Another thread got me thinking of really bad tenants, and really good tenants I've had since being in the Land Mgmt biz since '06.
My worst (in terms of headache, and financial) : was a couple in their mid 30s, boyfriend/girlfriend. The boyfriend mooched the women, as she worked her min wage Burger King job. Found out cops had been called half a dozen times before I headed down to address the situation. They were they were more than 30 days behind on rent, and it had been five days into the next month so now I was down two months of rent as I prepared the eviction.
As I showed up at the unit (it was a six-plex) the other tenants quickly filled me in on what had been going on. He had been abusive to her multiple times, drunk and angry. BF was a chain smoker, one who would light one while holding an almost out but still lit smoke in the other hand.
She had a cast on. Broke down as I taped the eviction notice from the county and informed her the cops would be there that night to formally serve.
Told me all that had happened, how boyfriend was hurting her, medical bills had caused her to blow the rent budget and he had been mooching. I looked at him at that moment, on the spot, I said "you're not on the lease, get the F%# off my property you are trespassing, or I'll call the cops." He ran down the stairs and as he left the door I said "And if she tells me you came back I will call the cops for trespassing, you are not welcome on this property."
I cut her a deal, I said IF you keep him away from the building, and are able to come up with the past two months rent, I will evict you next week and give you a week to pack and move. She had known the eviction was coming for a good week, but refused to accept the fact.
She agreed, left, came back with 2months rent in cash about 30minutes later from somewhere...and she was gone within three days.
I told her I wasn't running a soup kitchen and she owed BIG TIME! It worked, but damn I had to use some special paint to get the smoke smell off the walls and ceiling, cupboards and porcelain, appliances...new carpet. Oh they had two cats two, which normally I am cool with animals but I've got stories on that for another day.
I swear to this day, watching that sad excuse of a man run down my stairs to the exit leads me to believe he probably had multiple felony warrants out for him lol.
I fired the gal that was managing the lease and tenant searches, took it on myself, but those two bad months had some serious effects. A couple long term tenants did not renew that year, and I had a bout of bad first month rent-bailers when replacing the good ones.
It is true, one bad apple, can ruin it for the bunch.
Finally got some decent tenants in there, and sold the building. Too much headache, I like the townhomes and SFH. Multi-unit is a whole new game.
Best Tenant: DW and I moved to Maui, the tenants I had, decided not to renew lease... but they did one better, they found my next tenant who was willing to even take a rent increase, and they have been in that unit ever since. That was about 5 years ago. Same tenant, for five years, I never even met them face to face and I haven't had a single call since I moved to Hawaii and back. AMAZING!
My worst (in terms of headache, and financial) : was a couple in their mid 30s, boyfriend/girlfriend. The boyfriend mooched the women, as she worked her min wage Burger King job. Found out cops had been called half a dozen times before I headed down to address the situation. They were they were more than 30 days behind on rent, and it had been five days into the next month so now I was down two months of rent as I prepared the eviction.
As I showed up at the unit (it was a six-plex) the other tenants quickly filled me in on what had been going on. He had been abusive to her multiple times, drunk and angry. BF was a chain smoker, one who would light one while holding an almost out but still lit smoke in the other hand.
She had a cast on. Broke down as I taped the eviction notice from the county and informed her the cops would be there that night to formally serve.
Told me all that had happened, how boyfriend was hurting her, medical bills had caused her to blow the rent budget and he had been mooching. I looked at him at that moment, on the spot, I said "you're not on the lease, get the F%# off my property you are trespassing, or I'll call the cops." He ran down the stairs and as he left the door I said "And if she tells me you came back I will call the cops for trespassing, you are not welcome on this property."
I cut her a deal, I said IF you keep him away from the building, and are able to come up with the past two months rent, I will evict you next week and give you a week to pack and move. She had known the eviction was coming for a good week, but refused to accept the fact.
She agreed, left, came back with 2months rent in cash about 30minutes later from somewhere...and she was gone within three days.
I told her I wasn't running a soup kitchen and she owed BIG TIME! It worked, but damn I had to use some special paint to get the smoke smell off the walls and ceiling, cupboards and porcelain, appliances...new carpet. Oh they had two cats two, which normally I am cool with animals but I've got stories on that for another day.
I swear to this day, watching that sad excuse of a man run down my stairs to the exit leads me to believe he probably had multiple felony warrants out for him lol.
I fired the gal that was managing the lease and tenant searches, took it on myself, but those two bad months had some serious effects. A couple long term tenants did not renew that year, and I had a bout of bad first month rent-bailers when replacing the good ones.
It is true, one bad apple, can ruin it for the bunch.
Finally got some decent tenants in there, and sold the building. Too much headache, I like the townhomes and SFH. Multi-unit is a whole new game.
Best Tenant: DW and I moved to Maui, the tenants I had, decided not to renew lease... but they did one better, they found my next tenant who was willing to even take a rent increase, and they have been in that unit ever since. That was about 5 years ago. Same tenant, for five years, I never even met them face to face and I haven't had a single call since I moved to Hawaii and back. AMAZING!
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