In part 1 of this series, we discussed some of the crazy things that tenants say to their landlords. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. Read on in part 2 to hear more of the crazy stuff tenants say.
I need to be able to get out of the lease whenever I want in case I decide to change jobs/get married/move to Alaska. The point of a lease is that the tenant agrees to stay in the unit and pay the rent for the entire year. Some landlords may be willing to offer a month-to-month lease, but that comes at a premium.
I’ll pay you in cash. Including quarters, and nickels, and pennies. Landlords should make it clear in their lease that cash payments are not accepted. This protects both the landlord and the tenant from any discrepancies over how much rent was paid or whether it was paid at all. It also eliminates hassles for the landlord, like tenants who try to pay the rent with a bag of coins from their couch cushions. It’s best to require electronic payments, or at the very least, a cashier’s check.
You need to come over today to replace a burned out light bulb in the bathroom. Most leases require the tenant to handle basic maintenance under $50, which includes replacing light bulbs.
Every time we fry bacon, the smoke detector went off, so we took the batteries out. Bad idea. Every unit must have properly functioning smoke detectors. If the tenant disables the smoke detector by removing the batteries, they are liable for any injuries or damages in the event of a fire.
It’s not my fault that my rent check was late. It’s the post office’s fault. Well, not really. Tenants are responsible for delivering the rent to the landlord by the due date. If the rent is late, regardless of the reason, the landlord must assess a late fee. Tenants can avoid this problem by paying the rent online.
I know there’s a hole in the wall, but that’s normal wear and tear. No, it’s not. Smudges on the walls are normal wear and tear. Dirt on the carpets is normal wear and tear. Holes in the wall are not normal wear and tear. Damages like these should be repaired by the landlord and deducted from the security deposit.
Those other people who are living in the unit with me aren’t tenants; they’re just friends who are crashing with us for a while. Call them whatever you want, but anyone who stays in the unit for longer than a week is an unauthorized tenant. Every adult living in the unit must be added to the lease and go through the screening and application process.
You don’t need to know my credit score. Yes, I do. The landlord has the right to screen tenants, including checking their credit score. This is an important tool in helping the landlord assess his risk in leasing to the tenant. If the tenant refuses to submit to a credit check, the landlord can deny their application.
I don’t want anyone else to have a key to my unit, so would you please give me your key? Tenants have a right to privacy, but landlords must have a key to access the unit.
Sometimes tenants have crazy ideas about how leasing a dwelling really works. You can avoid these issues by getting in touch with McMath Realty. We provide property management services for landlords so that you don’t have to deal with any of this; just let us handle all the day-to-day worries of being a landlord.
Contact McMath Realty to learn more today https://mcmathrealty.com//contact.php.