Followup on previous post. I moved new tenants into a 2BR lower last week. Father works and son and mother are on disability. Mother is blind and uses walker.

They told my handyman last week that they wanted a wheelchair ramp. So I have been studying ADA and HUD information and found on the US Dept of Justice website an article called "Reasonable Modifications Under the Fair Housing Act." There is also a matching article on "Reasonable Accommodations."

I have to allow them to build a ramp at their expense. I cannot make them pay to remove the ramp because it is an exterior modification. If they had made an interior modification, I could require a return to the way it was at their expense.

My Lease, however, makes it very clear all requests for repairs or work on the unit must come through me. I went over this verbally in depth. Lease expressly states no requests through handyman and he reminded tenants of this, but they said, 'Well she does not like to talk on phone.' Not sure where they got that.

Then they proceeded to ask him to install a water filtration system they bought and to get a bin from the city disposal company. The company picked up the bin that was there last week and left no replacement. The father also handed him a phone number for a community charity that would help ME with the requirements for the ramp and possibly help ME pay for the installation of the ramp.

Handyman had already done everything I promised on move in and solved the door issue as well. I told him he is through there and to not do anything they ask until they realize they have to honor Lease and talk to me.

This may be a long, hard tenancy.

Send them a written notice that the handyman is not authorized to take requests for repairs from the tenants and he is not allowed to take orders from the tenants. That if they have a request for a repair, they must contact you in writing with the request.

It's been my experience with people on disability that 99 percent plus are scammers. I'm sure there are some that are genuinely ok, I just never met any. Others may have different experiences.

An example of latest:

Does not have deposit.

Only has part of rent.

Shack up boyfriend, unemployed with multiple felonies for aggravated battery,breaking and entering, burglary and more. Done 2 terms in prison.

Electric in someone else's name.

Car has no insurance and bad title.

No drivers license for either of them.

State id in different name, picture does not look like her.

Does not want to provide ssn for either of them.

Boyfriend a "contractor" but laid off for winter.

Wants to fix house for rent.

Argumentative.

Begger.

God bless!

Refuses to call gunman services for help. Expects me to front them money.

And more!

NOPE!

most told you last week you're in for a long ride.

The first mistake (well second after taking them) was using your man to do ramp-- CALL IT LIKE YOU WANT-- they used your guy and now YOU will be reminded and reminded and reminded.

I am not using my man to do ramp myob. I am going to require a Lease amendment, with permit pulled, ADA and local code compliant, and with a licensed contractor. I only wish a ramp could be built off a platform coming off the porch so a ramp could be built on one side with steps on another.

Finally, they ARE disabled and it is obvious. Son is autistic and totally socially inept. Mother is obviously blind and walks with great difficulty with a walker. They do have the money, they are all nonsmokers, they have negative records, and they have been married over 25 years. They have lived with her mother for 5 years and she is selling her house. They also had the cash in the bank.

The only thing I did wrong was fail to discriminate against them because of being on SSI.

I’m not sure why an exterior modification means they don’t have to pay to remove when they leave. Where did you find that?

Your house is under fair housing, while the DOJ stuff is generally related to the ADA and public property.

I would send them a note in writing reminding them that all requests need to come to you, and that you accept phone calls, texts, emails, or your repair form is located at and provide a link.

For any accommodations needed, please put it in writing, and say how they plan to pay for it. They are responsible for all costs. Remind them that you do require a licensed and insured contractor to handle any requests, such as the ramp, and that a permit must be pulled for them. You are happy to assist by providing the name of your approved contractor, and any modifications made without your consent in writing will be a violation of the lease.

Lana, you did nothing wrong. You are getting this in hand, and I expect there will be a few more minor bumps before they learn how to properly communicate with you. Once they get that, I suspect this can be a very good tenancy. With the kinks are worked out, I would anticipate a long and profitable relationship.

Might I suggest, make sure they have your phone number, even though they already should have it, if that is preferred method of communication. Give it to them again and again. Tenants change phones frequently, sometimes the landlady’s number didn’t get transferred over to new phone. Or, sometimes there can be an issue between phone carriers, you might be in a bad spot for their carrier.) Takes a while to work out best method of communication sometimes. (Tenant training, mostly.)

I put my cell phone number in the kitchen cabinets, and on the monthly newsletter I send with rent receipts. Your tenants seem like ‘want to talk face-to face’ type people. ( they chatted up the handyman when in front of them.) I am finding that face to face works well for me at first with a new tenant, as I am getting a little hearing loss as I age, so being able to read lips helps. With a busy household like this family has, it might take a bit of creativity to help you best communicate with them. For instance, if loud noises are a problem in their background ( temper tantrums, ‘’stimming’ or other unexpected noises from son,) maybe a visit or two by you in person can help get things going. As you know, once a person acclimates to your speech patterns, they’ll have easier time understanding on the phone, even with background noises. It just takes a bit of practice at first though.

BUSY that was good offer. No I like my bad tenants just they way I have them trained. To be honest Ii don't have many rejects as you have already guessed.

I'm trying to figure out how I can take a man and his girlfriend. He's got a 680 score but she gave a phoney SSI number and now has to reapply with a correct one and pay the app fee again.

LANA I'm sorry and apologise I thought you said your MMan already did everything they wanted-- and I thought that included the ramp. Sometimes I'm rough on the edges? OK most times. I do like to get right to the point without all the touchy feely stuff.

I got a little lost in the back-n-forth, but I would use this opportunity to make sure that handymen and contractors understand that any tenant-requested improvements must be approved in writing (or via text/email) by you first, or the worker eats the cost. I'm not certain that's an issue in this situation, and if not just be sure to address it now so it's no longer a worry in the future.

If it's not going well 3 months from now, issue an early non-renewal and/or maximum rent increase, and be ready to file the instant rent is late & your state laws allow.

One bonus in your favor: if they have to spend a ton of $ remodeling that means they "might" be more included to be model tenants or risk losing that money. Of course, if someone else is footing the bill for the modifications, it may not matter then.

I have lost track of what the handyman did so I suggest sending him to them for payments as you never authorized and will not be paying him for unauthorized repairs.