Tenant works at the Humane Society and I told her 5 cats was ok with a big deposit. She is there 3 years and my new 2 l/2 yr old refrig. broke. I didnt know she doesnt clean. House smells. Filthy.

It is a studio guest house. Got her another refrig. and that is when I had to go in and see what was happening. I told her to keep dust on floor under refrig.swept as it breaks motor and condenser.

The gentleman from PA wss being polite

This is now a cat pee house and will be needing demolition soon.

A UV flashlight runs about $20.

Get one, and walk through the house together in the evening with the lights out. See what's visible in the black light.

Joanie multiple cats do damage. I have three (well one just died) and their fur alone kills appliances. Two of our were outdoor/indoor so no litter box for them, but this last one is agoraphobic and needs one. If not cared for daily, the smell is unbearable...and that doesn't count the scratching, the vomit, the dead birds and mice brought to us as presents...

If this is a class C type rental and she has been there 3 years with good payment history, KEEP HER and the cats.

Why?

1. The damage is done. It will cost to clean/repair it no matter when she leaves. Better to let her live there as is for 10 years if she pays as you will only need to do major repairs once.

2. She has little likelyhood of finding another place that will take several cats, so she will probably stay long term. 3. Keep rents at market price if you can. It does little good, in my opinion, to move a tenant out, lose rent while you do lots of repairs if they are paying, especially if it is a class C rental. Class A or B is a different story.

4. Let her supply her own refrigerator. Explain that cat hair and not cleaning causes refrigerators to fail early. Either let her supply her own or you get a $50 special at the thrift store. If you've already bought one, tell her if cat hair/not cleaning causes another failure, the cost is hers.

One thing to consider is this: some people are ok payers, but have certain things about them that many landlords don't like. For example: pets, especially several pets, smoking, stuff like that. If you have a lot of Class C rentals, these people make up a high percentage of possible tenants. If you reject them you have empty units and lose income.

If, on the other hand, you cater to and accept them, if they are ok payers, they can turn into LONG TERM renters that may stay for years. I have some that are in units for 8 years and counting. I'm thinking they will likely be 20 year tenants someday. Being Class C units and people, they likely are not moving up to B or A rentals. Few will take them because of pets, smoking, etc. But I will. Each one puts several thousand each year in my pocket with very little maintenance.

Richard. I like what you said. It is a Class C rental.

I will tell her next refrigerator she will need to buy.

And she does pay rent on time.

I will have the handyman clean vents on all the refrigerators when we do our inspection on smoke alarms, pipes, etc. I have a lot of homes.

The floors in there are all ceramic. No carpets. It is a 300 sq ft studio.

By the way, the cats are really taken good care of. They look like they could be in a magazine. Wish she would take care of the house like the cats.

Yikes. My MIL lives in a 1600 s.f. cottage, and has one large shorthair cat. The fur is EVERYWHERE, even though she keeps after it. I can just imagine five...