mungkiman Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I'll admit, I sucked as a renter. Never mowing the lawn, always throwing wild parties, etc., but I did know how to maintain systems and appliances. My parents taught me well, and I did actually care about my safety (read damage deposit)... For the past 10 years I have owned a rental house across the street from where I live. Several years ago, I relied on the tenants to replace such items as furnace filters. The furnace was older, and only accepted the 30-90 day type filters. I supplied a stack, with instructions, and would email/call monthly with reminders. After multiple assurances on their part, I got the call that "the furnace is broken, and we don't know what happened". What happened was that the filter hadn't been changed in 2 plus years, and that the heat exchanger (term?) had cracked. Again, being an older furnace, I couldn't replace the heat exchanger and spent $6K on a new furnace. Thanks, Fockers... Fast forward to this weekend. My current tenants signed up for another years lease. I agreed to replace the (1 year) filter on the new furnace, as well as a smoke detector battery, and asked "Is there ANYTHING else?". The response was "Well, sometimes the stovetop catches FIRE"!!! It's an electric stove (no open flame), so I immediately pulled the burners and trim rings, lifted the top to reveal about 1/4" of grease, and declared that I wouldn't put the stove back together until it was properly and thoroughly cleaned. The previous service call was when the dishwasher "didn't work", no matter "how hard we slam the door". After demonstrating that the door couldn't close if/when a fork lays across the opening... Well, you get the idea. Protect your investments, people. I already have a call in to my insurance agent. Rant over, and hopefully out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Been there Done that...................................no fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Being a residential landlord is a prep-school for Hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) Had a tenant once complain that the AC wasn't blowing anymore. Went over and checked the filter which weighed about 5 lbs with all the dirt. We told the tenant either he could change the filter regularly or we would be by at our convenience and with our key to change it with every season. Never got that call again and they rented for 7 years. Edited August 3, 2014 by JL Sargent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Have had renters for over 30 years. You get good ones and bad ones. The best way I have found to evaluate potential renters is to show your place. Then insist on going to where they are presently living and inspect the way they took care of that house. Sometimes they will want a couple hours before letting you come over. Be firm and insist on going to their home as soon as you leave your rental property. You might be amazed at what you find. And some things are better to find before you make a decision to rent or not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 My evaluation of potential renters has largely come from their ability to pay first + last + damage + cleaning + pet + application. Even when more than $8K separates the wheat from the chaff, idiots still prevail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthews Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 with 180 rental units the only conclusion I have come to is... YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I have a tenant in a separate house but it's my son. He gets a reduced rent and I get the piece of mind that he's caring for the place like it's his own. it's a win win. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I've had rental property in the past.... Sad thing in my case, it was a relative the screwed me around more than anyone else.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) There is no defending sloth or dishonesty. But I think maybe we don't understand that some people don't have "The Knack" and therefore are incapable of figuring out the most minor mechanical things, and put in an air filter or operate a dish washer. I love to tell this story. Years ago I was in a three-flat and the couple upstairs invited me for a drink. The couple, let me say, were very much liberal arts grads from a major university ( just a little bit Ivy League "proper"). The reason for the drink was because I was going to apartment sit for them while they went on vacation. This required feeding the two cats, cleaning the litter box, and taking in the mail. They mentioned they owned a canister - hose vacuum cleaner. They had brought it in for repairs and the repairman said it was okay. But the couple told me it still didn't have any suction. Would I take a look at it. Turing it I noticed the motor was turning fast (no air load) and there was indeed no suction. So I brought the hose to the bathtub (maybe I should have asked permission, they are "proper") and got a hand seal of one end of the hose over the faucet, and ran the water flow into the hose. Nothing came out at first. Then there was a BLOP and a big freeky wad of cat hair came out the other end of the hose in front of a gush of water. Messing up their nice clean bath tub. I then realize I had probably committed a grand faux pas in taking over their bath tub for this experiment. But they had an astonished look and then said, "Do you think that was the problem?" They really did not understand what I had done, or why, or what they had seen. It's true. Some people have "The Knack" and some don't. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx6HojLBsnw Smile, WMcD Edited August 4, 2014 by William F. Gil McDermott 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I have a tenant in a separate house but it's my son. He gets a reduced rent and I get the piece of mind that he's caring for the place like it's his own. it's a win win. That's what i thought when i rented to a family member, while i was working 2100 miles away. Came back four years later and the place was destroyed…unlivable and they owed over $5000 in back rent. Fixed up the house and sold it. Never thought family would burn us…how wrong was I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssh Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Yes. Some good, some not. SSH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I have a tenant in a separate house but it's my son. He gets a reduced rent and I get the piece of mind that he's caring for the place like it's his own. it's a win win.That's what i thought when i rented to a family member, while i was working 2100 miles away. Came back four years later and the place was destroyed…unlivable and they owed over $5000 in back rent. Fixed up the house and sold it. Never thought family would burn us…how wrong was I. Luckily we're 10 minutes away and go over there frequently. The lawn is always mowed and the inside of the house is always clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Back in the 80's I ran the maintenance and HUD house rehab department for a really large property management and real estate investment company in Genesee county Michigan (Flint before it went to shit)...the horror stories I could tell would put me in bankruptcy it would take me so long to write them all. Needless to say after three years of running that nightmare I decided I would never invest in rental property..I did buy, fix up and flip for years though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Hummm? I am trying to answer the OP Topic; Do I have renters? Hard to say, they live in a house I own but I haven't received rent for a couple of months. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Hummm? I am trying to answer the OP Topic; Do I have renters? Hard to say, they live in a house I own but I haven't received rent for a couple of months. Sounds like squatters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep3shot Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Twenty years of being a landlord has taught me that people treat rental homes the same as rental cars. Appliances and mechanicals are cared for in same fashion one would treat the transmission of a rental Mustang in Las Vegas on a bachelor party weekend. Tenants that respect, maintain, and timely pay rent are a joyful rarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hummm? I am trying to answer the OP Topic; Do I have renters? Hard to say, they live in a house I own but I haven't received rent for a couple of months. In the County I live in now, The Judge would have them out in less then 48 hours, The last ones wanted to take us to court, They were not allowed back in the house. Judge ordered that what was left on the property be taken to the dump. It was a shame as there was things I would like to take to Goodwill, but Judges orders are Judges orders. I have a tenant in a separate house but it's my son. He gets a reduced rent and I get the piece of mind that he's caring for the place like it's his own. it's a win win. If he has roommates you can write off some of the money as wages for a property manager. If you work it right you can both legally come out ahead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven1963 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hummm? I am trying to answer the OP Topic; Do I have renters? Hard to say, they live in a house I own but I haven't received rent for a couple of months. Good luck with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven1963 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I've been seriously thinking about buying another home and renting out the one I've lived in now for 18 years. I am aware of how hard it is to find good renters though and these stories aren't giving me any confidence about the issue. I think I will just sell outright and not deal with the potential headaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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