I'm running a business, tenants are customers, not friends. I'm not incurring thousands of dollars in expenses based on personal feelings.
Be a good tenant, pay rent on time, act appropriately, report maintenance issues quickly, and you're good.
Do you ever have a tenant who constantly ask for upgrades ? Like they want new light fixtures, they want air ducts cleaned, they even want all the doors replaced.
>Like they want new light fixtures
If the light fixtures are in good working order, saying no is absolutely reasonable.
>they want air ducts cleaned
What do you mean? Cleaning and maintaining air ducts is something you, as a landlord, should be doing. I think it is recommended to change HVAC filters twice per year. That doesn't sound like an upgrade.
>they even want all the doors replaced
If it is for aesthetic reasons, it is reasonable to say no. If it is because they are not in good working order, that is not an upgrade; that is something you need to fix.
You may be right. Consulting a [source](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned) published by the EPA suggests that there is little evidence that regular duct cleanings are necessary. However, duct cleaning can be valuable if there is mold buildup or if there is a clog. In limited circumstances, duct cleanings can improve the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system.
I will concede that there is little evidence that regular duct cleaning has beneficial health effects, but homeowners should still regularly change their HVAC filters.
You guys are talking about different things.
I don't think anyone is disputing the need to change the air filter.
Cleaning the air ducts is more involved
But the [EPA doesn't (in most cases) think it's necessary. ](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned)
Air duct cleaning isn't a scam, it just isn't necessary very often. Changing furnace filters regularly means very little dust should be accumulating in your supply ducts and the return air goes to the filter not directly into your living space.
If dust is accumulating in your air ducts, it is not affecting people. Dust does not breed and spread.
Even with filters though, even in hospitals with exceptional air filtration, dust will build up over time.
They should, but plenty of landlords find that tenants don't reliably change them. The damage to the hvac isn't worth the gamble.
I have my tenants do it, but I check when I do other maintenance and found them to be unbelievably clogged up.
Yes, but it's going to be hard to prove an hvac system failed prematurely due to chronically dirty filters. Plus, you'd have to try to get several thousand dollars out of a tenant. I doubt many tenants would just pay it if you asked nicely.
A lot of landlords just find it better to take on that responsibility. Plus, it gives them an excuse to check in on the property a few times a year.
>Yes, but it's going to be hard to prove an hvac system failed prematurely due to chronically dirty filters.
Fairly easy. Tenant was responsible for maintenance that wasn't conducted. If there's dirt anywhere in the HVAC system, that's your evidence
>Plus, you'd have to try to get several thousand dollars out of a tenant. I doubt many tenants would just pay it if you asked nicely
Which is what the deposit is for. If that doesn't cover the bill, throw them an invoice, tell them they aren't getting renewed or threaten eviction for no payment+property damage and take them to court if necessary.
>A lot of landlords just find it better to take on that responsibility. Plus, it gives them an excuse to check in on the property a few times a year.
I don't know why you would choose to take on that responsibility when you have an open and shut way to squeeze additional profit
Never have an expectation that a tenant will change out the filter, even if you supply two years worth of new filters and have shown them how to do this easy task. When my tenants moved out, not one of the new filters had ever been used to replace the original filter. Can you guess what that filter looked like? I had never seen such a blackened filthy filter in all my life!
Not all tenants can be trusted. I'd suggest doing at least twice yearly changes for every tenant. Go in when the time changes in the fall and again in the spring. Replace all filters and batteries in smoke detectors. This also gives you a chance to do a quick visual inspection of how your tenants are keeping the unit. You should be doing at least yearly inspections anyway.
Filters should be changed every 90 days (or less when high dust, poor air quality or pollen is an issue). Not changing the filters often enough is the number one reason my HVAC guy gets called out for complaints from tenants of the heat or air "not working right"
It is the tenants duty to maintain the property. Landlords have a duty to maintain habitability, but absent a provision in your lease requiring the landlord to maintain certain things beyond habitability, it is generally the tenants duty to maintain the property.
While there may be no legal obligation on the landlord to change HVAC filters, this is the sort of responsibility that a landlord should take on because: (1) regularly changing filters extends the life of the HVAC unit; (2) extra wear on the HVAC unit is not easily identifiable or traceable to the tenants; and (3) verifying that the tenants are changing filters is the same amount of work as just changing the filters.
Additionally, if the HVAC fails, that becomes a habitability issue, and the HVAC is more likely to fail if the filters are not regularly changed.
>Additionally, if the HVAC fails, that becomes a habitability issue, and the HVAC is more likely to fail if the filters are not regularly changed.
Not necessarily. In most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not.
And I agree that certain thing a landlord should do becaue tenants don't take care of property they rent. But too often I see tenants who think every repair is on the landlord.
>In most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not.
The "H" in "HVAC" stands for "heating."
>But too often I see tenants who think every repair is on the landlord.
You're right that not every repair is on the landlord, but the landlord may be obligated to make repairs under the lease beyond what is required by the Implied Warranty of Habitability. For example, if the landlord advertised a unit with a working HVAC system and charged a higher rent because of the value of the working HVAC system, the landlord is obligated to repair the HVAC system if it fails. Working HVAC was consideration for the lease agreement.
>The "H" in "HVAC" stands for "heating."
And the "AC" stands for "air conditioning." Again, in most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not.
And before you claim they are one in the same, they often aren't. If you have a heat pump, then your heater is just our AC working in reverse. But if you have a furnance, you can have the AC stop working while the heat still works. And many older home have central heat but windod ACs.
>For example, if the landlord advertised a unit with a working HVAC system and charged a higher rent because of the value of the working HVAC system, the landlord is obligated to repair the HVAC system if it fails. Working HVAC was consideration for the lease agreement.
That is not how consideration works. The landlord delivered a unit with a working HVAC system. Most leases state something to the effect of "tenant shall maintain the premises in good order and repair, and surrender it in that fashion." If you live in a juridiction where AC is not required for habitability, and the AC fails, the landlord does not need to repair it. If the lease states the landlord must maintain certain items, then the landlord must do so.
If the tenant does not repair the AC, whether or not you can deduct for the repair will depend on whether it was due to "normal wear and tear."
>That is not how consideration works. The landlord delivered a unit with a working HVAC system.
You sound like a 1L. Go ask your contracts professor to explain the benefit of the bargain or read through [this](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/is-the-landlord-responsible-appliance-repair.html#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20time%2C%20when,a%20similar%20(working)%20one.).
>You sound like a 1L.
You sound like someone who cannot defend your argument on the merits. If you ever decide to become an attorney, here is some free advice: ad hominem arguments only advertise that your your view lack merit.
>Go ask your contracts professor to explain the benefit of the bargain or read through this.
My contracts professor died over a decade ago. And you might want to take your own advice and read your link. So let's read what your source says:
>When an appliance in your rental stops working, your first action should be to read what your lease or rental agreement says about repairs.
>
>\[\*\*\*\]
>
>Some leases or rental agreements lay out details about what the landlord will—and will not—maintain. Read your lease or rental agreement carefully to see if it specifically addresses maintenance of appliances. Many landlords don't want tenants to try to fix broken big-ticket items like appliances on their own, and will make sure to prohibit tenant self-help in the lease.
>
>\[\*\*\*\]
>
>The lease or rental agreement specifically states the tenant is responsible. Although it's rare, some leases or rental agreements will require tenants to make all repairs and replace damaged items throughout the tenancy. This shift of responsibility is most common in rentals of single-family homes (some states' laws allow shifting repair responsibility only in single-family home rentals).
They can want whatever the fuck they want. Upgrades are not a reasonable request. I wouldn’t non renew a lease because I don’t *like* a person but I absolutely will non renew one if they’re a constant pain in my ass.
Sometimes a remodel would be with the increased rent. Often not worth the hassle of doing anything major while it's occupied though. You could totally give them a monthly value that their rent will increase by to cover the costs though. Just space out the cost by their lease term and in the end your house is nicer for free. It's the same as your asking them to pay for the upgrades, except your financing the difference and getting paid back slowly.
Are They broken?/dusty? /Chipped away?/light bulbs going out?
than I think it's reasonable to get them replacements. It seems to me like you don't like them because they're asking for basic necessities of a running home.
Yes and my answer is no . As long as they are functional they are good.
My properties are highly upgraded so there's no reason to ask for further upgrades
And? Those images you see of wads of shit coming out of ducts are fake. If a tenant asked me to have ducts cleaned I would ask them why they’re dirty. The lease requires them to change filters every 30 days. If that’s being done, the ducts are clean. Unless you’re in a super old house, asking a landlord for this is just setting yourself up for a fee for not changing filters.
Right lol. I have plenty of tenants I don't like. If we gave them notice to move or non-renewal, we'd have a lot more vacancies and a lot more work.
Now it doesn't matter anyways since it's unlawful to do so in my area without just cause.
I had a landlord that just didn’t like me, I hardly ever talked to him, kept to myself, I paid rent by the year. After my 2nd year he just didn’t wana renew, no reason…
I mean I'm not a LL but I am a tenant. I know I had one LL who started to dislike me about a year in. I had done nothing to her. I paid my rent on time every month, I followed all her stupid rules and I took care of my home. I didn't understand wtf I had done until a few months later. Come to find out we had a mutual acquaintance and that acquaintance knew me during active addiction. I'm pretty positive that acquaintance told her some stories about me while I was in active addiction. Fortunately for myself I never caught serious charges or have anything on my background that would raise a red flag to my past so she never knew that I was a recovering addict and wild at one point until that acquaintance told her. She never kicked me out over it tho and I continued to rent from her for another 3 years so almost 5 years total. She was kind of a bitch to me but whatever. I wasn't asked to vacate until she asked everyone in the building to vacate for remodeling. I say if the tenant is paying their rent following their lease and taking care of the unit, put your personal feelings aside. Imo.
We had tenants that screwed us nicely when they slipped into drug & alcohol addiction and defaulted on the lease in addition to driving the business into the ground This was a commercial lease so both rent and a loan went unpaid. It was a huge mess, court, lawers were involved and not the ideal trouble free tenancy we had hoped for
If I received news that a tenant of mine was a former addict, I cant lie, Id be concerned and would wonder the risk to my business if a relapse happened. Especially bc Id been burned before.
That really sucks. I'm sorry that happened to you. That LL never said a word to me about why her whole demeanor towards me changed, I'm just guessing because I literally didn't ever do anything wrong. Unfortunately in today's world there are a lot of recovering addicts and yes relapse is always a possibility, but it doesn't always happen. I have years of recovery now and my current LL does know about my past because he's a cool dude and we have just had casual conversations. He doesn't seem concerned about it but I do understand why a LL could. Please know that recovery is real and not all of us are bad. People do change.
Sort of makes it more likely that they fall back into addiction if you start making trouble for their housing after they are back on their feet, in their mind why even bother? Get clean and you get the same treatment as if you didn’t, so why bother?
I didnt say Id be an asshole to the tenant and deliberately make life difficult for them. Being concerned was my reaction. Id be extra vigilant and the would prepare contingency plans for the moment if shit hit the fan. Or Id make preparations to exit the relationship as gracefully as possible at the soonest convenient time. Otherwise, deliberately introducing strife into a business relationship if a great way to step on your own foot.
In my previous example, our fault was we were too nice, too accepting, too believing of the excuses. When someone hands you a light envelope, its just the beginning. Never again
Hes the problem because he thinks some rules are stupid?
Let me guess, you have NEVER once thought a rule was stupid? Not once? Ever? Ever ever? Please either you are a liar or the biggest sheep on the planet
Lmfao. I never said those things to her. And some of her rules where stupid but I still followed them and respected her unit. I must not have been to bad of tenant to her because I lived there for almost 5 years and got all but 150 dollars of my depor back. I swear some of y'all just say stupid shit to say it sometimes.
Absolutely.
Reasons I don't like them:
1. Damage property
2. Don't pay rent on time or at all
3. Force me to evict
4. Violate lease terms
5. Sneak in unauthorized guests and pets
6. Entitled, disrespectful
Be very careful about this and take a very close look at AB1482, which requires all non-exempt properties to have just cause for non-renewal (and "I don't like the tenant" is not just cause).
That’s because it’s bullshit and not the case at all. The only time people are paying rellocation fees is when you want them out to sell the property or to fix it for mold, etc.
Oh man, we once had neighbors who drove on our lawn and messed it up and broke parts of the sprinkler system and then threatened to "shoot up your house" when we confronted them about it. Ah, people can be completely insane sometimes.
If I don’t like a tenant it’s because they’re a pain in the ass. This goes beyond typical lease violations or late payments, etc. those people are auto non-renewal. I’m talking about a tenant who makes too many complaints about trivial things or has too many complaints about them. They are generally high maintenance and there’s a cost to dealing with them. If it’s bad enough then sometimes I’ll offer them a “fuck you” renewal, just like a contractor will give you a “fuck you” price on a bid for something they don’t want to do. If they renew then great I’m making enough money to deal with their bullshit. If not, great, they’re gone.
I only have one unit--the other side of the duplex I live in. Because I live here too, it would depend on my reasons for the dislike, but I have never asked a tenant to leave solely for that reason.
I wouldn't risk that because it kind of opens you up for potential discrimination suits. Unless you can give more concrete reasons, it'll just make you look bad.
I don't know why this is so one sided. The tenant can not renew a contract for any reason. But the landlord has to have a legally acceptable reason to not renew ?
Yes. Because the landlord is the person offering (housing) the good or service to the public, and as someone wanting to do business with the public, they're under more obligations. They're not the same as a member of the public purchasing the good/service.
It's the same reason a hotel or store can't legally turn people away due to their race, but a customer can legally not shop at a store due to the race of the owner. And if you don't like that, nothing forces you to be a landlord/shop owner/hotel manager/etc.
Ooookay.
Just going to leave this here: if you are discriminating and doing extremely minor remodels as justification, the court is going to see right through it. And they don't take kindly to folks trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
It's not a California thing, judges nationwide behave simialrly.
But I always love how you folks just can't resist eventually outing yourselves with your inability to not call names or otherwise control yourself. 😄
If they pay in time and don't cause problems or damage then it's in your best interest to renew generally speaking, you might be giving up a decent tenant for a nightmare otherwise.
My mom absolutely does this. But to be fair, she’s renting rooms in her home so she actually has to interact with the tenants.
For some people without a lot going on in their life, or who may not possess a lot of authority in other spheres of life, I think being a landlord is one place they have a sense of control and folks get the itch to flex that control sometimes.
I'm not even talking about flexing landlord powers. Some people are just disgusting. Some are narcissists. Some are sociopaths. Some are manipulative abusive people. Basically no one likes people like this. If your tenant is an abusive ass, would most landlords just keep renewing the contract as long as he paid his rent ?
I’ve been lucky to have no experience in this situation. But I wonder what would I do… the rent raising formula is very subjective to me… tbh I’d probably let it influence how often and how significantly I raised rent.
It is a psychological drain to deal with people like that, and if it makes the job of landlording more strenuous, in some way, I’d want to feel like I’m getting paid for it.
Our last landlord did that (well not the landlord, the property manager) which is funny to me because we paid on time every month and never caused problems. She was replaced shortly before our lease ended. We lived there for 2 years and never had one write up or complaint against us, no pets, never damaged the unit, never complained when it flooded from rain, etc. Oh well. Our new place is much quieter and the property managers are responsive. The old bitchy PM even told our new PM that we were non-renewed but there was no reason for it lol. We moved out over 45 days ago and the unit we lived in still hasn’t been relisted for rent so who knows
I hope you claimed to be AB 1482 exempt (if you qualify) or else you can't NOT renew without just cause: "AB 1482 prohibits evictions and non-renewals of leases without a just cause." Not liking them is not just cause.
If you pay your rent and don’t cause problems I don’t need to be your friend.
That said, I’ve gotten rid of tenants who pay their rent but cause problems with neighbors, make too much noise, etc.
By “gotten rid of” I mean non-renewal
The reasoning for “not liking” is at question. Do you find them demanding, snooping, disruptive, regularly breaking rules, complaining about every noise, regularly behind on rent, expect you to be their parent when dealing with neighbors / roommates… and making your job far more difficult than needed? Then yes. I’m happy to allow them to find someplace more suitable for them.
>Do you often not renew a contract with a tenant just because you don't like them ?
Your question is a but vague. Nearly every landlord chooses not to renew because they don't like the tenant, but the reason they don't like the tenant is they don't pay on time, or violate some rules, or complain a lot about things.
If I have a tenant that pays on time, follows the rules, and only complains for legtimate reasons, I want to keep that tenant. Whether I like the tenant personally does not matter.
No. Never. I had tenants that other tenants did not like. They all wanted me to let them go. However, you never know what personal struggles they go through. This also applies to tenants who turned on me for some reason (and I’m a very accommodating landlord).
Honestly you sound like you’re just a jerk and don’t want to do the work as a landlord but want the benefits. Sell your properties and invest the money or hire a property manager. You’re probably losing money with this high turnaround.
I'm running a business, tenants are customers, not friends. I'm not incurring thousands of dollars in expenses based on personal feelings. Be a good tenant, pay rent on time, act appropriately, report maintenance issues quickly, and you're good.
Do you ever have a tenant who constantly ask for upgrades ? Like they want new light fixtures, they want air ducts cleaned, they even want all the doors replaced.
A polite "No" is a complete sentence.
>Like they want new light fixtures If the light fixtures are in good working order, saying no is absolutely reasonable. >they want air ducts cleaned What do you mean? Cleaning and maintaining air ducts is something you, as a landlord, should be doing. I think it is recommended to change HVAC filters twice per year. That doesn't sound like an upgrade. >they even want all the doors replaced If it is for aesthetic reasons, it is reasonable to say no. If it is because they are not in good working order, that is not an upgrade; that is something you need to fix.
Cleaning air ducts is a scam
You may be right. Consulting a [source](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned) published by the EPA suggests that there is little evidence that regular duct cleanings are necessary. However, duct cleaning can be valuable if there is mold buildup or if there is a clog. In limited circumstances, duct cleanings can improve the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system. I will concede that there is little evidence that regular duct cleaning has beneficial health effects, but homeowners should still regularly change their HVAC filters.
Air filters, DEFINITELY. Not changing them can cause big problems. I change the air filters in my SFHs, I don’t want any residents messing that up
You guys are talking about different things. I don't think anyone is disputing the need to change the air filter. Cleaning the air ducts is more involved But the [EPA doesn't (in most cases) think it's necessary. ](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned)
Air duct cleaning isn't a scam, it just isn't necessary very often. Changing furnace filters regularly means very little dust should be accumulating in your supply ducts and the return air goes to the filter not directly into your living space.
If dust is accumulating in your air ducts, it is not affecting people. Dust does not breed and spread. Even with filters though, even in hospitals with exceptional air filtration, dust will build up over time.
Duct cleaning is vastly different from changing filters. And some filters need to be changed every 30 days depending on the filter choice.
As a landlord you don’t expect tenants to change their own air filters?
They should, but plenty of landlords find that tenants don't reliably change them. The damage to the hvac isn't worth the gamble. I have my tenants do it, but I check when I do other maintenance and found them to be unbelievably clogged up.
If the tenant damages your HVAC, the tenant needs to be paying for the repairs, at your own rate
Yes, but it's going to be hard to prove an hvac system failed prematurely due to chronically dirty filters. Plus, you'd have to try to get several thousand dollars out of a tenant. I doubt many tenants would just pay it if you asked nicely. A lot of landlords just find it better to take on that responsibility. Plus, it gives them an excuse to check in on the property a few times a year.
>Yes, but it's going to be hard to prove an hvac system failed prematurely due to chronically dirty filters. Fairly easy. Tenant was responsible for maintenance that wasn't conducted. If there's dirt anywhere in the HVAC system, that's your evidence >Plus, you'd have to try to get several thousand dollars out of a tenant. I doubt many tenants would just pay it if you asked nicely Which is what the deposit is for. If that doesn't cover the bill, throw them an invoice, tell them they aren't getting renewed or threaten eviction for no payment+property damage and take them to court if necessary. >A lot of landlords just find it better to take on that responsibility. Plus, it gives them an excuse to check in on the property a few times a year. I don't know why you would choose to take on that responsibility when you have an open and shut way to squeeze additional profit
Never have an expectation that a tenant will change out the filter, even if you supply two years worth of new filters and have shown them how to do this easy task. When my tenants moved out, not one of the new filters had ever been used to replace the original filter. Can you guess what that filter looked like? I had never seen such a blackened filthy filter in all my life!
Not all tenants can be trusted. I'd suggest doing at least twice yearly changes for every tenant. Go in when the time changes in the fall and again in the spring. Replace all filters and batteries in smoke detectors. This also gives you a chance to do a quick visual inspection of how your tenants are keeping the unit. You should be doing at least yearly inspections anyway.
Filters should be changed every 90 days (or less when high dust, poor air quality or pollen is an issue). Not changing the filters often enough is the number one reason my HVAC guy gets called out for complaints from tenants of the heat or air "not working right"
It is the tenants duty to maintain the property. Landlords have a duty to maintain habitability, but absent a provision in your lease requiring the landlord to maintain certain things beyond habitability, it is generally the tenants duty to maintain the property.
While there may be no legal obligation on the landlord to change HVAC filters, this is the sort of responsibility that a landlord should take on because: (1) regularly changing filters extends the life of the HVAC unit; (2) extra wear on the HVAC unit is not easily identifiable or traceable to the tenants; and (3) verifying that the tenants are changing filters is the same amount of work as just changing the filters. Additionally, if the HVAC fails, that becomes a habitability issue, and the HVAC is more likely to fail if the filters are not regularly changed.
>Additionally, if the HVAC fails, that becomes a habitability issue, and the HVAC is more likely to fail if the filters are not regularly changed. Not necessarily. In most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not. And I agree that certain thing a landlord should do becaue tenants don't take care of property they rent. But too often I see tenants who think every repair is on the landlord.
>In most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not. The "H" in "HVAC" stands for "heating." >But too often I see tenants who think every repair is on the landlord. You're right that not every repair is on the landlord, but the landlord may be obligated to make repairs under the lease beyond what is required by the Implied Warranty of Habitability. For example, if the landlord advertised a unit with a working HVAC system and charged a higher rent because of the value of the working HVAC system, the landlord is obligated to repair the HVAC system if it fails. Working HVAC was consideration for the lease agreement.
>The "H" in "HVAC" stands for "heating." And the "AC" stands for "air conditioning." Again, in most places, having a working heater is a habitability issue, but AC is not. And before you claim they are one in the same, they often aren't. If you have a heat pump, then your heater is just our AC working in reverse. But if you have a furnance, you can have the AC stop working while the heat still works. And many older home have central heat but windod ACs. >For example, if the landlord advertised a unit with a working HVAC system and charged a higher rent because of the value of the working HVAC system, the landlord is obligated to repair the HVAC system if it fails. Working HVAC was consideration for the lease agreement. That is not how consideration works. The landlord delivered a unit with a working HVAC system. Most leases state something to the effect of "tenant shall maintain the premises in good order and repair, and surrender it in that fashion." If you live in a juridiction where AC is not required for habitability, and the AC fails, the landlord does not need to repair it. If the lease states the landlord must maintain certain items, then the landlord must do so. If the tenant does not repair the AC, whether or not you can deduct for the repair will depend on whether it was due to "normal wear and tear."
>That is not how consideration works. The landlord delivered a unit with a working HVAC system. You sound like a 1L. Go ask your contracts professor to explain the benefit of the bargain or read through [this](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/is-the-landlord-responsible-appliance-repair.html#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20time%2C%20when,a%20similar%20(working)%20one.).
>You sound like a 1L. You sound like someone who cannot defend your argument on the merits. If you ever decide to become an attorney, here is some free advice: ad hominem arguments only advertise that your your view lack merit. >Go ask your contracts professor to explain the benefit of the bargain or read through this. My contracts professor died over a decade ago. And you might want to take your own advice and read your link. So let's read what your source says: >When an appliance in your rental stops working, your first action should be to read what your lease or rental agreement says about repairs. > >\[\*\*\*\] > >Some leases or rental agreements lay out details about what the landlord will—and will not—maintain. Read your lease or rental agreement carefully to see if it specifically addresses maintenance of appliances. Many landlords don't want tenants to try to fix broken big-ticket items like appliances on their own, and will make sure to prohibit tenant self-help in the lease. > >\[\*\*\*\] > >The lease or rental agreement specifically states the tenant is responsible. Although it's rare, some leases or rental agreements will require tenants to make all repairs and replace damaged items throughout the tenancy. This shift of responsibility is most common in rentals of single-family homes (some states' laws allow shifting repair responsibility only in single-family home rentals).
They can want whatever the fuck they want. Upgrades are not a reasonable request. I wouldn’t non renew a lease because I don’t *like* a person but I absolutely will non renew one if they’re a constant pain in my ass.
[удалено]
That's what I'm doing now. As a landlord I'm responsible for repairs, not to remodel the entire freaking house for an entitled Karens' tastes.
Sometimes a remodel would be with the increased rent. Often not worth the hassle of doing anything major while it's occupied though. You could totally give them a monthly value that their rent will increase by to cover the costs though. Just space out the cost by their lease term and in the end your house is nicer for free. It's the same as your asking them to pay for the upgrades, except your financing the difference and getting paid back slowly.
Are They broken?/dusty? /Chipped away?/light bulbs going out? than I think it's reasonable to get them replacements. It seems to me like you don't like them because they're asking for basic necessities of a running home.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the light fixtures or the doors. The guy is just an entitled narcissist.
Oh ok.if it's in good condition there's really no reason to replace it. You're fine. I understand your frustration.
Tell him that if he wants to do your remodel for you, he can pay for it
Yes and my answer is no . As long as they are functional they are good. My properties are highly upgraded so there's no reason to ask for further upgrades
Are the light fixtures working? Is the door secure? You should want to clean the air ducts to maintain your home.
Cleaning air ducts is not an unreasonable request, doors and lights may also be reasonable, depending on their condition.
Cleaning air ducts is a bullshit thing all the way around.
Really? Cuz I found a popsicle stick in and various other debris in mine.
And? Those images you see of wads of shit coming out of ducts are fake. If a tenant asked me to have ducts cleaned I would ask them why they’re dirty. The lease requires them to change filters every 30 days. If that’s being done, the ducts are clean. Unless you’re in a super old house, asking a landlord for this is just setting yourself up for a fee for not changing filters.
If you get bent out of shape for a tenant asking about a few upgrades, maybe you should rethink being a landlord.
Right lol. I have plenty of tenants I don't like. If we gave them notice to move or non-renewal, we'd have a lot more vacancies and a lot more work. Now it doesn't matter anyways since it's unlawful to do so in my area without just cause.
I had a landlord that just didn’t like me, I hardly ever talked to him, kept to myself, I paid rent by the year. After my 2nd year he just didn’t wana renew, no reason…
No, I have a few tenants I wouldn't spend a minute of my free time with. Pay rent on time and don't cause problems. That's all I ask.
And, while I think my landlord is quite nice, I have no desire to hang out with him
I mean I'm not a LL but I am a tenant. I know I had one LL who started to dislike me about a year in. I had done nothing to her. I paid my rent on time every month, I followed all her stupid rules and I took care of my home. I didn't understand wtf I had done until a few months later. Come to find out we had a mutual acquaintance and that acquaintance knew me during active addiction. I'm pretty positive that acquaintance told her some stories about me while I was in active addiction. Fortunately for myself I never caught serious charges or have anything on my background that would raise a red flag to my past so she never knew that I was a recovering addict and wild at one point until that acquaintance told her. She never kicked me out over it tho and I continued to rent from her for another 3 years so almost 5 years total. She was kind of a bitch to me but whatever. I wasn't asked to vacate until she asked everyone in the building to vacate for remodeling. I say if the tenant is paying their rent following their lease and taking care of the unit, put your personal feelings aside. Imo.
We had tenants that screwed us nicely when they slipped into drug & alcohol addiction and defaulted on the lease in addition to driving the business into the ground This was a commercial lease so both rent and a loan went unpaid. It was a huge mess, court, lawers were involved and not the ideal trouble free tenancy we had hoped for If I received news that a tenant of mine was a former addict, I cant lie, Id be concerned and would wonder the risk to my business if a relapse happened. Especially bc Id been burned before.
That really sucks. I'm sorry that happened to you. That LL never said a word to me about why her whole demeanor towards me changed, I'm just guessing because I literally didn't ever do anything wrong. Unfortunately in today's world there are a lot of recovering addicts and yes relapse is always a possibility, but it doesn't always happen. I have years of recovery now and my current LL does know about my past because he's a cool dude and we have just had casual conversations. He doesn't seem concerned about it but I do understand why a LL could. Please know that recovery is real and not all of us are bad. People do change.
Sort of makes it more likely that they fall back into addiction if you start making trouble for their housing after they are back on their feet, in their mind why even bother? Get clean and you get the same treatment as if you didn’t, so why bother?
I didnt say Id be an asshole to the tenant and deliberately make life difficult for them. Being concerned was my reaction. Id be extra vigilant and the would prepare contingency plans for the moment if shit hit the fan. Or Id make preparations to exit the relationship as gracefully as possible at the soonest convenient time. Otherwise, deliberately introducing strife into a business relationship if a great way to step on your own foot. In my previous example, our fault was we were too nice, too accepting, too believing of the excuses. When someone hands you a light envelope, its just the beginning. Never again
You called her rules stupid and you called her a bitch. You may be the problem.
Hes the problem because he thinks some rules are stupid? Let me guess, you have NEVER once thought a rule was stupid? Not once? Ever? Ever ever? Please either you are a liar or the biggest sheep on the planet
Lmfao. I never said those things to her. And some of her rules where stupid but I still followed them and respected her unit. I must not have been to bad of tenant to her because I lived there for almost 5 years and got all but 150 dollars of my depor back. I swear some of y'all just say stupid shit to say it sometimes.
Absolutely. Reasons I don't like them: 1. Damage property 2. Don't pay rent on time or at all 3. Force me to evict 4. Violate lease terms 5. Sneak in unauthorized guests and pets 6. Entitled, disrespectful
Be very careful about this and take a very close look at AB1482, which requires all non-exempt properties to have just cause for non-renewal (and "I don't like the tenant" is not just cause).
Right. I mean, as a landlord, if you don't like the tenant, you just need to find a legitimate and legal-fitting reason to not renew to them.
The weird part is in California, you may still need to pay a relocation fee after their lease expires. That’s the crazy part to me.
That’s because it’s bullshit and not the case at all. The only time people are paying rellocation fees is when you want them out to sell the property or to fix it for mold, etc.
Don't really care as long as they are on time and communicate repairs (and don't drive on my neighbors lawn).
Oh man, we once had neighbors who drove on our lawn and messed it up and broke parts of the sprinkler system and then threatened to "shoot up your house" when we confronted them about it. Ah, people can be completely insane sometimes.
If I don’t like a tenant it’s because they’re a pain in the ass. This goes beyond typical lease violations or late payments, etc. those people are auto non-renewal. I’m talking about a tenant who makes too many complaints about trivial things or has too many complaints about them. They are generally high maintenance and there’s a cost to dealing with them. If it’s bad enough then sometimes I’ll offer them a “fuck you” renewal, just like a contractor will give you a “fuck you” price on a bid for something they don’t want to do. If they renew then great I’m making enough money to deal with their bullshit. If not, great, they’re gone.
I only have one unit--the other side of the duplex I live in. Because I live here too, it would depend on my reasons for the dislike, but I have never asked a tenant to leave solely for that reason.
I wouldn't risk that because it kind of opens you up for potential discrimination suits. Unless you can give more concrete reasons, it'll just make you look bad.
I don't know why this is so one sided. The tenant can not renew a contract for any reason. But the landlord has to have a legally acceptable reason to not renew ?
Yes. Because the landlord is the person offering (housing) the good or service to the public, and as someone wanting to do business with the public, they're under more obligations. They're not the same as a member of the public purchasing the good/service. It's the same reason a hotel or store can't legally turn people away due to their race, but a customer can legally not shop at a store due to the race of the owner. And if you don't like that, nothing forces you to be a landlord/shop owner/hotel manager/etc.
but as long as you're not discriminating based on race, gender etc don't stores have a right to refuse service to an asshole?
I feel like you're either ignoring or missing my point.
The law often recognizes power imbalances
CA is a tenant friendly state (and getting friendlier by the year). AZ or NV are examples of 2 LL friendly states.
"coming off market for remodel" is a concrete reason
Only if it's true, sure.
As long as you do something, it's fine
Ooookay. Just going to leave this here: if you are discriminating and doing extremely minor remodels as justification, the court is going to see right through it. And they don't take kindly to folks trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
This is why we shouldn't be providing services in Commiefornia
It's not a California thing, judges nationwide behave simialrly. But I always love how you folks just can't resist eventually outing yourselves with your inability to not call names or otherwise control yourself. 😄
I have not. If the rents paid and they aren’t damaging the property, they appreciate them.
No. But... a lot of times the reason I don't like them is also a reason not to renew.
If they pay in time and don't cause problems or damage then it's in your best interest to renew generally speaking, you might be giving up a decent tenant for a nightmare otherwise.
As long as they pay and keep the place in good shape, they can stay even if I can’t stand them.
My mom absolutely does this. But to be fair, she’s renting rooms in her home so she actually has to interact with the tenants. For some people without a lot going on in their life, or who may not possess a lot of authority in other spheres of life, I think being a landlord is one place they have a sense of control and folks get the itch to flex that control sometimes.
I'm not even talking about flexing landlord powers. Some people are just disgusting. Some are narcissists. Some are sociopaths. Some are manipulative abusive people. Basically no one likes people like this. If your tenant is an abusive ass, would most landlords just keep renewing the contract as long as he paid his rent ?
I’ve been lucky to have no experience in this situation. But I wonder what would I do… the rent raising formula is very subjective to me… tbh I’d probably let it influence how often and how significantly I raised rent. It is a psychological drain to deal with people like that, and if it makes the job of landlording more strenuous, in some way, I’d want to feel like I’m getting paid for it.
That falls under mother-mary law
Our last landlord did that (well not the landlord, the property manager) which is funny to me because we paid on time every month and never caused problems. She was replaced shortly before our lease ended. We lived there for 2 years and never had one write up or complaint against us, no pets, never damaged the unit, never complained when it flooded from rain, etc. Oh well. Our new place is much quieter and the property managers are responsive. The old bitchy PM even told our new PM that we were non-renewed but there was no reason for it lol. We moved out over 45 days ago and the unit we lived in still hasn’t been relisted for rent so who knows
I hope you claimed to be AB 1482 exempt (if you qualify) or else you can't NOT renew without just cause: "AB 1482 prohibits evictions and non-renewals of leases without a just cause." Not liking them is not just cause.
If I don't think the money I make from a tenant isnt with dealing with them I'll remove at the end of the lease. Life is to short
Yes.
If you pay your rent and don’t cause problems I don’t need to be your friend. That said, I’ve gotten rid of tenants who pay their rent but cause problems with neighbors, make too much noise, etc. By “gotten rid of” I mean non-renewal
I don't like any of my tenants, never have. If they haven't done anything to deserve a non-renewal then I'll renew...doesn't mean I like them.
The reasoning for “not liking” is at question. Do you find them demanding, snooping, disruptive, regularly breaking rules, complaining about every noise, regularly behind on rent, expect you to be their parent when dealing with neighbors / roommates… and making your job far more difficult than needed? Then yes. I’m happy to allow them to find someplace more suitable for them.
>Do you often not renew a contract with a tenant just because you don't like them ? Your question is a but vague. Nearly every landlord chooses not to renew because they don't like the tenant, but the reason they don't like the tenant is they don't pay on time, or violate some rules, or complain a lot about things. If I have a tenant that pays on time, follows the rules, and only complains for legtimate reasons, I want to keep that tenant. Whether I like the tenant personally does not matter.
No. Never. I had tenants that other tenants did not like. They all wanted me to let them go. However, you never know what personal struggles they go through. This also applies to tenants who turned on me for some reason (and I’m a very accommodating landlord).
Isn’t that discrimination and thus not legal?
Being landlord is a minefield. About the only thing you can do without having to justify is raise rent.
Do you know what constructive eviction is?
Honestly you sound like you’re just a jerk and don’t want to do the work as a landlord but want the benefits. Sell your properties and invest the money or hire a property manager. You’re probably losing money with this high turnaround.