Not respecting Landlord's time... (leases, tenant, rental, house)
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Don't know what it is or maybe my experiences are a sign of the time...
Over the last 6 months several tenants have missed appointments or sent maintenance packing.
Today... case in point.
Tenant calls last night and this morning stating house has an electrical wire problem... every time she plugs in her curling iron in the bathroom or a electric skillet or deep fryer... the power goes out... says this has never happened before.
Actually, it is a circuit breaker that trips...
This morning, she called and said the refrigerator also goes out... so the circuit she is using has three outlets... bathroom and kitchen convenience outlets and since she moved the refrigerator, it now is plug into a convenience outlet.
Anyway, I call my license electrician and tell him I really need him to meet my at the property this morning and I'm willing to pay to add a dedicated outlet in the kitchen for her skillet and deep fryer...
We are to meet at 11am... I confirmed it with her and followed-up this morning on the phone...
Can't get ahold of anyone and she is a no-show... just paid the electrician $150 for travel and 1 hour sitting around...
Three weeks ago I had set-up a Saturday new carpet install... tenant said she is tired of the 8 year old carpet... it was new when she moved in.
Installer arrive at 8:30 am and she sends them away saying she is not feeling well and they will have to come back some other time.
Last Thursday... I promised another tenant that I would paint the bathroom for the Holidays... I have the drop cloths out and pulled the towel racks and electrical cover plates... tenant comes into the bathroom and said her boyfriends nephew is on the way to emergency and I need to leave...
Last Monday my gutters guys were asked to leave another property because the tenants 12 month old daughter had just gone down for her nap and they didn't want her disturbed...
Three of the four service calls were by tenant request
I have excellent service contractors... the only way I can keep them is by not wasting their time...
I'm just about to the point of getting out of the residential landlord business... I have zero issues with my commercial tenants...
If some wonder what happened to the conscientious landlords... it is no mystery... they just got to the point of frustration and called it quits.
Don't know what it is or maybe my experiences are a sign of the time...
Over the last 6 months several tenants have missed appointments or sent maintenance packing.
Today... case in point.
Tenant calls last night and this morning stating house has an electrical wire problem... every time she plugs in her curling iron in the bathroom or a electric skillet or deep fryer... the power goes out... says this has never happened before.
Actually, it is a circuit breaker that trips...
This morning, she called and said the refrigerator also goes out... so the circuit she is using has three outlets... bathroom and kitchen convenience outlets and since she moved the refrigerator, it now is plug into a convenience outlet.
Anyway, I call my license electrician and tell him I really need him to meet my at the property this morning and I'm willing to pay to add a dedicated outlet in the kitchen for her skillet and deep fryer...
We are to meet at 11am... I confirmed it with her and followed-up this morning on the phone...
Can't get ahold of anyone and she is a no-show... just paid the electrician $150 for travel and 1 hour sitting around...
Three weeks ago I had set-up a Saturday new carpet install... tenant said she is tired of the 8 year old carpet... it was new when she moved in.
Installer arrive at 8:30 am and she sends them away saying she is not feeling well and they will have to come back some other time.
Last Thursday... I promised another tenant that I would paint the bathroom for the Holidays... I have the drop cloths out and pulled the towel racks and electrical cover plates... tenant comes into the bathroom and said her boyfriends nephew is on the way to emergency and I need to leave...
Last Monday my gutters guys were asked to leave another property because the tenants 12 month old daughter had just gone down for her nap and they didn't want her disturbed...
Three of the four service calls were by tenant request
I have excellent service contractors... the only way I can keep them is by not wasting their time...
I'm just about to the point of getting out of the residential landlord business... I have zero issues with my commercial tenants...
If some wonder what happened to the conscientious landlords... it is no mystery... they just got to the point of frustration and called it quits.
Perhaps you should put some sort of clause in your leases that states that if tenant requires a service call they MUST be on site and/ or give the LL and subsequent contractors access to enter the property and complete the work on the scheduled date in the event they are not home or otherwise need to leave. Also state that should a tenant turn away any service call / contractor that is there for a scheduled appointment / work, for ANY reason, they tenant will be held responsible and liable for any and all fees related to travel time / expenses, or other expenses you may incur for having workers show up only to be turned away. Also add that if a tenant must cancel a scheduled work appointment, that they must do so within 48 hours of the scheduled time of the appointment, otherwise they will face being held responsible for any and all fees as stated previously.
This should STOP them from calling and demanding things be done then turn them away when they come to do the work.
Sorry you are having these issues. I know if we had tenants that did this sort of thing, no matter how good they were, THEY would be paying any fees and expenses for failure to keep scheduled appointments.
Good points and I know that I'm just venting here...
It's just that over the 30+ years in the business... the responsibilities of the Landlord has increased many times and not so for the tenant.
In my area Landlords are not allowed to terminate a rental without cause, units are registered and each property must have a business license... so much is put on the owner that it has become oppressive when rent control is added to the mix...
I would like to see a similar companion "Owner's Rights" to go along side "Tenant's Rights"
In many states, you already have the right to enter and do not need the tenant's permission. You simply need to notify them and give them proper notice that you will be coming. Proper notice (not permission) is all that is needed. No matter what is in the lease. Check your state law. Depending on the state, proper notice can be 12 or 24 hours and between certain typical times, such as 8am and 9pm. Depends on the state. You should have key to gain entry. Simply notify them when you are coming.
Update: Looks like OP is in CA. Here is info on CA:
6. Tenant Privacy and the Landlord’s Right to Enter the Dwelling The landlord may enter the tenant’s premises only for specific reasons, during normal business hours and only after the tenant has been given at least 24 hour advance notice of the landlord’s intent to enter the dwelling {Civil Code Sec. 1954}. The only reasons a landlord may enter the dwelling are; 1. In an emergency, 2. To make necessary repairs, 3. To make agreed repairs, 4. To show the rental to prospective tenants, mortgagees or purchasers, 5. When the tenant has abandoned or vacated the premises or 6. Pursuant to court order.
above was taken from here. http://www.landlord.com/lawresoverview.htm#5. CONDITION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
Last edited by sware2cod; 12-15-2011 at 02:23 PM..
Don't know what it is or maybe my experiences are a sign of the time...
Over the last 6 months several tenants have missed appointments or sent maintenance packing.
Today... case in point.
Tenant calls last night and this morning stating house has an electrical wire problem... every time she plugs in her curling iron in the bathroom or a electric skillet or deep fryer... the power goes out... says this has never happened before.
Actually, it is a circuit breaker that trips...
This morning, she called and said the refrigerator also goes out... so the circuit she is using has three outlets... bathroom and kitchen convenience outlets and since she moved the refrigerator, it now is plug into a convenience outlet.
Anyway, I call my license electrician and tell him I really need him to meet my at the property this morning and I'm willing to pay to add a dedicated outlet in the kitchen for her skillet and deep fryer...
We are to meet at 11am... I confirmed it with her and followed-up this morning on the phone...
Can't get ahold of anyone and she is a no-show... just paid the electrician $150 for travel and 1 hour sitting around...
Three weeks ago I had set-up a Saturday new carpet install... tenant said she is tired of the 8 year old carpet... it was new when she moved in.
Installer arrive at 8:30 am and she sends them away saying she is not feeling well and they will have to come back some other time.
Last Thursday... I promised another tenant that I would paint the bathroom for the Holidays... I have the drop cloths out and pulled the towel racks and electrical cover plates... tenant comes into the bathroom and said her boyfriends nephew is on the way to emergency and I need to leave...
Last Monday my gutters guys were asked to leave another property because the tenants 12 month old daughter had just gone down for her nap and they didn't want her disturbed...
Three of the four service calls were by tenant request
I have excellent service contractors... the only way I can keep them is by not wasting their time...
I'm just about to the point of getting out of the residential landlord business... I have zero issues with my commercial tenants...
If some wonder what happened to the conscientious landlords... it is no mystery... they just got to the point of frustration and called it quits.
would you please be my landlord????--today again she has not come over nor sent anyone to check on the awful odors coming thru vents when the new furnace runs nor has checked out why lights flicker and thermostat sends no signals to furnace--i have spent days staying hommmme waiting for a response-----why do good tenants get lousy landlords and good landlords get terribly inconsiderate tenants?????
i called local fire inspector so now code is getting involved cause he found too many wires to nowhere in basement
Tenants do not understand landlord's issues. Period. Most will only see you as the enemy and/or a necessary evil.
Quit agreeing to upgrade anything after the tenant has been living there- like the carpet. Only do needed repairs, and like the previous poster said, announce with proper notice according to the laws of your state when the repair will be made. If the tenant won't let the maintenance people in, that's their problem. You document the incident, send the tenant a bill for travel time, and then take your sweet time about re-scheduling.
If you have really long term tenants- like 8 years long- it could be a sign that you're not charging enough rent. You might want to re-evaluate the tenants as to whether they're causing you any trouble. If they're worth keeping, keep them, if not, start raising the rent.
A landlord is in business and you've got to be businesslike.
Tenants do not understand landlord's issues. Period. Most will only see you as the enemy and/or a necessary evil.
Quit agreeing to upgrade anything after the tenant has been living there- like the carpet. Only do needed repairs, and like the previous poster said, announce with proper notice according to the laws of your state when the repair will be made. If the tenant won't let the maintenance people in, that's their problem. You document the incident, send the tenant a bill for travel time, and then take your sweet time about re-scheduling.
If you have really long term tenants- like 8 years long- it could be a sign that you're not charging enough rent. You might want to re-evaluate the tenants as to whether they're causing you any trouble. If they're worth keeping, keep them, if not, start raising the rent.
A landlord is in business and you've got to be businesslike.
To the two points in bold above:
1. While that is probably true for MOST, its not true for all. I think there are many tenants out there that understand the flip side. I sure did before, and now that we find ourselves not only tenant's where we live, but now also landlords for the property we own and rent out in another county, we definitely can see both sides of the coin very clearly. I think it helps immensely though if you are both, to understand both sides clearly and what each side entails.
2. While it is true that the LL is a business and ostensibly the tenant is the customer, and a certain amount of business like decorum should occur, I also think that it is important to also be a human being about things on both sides. LL's are property owners protecting their investments, and tenants are customers wanting customer service and value for the money they are spending with said LL's, and also protecting their homes / lives, comforts...etc. It is a home, and we all need to have one and I think alot can come of also having a bit more relaxed human type relationship between the two. That has been the case for us in our last place and current place, and even the place I lived before that even though it was a complex with a 122 units. They were still, while being professional, also very friendly, understanding, and there was almost never really any issues between the LL and the tenants. I think attempting to go a bit beyond just being business like, on both sides, especially for LL's who own only 1 or 2 or a few properties can go a long way to making for good LL / tenant relations. Not saying either side should be walked on, but be a little real and down to earth about it. Its a home, and we all need them and have to LIVE our lives in them, so in that respect were all in the same boat.
Tenant called and left 3 messages apologizing with the last saying she is home now... well, now it is pitch dark and the electrician is long gone.
My window of opportunity has passed and I left her a note saying it is doubtful anything can be done till after the holidays.
In my experience of 30+ years of management... it is almost the most difficult tenants that have the most complaints.
Years ago, I managed a small duplex... lady in one unit is as nice as could be and the other was very abrasive... she would run off the gardener if he started before 10 am on a Saturday.
The sweet lady asked the gardener to plant flowers and offered to pay extra... he, on his own time fixed up her walk very nicely...
The other tenant became upset that her walk was being ignored... well, it wasn't from the management point of view it is just the other lady was a pleasure to be around...
The gardener said he didn't want to go anywhere near the complainer because there was always a complaint...
I guess what comes around goes around...
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