All Forum Posts by: Missy H.

If your concerns are roaches and mice, you should consider having a pest control company on contract and raising their rent upon renewal to cover the cost.  

In my opinion, your only other option is to not renew and find someone new.  You can't change people's habits

What are the terms of the purchase?  Are your parents willing to just let you take over payments?  Do they want you to purchase it from them for what is owed or a higher amount?  With the work that needs to be done, is it inhabitable?  Maybe your first step should be to have a home inspection (as you would with any property purchase) to get an idea of what is actually needed.  Once you have the hit list, contact a few contractors to find out what is their estimate to do the work required.  If it is an $18K job, you have to figure out if it is actually a deal to but this home from your parents.  They might not be doing you any favors.

In terms of rent charged, ,what is standard for the area?  Use the BP calculators to see if this is really a good deal for you.

$25 per month.  Most places in my area don't allow pets, so I think that usually leads folks to stay in one place longer

@Account Closed  The downstairs guy is a complainer.  He calls/texts for every little thing.  The neighbor lets his dog walk in the yard, he calls.  Someone throws garbage in the yard, he calls. The other posts are right.  He needs to deal with this and grow a pair to talk with the guy upstairs.

@Christine Kankowski and @Peter M..

Thank you for the advice.  You both make perfect sense.  He has not spoken to the upstairs tenant.  He only complains to me.  He does have a six month lease which expires in June.  I will give him the opportunity to not renew if he is not happy.  I could probably get more rent anyway with a new tenant.  

Thank you both.

@Caleb Heimsoth.  They are little kids and appear to be very well behaved when I see them.  I think he is just being a complainer.  

I guess my question is, "Is this really my responsibility?" "Should I even get involved?"  I think that he should man up and speak to them himself.

I have a two family and just rented out the upstairs to a couple with two young kids.  The husband has excellent references and has been paying the rent on time.  They want to live there long term and he has even done some improvements to his apartment because they want to make it a home.  So far they are great.

My problem is that the downstairs tenant has been complaining that the kids are running up and down all day and he is getting "headaches" from the noise.  I mentioned the excessive noise to the upstairs tenant and he said that he would talk to his wife to try to have the kids keep the noise down.  I then told the guy downstairs that I spoke to the people upstairs.  But really, all I can do is talk to them.  My lease has a noise clause but that is between the hours of 10PM and 6AM.  This has nothing to do with the noise clause.

Today I get another text from the guy downstairs with a photo of the dining room area that has dust on the furniture, allegedly from the ceiling due to all of the "Banging and running around".  I have already spoken to the tenant upstairs and told this to the guy downstairs.  

I don't think there is anything more that I can really do.  

To be honest, if he wants to move out, i would be ok with that.

Your thoughts and advice????

I strongly suggest that you find an attorney to assist you with this.  If you are out of state and have to evict, you will most likely need a lawyer anyway,  Rather than solicit, sketchy advise, go straight to the source,  evic_law.pdf .  This website may give you some information but it is written in legalese.  

I can say that I don't want to bad-mouth anyone so I won't list the bad ones.  On the other hand, I have not met any good ones either.  I manage my own properties.

In my opinion, Craigslist is not the way to go for handymen, contractors, etc....  I would say that references by someone you already know is the best way.  

Alternatively, you could put building maintenance as a responsibility for the first floor tenant (or one of the tenants) with a benefit such as sole use of back yard providing he/she maintains property.

Hope this helps.