We all get triggered by articles, comments, news, and conversations. The Washington Post featured an article about renters making changes to their apartments and were okay losing their security deposit. My comments were removed from another inner conversation with a landlord about tenant issues.
I have managed property for years off and on. I cannot stand it when people make ridiculous changes to walls and anchor furniture to the wall. We have had furniture destroyed. We have had tenants make structural changes. I could on and on. We do not allow changes of any kind to our rentals. I have it written to the lease the exact consequences. Everyone seems to think if they pintrest or watch a youtube video, they are now a interior designer who is going to upgrade the value of our house. Ah, no, you are creating work for me. Security deposits aren't meant to be fickle about. Security deposits are meant to pay for my damages and the time and energy to fix it all up.
I will be honest I have never returned a security deposit because there is always a wait for it moment. There is always a hidden damage. Always. I have an intensive movein and move out list. No one has ever completed the move out check list. I have taken tenants to court and won every time. Judges love video evidence with a tenant on video with the move-in walk through and you are telling the person that the rooms need to look exactly like this when you move out. Then when the Judge sees the same unit after the person left.
I think the last tenant we had was the worse one. Without permisson:
changed the locks wouldn't give me the key(THIS IS WHERE IT WENT DOWN HILL, I WAS EXPECTED TO TAKE IT) By the way it is immediate eviction if you change the keys to the house.
made structural changes(They were done shoddy and were a hazard)
painted the house gross colors
took every broom, mop, bucket(I put the items in so people clean)
took the drapes, shower curtains, custom bathroom unit
took all the outlets and smoke dectectors
stole the appliances
the motor oil down the drain
Our tenant thought she was going to get away with it, however, she did not. I kept the deposit and sued her. I received the last payment from that suit yesterday.
brought in 3 more kids after the lease said the max fro the house was 6
So, the Washington banned my comment because it was considered bullying.
I wrote:
As a landlord, I am tired of renters acting as though they are entitled to do whatever they want to our property. It is a tricky place to be in when we have large families want to move in, we have to be careful what we say. The truth is we cannot have more than 4 people with the septic system. If you make comments that say the family size is too big, you can sued for discrimination in our rental's state.
The renters in the article did not improve the look of the apartment, it looks like graffiti. Renters are simply that renters. It is not their property, they are not entitled to DIY anything.
No comments:
Post a Comment