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Keep in mind I rent to college kids (this year: under-grad and post-grad from 19-25 years of age).
All units have a list of "when to call/who to call" mounted in a picture frame that is screwed in to a wall in every kitchen. First and foremost is what constitutes an "emergency" and who to call. Things like, if you smell gas, don't waste you time calling me, open all the windows and call the gas company - with number for gas company in BOLD. I can't do anything for you but tell you to do the same. If a pipe bursts, call me & then try to remember where I showed each and every one of you where the main is in the house, and try to turn it off. I will be there in 15 minutes. IF there is a small fire, use one of the many extinguishers in the apt. Call me. IF there is a big fire, GET OUT. Call me.
I make it very clear that I should not be called after 10pm for anything that is NOT an emergency and can't wait until 6am (when I'm up and starting my day).
This just happened the other night:
Got a call at 11:30pm from a tenant who moved in on 9/1.
Apparently the new kitchen sink, with all new plumbing, was leaking (pipe under sink was dripping at the p-trap where connected to the sink extension) and he was highly upset that he couldn't do his dishes. He wanted me to call our handyman and have him get there immediately to fix the problem.
I told him that it wasn't an emergency and could wait until the morning, but to please put a towel down or a bowl to catch any remaining water (brand new cabinets). Asked him if he would be up at 7am to let the handyman in or should I?
Wasn't good enough. Insisted his dishes needed to be done and done that night.
I told him that maybe he could use the bathtub or the bathroom sink, to wash his dishes, until the am.
He didn't feel he should have to and was upset that I even THOUGHT that would be a solution.
Then I suggested he use the DISHWASHER (I initially forgot we remodeled all of these units with dishwashers - was a little tired that evening).
He told me that he didn't want to waste so much water to clean so few dishes.
If I could have reached through the phone and smacked him, I would have.
Ended the call telling him that I'd call the handyman as soon as I got up in the morning (6am) and he'd be at his door at 7am (handyman has been there every day for the last week "finishing up" little projects, so I would just have to point him in the direction of this leaky pipe - and yes, the kids have a huge first month discount off of their rent for the inconvenience. These units should have been done by 8/1, leases started 9/1, and now it's the middle of Sept. We get it.)
But I should have known. This kid is a member of NJ PIRG, he "suggested" that we use low-flow toilets to the contractor who was already putting one in (yes, he stopped by all the time while the property was being renovated...wanted to put his 1 cent in). Good thing our contractor had a sense of humor - he told him if the potty that his landlords were installing wasn't up to his "save the world one flush at a time" standards, he could pee in the sink or out of the window and get #2 done in a garbage bag.
Gonna be a fun 8 months until his lease expires in May.
I really wish that everyone could experience the joys of being Landlord at least once.
A co-worker that has never had any rental experience and was always giving advice inherited a family home and decided to rent in hopes of selling later in a better market.
His tenant has been there 6 weeks and he is ready to kick the guy out... why... the tenant calls several times a week... the gate is hard to latch, hot water doesn't last long enough, the toilets use too much water, he should install solar, the fireplace is broken... tenant didn't open the damper.
The latest is the bathroom faucet has a drip... unless you really turn off the handle
I'm having a hard time containing my amusement...
Six weeks ago he was saying how easy it was to rent the place and he's got a great tenant... ah, the joys of being a new Landlord!
My most helpless tenant was actually a Professor at the local University... really could not change a lightbulb.
I really wish that everyone could experience the joys of being Landlord at least once.
A co-worker that has never had any rental experience and was always giving advice inherited a family home and decided to rent in hopes of selling later in a better market.
His tenant has been there 6 weeks and he is ready to kick the guy out... why... the tenant calls several times a week... the gate is hard to latch, hot water doesn't last long enough, the toilets use too much water, he should install solar, the fireplace is broken... tenant didn't open the damper.
The latest is the bathroom faucet has a drip... unless you really turn off the handle
I'm having a hard time containing my amusement...
Six weeks ago he was saying how easy it was to rent the place and he's got a great tenant... ah, the joys of being a new Landlord!
My most helpless tenant was actually a Professor at the local University... really could not change a lightbulb.
They come at you like spider monkeys....and then others? You don't hear one word from them. I have to call THEM to make sure they're good.
Last edited by Informed Info; 09-15-2013 at 11:45 PM..
I love posts like the OP. It helps to remind me why I listen to my wife and do not try getting back into the landlord business! I know a few folks that do own rental properties in college areas and the upside is that vacancies are extremely rare and when they do happen it generally works out to "upgrade" / maintain the units. The obvious downside is the tenants are basically KIDS used to having their parents take care of everything... Like a leaky sink!
The goofy things that tenants would do forced me to have laminated "flow charts" of when to call my contact number vs utility companies / fire dept / police / animal control / village public works. Things like "a skunk has been hit by a car on the street near the property" are NOT a reason to contact me especially late at night, further while I can understand that this might be unpleasant a call to 911 will not reflect well on anyone. Best to call Public Works during normal business hours. I would often get calls from tenants about "something is wrong with the power". Thus flow chart starts -- if something at night is not right with power it is wise to determine if this problem is also effecting neighbors -- should their be a "brown out" with reduced electrical supply not only will your light be dim / certain appliance fail to function so too will those of neighboring homes. If your power is out and so is that of neighboring properties the proper contact is to the utility company. If only your power is out you should contact utility company to verify that they have received your payment. If they state there are no problems with your account it would then be wise to contact me and I will send out electrician -- IF YOU CAN verify that no circuit breakers have tripped that is helpful. DO NOT DO ANYTHING BEYOND CHECKING BREAKERS, it is dangerous to attempt to run extension cords from neighbor's homes, never do this, especially if it is snowing / raining... Flow chart also had tips like "if there is a very noisy party being conducted late at night a call to the police will result in some kind of visit to both you and the offending neighbor. Keep in mind that should you host a loud party late at night a similar set of visits will result... Such fun!
Last edited by chet everett; 09-16-2013 at 12:38 AM..
I love posts like the OP. It helps to remind me why I listen to my wife and do not try getting back into the landlord business! I know a few folks that do own rental properties in college areas and the upside is that vacancies are extremely rare and when they do happen it generally works out to "upgrade" / maintain the units. The obvious downside is the tenants are basically KIDS used to having their parents take care of everything... Like a leaky sink!
The goofy things that tenants would do forced me to have laminated "flow charts" of when to call my contact number vs utility companies / fire dept / police / animal control / village public works. Things like "a skunk has been hit by a car on the street near the property" are NOT a reason to contact me especially late at night, further while I can understand that this might be unpleasant a call to 911 will not reflect well on anyone. Best to call Public Works during normal business hours. I would often get calls from tenants about "something is wrong with the power". Thus flow chart starts -- if something at night is not right with power it is wise to determine if this problem is also effecting neighbors -- should their be a "brown out" with reduced electrical supply not only will your light be dim / certain appliance fail to function so too will those of neighboring homes. If your power is out and so is that of neighboring properties the proper contact is to the utility company. If only your power is out you should contact utility company to verify that they have received your payment. If they state there are no problems with your account it would then be wise to contact me and I will send out electrician -- IF YOU CAN verify that no circuit breakers have tripped that is helpful. DO NOT DO ANYTHING BEYOND CHECKING BREAKERS, it is dangerous to attempt to run extension cords from neighbor's homes, never do this, especially if it is snowing / raining... Flow chart also had tips like "if there is a very noisy party being conducted late at night a call to the police will result in some kind of visit to both you and the offending neighbor. Keep in mind that should you host a loud party late at night a similar set of visits will result... Such fun!
LOL!
The joys of renting to college kids is endless.
The upside is that we never have any vacancies, and they are willing (the guys more than the girls) to live with a little inconvenience if they want something fixed right away.
Their schedules are such that someone can usually be home at a time when a contractor or our handyman is available to fix or install something - so the work gets done that much faster if they don't want anyone in the apt when no one is home.
But the rest floors me. I don't remember being so helpless in my 20's.
The best thing I ever did was a few years ago when I decided I had had enough of dealing with tenants parents. I now tell each and every tenant that if they want their parents to handle an issue, their parents need to be on the lease. When it comes to the property/unit I will only speak to people who have signed my lease and I don't care who is paying the rent.
I had a tenant call after 11pm years ago to report the outside light was out at a duplex I was managing.
I went by the next day and the light worked when I tested it.
She called that night and said the light was still out...
Thinking it might be a problem with the photo sensor... I replaced the fixture.
She called again saying the outside light was still not working???
I got dressed and drove to the unit around 11pm and the light was working...
Rang the doorbell and said the light is working just fine...
She had me come in and stand in the kitchen and said how can the light be working when the kitchen is so dark...
I looked out the window and say the city street light was out!!!
She said she had not looked... just assumed it was the building light.
It's moments like that make me glad I transitioned to commercial leases...
Now... had it been her home and she called an electrician out... she would have had to pay a minimum service call charge.
She called you b/c a street light was out?
That's a good one!
Had a group of tenants who were hosting a party (college, of course) and got a call very late one night. I don't remember what time it was, but I know I was sleeping.
An outlet in the kitchen wasn't working. She was mad because she needed to run her blender to make frozen drinks.
Didn't bother to try any other outlet in the entire kitchen - or house.
The best thing I ever did was a few years ago when I decided I had had enough of dealing with tenants parents. I now tell each and every tenant that if they want their parents to handle an issue, their parents need to be on the lease. When it comes to the property/unit I will only speak to people who have signed my lease and I don't care who is paying the rent.
Amen to that! I have parents call me about renting an apt for their son/daughter. I tell them what they want to know, send photos via email, etc., as I realize they will be footing the bill. But, then I tell them after that that i will only be dealing with the person on the lease - and I don't take co-signers. I tell them it helps the student establish credit and I need to communicate further only with the kid, so I can determine if they will be a responsible tenant.
If the kid doesn't show up on time or return emails or phone calls or requested documents, etc., I don't rent to them. I'm not their mommy and I don't want to deal with their mommy.
One of my (3 unit) buildings is a bit like a reality TV show. I get calls from the upstairs tenant who works shifts, about the downstairs tenant starting his motorbike too early in the morning (7 am lol). Or the downstairs tenant phones to tell me she's getting nasty text messages from the one next door, and so-and-so stole her son's new video game and showed it to her as if it were HERS... and oh, "she doesn't buy her kids shoes so I had to give her MY kids shoes" and "that one downstairs, when she sits on her front porch and smokes, we can smell it upstairs and I'm worried for my baby's health."
My favorite story is when a tenant left me a message and said he was going to jail but didn't know when. I phoned him back and asked him what on earth he had done. "I just shot Linda (gf). It was an accident and she drove herself to the hospital and I couldn't go with her because I was too drunk...."
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