Do You Have Tenants Who Shove Their Responsibilities on You?

Question

I am a new landlord. I am fair to my tenants, but they are not always fair to me. I cooperative my share of being a responsible landlord, but they don't do their part by not paying rent on time and letting the place go. However, if their is something wrong they shove it in your face and forget all the nice things you have done for them.

I have nice tenants, but there are 3 that are driving me nuts right now. I have been nothing, but nice. When there was a problem with the plumber recently, I got someone immediately. Our house is well taken care of when we do our part. When she lost her job, I let the rent slide a bit. She lives alone, so we have someone shovel her own snow and mow her lawn. However, when the city housing inspector came by yesterday and I was busy with another tenant, she got bitchy. She knew when the inspector was coming and did not let her inside. I had to run over and let her in. The other night, the police were called on her and her boyfriend. I live in a tenant friendly state. Argh!!!

Answer 1

Tenants are not your friends, and you don't need to take on their financial problems.  Being a landlord is a business, evict when they are late with the rent, because once you let them slide, they will do it every month.  If my tenants don't pay me on the first, I start eviction on the 2nd.  I don't care who they are, if they lost their jobs, if they have 5 kids...whatever.  I have enough of my own problems. I have over 50 units for over 10 years, and have all units rented, most with long term tenants that pay on the 1st, because they know if they don't, I will evict them.  A landlords job is to provide good service, and a safe environment for tenants.  We do both, and we do them well.  That is why we stay full, and have probably 75% long term tenants.  The tenants job is to pay rent on time and in full, and not trash the property. ,Remember, you are not their friend, and no matter what you do, they probably will never really like you, and at times almost resent you for some odd reason.  You will harden up over time and stop listening to their sob stories.      

Answer 2

You're an idiot being a nice guy with troublesome tenants in a tenant-friendly environment. You have to be hard and strong to let them know who is boss. Then and only then do you back off a bit.

"Fair" has nothing to do with "legal." And YOU have to worry about being legal.

So many people get involved in property management that don't seem to have a clue about the pitfalls that are possible. I suggest going to www.amazon.com and typing "landlording" in the search window. The last time I did that I got 200 hits. You can look at the reviews and then go to your library and see which ones they have.

For someone who is late with their rent it is best to get ahead of the problem immediately. You can always back off later, but you have to show strength from the start. The day after your grace period (if you have one) you should issue A Three Day Notice to Pay or Quit. After 3 days you issue a Thirty Day Notice to Vacate and go to the coutrhouse to find out how to take the tenant to court and file the paperwork as soon as allowed.

At any time during this process you can rescind the case if the tenant catches-up, including the court costs. I have found that many tenants are so shocked that you'd actually do this that many are never late again.