All Forum Posts by: Rob B.

Hi Lacey, unfortunately, I haven't so I will defer to others on this. However,  I will say that there are some options out there that allow you to pull your local residential lease based on your property's address. Once that lease has been pulled you will be able to customize it with your own custom lease clauses and renter rules. Again, a lot of great options out there. @Lacey Daebel

I'm thinking along a similar line of thought as Marc. When does the boyfriend get back? The last thing you want is for things to fall through during the heart of the winter (albeit, certain locations don't have to be as concerned during the winter months --here in Chicago, it can drop to -negative temps so vacant December rentals/new leases + move-ins are probably more of a concern than say in places like Miami or LA). But you also don't want to rush to make a decision that might not be in your best interest as well. It is tricky because they aren't married. I'd get more info from her as for when they anticipate deployment completion.

I would tread very carefully here. You want to be sure your reason for declining does not violate FHA laws. Please proceed with caution; as Jeff has carefully noted above you have to be super careful that they do or do not meet clearly outlined qualifications that you've set for your rental. I also share in a similar thought as Bob in that people can change from their past; whether or not to give them that second chance (in terms of renting) is up to you. I'll defer to others as far as other advice, but best of luck.

Sorry to hear you're going through this. I totally understand the want/need to be able to allow her to stay, but as a quick disclaimer, if you allow her to stay then you need to make sure to get a lease with her, and, you should probably make sure that within the lease you have a clause that makes it clear she isn't to have anyone move in with her (if she wants to and if you're ok with it, then that should be revisited in a lease addendum or a new lease altogether). 

You don't want her letting him back in after a situation like this (regardless of whether or not that's her decision to make), as that could potentially put the property at risk. She'd be smart to not let him back in either, from the sound of it. But these things happen. Just be sure to protect yourself from a situation like this moving forward by getting a lease in place.

Hi Sol, great question. And to be honest, it isn't uncommon for most standard leases to include a clause requiring the tenants to have renter’s insurance. Most major renter’s insurance carriers have policies that will have at least the basics covered, but definitely have your tenant get a few different quotes and do some cross-product analysis. I personally really like Lemonade Home & Renter's insurance, but that's me. Tenants can easily get a quote and they find it to be super affordable (with a pretty incredible UX as well). I hope this information helps!

Hi James, 

It isn't uncommon for most standard leases to include a clause about requiring tenants to have renter’s insurance. Most major renter’s insurance carriers have policies that will have at least the basics covered, but definitely have your tenant get a few different quotes and do some cross-product analysis. I personally really like Lemonade Home & Renter's insurance, but that's me. Tenants can easily get a quote and they find it to be super affordable (with a pretty incredible UX as well). I hope this information helps! 

Hi Jonathan, I'm happy to hear that you're doing your research. There are a lot of great options out there; aside from providing the basics (ie. listing tool to get the property published, scheduling tool to schedule viewings, tenant screening, digital lease creation tool, rent collection tool, and maintenance tracking tool), some services also offer your tenants additional capabilities which makes it an easier sell on your end when getting them to transition over (ie. their ability to report on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus; this can create an added incentive for making sure they pay that rent on time). 

She sounds like someone who is super versed in landlord-tenant law, so I would take the advice others have noted above and find specialized legal counsel (someone who really knows landlord-tenant laws in your state and is up to date with all o the recent amendments + changes). I hate that you're dealing with this situation. Even with the proper screening steps, it sounds like this person found their way around the red flag questions. Pushing the rent up is another technique but before you do or say anything else, definitely consult with legal counsel.

Hi Patty. I am so sorry to hear that you're dealing with this headache. Usually, you'd get a feel for the type of person during the screening process but since they're inherited, it definitely makes the situation a bigger headache.  

Unfortunately, the best advice I can give is to follow the advice of what others have noted above. Try and get this tenant out as best as you can. Most leases have clauses about illegal drug usage on the property, that's fairly standard. If the prior landlord used a lease that at least meets your state's minimum requirements (your state's standard lease), then you should still be able to use that. Now it is just about proof. It could be worth having new security systems installed to catch them in the act. I hate to hear that you're dealing with the drama of some of this, and sometimes that drama can carry over, which is exactly why it makes sense to get a new one in there as fast as you can. I hope everything works out.

Could potentially house-hack it, and since the owner needs to live in it for a year, could specify "owner-occupied." Just a thought!