myob mentioned in the thread titled "Trees @ 500K" that his tenant had promptly notified him of a situation affecting the value or condition of his property that was initiated by neighbor.

How do landlords set expectations of prompt notification of such events? Do you require it in your lease or do you count on luck/cooperative tenants?

By setting expectations from the application forward. Who's in charge and what is expected. We are here for our residents and they know we mean business. We don't hire out to "strangers". They are part of our business family and will be treated as such--UNTIL shown otherwise.

Prospects are screened for cooperation from the very beginning of contact, before they ever become a tenant. Before they are ever even OFFERED to try to become a tenant.

Actual Tenants are "encouraged" (actually required in lease, encouraged in conversational reminders) to report various issues various ways.

WMH can you share here the part that you "encouraged your tenants to report in various ways and also share what are your definitions for the emergencies??

I was a contractor that worked with many landlords. Tenants called me directly to effect repairs. I had keys for everything and was sometimes the manager while the owners were too busy with their complicated lives.

I had discussions with landlords/owners that once I notified them of a tenant issue, they had sometimes only 30 days to respond. Such as if I found a dog living in the unit when no dogs were allowed. Since in this case this was a Beverly Hills Apartment and the tenant was over paying rent, rent had come down during their tenancy, $6,000 a month had enough padding to protect the landlord if the dog hurt the hardwood flooring. The last tenant in that unit only paid $2,100 a month. Plus they had a $12,000 deposit.

Another tenant allowed her long distant boyfriend to stay on extended stays, exceeding their 10 day total per year. When the landlord found out I know about this, she screamed at me for not informing her. I reminded her that I was protecting her from kicking him off the property or raising the tenants rent. Either of those 2 events would cause her to move. And since the tenant had her hours cut back, she could not afford to rent anymore at $4,500 per month, her boyfriend paid half of her rent ever since she lost a lot of her income.

My email signature reminds them of the website form to report repairs. And we have a whole "Ready to Occupy" checklist addendum for cleaning and preparing the unit at end of residency. It is discussed during original meeting, it is in the lease, they receive a copy of it again when they give notice and again a few weeks out before they leave.

Then this is another addendum in my lease:

1.Tenant has inspected the home, is satisfied with its condition and is accepting it AS IS WHERE IS with any imperfections and no additional work or changes are expected. Tenant has 7 days from date of occupancy to report any major issues that may have been overlooked or missed by the Landlord. This clause does not release Landlord from their responsibility to maintain a safe and habitable structure.

2. Tenant agrees to keep the premises clean, safe and habitable throughout the course of their residency and to return the premises in the same condition as it was received: Ready to Occupy - barring normal wear and tear.

***Dust, dirt, trash and holes are not normal wear and tear.*** A stopped toilet is the Tenant's responsibility unless caused by a mechanical failure of the plumbing and/or septic systems.

3. Notice of needed repairs must be submitted to Landlord in

writing via www.xxxxxxxx.com/repair except for EMERGENCIES, then text and voice mail should be used, as well as email.

“Emergency” is defined as water leaking, sparking electricity, no heat in severe cold or no air conditioning in severe heat.

Tenant understands and agrees that while Landlord will make every effort to ameliorate any emergency situation, some repairs may require the assistance of a professional contractor, over whose schedule Landlord has no control.

If there is a fire, call 911 FIRST!

If there is a water leak, Tenant agrees to shut off main water supply and contact Landlord immediately.

4. Landlord is not responsible for Tenant’s personal items or personal health of the resident, their family or guests.

Damage to persons or personal property caused by malfunctions of the building, appliances, mechanicals, structure, materials, weather, trees, surroundings, etc. will not be reimbursed by the Landlord. This includes food spoilage in the event of a refrigerator or freezer failure, or hotel rooms or other reimbursements in case of temporary habitability issues. RENTER’S INSURANCE, INCLUDING FLOOD INSURANCE, IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. House is located in an X flood zone.

5. "SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING": We strive to find the best residents for our properties (and neighbors for you) as we can. But if you see something suspicious, such as unknown or extra people around the property on a regular basis, or new pets, more cars or anything that seems out of place, please don't assume we know about these issues. We would appreciate a head's up if you have any concerns about other residents for any reason. We want to keep our properties as safe and maintained as possible. Thanks for your assistance!

6. There are no established guidelines for unacceptable air quality caused by mold. Mold is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Mold and mildew can even be caused by the keeping of too many indoor plants at high humidity. Mold and/or mildew should be cleaned as soon as it appears. Mold and/or mildew growth can sometimes be seen in the form of discoloration. The different colors of mold range from white to black, including, but not limited to, green, gray, brown, orange, yellow and other colors.

Your housekeeping and living habits are an integral part of the ability of mold to grow. In order for mold to grow, water and/or moisture must be present. RESIDENT AGREES to maintain the Premises in a manner that prevents the occurrence of mold or mildew growth within the Premises. If you see mold, start with simply cleaning it.