Renter's demands

Parent Cafe
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<p>Long time landlord here. We had a tenant who wanted the A/C ducts cleaned because of daughter’s allergies. They offered to split the cost with us. They were good long-time tenants so we agreed, but we probably would not have done so for new tenants.</p>

<p>The only other time I’ve had duct cleaning is after we did a lot of remodeling to a rental house we own. There was a ton of dust from the construction and the house had been a rental for about 30 years and had never been cleaned. We figured it was probably worth doing but who knows? We used Coit because they had a special going at the time and they were a nationally known company. I think we paid $400 for a 4-bedroom house. They charge based on the number of A/C vents in the house. </p>

<p>I must say that the tenant’s mother is really being a PITA and I would tell her to back off. I prefer to take my time researching repair companies and vendors to make sure I get someone reputable and recommended. If that takes a couple of weeks, so be it. No one’s life is in danger from the problems so you are within your rights to make the repairs on your own timetable.</p>

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<p>Lots of good advice here. Best is to read the lease carefully to be sure you are not going against your own terms and also to check the local ordinances as to any potential health hazard, but to, as others have said, politely tell mom you will not be communicating with her further. They can getportable air filters if they have any problem with allergies. You can get someone to check to be sure you dont have mold, and other than that, tough noogies. Her demands are unreasonable.</p>

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<p>Stop dealing with the mom. I agree that you should email the boys, copy the mom and tell them that you can ONLY deal with the boys, well MEN renting from you. This mom needs to turn in the helicopter, rapidly!!!</p>

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<p>The alternative to being a ‘working’ landlord is to hire a management company. If that’s not an expense you wish to incur, at least benefit from their expertise and know (beyond any shadow of a doubt!) that no management company would deal with somebody not on the lease. Nor would they worry about a small spot on a window sill. </p>

<p>If duct cleaning isn’t in the lease, they should incur that expense. (Better yet, they should have asked to have it placed in the lease prior to signing.) I would suggest verifying that you don’t have a serious mold problem. If it’s a small area, can’t it simply be scrubbed with soap and water and perhaps put in a dehumidifier on a timer? Seems to me, an unfinished basement that is largely unused can be problematic, but a dehumidifier could be a big help~</p>

<p>You are a small business owner, not a dorm mother! I’m acquainted with a few young, single men who are medical school students and none of them would want their mothers dealing with their landlord! They wouldn’t care about having granite counters, either!</p>

<p>Best advice–Be firm, be responsive and stick to the terms of the lease.</p>

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<p>As an aside, unless your lease agreement says they can do repairs and deduct from the rent (which I doubt) I believe they would be in violation and you could assess late fees and interest (again subject to the lease terms) and if need be (which I doubt) threaten eviction if she persists. I wonder if the med students even knew the mom was emailing you? How’d she get your contact info? Totally agree that informing her that this is your last correspondence with her and that you are unable to deal with anyone not on the lease is the appropriate step.</p>

<p>I have to laugh. The places my s’s lived in college make your place sound like a palace. They were lucky if they could even get the landlord to return a call.</p>

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<p>All other issues aside, mold problems can snowball into big problems with tenants. Correcting any mold problems to the best of your abilitities might not cut it; you need to correct mold problems to what is required by law or you risk getting shaken down for a lot of money. I’d talk to a real estate attorney familiar with mold laws for advice and for putting together a game plan for your mold issue. Take your insurance policies with you to attorney too; you may have coverage for mold repair and the lawyer can check what mold liability coverage you might have. In Florida insurance companies are squeezing out mold coverages as much as possible. Talk to your lawyer about the mold before talking to your insurance company…if your insurance company gets wind of you having a mold issue in the insured dwelling they’ll likely non-renew you.</p>

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<p>I want to thank everyone for their suggestions; they have allowed my husband and I to consider how and what to say and do. </p>

<p>Just to restate a few facts:</p>

<p>We have every intention to look into the mold complaint; we want to keep this house in good repair. We are only renting until the market recovers, then it is bye bye house! I have calls out to a few people to get names of companies to come look at the basement. While there was no mold when we were at the house in June, I am aware we could have sense developed a problem. I am going to ask the tenants to take a few pictures for me so I can have an idea what we are dealing with. I will try to arrange for someone to come look on a day I can drive in and meet them. If it is a small area maybe bleaching and other cleaning agents would be sufficient; maybe a dehumidifier is warranted. But, if we place a dehumidifier in the basement, will the boys be willing to empty it? </p>

<p>As far as cleaning the ducts, at this time, I am not interested in having that done. Maybe if the boys changed the provided filters monthly and kept the house clean, there would be less allergic issues. It is funny that the mother said her son couldn’t study at the house and had to go to the library; she didn’t say he had trouble sleeping or hanging out, just studying!</p>

<p>I am pretty sure the boys know this mother is emailing me as she mentioned in yesterday’s email that she knew the current yardman was going to clean the gutters. She has my email from her son and the lease. </p>

<p>Only the three students are on the lease; no cosigners. I meet only the one mother of the boy that initial found the house as she came with him to sign the lease. The other 2 boys met me to sign in our neighborhood. All 3 live in my immediate area and while I don’t personally know the families, I have friends that are friendly with each of the moms; kind of a 6 degrees of separation :)</p>

<p>The interesting thing is if these boys would have rented where many of the students tend to go, they would be living in ancient homes that do not have all the modern touches. There are a couple of apartment complexes that are a bit upscale and the 2 boys with allergies did live in one last year. I wonder if this mother wanted the apartments to clean their ducts for her son ;)</p>

<p>After I speak to this mom today I will email the boys and explain what we are doing and to remind them to contact me directly as they are the tenants. I do know one of the boys is high maintenance, but I have been able to deal with him without a problem. I have gotten calls about them seeing 2 roaches the week the exterminator was due to come; because one of the boys had a bug issue at a previous rental, I wasn’t bothered by the call. Now I wonder if this group finds problems everywhere. Do they not realize they don’t live in daddy’s $500K home anymore?</p>

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<p>I don’t know if they’re available in your area, but check with ServPro (servpro.com) for the mold issues. They specialize in that kind of clean up. And they’re very good; they don’t “find” issues where there aren’t any.</p>

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<p>My H who handles all our tenants would have told her to go take a flying hike. If she ( or the boys) did work unauthorized and tried to deduct it from the rent he’d take her (or the boys) to small claims court. OP I think you are being very accommodating. I can tell you my H would have said yes to the gutter cleaning (and it would have been on the to-do list anyway.) He would have said no to the window. He would have said no to the duct cleaning. He maybe, maybe would have brought the boys a dehumidifier (if they pay the electric) and told them it was there responsibility to take care of it. And if they called about a bug, he would have told them to man up and go buy some Raid. Seriously, I’ve heard him on the phone with tenants. Sounds like this bunch is going to be major PIAs. I’m so sorry.</p>

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<p>And if bugs have appeared in the house that weren’t there before, it is quite likely that they came in on his stuff.</p>

<p>When I think about the roach issues friends have had in NYC, I have to laugh. A little mildew in the basement in the summer? Seriously? These little princes and their mommies need to get a grip.</p>

<p>This is simply unreal.</p>

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<p>Also if it gets to be too much you can always “offer” to let them out of the lease with no financial strings. We always do that…and in writing…if we have tenants that are more trouble than it’s worth. That can also “stop” all the nit picking when you offer to let them “leave.”</p>

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<p>My 2 cents; these aren’t boys; they’re men. I would politely reply with a registered letter that all correspondence must be only between you and the tenants signing the lease. You can be apologetic and polite, but get the point across that legally, you can only address problems with the rental property with the legal tenants.</p>

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<p>And if they called about a bug, he would have told them to man up and go buy some Raid</p>

<p>H and I were living in an " upscale" part of an upscale suburb when our oldest was born. The house was in excellent repair visually, the landlord who owned several rental homes had planned to live in it before her recent remarriage. ( but it was only three bedrooms& one bath, not big enough for her new husband) It was within walking distance to the lake and business district,as well as several parks and schools, really quite nice with mature landscaping and a huge yard with laurel hedges for privacy. Landlord was also the mother of H’s carpool buddy, he wanted to move into it with his girlfriend and baby but mom apparently told him no way, as we were more stable since we were married.
:rolleyes:
The spring D was born, we were out of the house more than we were in it as she was hospitalized till mid July. When we brought her home we found the house infested with carpenter ants, coming up from the crawl space chewing through the walls. One of them bit my daughters cheek!</p>

<p>We had to call the landlord several times before she had her ex husband come out to try and get rid of them. Which didnt do any good by the way, we had to keep calling and she finally called an exterminator. Unfortunately she called an exterminator who used organophosphates which had been recently banned by the EPA and which persist in the environment. I didnt know this until my daughter and I developed a toxic reaction to the chemicals ( which didnt take long) </p>

<p>We then had to find someplace else to live- landlord for some reason offered to sell us the house for a good price( which didnt make sense as if we could live there we wouldn’t be moving!)</p>

<p>If my daughter ran into an infestation at her rental house that was more than a couple bugs, I would tell her to hire a reputable service and bill the landlord.</p>

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<p>I can almost feel an anxiety attack coming on when I read this thread. I owned a rental unit 25 years ago, and my gut feeling is to get rid of these tenants. It won’t end well. They will constantly try to control, and when I had a tenant like this, they left the place a mess. I would do as someone suggested upthread and put in writing that you are willing to break the lease. It will save you a lot of money in the long run.</p>

<p>The mold issue I find a little irritating. HGTV is doing all it can to perpetuate the myth that mold is in every house. Well I guess it’s not so much a myth, but an attempt to brainwash the masses that something needs to be done, and something needs to be done NOW. It’s a good idea to have them take photographs of the mold that they are seeing, because I believe that any company you bring in will be able to find mold someplace in your rental unit, and if it’s not at the place these boys think it is, that will cause even more issues for you.</p>

<p>I’m so sorry you are going through this.</p>

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<p>Reading this thread is giving me a retroactive anxiety attack from the days when I was a renter. It certainly explains a lot-like why we didn’t get our deposit back because the backyard wasn’t “acceptable” despite the fact that when we moved in the grass was a foot hig and a sprinkler head had broken off, leaking gallons and gallons of water that the LL was paying for unknowingly-that WE turned off for them;
and another LL kept the deposit to recarpet the entire upstairs because of a small stain in the baby’s room, and a third kept his deposit because the place wasn’t “professionally clean” when we had moved into spoiled food in the fridge and previous tenants’ belongings in every room of the place…</p>

<p>At our last home my D’s room was in the basement with what seemed to be a tiny mold problem that I removed with bleach-before we discovered it she had horrible asthma attacks that sent us to the ER on a regular basis. Mold can be terrible for one’s health, whether you believe HGTV or not.</p>

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<p>I would be hesitant to call a company specialized in mitigating mold problems because it is highly unlikely that they will determine there is no mold problem. I would contact a few top realtors in the area and get their recommendation for a certified home inspector. Inspectors are familiar with mold issues but as independent contractors they should provide an unbiased professional opinion. </p>

<p>Every time we consider purchasing a prospective rental property in DD’s college town a thread like this pops up, thanks for the aversion therapy!</p>

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<p>There is mold and then there is mold. Nearly every house not in the desert has some mold on some surface. I’m not talking green slime mold but some mold spores, maybe black spots on a ceiling in a bathroom or laundry. That isn’t the real issue. In some cases, particularly in humid climates, particularly with certain kinds of construction, mold can grow inside the walls. Mold in the walls is bad. Mold spots are not that. Mold spots are why they sell paint like Killz; it kills the kind of mold that spots and which is common. You can’t use Killz on mold in the walls. That requires ripping out the walls and the insulation because the wallboard and subsurfaces are contaminated. One is spot mold on surface and the other is mold embedded in the fabric.</p>

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<p>

Kilz doesn’t kill mold. You can’t just paint it over mold and kill it because it won’t. The mold needs to be killed with solutions specifically effective against mold. The Kilz can then be used to prime over the area (or any area) to seal the surface, make it more difficult for moisture to travel through it (which helps against future mold), to block stains, and to serve as a surface for a top coat of paint. Contrary to what some might imply from its name though, Kilz doesn’t kill mold.</p>

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<p>Kilz kills stains, not mold.</p>

<p>Deducting repair expenses from rent is highly specific to where the property is located, you should not take anything you read here as applicable. You need to know the laws for where the property is.</p>

<p>Same with things like mold. There may or may not be any requirement to do anything about it.</p>

<p>In any case, do not let a helicopter mom push you around. One of the most important words you need to use as a landlord is “no”.</p>

<p>No, I won’t clean the vents.</p>

<p>No, I won’t clean the gutters at your request.</p>

<p>No, I am not going to fix a window frame that is not causing a problem.</p>

<p>No, you can’t do whatever “repair” you want and deduct it from the rent.</p>

<p>No, I am not buying you a bigger refrigerator.</p>

<p>No, I won’t replace the carpets.</p>

<p>No, you can’t park your motorcycle or RV in the back yard.</p>

<p>No, I won’t replace the bathroom sink if it works fine.</p>

<p>No, you can’t paint the walls whatever horrid color you want.</p>

<p>No, I can’t lower your rent for whatever lame reason you come up with.</p>

<p>No, you can’t pay the rent two weeks late.</p>

<p>No, you can’t use your security deposit as your last month’s rent.</p>

<p>Etc etc etc.</p>

<p>Many people, in an admirable attempt to be reasonable, are afraid of the word “no”. </p>

<p>As a landlord, “no” is your best friend. Sometimes it takes practice saying it, but don’t be afraid. If you remain a landlord for any length of time you will get used to using it. :D</p>

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<p>as a near 20 yr landlord, I see so much good advice here!
I strongly agree that Op should call them “men”. Not in this forum, not to hubby, because that doesn’t matter. But- email them, and refer to them as men- on purpose to put that idea in their head. I recommend you email them to tell them it would be “inappropriate” for you to discuss your terms and conditions with others not on the lease, and “equally inappropriate” for those not on the lease to discuss terms and conditions with you. Then tell them all future correspondence will be with them- only.
In my state, a LL is responsible to (basically) provide a habitable unit. That is a low standard, really. Heat in winter, proper running water, roof not leaking, basic things like that. Doesn’t have to be a new sink, or a pretty sink; but it needs to function properly. I don’t think rot on a window would be included in that. Mold likely would be, though.
As for their requesting the duct cleaning, no harm in their asking, but I don’t see how u could be required to do so. Maybe u could tell them u have no objection if they want to hire it. Or, You could ask them to get an estimate or 2 for it, and then tell them you’ll look over it. Don’t say you’ll do it. When u get the estimate, maybe you will do it, or maybe offer to split it with them…? As a side note, I’m not saying a LL should only do the min req’d by law- I am saying he doesn’t HAVE to. Many choose to in order to have a better unit to offer.
Put all your correspondence in writing and save it. Just in case it becomes a court case! Document document document. I could picture them doing the cleaning, billing you, and claiming you said you’d pay for it! So put everything in writing- and remember- what you write could end up in court, so use clear and smart wording, protect yourself.</p>

<p>there are legal ways a tenant can hold back rent for repairs, but it is a very specific process that requires much documentation on the tenants part to be legal. He can’t just not pay and let it go at that. It is complicated and not many tenants know how to do it legally.</p>