posts by: Claudia Schmidt

Claudia Schmidt has started 22 posts and replied 30 times.

Post: How to know when it's my expense or the tenant's?

Post: How to know when it's my expense or the tenant's?

Post: Do you have a section of your website where tenants can login?

Post: Do you keep a 'maintenance' log? And a place for tenants to submit requests online?

Post: Do you have an 'insurance' clause in your rental contract?

Post: Do you collect tenant testimonials?

Post: Do you use multiple agents to advertise your rental properties for you?

Post: Which items does a landlord repair & wear-and-tear of tenants?

Post: How do you charge for long term property rentals?

Post: Where do you advertise your rentals?