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Security Deposit
2008-06-11 04:26:00
What is the maximum deposit that I can charge when renting a unit by weekly rates ? Is it 2 1/2 times the the weekly rate , as when renting monthly ? I would like to charge at least a months rent in case they damage the place, if it is legal . Any answers would be appreciated . Thanks.
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Deposited my check before i moved in
2008-06-11 03:23:00
I have signed a 1 year house rental lease through Long and Foster Real Estate Service representing a private owner and given to them the security deposit and the first months rent, with checks for a June 1st 2008 move-in date 2 months ago.The security deposit check was deposited a month ago into the owners account, but the post dated (June 1st.) rent check was also deposited May 1st. 2008 into Long and Fosters account? What are my legal rights and the legal ramifications to Long and Foster for pre-depositing my rent check when I have yet to take occupancy of the residence? Thank you in advance.
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Aggressive Breeds?
2008-06-11 02:03:00
We know that Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers are considered aggressive dog breeds by their appearance and nature. Do you think that Boxers, Chows, and Bulldogs are universally considered aggressive breeds? I am having trouble reconciling what dogs are commonly considered aggressive versus any breed of dog trained for attack purposes. How do you determine what constitutes a breed you will absolutely not accept? What types of dogs do you allow?The Humane Society has guidelines that downplay the pets breed in tenent decisions for other criteria such as a veternarian reference, a landlord reference, evidence of shots, license, and spaying.How do you determine what types of dogs you accept? Texas.
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How many x's a property can be shown in a month?
2008-06-10 22:22:00
My tenant, which has been nothing short of a nighmare, claims the following;When viewing a property, the land owner is limited to the number of times it can be showed in one month which was exceeded for at least two months of my tenancy.My question is:How many times is acceptable and legal??
More About: Property , Month

changes on lease
2008-06-10 22:11:00
I gave my tenant a c opy of the LPA lease to show his lawyer and I got it back with A LOT stricken out.They struck out the late fee clause, the maint & repairs clause, the appliances, default and even the renters ins. clause.Should I just sign it and return to the atty? He included a stamped preaddressed envelope.
More About: Lease

Is a live in boyfriend concidered a "Tenant"
2008-06-10 19:15:00
My boyfriend has lived with me for 3 years. He agreed to pay the bills, if I paid my mortgage. He has yet to pay any bills in 3 years. I have asked him to move out, but he says that I have to give him 30 days notice. I really don't want him in my home for another 30 days. Do I really have to give him a notice? Is he concidered a tenant if he is not even listed on my mortgage?
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Tenant Faking Pregnancy?
2008-06-10 15:57:00
Has any landlord out there ever heard of the wife of one of your tenants faking being pregnant, to slow down the eviction process?
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Eviction
2008-06-10 06:54:00
I roomate has always been late on paying rent. Now, he has left the state with no forwarding address and has left all his property behind. He has promised to pay but will not return my phone calls so I have no way of serving a 3 day notice. Rent is due on the 1st and it is now the 9th. DO I have a legal right to hold his property, and can I rent the room out without serving the 3 day notice. What are my next steps?
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When is rent legally late in Massachusetts?
2008-06-09 23:55:00
My tenant is threating me because I'm asking for the rent.Does anyone know when the rent is legally late in Massachusetts ? Our lease states the rent is due on the 1st of each month. Thank you so much for your anticipated cooperation.
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Landlord of Rent Stabilized apartments
2008-06-09 21:07:00
Is anyone else a Landlord/manager of rent stabilized apartments in NYC?The laws governing stabilized apartments are different. In reality the Landlord has no rights. So, I've been trying to find ways to protect myself as much as possible.NYC tenants have learned what the courts will tolerate and abused the system to its fullest, on the landlords dime.
More About: Apartments , Rent

Roomate broke lease
2008-06-09 21:00:00
I have two tenants that share an apartment (Two law students). I let them move into an larger apt. New lease for a year. after less than two months one of them decides to move out. I gave her the notice to vacate form and her reason for leaving was "strong desire to live on my own and irreconcilable differences with current roommate".Would you give her any of her security deposit?I told her that I would deduct any expenses I incurred including creating a new lease and other forms and any background check that would be needed for her replacement.Your thoughts?
More About: Lease

Eviction
2008-06-09 20:55:00
Hi all,On may 20th, I told my tenant I needed him to move out by the end of June. He didn't pay me rent for the month of June. He told me he would move out by the end of June. What if he does not move out by the end of June and does not pay me rent, on what ground should I evict him? I would definitely like him out of my house, because he has given me grief. Do you know how long the eviction process? Thanks so much.
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So what is the eviction process?
2008-06-09 19:41:00
I belong to the Apartment Owners Association and they told me that even though my tenants have a year lease with me and are only on their 3rd month of renting that I can just serve them a 3-Days to Pay or Move Out Form. Is that really all I need? After that comes the eviction process? Well, what are the forms for that? Are there forms? A step-by-step list that I can follow? I've looked up the Dept. of Consumer Affairs site and they have no forms. Can someone please explain to me what Eviction process means? Thanks!
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Tenant reneged on oral lease... wants money back!
2008-06-09 18:45:00
We agreed to rent our one bdrm unit to a single woman in mid February. Old tenant moved out, husband renovated bathroom - new tenant supposed to move in on 4/1/08. She calls and says she's been laid off, can't move in and wants her deposit ($500 out of total due 1st mo and sec of $1700). You know what I'm asking... do I have to give her the money back? She's been telling our neighbors that we're stiffs, complained to the "handyman" - actually my husband! - that he better get his money up front... and also is harassing me via email and threatening to sue. THoughts? THanks!
More About: Money , Back , Lease , Oral

Scenario
2008-06-09 16:56:00
I haven't came across this particular scenario until now and maybe some of you have and just wanting your opinion on what you would do. A tenant of mine rents a $400 one bedroom apartment. Last month in May they were late on their rent and was coming in on the 5th to pay. On the 5th they called and said they were robbed and the culprit took $300 from them.So I tell them 'I'd like a police report.' and say nothing else. She said ok she'll be in the next day with one. (I did see the story in the next day's newspaper so she wasn't making it up).My question is, if a tenant was robbed monetarily and couldn't make the rent, would you go ahead for eviction proceedings or give them till their next pay check?Thanks!
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Can I get my money back?
2008-06-09 13:44:00
My rental agreement says I am responsible for all repairs.LAst month the garage spring popped. I had someone come over and replace it for $180.Now the landlord is calling saying that I was not allowed to deduct the $180. from the rent. It is HIS garage. It is not like I am going to take the spring with me when I move!Can I get my money back from the garage door company if they come take back their spring? Or can I stick to my guns and make the landlord take the expense as his own which it should be?
More About: Money , Back

Landlord using my last months rent as security dep
2008-06-08 20:29:00
We signed a one year lease last April and gave our landlord first and last month's rent to move in, which was all that was required. Our lease has since expired (April 15) and we never received or signed a renewal. I notified the landlord that we are moving back to NY on May 31 and that we would be totally out July 11. He informed me that we will not get our last month's rent deposit back until we are out and he inspects the house and that he would mail it to NY. He also informed me that he has taken 3 $50 late fees out of our last month's rent. I just read that he is not permitted to do that without notifying me, and that last month's rent is not a security deposit and may not be used as one, nor can a security deposit be used as last month's rent. so, my question is, i do not have to pay last month's rent seeing as we already paid in advance, correct? it was to my assumption that we weren't being charged late fees because it was never brought to my attention. Is tha...
More About: Security , Rent , Months

Switching agency
2008-06-08 18:27:00
Hi, I've been poorly served by an agency, and have switched to a new agent. They happily agreed to do so with no tenant checks or similar. Tenants are unhappy, as they claim there is no contract, given they haven't seen or signed up to the contract.Do they have a point?
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Set up an Inc. for Properties...Now What?
2008-06-08 17:37:00
We increased our rental properties from 1 to 4 in the last 2 years and were advised by our personal tax person to set up an S-Corp. We did...but now we don't know where to begin??? Any suggestion on good books or references? We want to take advantage of the tax deductions because we have a home office and want to account for all the little things like mileage and gas that adds up towards the upkeep of the properties, but we know there's MUCH MORE out there we need to be keeping track of. So, I'm turning to the experts in hopes that you will provide some mentorship or guidance on where to begin. I see several books on barnes and nobles but am not sure if they specifically address what I'm looking for. Please Help! Thanks in advance! :)
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Should I continue with eviction process?
2008-06-08 16:04:00
I'm living in WA. I gave my tenants 30-days notice of termination (we are M2M lease - the lease agreement stated that I need to send 30-days notice even the state law only required 20-days notice ) on April 11th, asking them to move out by May 31st. They did not pay me the rent of May after they received the notice. Worse, they did not move out on May 31st as indicated in the termination notice, and told me that they would move out by June 6th instead. On Friday (June 6th), they started moving out but still not returned the keys to me. I called them late yesterday, asking them the time want to have the walk-thru and they told me that they could not move out completely till Moday.. ?? I know that they moving out but I don't know how long will it take to completely move out. They don't pay me last month + this month (additional days) - and kept coming the reasons why they can't return the keys yet (like they need to find close by storage, need time to clean up, ect..)I conta...
More About: Eviction , Process

60 day notice,last mth stop payment
2008-06-08 07:09:00
As a licensed Realtor, I'm concerned about doing this in the proper manner, though I'm a resale agent, not a property management agent.I've been renting out my Mom's condo for the last 6 years. A little over a year ago, she passed away, and I'm the owner of the unit.My husband and I found it necessary to sell our current home to recover the equity and move into the condo I inherited. I went to the property on June 16,08, hoping to find the tenant and hand her the 60 day notice. My husband & I had just started a "45 day or less: escrow with the option to rent back to cover the 60 day period, and hoped for at least a week to paint, re-floor, begin the moving process, etc.She was not at home, so I photographed my hand putting the notice thru the front door (slid it thru the space between the door and the door jamb.) I had told her verbally about it on the phone and emailed her and have saved a "read receipt".Within the past month or so, we've had correspondence about the air cond...
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Is there any acceptable excuse for late rent?
2008-06-08 05:59:00
I just want to be sure if there is not any reasonable excuse for the rent not being on time. Our tenants claim the government overpaid them and they now have to pay back $1100 per pay period. What would you do?
More About: Excuse , Late , Rent

Buying first Multifamily, What do I need to see??
2008-06-08 04:31:00
I'm looking at buying my first multifamily and need help!! It's a "very" big 4 family, setup like townhouses (side by side), each with 4 bedrooms. What should I ask for from the seller before I put in a offer? Lease agreement, Profit and loss statement, ???? for the offer, I have spoke to a couple of real estate people and an appraiser and they said that the house will be very hard to get comps because it's huge with all brick siding (most MF are vinyl or wood siding in RI) and a slate roof. Nothing has sold like this in the last year or so in the town or surrounding towns!!! Also I will be living in one of the units so I will need to evict someone, how do I do this? I don't want everyone's first impression to be that I'm cold hearted since I will also be raising everyone's rent to meet the new mortgage, the rents are WAY too low for the area.
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Question?
2008-06-08 02:01:00
I own a duplex, and I am paying for the water which runs me about $80 every 2 months, I'm thinking about having my tenants pay for this. What is the best option for me to handle this??Thanks
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Tenant tells me it is illegal
2008-06-08 00:32:00
my lease has a late fee of $50- if tenant pays after the 10ththe rent is $1850.the tenant is late the first 2 months now i want to chrge the late if if late on month 3. tenant tells me i can not chrge him. that it is against the law.it is in my lease!!! doesn't that mean anything???
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Additional Rent For Incremental Tenants?
2008-06-07 19:34:00
I am wondering if it is legal and common practice to charge extra for more tenants? My single family 3BR house is optimally sized and most comfortable for two adults and two children, or less. Any more tenants and the property suffers from the additional load placed upon it (wear, tear, & damages). I know that HUD rules are that a 3BR house can house a maximum of up to seven occupants. My question is, can I charge extra for tenants over four? Texas.
More About: Rent , Tenants

Tenant smoking pot
2008-06-07 18:02:00
I rent out the upstairs apartment to a young couple in their 30s. I smell smoke from pot. When I questioned them, they said they accidentally burned a dish rag.I am not that stupid to think they burned a dish rag almost every night, besides I know what pot smells like.I don't want this going on in my house.How do I handle it the right way.Thank you.
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Landlord Question Unsigned Lease Renewal Revisited
2008-06-07 06:07:00
Our tenants signed a 6 month lease that ended May 31. We hand delivered the new lease for them to review & sign. I know they haven't forgotten about it because they mentioned they'd have it for us when we met to discuss improvements they would like us to do. We had the meeting, but still no signed lease.They are requesting a mold inspection because one tenant coughs at night. No visible signs of mold, tho there's a basement with a working dehumidifier. We've made the call & the inspector will be out week after next. We put a monetary limit on some kitchen cabinetry if they want to purchase it immediately. Otherwise, we want to wait for the mold inspection to see if any remediation is necessary before we spend more money on the kitchen. This has upset them.They've had credit problems in the past; we gave them a trial 6 month lease & they were very responsible. Now the overall tone has changed, in my opinion. I would like to cancel the lease & switch to M2M. Since the 6 month ...
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What should I do?
2008-06-07 05:15:00
I refinanced my friends house a year ago to lower their rates and payments. They have been paying the lender every month until mid 2007 when they started late payments, and hitting me with delinquencies. We lost our friendship and they now haven't paid since Nov. 2007, and owe the lender $23,000 unpaid mortgage payment. I never signed any tenancy agreement, but given then 60-days eviction notice in Dec. 2007 by claiming we had a verbal agreement, and now filed repossession of property. My question is since the Warranty Deed and Mortgage is under my name, can I pursue the unpaid mortgage in court as them being as tenants? One of them is a realtor and may plan to buy the house back cheap when it forecloses in a few weeks. Can I also sue them for ruining my credit?Thank you for your help.Zeki

security
2008-06-07 02:00:00
My tenants lease is up June30,2008 found out she vacated the premises on May29,2008 then she e mails me saying she is not paying June rent and for me to use her security now after inspecting she has done damages and left the premises unclean. Now i have no money for cleaning and repairs . Can she legally do that?
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