What to do: on 12/26/17 ~4pm my tennant texts me stating the House is not warm enough. I made suggestions on how to get more heat upstairs. The house is old and the ducts in the basement have levers that can be opened/closed to manipulate the amount of heat delivered to different areas of the house. There are also registers like the ones on the floor which can be closed off to maximize the heat delivery upstairs. I sent pictures exactly where these items are, and to how to manipulate them. She texts back ~ 12pm states she cannot do it, I reply ~5am when are you available for me to come out and show you? No response.

On New Year’s Eve, 5 days later 12/31/17 she says there’s no heat! I had the property manager go out and inspect on NYE and paid him time and a half. Found the pilot light issue. He spent several days trying to fix the issue, bought firewood and logs to burn in the fireplace to keep the house warm and provided her with 3 space heaters. She takes the heaters to her group home and her job, which I have texts as proof, and states it wasn’t enough heat for the house so she is using them elsewhere. The pipes froze and luckily there is no damage. I demanded she return my heaters for the home, which she did. Took two days to thaw the pipes in the bathroom and laundry area in the basement. All

Other pipes were functional. Two HVAC service men have inspected and the furnace needs replaced. Mind you, it was difficult to get anyone out during that week due to so many people having the same issue.

On 1/12/18 I bought 5 more heaters (one floor model fireplace for her bedroom, and one revolving tower for the living room and the others were smaller ones for every other room including the bathroom) for every room and made sure the temp was ~75 to be comfortable. To my knowledge she still hasn’t returned home and isn’t going to until I replace the furnace. Things happen, I’ve done everything in my power to provide her with warmth. I also have a furnished apartment she could have stayed in if she would have communicated.

She states she’s been staying in a hotel $118.00 a night for two weeks. I said I would be happy to review her receipts and reimburse for the costs associated with her, in her name, one bed since she is the only tennant listed on the lease. I would also call the hotel to see if a reservation was required for that weeks stay etc. In the long run, she was without a “furnace” two weeks and I was willing to reimburse half of the rent or more, but she wasn’t without heat the entire two weeks. Property manager bought all the necessary fireplace safety needs, screen and tools, and built a fire twice a day to ensure the home was warm on the main floor. Blankets were hung in the doorways to contain the heat.

Her lease is the 15th of the month, today is the 20th, no payment, no receipts no response. Late fee as of today. I believe she stayed with her Mom where she was prior to renting the house.

How would you handle this? The rent is $1,000.00 a month and she owes a $187.00 water bill also this month which she did not pay last month and I previously notified her it must be paid with the rent.

Well it's a sad story. I try to replace furnaces before something like that happens which would be one of my worst nightmares. I will replace two gas hot air this summer as they are now about old enough for boards to go bad and take days to order while the house freezes up and I get no rent. So I will invest in them and my interest on the investment will be continued rent and tenancy without losing a month or two if tenants left.

I've read your post a few times. I'm going to go under the assumption that the furnace is totally shot and not running at all. Although boiler guy's can say they need replaced, they can still operate for one or several seasons.

I always like 2nd opinions on that stuff.

In a sense, I think you've kind of thrown your hands up in regards to the tenant already.

You've made attempts to provide temporary heat and the tenant took your heat sources elsewhere.

That's her problem.

I would get the furnace replaced asap with or without her response. Post a 24hr notice on the door or whatever is required and get it done. At this point you're saving your plumbing, her opinion or response doesn't matter ONE BIT in that regard.

Replace the furnace or service it if that's an option and move forward as normal.

Being that is the 21st of the month, Id say that you should be well on your way to a solution by now in regards to a central heat source.

I may offer to pick up her electric bill for this month due to the space heaters, but I'm not paying her hotel bill. You gave her a temporary solution, she chose an alternate.

Second NE, be aware of those HVAC people.. My one rental neighbor had a no heat call with a big name in the town. The guy replaced the thermocouple (didn't even screw it tightly). The rollout switch kicked in after couple seconds/minutes firing up. The company stated some bogus CO level too high and quoted her over 6K to replace the entire system.

I took a look at it, tightened the thermocouple, put back a misplaced cover for the pilot lighting hole. Probably solved.

She was charged $300 to replace a thermocouple.. completely robbed blind..

If I get a notice from a tenant that there is a problem with the heat on some of the coldest weather in years, I am there to check it out. I would tell them I will be there, whether they are or not. I need to protect my building. I would not be waiting 4 or 5 days for an answer from her.

It is unclear the time frame of no heat or low heat with the heaters. But either way, it seems you provided some sort of heat. The tenant taking the heaters elsewhere, and your pipes freezing because of that is her fault.

The most I will do is reimburse for the electric, maybe reimburse for the rent for the days she could not be there, if indeed there was NO heat. But I will not pay for a hotel.

Heat is the most important service that a landlord provides to their tenants. If anyone's systems or ducts are old or week, it's time to think about an up-grade.

You shouldn't have to ask a tenant to adjust duct distribution, that's a job for a professional with flow detectors and thermometers.

In my opinion, you blew it! Bad landlord!

When I get a message from any one of my 100+ tenants about their heat not working, I'm there the same day or have a professional check it out. Also I have back up heaters in storage at my apartment buildings and provide an extra electric heater in all of my SFR, stored in a sealed plastic bin near to the water heater or laundry room. Never want to be caught off guard in a cold spell.

I'm not into texting,if you can't talk to me on the phone,too bad.My furnace is going full blast in order to keep a reasonable temperature.I wouldn't pay for a hotel space,for anyone,except maybe a relative who is coming here for a wedding or some other important event.I don't want to cross RobertJ in California,but cold there is nothing to the cold we are experiencing here in the Northeast I've lived and worked in Ontario Canada at 30* below,never felt as cold as here.I use all electric buildings,so it's up to the tenants to supply their own power.shifts the blame to where it belongs.Me know nothing,me no speak aE glishhh. Me know nothing. Solly! Can't help?..................Charlie.................................wee Charlie...................................

I understand your responses, however, she has always had a lack of response. The ducts have registers like your registers on the floor. It’s easy open or shut. If you want more heat upstairs you shut some of them in the basement. I was willing to come out but she has stated many times she doesn’t want me entering without her knowledge or presence so I try to accommodate her preference. So, if I ask when and she doesn’t reply for 5 days I’m not chasing her and it would appear the situation isn’t that bad! It’s been that way for months. When she made it apparent there is NO heat I was out there on New Year’s Eve ten hours replacing thermocouple, sensor and thermostat. My limit on troubleshooting because NOONE was available to service and NOONE even 24 hour repair companies responded. I purchased space heaters and took two of my own to ensure she had heat! I also bought firewood and starter logs and had the property manager check on it twice daily. I don’t feel I blew it, I feel her lack of communication and lack of response repeatedly prolonged the situation more than needed. Her removal of the space heaters caused another two day delay with pipes freezing. I’ve had 2 HVAC serviceman come and both were unable to fix it and the furnace is scheduled to be replaced Saturday. I purchased 2-500.00

Floor model fireplace heaters that more than suffice heat and have reached interior temps of 85 deg.

So now the rent, which is the issue. Does she owe or doesn’t she? Two weeks of the month were fine, 10

Days not 85 degrees but 68-72 and 6 days fine 85deg. I’m willing to reimburse all of the hotel stay if she submits something, otherwise I’m willing to cut the rent in half.

I would provide nothing more than you already did - heaters, heat rises - the basement vents are a convenience for drying laundry suspended on drying lines indoors, you took plugin heaters but they were removed - bill for space heater rent to the user, post 3 days notice and follow your local court timing for the remainder of court paperwork - get a better heater repairman to clear up the flame problem. Space heater 12-1400 watts run all the time on 15 amp breakers and I heat my 900 sq ft shop with 2, they cycle except that time when we hovered around zero, keep windows closed and the fridge door also - nothing better at a hotel except the swimming pool.