Repairs in Rental House built in 2005 (renter, appliances, credit check) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

nixau27 · 12-01-2011, 04:26 AM

Hello everyone! I have a house being rented since I'm hoping we'd go back to VA soon and the renters just moved in back in Sept. and since they moved in, they have been complaining, here and there abt. the house that needs to be replaced and the bills are piling up. First, it's the faucet leaking, replaced that, cost me close to $300 ($200 for faucet and $80 for labor). Next, the range hood, will replace that, will cost me close to $300 again (180 for range hood, $100 for labor). I also replaced 2 smoke detectors since the property manager said it was just "going off" and we had someone come in and look at it and they said the 2 smoke detectors needs to be replaced (cost me 1 little over $100). Now, these tenants are saying the smoke detectors are going off!!!! Told the property manager to ask some questions (for pete's sake! I can't just replace it just because, she has to find out atleast if they were cooking or something that might be causing it to go off!) and she said we either have to have someone come in and check the wiring (house was built in 2005 and the only time I remember it going off was due to the steam from the bathroom when my child opened the door after taking a shower-there was a smoke detector in the hallway bathroom). Property manager said she called fire marshall and marshall suggested that it might be the wiring or all smoke detectors has to be replaced since "there is a life span of less than 10 yrs" for smoke detectors. Neighbors hasn't had any problems with theirs. Any suggestions?

saganista · 12-01-2011, 05:29 AM

Welcome to landlord-world! Remember that all these expenses are tax-deductible.

woodworkingmenace · 12-01-2011, 05:39 AM

I might hire a 'Property Manager' who is able to do simple repairs... 100 bucks for smoke detectors is outrageous, and if you were there, (which your not, unfortunately), you would be able to replace them, so, get someone capable of running the place and making repairs on it too.

I wish you well...

Jesse

khuntrevor · 12-01-2011, 05:58 AM

Sounds like you didn't do proper maintenance before they moved in. Are the detectors ac/dc? are they chained together? 80 for a faucet (labor) is fair...HD charges more than that, I believe.

oneasterisk · 12-01-2011, 06:28 AM

$100 for two smoke detectors seem outrageous! There are like two wires to them if they are the wired kind, possibly 3 if it requires a separate ground. Or even cheaper just buy two new ones that are battery operated and then have the tenats replace batteries annually. Walmart.com: First Alert Photoelectric Smoke and Fire Alarm, SA710CN: Home Security

mrchanello · 12-01-2011, 06:37 AM

Ditto on getting someone who can do the basic work for way less, but the rest sounds like normal maintenance ... believe me, as a tenant, we don't want people coming in to the house to fix stuff constantly, and those types of repairs aren't adding some sort of unbargained for luxury to the house ... they just want basic things fixed.

nixau27 · 12-01-2011, 08:01 AM

$100 covers the 2 smoke detectors and labor I supposed. The house was move in ready, like I said, it was built in 2005. The tenant seems to be nitpicking, like the range hood vent, if it's turned to high, it has a loud noise. I wanted to tell them:"well, then don't turn it to high, use low!". We do have a property manager who seems to act just like a go between,,each and every month since these tenant moved in, all I hear is more money out the door! Yes, we wish we were down there to fix it ourselves but we're not. And the smoke detectors problems were deemed "safety issues" so property manager said we had to act on it ASAP.

sullyguy · 12-01-2011, 08:36 AM

My main-floor smoke detector goes off all the time - I believe it has something to do with the high-heat stir-frying we do all the time...

We're still on the original detectors from 1989.

South Jersey Styx · 12-01-2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

Or even cheaper just buy two new ones that are battery operated and then have the tenats replace batteries annually. Walmart.com: First Alert Photoelectric Smoke and Fire Alarm, SA710CN: Home Security

Same response I would give. OP, get the battery-operated types (BTW, the type used the most in the country) and it won't be "going off".

Your costs sound high on the repairs. A faucet often leaks because there is a small "screen" over the mouth which often gets build-up. Changing that is a few bucks. If not, you can get a basic faucet for $55-$65.

When I had to replace a hood (about 2 yrs ago), I bought it for $45 from Home Depot and did it myself.

OP, did you do a walk-through and check-list with your tenants before they moved in? I hope they're not trying to build a case against you. Sounds like an awful lot of whining though.

nixau27 · 12-01-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

Same response I would give. OP, get the battery-operated types (BTW, the type used the most in the country) and it won't be "going off".

Your costs sound high on the repairs. A faucet often leaks because there is a small "screen" over the mouth which often gets build-up. Changing that is a few bucks. If not, you can get a basic faucet for $55-$65.

When I had to replace a hood (about 2 yrs ago), I bought it for $45 from Home Depot and did it myself.

OP, did you do a walk-through and check-list with your tenants before they moved in? I hope they're not trying to build a case against you. Sounds like an awful lot of whining though.

That is exactly what my DH said! We're in another state and we moved in Aug and the house was barely rented out late Sept. We were not there to do the walk through, i'm sure the property manager did. The neighbors have been complaining since they moved in, petty stuff like the renters used a neighbors' playset/swing set when they were advised not to (liability issue-w/c i understand) and the renters were instructed to use thecommunity playground . Had an issue during Halloween when the neighbor alleges that the renter "supposedly" took candies out of the kid's trick or treat bag. Things I can't really do anything about, nor can the property manager. In fact, when the issue was brought up, w/o naming names, the renter threatened lawyering up. Felt discriminated. I advised the neighbors to call the police if anything happens since there's really nothing I can do abt. the "weirdness". They passed background and credit check by the way. I was a bit ticked off initially since the property manager said there's only 3 adults and neighbors emailed me that there seems to be more than 3 adults (the neighbors just watches out for me since I'm not there) and they see a child and another lady. Now, property manager said there's 4 adults! Is there anything I can do abt that if they claimed 3 adults and now there's 4?

I could have probably given a budget of less than $100 for the faucet but I'm really hoping we'd be back in a few yrs and didn't want to put a cheap one. Also, didn't foresee all these repairs! Same goes for the range hood, I have black appliances and I figured I would probably upgrade to stainless anyway in a few yrs.

The smoke detectors are the ones with battery. I called and emailed the property manager to ask if all the batteries were replaced before they replaced the allegedly (2) bad ones.