Don't be a landlord, it seriously sucks!

[Shared Acres]

Got to vent...

Hubby and I lived in a mobile home for 10 years and built a house last year and moved to it. Well with this economy we haven't been able to sell the mobile home, so we've been renting it. At first I thought I might like being a landlord, after two tenants, I say, NEVER!

First tenant--payed rent on time, but insisted on using their own new appliances on the property. Upon vacating the premises they ripped the vinyl flooring and then got ticked that we wanted to charge them for it.

Second tenants--In exchange for the first month's rent we allowed them to paint and replace the carpet & vinyl flooring (which we paid for, they just had to install--even though my hubby came over and helped!). Two days ago they were supposed to be out and giving us the keys, I asked if anything was damaged, they responded no, oh the junk I found:

1-Lawn 2-3 feet high
2-Cigarrette burns in the NEW carpet, even though there was to be NO smoking on the property (in lease agreement)
3-The carpet cleaner guy didn't believe me the carpet was less than 6 months old. He had to deep clean the pet urine and poop stains out.
4-Smoke detector missing
5-Paint not all the way down or cabinets accidentally painted.
6-2 floor vents missing, cats using the AC vents to hide in!
7-ALL the corners are damaged from 6 cats (no we didn't agree to this!) using them as cat scratch posts!
8-beer bottles strewn across yard.
9-Flowers pulled out of flower boxes and boxes being used as ashtrays.
10-And among other things, they took the knobs to the stove, SERIOUSLY PEOPLE!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. And they are calling me a liar for not giving them back their deposit. Mind you these are the same people who I had to track down for rent every month, still owe for back rent and last month I had to drive the woman to the bank to get the money!

UGH, don't become a landlord. It'll turn you prematurely grey!

 

[Bettacreek]

Hrmmm. I admit that we're late on rent a lot. Landlord doesn't care, because it's a few days at most, and only because I'm TERRIBLE at keeping track of the date. I'll look at the date on the computer and be like "ahh, crap, it's the 3rd?" Fortunately, he's pretty understanding about it, lol.

But, yeah, your second one really sounds like a couple of jerks.

When we moved out of the last place, we made sure everything was like it was when we moved in, including doing the shampooing ourselves.

 

[Shared Acres]

Yeah, our lease agreement said rent due on the first, late after the 10th. I would have to drive to their house to get the rent!

Last month, on the 11th, hadn't heard from them so I drive over there and they tell me they can't pay and they are moving out that weekend. I explain to them that the bank is taking the money out for the trailer and they are living there and the money is owed. UGH!

 

[kees]

The knobs for the stove? What could they hav been thinking?

Suzy

 

[Bettacreek]

Hrmm. I took the lightbulbs back from one place. Those landlords were flaming jerks though. The woman was in our apartment every time that we left, and was stealing smokes from my husband (she stole a pack a day until we found out, I was blaming hubby for smoking so much!), rolls of paper towels, toilet paper, money, etc. So, I figured, hey, we had to buy lightbulbs to put in when we moved in (we stayed for like two months before we could get the heck out of there), so we're taking them with us. But, stove knobs... Lol. That is actually so stupid that it's funny.

ETA: When I say that she was stealing rolls of paper towels and toilet paper, I don't mean that she stole one or two because she ran out. I mean that she did housecleaning on the side, and would come and steal 4-5 rolls of paper towels every few days. We bought the huge box of them and TP at Sam's so I didn't notice as quickly, but, after about the third box of paper towels and the second huge thing of toilet paper, I kinda figured that something was a tad off...

 

[kees]

What possible use could someone have for stove knobs? Now, that's desperate!

Suzy

 

[eggchel]

Excerpts from conversations with tenants:

No, you cant have a bonfire in the backyard in a fire zone because it is against the law and besides, there isn't a fire pit.
No you cant make the pool into a skate park.
No, you cant let your friend live in his van in the driveway.
No, you shouldn't have let mushrooms grow in the carpet in the corner because the toilet was leaking for a whole year without you bothering to tell us so that we could have done the $3 repair job and saved the hundreds of dollars in repairs from water damage to the floors, sub floors, floor joists, carpet, and sheetrock.
Yes, it would have been nice if you ever paid the rent on time. Heck it would be nice if you were even paying rent for the current month.
Yes, you should have repainted the kitchen walls after the fire you started during that party that the police shut down.
Yes, a 200lb man using the garden shovel as a pogo stick is going to stress the metal until it cracks.
Yes, it smells like a dead animal under the house. Did you not wonder where your cat was?
No, you cant get another cat, you weren't supposed to have that one.
No, I told you before that that guy cannot keep sleeping in his van in the driveway and please make him bring back the cushions he took off the patio furniture.
Yes, that was new carpet before you let your little children eat pizza and spaghetti while sitting on the floor in front of the TV.... everyday.... with juice....and Popsicles.
Yes, those were new drapes, and it was nice of you to wash and dry them after your children did god knows what to them but if you'd read the tag you would have seen the dry-clean only notice which would explain why all the drapes in the house are now 6 inches shorter than the windows.
No, they don't smell like smoke anymore.
Yes, you told me that you were not smokers when you signed the lease.
Yes, when your husband gets mad and slams his fist into the door it will make a hole in it, the door wasn't defective.
No, you weren't supposed to have a dog, especially not a puppy that you let pee and poop on every floor and carpet in the house.
No, all your crack-head in-laws were not allowed to move in with you.
No you cant take out all the ground cover because you don't like it and just leave dirt and weeds.
No, you aren't supposed to take the locking ring off the electric meter so that you can "adjust it to meet your budget".
No, you cant grow pot in the backyard..... my house is in the "back yard".
No, the rent due date wasn't merely a suggestion.
Yes, pouring gasoline on the garden pond will kill the mosquitoes if you light it, and yes it will burn all the nearby hedges and trees.
Yes, the fireman said you were stupid but I explained to him that you were just stoned.

 

[PunkerTechnoRoo?ter]

Yes, the fireman said you were stupid but I explained to him that you were just stoned.

 

[Opa]

Eggchel your conversations with tenants would be funny but I'm sure that they are real excerpts. I think we've had their relatives for tenants here.

 

[ml]

No, you aren't supposed to take the locking ring off the electric meter so that you can "adjust it to meet your budget".

I am still laughing over that one. Did your tennents meet ours in NJ?

Thinking this is why these folks have a hard time in life.
ML​