Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
forget to ask about utilities.. are there seperate meters? if not, again.. too bad. new lease, if separate meters, get the tenant to pay for their own heat, then see how much they complain about heat.
get rid of them.
lower the temperature to 68, tough on them.
ignore thier requests.
tell them point blank, dont like it here, you can move.
life is to precious and too short to be bothered with crap like that.
your a LL to make money, your job isnt to make them happy.
Agree, but - I would live exactly within the letter of the law while being very "nice" and genuine. In spirit I do not disagree with the "point blank," but it is often strategically smarter to project a different mood.
If the refrigerator is within the regulations you are not obligated to replace it. That said, though, I believe that you can take a considerable increase for replacing appliances ...? I would look that up.
Keep track of EVERYTHING ! In writing. If you have even minor conversations with the tenants, sum them up in writing and deliver by certified mail, return receipt: "On Monday, May 4, we agreed that ..." and so on. If they want to object, they can produce their own letters.
If you appear vindictive you can be sued for harassment. This is sometimes warranted, and sometimes it is not.
Section 8 is a whole new ball game. Being Sec 8 qualified is the most valuable asset the Tenant will ever have. They cannot risk losing it. The Sec 8 gods would have/should have inspected the property before qualifying it as suitable for the Sec 8 minimum standard guidelines. Tenants are at the mercy of Sec 8 bureaucrats. If they damage, don't pay, or assorted other things, they can lose their Sec 8 benefits. But Sec 8 folks can make you provide certain things, basic to the housing. Normally, Sec 8 properties can command higher than market rent, as the rental allowances are quite generous. Sec 8 is like GOLD to a Tenant.
So this sword cuts both ways. As a new LL, no offense, you might not be aware of the max allowable rent you can charge. GET AWARE. You may be below what is permitted under the Sec 8 rules.
The two edges of the sword are:
(1) YOU must keep the property to minimum Sec 8 standards and
(2) THEY must be good tenants and follow the lease to the last detail.
If the whiners complain to Sec 8, they can inspect the property and require certain things, (normally) none of which are unreasonable.
Now, if you report the Tenants to Sec 8, for just cause, they risk losing their benefits and they can't afford this. It's better than Rent Stabilization and better than Rent Control even for THEM. They pay dimes on the dollar.
If you are confident, as a new LL, that you are doing everything that the Lease requires of you, you should be good. I would check the top rent you can get under Sec 8 guidelines and, if lower than the max, then you have some serious leverage. "Hey Mr/Mrs Whiner, you can leave now if you want or at the end of your lease. I would prefer now as your rent is $X and I can easily re-rent it for $Y.
Get on the phone to NYCHA and "play 20 questions". Ask as a potential LL, not an existing one. They will want to know some things like how many bedrooms you have. You can ask how many people can live there. You haven't answered as to where this place is, the rent you are charging and how many tenants are living there. If they are Sec 8, there is a chance that they have more ppl living there than you agreed to, and/or more than Sec 8 permits based on the bedrooms provided them.
Yes these are section 8 tenants and the apartment was inspected and passed with no problems. This is a house. I wish I had done more research before renting to them. I guess I am learning. I initially wanted to get them because I thought it would be better since I would be "guaranteed" to get the rent .
Yes these are section 8 tenants and the apartment was inspected and passed with no problems. This is a house. I wish I had done more research before renting to them. I guess I am learning. I initially wanted to get them because I thought it would be better since I would be "guaranteed" to get the rent .
Yeah, guaranteed at the expense of quality tenants. Which affects your life outside of work too.
I've sent you the website for heat and hot water requirements. It will help with your tenants wanting you to keep it at 80 degrees all the time which is insane and will drive up your oil bills.
I'm not familiar with section 8 laws "per say" but if they signed the lease and did not mention anything about the refrigerator before they signed, then your not obligated to purchase a bigger one. Now if it should stop working, that would be up to you to purchase a bigger size or the same size.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
