All Forum Posts by: Sean McKee

I'm a landlord dealing with a tenant who has been unresponsive for the past month. She is currently late on rent for the month August and still owes a remaining balance of $100 from the previous month. I've made several attempts to personally deliver a five-day notice but haven't been successful. Despite my efforts to reach her by phone, email, and text, it has been nearly impossible to get in touch. I'm at my wit's end and really can't afford to hire an attorney. Do you have any advice on how to start the eviction process? Thank you.

Hey all! 

I recently started a direct mail campaign and am prepping for my second month's mailer. The first month was an intro letter and every month after that will be a Market Brief, which I've attached here. Curious to hear everyone's take on this style of mailer. 

Has anyone tried something similar? What were your results? 

For context, I'm a Realtor but also looking for off-market properties for flipping. I'm trying to perfect the language to attract both traditional and distressed sellers. 

Im looking at properties to buy, and saw a tenant in a 4-unit property I like paid $1,000 in late fees.    They are also smokers and their unit is horrid.  They are month to month.  What are common practices to remove them?   Another tenant in the same property pays $750 a month and should be paying more around $1100.   What is the best way to increase her rent?

@Nathan Gesner

I agree that I have made a big mistake by being too nice to tenant. I should have drawn a clear line beforehand. I have thought of not doing the repair work but she has implied complaining that to City and said the house is not habitable.

The sad thing is that even the tenant has violated the lease and if I want to evict them with just cause, it will take 6-9 months from start to finish and 25K loss of rent + fee.

In California tenant can pretty much do whatever they want and the policy encourage them doing that. It is pretty sad.

What are the Best Practices to Determine the names of Squatters in your Property? In my state, you can evict using John and Jane Doe but it is usually more efficient to have the real names of people you want to evict? What options exist when they don't want to tell you their names?

I require my tenants to have a minimum credit score of 680. A group of four are applying together for my 4 bdrm property. They are an engaged couple, the guy’s mother, and the woman’s brother. I was told that out of the four adults, two have credit scores above 700, one has 650, another has 600. Their combined income does exceed 3x the rent. But none qualifies with just one person’s income. I haven’t run the credit checks yet because I normally would simply reject when I was informed the required credit scores weren’t met.

Assuming what they told me about their credit scores is true, would you rent to them? I‘m also concerned that the boyfriend and girlfriend may break up and one moves out. My contract does specify that everyone on the lease is responsible for paying the entire rent. But it still created trouble in the past when some tenants wanted to leave earlier due to a deteriorating relationship.  

Hi Everyone!  I have a dilemma with a tenant.  I am not signing a new lease with her.  Nothing was done because she’s a horrible tenant, it’s just a personal issue that requires me possessing the property.  I have given 3 months notice ahead of her lease ending that we would not be signing again.  She is stating she can be out one month earlier than lease ending (which I’m fine with) but is now half month late on rent.  She is asking if she is out by the 1st of September if I can accept the deposit as the current months(last month) rent payment.  Supposedly has been approved for another rental. Thoughts?  I feel like I’m opening the possibility of problems with a stay over, or the place is left with damage and cleanliness problems without recourse.  But, if I don’t accept and she doesn’t pay then I’m possibly in the eviction process after she’s left which means I’m still not paid and I’m out time and money for court.  Any ideas?

 Thanks Warren for the insight! It’s frame actually. It was updated to through the town compliance process in 2012. What makes frames so much tougher in Berwyn?

@Sean McKee we have just under 100 units in Berwyn. the answer to your question will depend mostly on the quality of the unit. A lot of 2 bed/1 bath units will rent in the $1250-1550 range depending on the size, condition, amenities, parking, pet fees, etc. We have been targeting $1350 recently and that has been going well. 

In terms of the building you are under contract on, is it brick or frame? Berwyn has so many amazing brick buildings and a lot of times the frame buildings can be tough when it comes to the Berwyn compliance inspection.