This tenant bought a new water heater, installed it and I agreed to pay four payments of $160 deducted from the rent.

Monday the toilet broke up and tenant went and got a new one and installed it and this is yet to be properly incrementalized.

First, did you give written authorization for the water heater, or did you find out after the fact? If you did not authorize it, there is no way you should be paying for it. Instead, tenant should have had to pay at least for your licensed professional to inspect it and make sure it was done right.

Prolly good idea to have the manager get photos of the old tank and toilet, toilets require physical mechanical force to break - in your mind picture a hammer, that would be billed to the tenant and require a 3d party like a handyman or plumber to insure properly installed.

Live,

This is a very common, everyday management issue and is clearly spelled out in a proper lease. What does your lease say?

My lease is clear: Resident may not make repairs or alterations, take deductions, or request reimbursement without written authorization from Management prior to any work or purchase.

"If the LL is paying for it, why not upgrade?? Cousin Billy Bob says he knows how to do it. I pay him with beer while he works."

Gas water heater?? Have it checked by a pro. Don't want residents dying from CO or exploding gas lines.

Toilet "broken"? What broke and how?

As my kids say "Pics or it didn't happen". With a quality camera in every phone it's easy to communicate visually.

Like others said.

Live not on evil,

Well, I’m glad the repairs are getting done. But, those repairs should be done by your staff, of, now you may have just made the tenant your employee. If the person doing repairs wretches their back lifting that water heater or toilet, you might have a workman’s comp claim!

I suggest you, or your staff, do inspections of each property, every couple of months. Check plumbing, electrical, HVAC, windows, doors, flooring, roof, landscape, safety issues. Doesn’t take long. Then, get somebody on those repairs that you/your staff find.

I'm always putting something between the lines.

My lease is almost word for word as BRAD 20000.

You will find most renters don't have a clue about making quality repairs.

What if you have to go in and fix something the tenant screwed up? What else has the tenant changed with out your approval?

The LL must control all repairs or changes to the unit. Period.

"I agreed to pay four payments of $160 deducted from the rent."

Wow. Just, wow...

Sorry, I see stuff like this and can't help but smile. This site isn't just good for learning what to do as a landlord, it also illustrates what NOT to do.

Couple of issues.

Occasionally, you will get a tenant who discovers he can reduce his rent by doing unnecessary repairs and inventing charges for repairs that were never done.

A big issue is that tenants always think that the only solution is a new one, whatever it is that isn't functioning correctly, instead of an easy cheap repair.

Bone jammed in the garbage disposal? Solution, new garbage disposal. Can't take a 45 minute hot shower? Solution, new bigger water heater. Refrigerator goes off? Solution, new big expensive refrigerator, instead of checking the circuit breaker.

Live not on evil, you’ve brought some good questions to this forum. You are getting a handle on some things, but, need to tighten up.

I’m hoping we can meet at the Mr. Landlord conference this May in Ohio. Bit of a drive for you, but worth it. If you register now, I believe there is a discount. I haven’t booked the motel yet, but last time, I just when through one of the booking sites and found an inexpensive place a few miles away. Still had most benefits of the conference, just didn’t get in on as many late evening conversations.

Perhaps an incentive for not having things break is in order? Charge a repair deductible or reward the resident for not calling you when something breaks.

That's terrible advice. Really, discourage a tenant from reporting things that need to be fixed? That is the most short-sighted advice that I have seen here in a long time, and some of the silliest.

You are entitled to your own opinion. A small $30 deductible has reduced the number of frelvious trouble calls for our companies without reducing the number of valid trouble calls.

It is all in how you implement any program. Not everyone will do it the same way nor will everyone screen in advance to make sure $30 does bankrupt your resident in advance.

I am not trolling. It is a matter of context and how the advise implemented. It comes from Mike Butler but Jeffery might also offer similar advise in his boot camp.

Many of my residents are long term and are in some kind of rent to own format.

I really don't want to get called over to someone's house with them saying the door is squeaking. A shot of WD-40 and you are gone. I have been there and I have done it.

So I offer them an incentive for paying rent on time while tackling these small issues. How you want to structure an incentive is up to every individual landlord. Someone can even say they don't believe in training up residents. It is up to them.

For me, I am looking for long term residents. My long term residents are not going to fret over $30. I am absolutely sure that there are plenty of tenants out there can't afford the $30 hit to their budget. In those cases, Jeff is correct. In my eyes, my competitors deserve these customers and they should absolutely have the landlord respond to their needs.

Around here, $30 is just enough to allow my residents to consider taking responsibility for something routine without sending them to the poor house. In some areas, that might be too much....in others, you may need to increase it three fold that.

The one system that I do not charge any deductible on is the furnace. Where I do hope someone that is in training for home ownership would know enough to be able to change out batteries in a thermostat, I understand that the potential damage out ways any advantage for the landlord. I couple my program without using pay and deduct systems as they can get abused.

I don’t know the difference between ‘issues’ and problems and concerns’ .

That reminds me of a person I worked for who was originally from another state. She had a big ‘issue’ big ‘problem’, big ‘ concern’ that I referred to the receptacle where one puts no longer desired items to be collected for future disposal by custodial staff as a trash can. Or, was it I called it a garbage can? I don’t even know, in my wee little brain they are the same thing. I use the terms interchangeably.

An issue is a topic of debate or discussion. A problem is a negative that needs a solution. A lot of people these days are afraid to call a problem a problem.

plumbing? bad idea. go inspect the installs promptly.

This zone of US is not big on gas appliances; water heaters, cook stoves, etc. don't understand the hot point esthetics.

As for inspections the groundskeeper is charged with this but he has gone fishing; troublesome indicator.

I may be strapped for cash taking bucket list trips frequently and overlooking vital signs.

The lease holder was grandfathered in by previous tenants so she was able to sidestep admitting a drug conviction and reporting to a parole officer; fishing bowl with two pre-teen children in a good elementary school nearby. Now gram and gran are beating down the doors.

Hmm ... let’s see I understand correctly?

You are the landlord. You bought the property not long ago, With , what I call an inherited tenant, one the landlord before you put in place. Tenant has some issues in their history that you would not have accepted, but, they are there now. ( I have one of those too, but, I was able to develop her into a good tenant, and since have changed my screening criteria. I learned from my situation that maybe loosening my standards yielded a better fit for my properties, my style.)

There are previous damages from tenant before this tenant ( uh-huh, sure...in case that comment doesn’t translate well on the inter webs, I am casting doubt on that tenant’s claim, unless I have proof otherwise,) this tenant wants to do repairs and be paid to do repairs.

Somewhere in this is a groundskeeper ?/handyman?/manager who is not performing. And, you, live not on evil, live far away.

Just trying to clear up the situation, so we can help.

My first thought is learn how to document your travel for tax purposes, take a trip there, and do a very thorough going over of the property. Then hold that groundskeeper’s feet to the fire. Meaning, if he /she is responsible for maintenance and reporting large repairs to you, either they do that, or they are fired. Tenant gets held accountable by having them fill out a condition report similar to the one they might have signed on move in. Any damages beyond what is there now is on them. Tenant needs to report ‘issues/problems/concerns’ promptly, so your person can do repairs. If tenant is performing well (rent on time, no trouble with neighbors/police, other behaviors that you do/don’t prefer,) then, the tenant could renew at the end of their term. If they (tenant ) are not performing according to your terms, then non-renewal, notice to vacate, or whatever method for your lease and laws where you operate.

And then, a plan of action for repairs needs to be figured out, scheduled with proper contractors, handymen/women, or, more trips by you.

Or, if the tenant is on a lease like RaynPa mentioned then tenant needs to perform under those terms.

I have rentals with a 20 minute drive from my home, I’m a very hands-on landlord, do many repairs myself, including some fairly major things with a tenant in place, working safely, also have my lead renovator certification ( might have used the wrong term there, I can work in properties I own, not for others. My work is not considered abatement.)

And, we’d all still love to meet you at convention in May.

Live not on evil, I’m going to hold your feet to the fire. No excusing the lack of leadership because ‘we’re not like the rest of y’all. ‘ I have yet to meet a human that doesn’t perform better with structure and discipline. In fact, all of that God-fearing is ABOUT structure and discipline, providing a framework.

Your tenants need leadership. You need to provide that. Give them the framework, the ten commandments of being your tenants, if you will. If you don’t want to provide that, then I gently suggest choose more passive investments, such as REITs or something. Set goals for your business, and a plan of action to reach those goals ( hmmm. I really need to get back on track with this myself. Maybe this talk is more for me than you *wink*)

I really was thinking you were living way out in the country, with basically absentee-landlord properties in the big city, by the way property seemed to be left to its own devices. There is a lot of that in the neighborhood around my rentals. And guess what, those tenants are looking for leadership, often they will ask me what they should do. Show your tenants the path they should go. Be a good steward of time, talent, and treasure that has been entrusted to you

Live, true confession time, since I am taking you to task, i’ll Put my ow situation out here, for others to critique, or, at least you.

I do Not run my landlording practice perfectly, or even very profitably. I did pretty well in the beginning, worked hard at it, regularly. But then, I started slacking off on renovatin new properties. I like to work on existing properties, and since I have delusions that I am good with people, and have an ‘inner social worker’, I spend way too much time with tenant engagement activities.

I have a house I bought in 2014, in very rough shape, have dinked around on it, used it as my storage/restroom facility when working on properties nearby. But, it is STILL not rentable. Oh, I have all of the excuses about why it isn’t yet done. Bottom line, I am not being a good steward of the time, talent, treasure I have been given.

Time to go learn how to make my own door jambs. Another excuse for taking so long- pre-fab homes that carpenters, even Home Depot, don’t want to touch. Too much non-standardized. Starting with the 2X3 stud walls.