All Forum Posts by: Sharlene Mulchandani

@Marita Jojo I found this article that should be helpful with your dilemma - https://www.cresinsurance.com/...

@Kristen Cabildo I would suggest getting documentation of their financial aid as well as asking their parents to co-sign. Like most others mentioned, college students do not really have income or any credit history established, so screening them would not be as helpful as knowing how they're going to pay their rent every month.

@Jonathan Anderson Like most others mentioned, looking at their tax returns is one way of verifying their income. Asking for bank statements and maybe a statement of profit and loss (if they have one) is also useful. 

@James Mcsweeney Like Jimmy mentioned, this is most likely due to a disturbance to sediments, particles or minerals in your water. A common reason for sudden brown water is if the city has changed the pressure of the water lines. I suggest running your tap for about 20 mins and check to see if the water is brown. If it's still appearing brown, do contact the city and let them know.

@Chandler Corn I think that her paying upfront might not be such a good idea. It would definitely make things messy if the tenant violates or breaks their lease agreement. Also, each state has varying rules regarding upfront rent payments, so I would double check your local and state laws if you're considering it.

@Richie Thompson I suggest adding a regular washer and dryer rather than a coin operated one. Your tenants should not have an issue if you increase their rent for free laundry. It will also be easier to buy a new/used washer or dryer rather than managing coin operated ones.

I too think that a three bed would be more favourable.

I suggest charging a one time, non-refundable pet fee - most landlords usually charge anywhere between $50-$500 for pet fees, which you can use for any damages. You can charge this fee, depending on the amount of risk presented by the pet. 
Pet fees are not legal in every state, so I suggest you refer to your state laws as well.

@Tammy Mason From the pictures you showed us, it definitely does not appear to be normal wear and tear because those are an excessive amount of holes. I suggest you share those photos with your tenants and use a part of their deposit to pay for the repairs.

I suggest making an amendment to the lease regarding the pet, stating that the tenants are not keeping the pet anymore. As far the security deposit goes, since it was clearly mentioned that it was non-refundable, you do not have to refund this to them.