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If I am a landlord renting a single family home, what problems can arise if the tenant starts to do unauthorized improvements which they pay for without my knowledge?
Examples: Extensive electrical work to accommodate more room a/c's and hot tub/spa placed on deck, add outdoor plumbing faucets, landscaping, etc?
Could they be setting me up to make future claim to an "interest" in the property? (This is NY State). Should my lease have covered this type of situation? They have been good tenants for 10+ years (annual leases) but now this recent "improvement" crap is starting to concern me. I have verbally asked them to not undertake unauthorized work. The current lease is up next month. The home is a modest structure situated on a multi million $$ property.
Electrical work needs to be permitted basically everywhere. If it isn't the city can force you to vacate the property until it is brought up to current code and inspected. Basically means you have to hire an electrician to draft plans to submit for permits then rip open the walls and have it inspected then close it back up. You can sue them to cover those costs even if you didn't prohibit improvements in the lease they have to return the property in the same condition they received it in.
It sounds like after over a decade of renting the same house the tenants feel like they have some sort of ownership in the property and can change it to suit themselves. I would add wording to their new lease about not changing the property and have a frank discussion with them.
Could they be setting me up to make future claim to an "interest" in the property?
I would think that the very existence of a lease would solve that problem. Every year they are signing something that says "You own it, we pay you to occupy it."
They won't be able to get very far to claim an interest in the property but they are indeed "making it theirs" by doing all these upgrades or whatever. They are getting a bit too comfortable. I'd put an end to it as well. Imagine if they just did some major work and you decided to end their lease at the next lease end date? They'd probably try to sue you for the cost of the upgrade. They most likely wouldn't win but I wouldn't go down this road.
I'd terminate their lease and find new tenants. At the very least, all notices should be in writing, none of this "verbally telling them". At this point, you need to verify that all electrical work was done by a licensed electrician with proper building permits and inspections.
I do not allow hot tubs and I would make my tenants remove the hot tub.-- well, actually since the lease is up, I'd just kick them out, subject to the housing rules in your area. That hot tub is an enormous liability to you, and triply so if it was not installed with proper permits and government inspection. Make them take the hot tub with them when they leave.
Your tenants are out of control. Trade them in for new tenants and start fresh being much more controlling so you don't get into this situation again.
I am not sure about NY, but in other states I have lived in, if the tenant has a licensed contractor do a job and does not pay for it the contractor can file against the title to the home to collect for his/her work.
And if the tenant is NOT getting building permits, you can get in lots of trouble and may have to vacate the home until it is brought up to code....or their shoddy work could cause a fire, water leak, whatever.
BTW, my parents allowed tenants to paint, do wall changes if they had been there for a while. One time the tenant moved out and we were left with a living room with a large velvet, textured, life-size naked lady with a nice beige background. My brother and I got to peel that off before we could paint it to re-rent.
One time the tenant moved out and we were left with a living room with a large velvet, textured, life-size naked lady with a nice beige background. My brother and I got to peel that off before we could paint it to re-rent.
Philistine...Some people just don't appreciate good art
If I am a landlord renting a single family home, what problems can arise if the tenant starts to do unauthorized improvements which they pay for without my knowledge?
Examples: Extensive electrical work to accommodate more room a/c's and hot tub/spa placed on deck, add outdoor plumbing faucets, landscaping, etc?
Could they be setting me up to make future claim to an "interest" in the property? (This is NY State). Should my lease have covered this type of situation? They have been good tenants for 10+ years (annual leases) but now this recent "improvement" crap is starting to concern me. I have verbally asked them to not undertake unauthorized work. The current lease is up next month. The home is a modest structure situated on a multi million $$ property.
As a renter I am curious as to what, if any, improvements you have made to this home in 10 years? Maybe they are updating because you won't? Is it hot enough in this house that they need more window a/c's? Is the hot tub going to cause structural issues or are you just annoyed because they didn't ask you first (they should have).
People are telling you to get rid of them when the lease is up because they want to improve YOUR home? Do they pay their rent on time? Do they cause you any problems? I have found the problem with staying in a rental for a long time is the landlord doesn't want to do any improvements or upgrades until AFTER you move out which is quite unfair if you are a long term tenant.
If you don't want them to do any improvements, perhaps YOU should just tell them or ask them what they would like done so you can hire a licensed electrician. Are you wanting them out because they are situated on a multi million $$$ property and you figure you can hike up the rent by a couple of hundred dollars if they move out?
I have found the majority of landlords on CD to be awful especially the one guy that expected his tenants to have an 800 credit score. I mean really, that is ridiculous.
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