Can Landlord do this?

[Brat]

Why couldn't a renter not obtain renter's insurance

 

[Amethyst]

This also became an issue with what you would have called a "quality" tenant, with a high credit score. They were a couple with a teenage son from his first marriage. They had a baby while living in our townhouse, and at our next visit, a sister-in-law had appeared as a "babysitter." We had them add SIL to the lease at renewal, although we did not request a credit check.

These were the same people who installed locks on upstairs bedroom doors without asking. We only found out about the locks when the tenants went to China for a month (again, without telling us, even though it was in the lease that absences over 14 days were to be reported to us). We had to enter the townhouse to take care of something, and that's when we found the door to the master was locked so we couldn't get into it. They acted real unhappy when we asked for keys to those locks, although they complied. Acted like we were invading their privacy.

It is mostly a problem when single females bring in their shady boyfriends,
Extra tenants are seldom good. Good tenants generally do not bring in extra people without asking. It's mostly the trash.

 

[pb4uski]

I guess I would never be your tenant. I pay the rent and if I want to be gone for a few weeks its none of your damn business.

 

[tmm99]

.



I rented to a murderer once. He was not a murderer (yet) when I rented to him. He was another long term guest. Real nice guy until he turned.

OMG. At least he didn't become a murderer in your rental unit.

Since we already are talking about morbid stuff... Have you ever found anybody already dead in any of your units? I wonder how often that happens. I used to live alone and I sometimes wondered how long it would take for the landlord to be notified and come into my apartment if I happened to drop dead inside.


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[Senator]

OMG. At least he didn't become a murderer in your rental unit.

Since we already are talking about morbid stuff... Have you ever found anybody already dead in any of your units? I wonder how often that happens. I used to live alone and I sometimes wondered how long it would take for the landlord to be notified and come into my apartment if I happened to drop dead inside.

Never a murder in my units, but I had a strangler, really just domestic abuse. Low credit score tenant with a high-score GF.

I had two tenants die from the same unit, a year apart, although it was at the hospital. female was 51 due to lung cancer and was a heavy smoker, male was 61 and had liver and kidney failure and was a heavy drinker. The MIL didn't expect him to make it that long... Kids were 18+, but had to go on their own after that.

My grandfather passed away in my own home though.

I guess I would never be your tenant. I pay the rent and if I want to be gone for a few weeks its none of your damn business.

No one cares if you leave, it's when you bring in extra, un-screened tenants that matters. It would help to get give notification in case there is an emergency and the landlord has to get into the place.

 

[ERD50]

I guess I would never be your tenant. I pay the rent and if I want to be gone for a few weeks its none of your damn business.

If I were a landlord, it absolutely would be my business, that is my property you are renting. Empty property is much more subject to all kinds of perils. A leaky pipe/roof that goes unnoticed, a break-in that is not reported that leads to other problems (something left open, pipes freeze, etc).

But like you say, if that doesn't sit well with you, don't sign that lease. But don't make the landlord out to be some kind of jerk for wanting to take care of their property.

BTW, I am not, and have never been a landlord.

-ERD50

 

[aja8888]

I guess I would never be your tenant. I pay the rent and if I want to be gone for a few weeks its none of your damn business.

My wife fee-managed high end apartments in Houston for decades before she retired. Her policy was that if a tenant wants to leave the unit unattended for a "few weeks", they were advised to let management know and leave a phone number where they could be reached. This way, security and management could keep an eye on the unit to check for possible vandalism, break ins, etc. It's to the renter's benefit to have that service.

 

[Amethyst]

Tenants always act like it's their home-n-castle, until something goes wrong.

Another time the tenant went away without telling us, and when he returned, we got a frantic call [his calls were always frantic] about a leak in the basement that had ruined the carpet. It was summer, and the pipe that takes condensation away from the a/c unit had clogged and water had been running into the basement for at least 2 weeks. If we'd known he was gone, we would have checked the townhouse during that period and found the water earlier.

The townhouse was subject to 3 levels of HOA (we paid the fees) plus county jurisdiction. Everything the tenant did without asking, caused us to get a threatening letter from one or more HOAs. In the case of the unannounced month-long vacation, we needed to remove a window a/c unit that the tenant had installed without asking (or consulting the HOA rules - which they knew about, since we informed them at leasing). We couldn't get into the master BR where the unit had been installed - because the tenant had put a lock on it, without giving us the key.

(Do you also think you don't have to follow HOA rules, because you're a tenant?)

I guess I would never be your tenant. I pay the rent and if I want to be gone for a few weeks its none of your damn business.

 

[Amethyst]

If that happened, I'm sure we would only have found out when the neighbors complained to the HOA about odor.

We did have a 5-year tenancy, years ago, where the tenants were friendly, reasonable, welcomed our occasional visits,let us know when the house would be vacant, and in general, didn't get on their high horse about anything. We, in turn, kept their rent low (they were saving $$ to build a big beautiful house for their growing family).

We had another long-term tenancy where the tenants were Doctors, very religious ones who tended to the poor, and were poorly compensated themselves, I'm afraid. They, too, seemed to like us to drop in now and then. The other neighbors adored them. So things don't have to be adversarial.

I used to live alone and I sometimes wondered how long it would take for the landlord to be notified and come into my apartment if I happened to drop dead inside.

 

[pb4uski]

Tenants always act like it's their home-n-castle, until something goes wrong.

Another time the tenant went away without telling us, and when he returned, we got a frantic call [his calls were always frantic] about a leak in the basement that had ruined the carpet. It was summer, and the pipe that takes condensation away from the a/c unit had clogged and water had been running into the basement for at least 2 weeks. If we'd known he was gone, we would have checked the townhouse during that period and found the water earlier.

The townhouse was subject to 3 levels of HOA (we paid the fees) plus county jurisdiction. Everything the tenant did without asking, caused us to get a threatening letter from one or more HOAs. In the case of the unannounced month-long vacation, we needed to remove a window a/c unit that the tenant had installed without asking (or consulting the HOA rules - which they knew about, since we informed them at leasing). We couldn't get into the master BR where the unit had been installed - because the tenant had put a lock on it, without giving us the key.

(Do you also think you don't have to follow HOA rules, because you're a tenant?)

Did I say anything about not having to follow HOA rules? No.

My point was that it is crazy to expect a tenant to notify the landlord if they are away for more than 14 days... you really expect me to inform the landlord if I'm away on vacation or a business trip for more than 14 days? Or I have a two week trip that gets extended for one reason or another? A month I could see but 14 days is not a long period of time.

The leak in the basement could have been unnoticed even if the tenant was there or had been gone away for a week, so I'm not sure what the point is.
.

 

[Amethyst]

It's quibbling to say "this could have happened," in a particular instance. The point is, the lease is written with a few protections for the landlord, who is absorbing all the risk. It is hardly "crazy" to let the person who owns and maintains your home, know that it is going to be vacant for a couple of weeks or more. Heck, it makes me nervous to let our own home stand vacant for that long.

The flip side of the coin is the landlord who respects tenant "privacy" so assiduously, that the next time the house gets inspected, it's by the police! (For growing MJ, meth lab, etc.)

D

The leak in the basement could have been unnoticed even if the tenant was there or had been gone away for a week, so I'm not sure what the point is.
.

 

[ERD50]

Did I say anything about not having to follow HOA rules? No.

My point was that it is crazy to expect a tenant to notify the landlord if they are away for more than 14 days... you really expect me to inform the landlord if I'm away on vacation or a business trip for more than 14 days? Or I have a two week trip that gets extended for one reason or another? A month I could see but 14 days is not a long period of time. ...

But if the HOA rules required a notice of absence, it's all the same thing.

So 14 days is "crazy", but 30 days is reasonable? That seems to be a rather odd distinction?

The leak in the basement could have been unnoticed even if the tenant was there or had been gone away for a week, so I'm not sure what the point is.

Your statements are getting into crazy rationalization, IMO. Sure it could go unnoticed, we can paint any scenario we like. But the odds of it going unnoticed are going to be greater if the renter is gone, and the longer they are gone, the greater the odds for serious damage.

You can't eliminate all risk, and you need to draw the line somewhere. Again, if you think 14 days is 'crazy', but 30 days is reasonable, don't sign a lease with those restrictions. But don't expect a landlord/HOA to see things the same as you do either.

-ERD50

 

[pb4uski]

Ok, I refuse to sign. Go find another renter. I'll take my money elsewhere.

 

[Brat]

In my area renters are lined up 10 deep.

As in any business relationship if you don't like the terms don't sign.

 

[Release The Hounds]

Just to clarify what the landlord is asking for, he/she is only asking to be named as an additional insured on the tenant's policy. This is absolutely standard in insurance and not a big deal -- it allows the landlord to tender a third party liability claim against the tenant's insurance in case the landlord gets brought into a lawsuit arising out of the actions of the tenant.

IMO renter's insurance is a must for a renter. Cost is usually less than $300 a year and it would cover physical damage to your possessions in the event of a major loss such as a fire. Liability coverage is more of a bonus, but it would also cover the tenant for bodily injury or property damage to a third party (guest, mailman, etc.).

Better safe than sorry.

 

[harley]

Ok, I refuse to sign. Go find another renter. I'll take my money elsewhere.

Exactly. Everyone wins.

 

[Amethyst]

Well, as an ER person, you undoubtedly have many choices, including owning your own home.

We used a standard lease that is used by all property managers in our area, so obviously, a lot of people don't find the requirements too onerous to sign.

Sadly, many of those people, once moved in, proceed to flout any lease provisions they find inconvenient.

Back to the OP's question: We never required renters to take out renter's insurance. That requirement was never in any lease I saw. We haven't been landlords in Maryland for over 2 years, so maybe things have changed.

Ok, I refuse to sign. Go find another renter. I'll take my money elsewhere.

 

[travelover]

Methinks the disconnect is that the average person here is bit different that the average renter in terms of resources and responsibility. After being a homeowner for over 30 years, I'm looking at renting. What I've seen so far is a little insulting to me with an 800+ credit score and a low 7 figure portfolio, but I understand that many people are flaky and once moved in, can be a real headache for a landlord. I plan to hold my nose for a year or so, then buy again in the new city.

 

[Amethyst]

Never knew the size of an applicant's "portfolio." Credit score and prior rental history are all we are supposed to ask about. The final, totally PITA tenant - the one who drove us out of landlording forever - had an 800 credit score and no prior rental history, since he had just sold his home. If I had to do it over again, I'd take a 625 score and a series of happy landlords over him any day.

Methinks the disconnect is that the average person here is bit different that the average renter in terms of resources and responsibility. After being a homeowner for over 30 years, I'm looking at renting. What I've seen so far is a little insulting to me with an 800+ credit score and a low 7 figure portfolio, but I understand that many people are flaky and once moved in, can be a real headache for a landlord. I plan to hold my nose for a year or so, then buy again in the new city.

 

[travelover]

..........The final, totally PITA tenant - the one who drove us out of landlording forever - had an 800 credit score and no prior rental history, since he had just sold his home. .......

Hey, that would describe me!

 

[tmm99]

The final, totally PITA tenant - the one who drove us out of landlording forever - had an 800 credit score and no prior rental history, since he had just sold his home. If I had to do it over again, I'd take a 625 score and a series of happy landlords over him any day.

Can I ask what he did that drove you out of landlording forever?


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[Brat]

The one tennant my group has had a problem with was a retired psychiatrist who fancied himself a composer and played his piano. He was the type of person who would drive the housing community nuts then claim their judgement was impaired.

 

[Amethyst]

It was cumulative. It was relentless. And I'd rather forget most of it. I kept finding "reasons" to rationalize and forgive the behavior, but Mr. A.'s judgment was early-on and right-on: "That guy's just an A-hole."

Can I ask what he did that drove you out of landlording forever?


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[haha]

You do not want your neighbors to bring in trash either.

WOW, you have a beautiful way of using words!

I feel unsafe!

Ha