Okay so Tenant is going sour. But perhaps not for the same reasons as we might expect. She has been there four years and recently I mentioned here that we are bombarded now and again with texts and emails (through our system.) More than any other tenant ever.

She has had some real issues there - we had a RAT infestion which I can imagine was pretty awful - but hired a pest control company who has taken care of it and comes on a regular basis to bait, etc. She had a water leak at a door - we replaced the door. She had a toilet leak - wax ring failed and was replaced. Nothing too abnormal (except the rats, gross!) but to get these things recorded and fixed took 75 emails and texts, not kidding, and the real issues are intertwined with non-sensical chats and details that rob the valid reports of any sense.

DH doesn't want to deal with her anymore. The Pest Control guy said she kind of frightens him - she goes off on tangents and he just wants to avoid her.

I just reached out to her neighbor - also our tenant in the adjoining house - but haven't heard back yet.

Do I reach out to her daughter (on record as emergency contact?)

I've offered her the Happy Clause but she "loves the place and wants to stay." Unfortunately I did NOT go with my gut and DID renew her lease based on DS and DH's recommendations that though wierd, she takes good care of the place. So now we are stuck for another full year unless I can get her out somehow - and with all of her crazy reports, almost anything I could use as an eviction reason would be seen as retaliation, I'm quite sure.

I'm guessing we are stuck for another year, but I might just send her another Happy Clause offer - and tell her point blank we won't be renewing next year as it seems the place needs too much work that can't be done while occupied?

It's our cheapest place, I wish she WOULD leave and I'd leave it empty for a few month without any qualms but I can't MAKE her leave.

IMO, this is just tuition that we pay to learn. You renewed her and are now having buyer's remorse, but unfortunately you're stuck with her. You could talk to her and let her know that you'd like to renovate the place and she can be released from the lease scott free. We have summer coming up, which is moving season anyways but if she doesn't take the bait there's not much that you can do

I don't think that would bother her at all. DH thinks she is lonely and bored and sits and looks around, wanting to change and DO things...she does a lot of outside work but has run out of things we'll allow her to do out there! I'd buy her a lawn mower and let her mow but I'm afraid she'd cut her foot off.

:(

Ken, trouble is that buried in her word vomit streams-of-consciousness messages the words WATER and LEAK and RATS have sometimes crept out.

Gkarl, because I refuse to talk to her on the phone - I'm afraid of her saying something that gets lost and I want everything in writing - the messages just keep coming.

Maybe offer her SD back immediately upon vacating? Offer a one month rent rebate as an additional sweetener but tie it to immediate move-out?

W,

My first reaction is you might be feeding the troll. Encouraged and rewarded with replies and friendliness. I'm sure you are super polite.

75 messages sounds like lots of back and forth on the simple, non-rat issues.

A leak at the door and a wax ring are normal everyday LL repairs themselves are not the problem. I realize you indicate she might have mental issues.

"Mary, Thanks for letting us know. A tech will be there on Wed ay 4pm. KATIE" Always a day or two out for non-emergencies.

I know that's contrary to most LLs "We're great LLs and will take care of you!" but this teaches the res some patience while we serve the other residents.

I have 3 techniques:

1. We operate as Arm's Length Business Friendly. Courteous and professional, not friends. Responses are not immediate but within 24 hours. Sounds like she needs a friend and ya'll are easily available.

We stopped answering the phone YEARS ago tp avoid the chit chat and our lives got easier. We ONLY use text. We don't drop everything and respond to every simple message - just a good general reply WITHIN 24 HOURS, not IMMEDIATE, and make the repair. At lease signing we explain this is not like teenage texting.

2. Ask her to make a list so you can make one trip on this date____. After they make the list, that usually quiets them until next month.

3. At Convention I'll be teaching how we stopped doing repairs by empowering the resident. THEY replace the wax ring and weatherstrip on a leaky door seal WITHOUT texting us.

We literally receive only 1 repair request text a week and it's usually a question asking for guidance on how to make the repair!

This is part of the program which paid cash for my Ghost.

“ THEY replace the wax ring and weatherstrip on a leaky door seal WITHOUT texting us.”

Handyman-ness is part of the screening.

Another thought - years ago when I was the maint tech I asked Wifey to stop saying "My husband will repair it." I wanted us to appear more professional

AND reduce the liability exposure of "rich LLs".

I remember the single mother I rented to who moved her mother in to help with the two kids.

They broke the flush handle on the toilet. I replaced it, then they did it again. I sent a guy over to replace the new one and told them this was it. They break another they hire someone to fix it.

What kind of trouble would I have gotten into if I told them I wouldn't rent to them because they didn't have a handyman mentality?

Looking at the last four tenants I placed I can honestly say that none of them would be trusted with a wax ring and especially not a door replacement.

Exactly.

Problems become a 30 day wait at worst case. It is also a great tool to use if someone starts to become a little too entitled.

"I have been paying rent for years, I need better treatment because of that."

You were doing what we both agreed you would do. If you no longer wish to follow the rules here is a 30 day non-renewal notice.

Sometimes that is enough training for them. If not, they are soon to be gone.

WMH, I wonder if you could use a multiple choice form for her?

She selects A. Water problem and then the form than asks water problem in kitchen? bathroom? etc..,

I am not smart enough to build such a multiple choice form, but there are many on here who could do that.

The form would slowly narrow down "Water Problem" to guest bathroom toilet leaks and has been leaking 2 days.

Or, there are services that would handle her call for you and get to the bottom of what she really needs. That way you don't need to speak to her at all.

Could you give her permission to grow a vegetable garden and give to the local food pantry?

Turns out the neighbors and the pest control guy both think she is losing her mind. Pest Guy said he is actually a little afraid of her. Neighbor said they have stepped back and won't talk to her.

She accused my DH today of "yelling" at her twice - the man has never even yelled at ME so you know that's the kind of self-control he has LOL!

Good luck, sounds like you are stuck for a while but maybe give her plenty of notice that you will not be renewing due to work you need to do to the unit and it will be easier with it empty, or not, because then she will want you to let her back in!

As Plenty.

Plus, for the purpose of record-keeping, I would tell her (in a note/notice) that you are glad to repair things as soon as you are aware of them. Sometimes the maintenance request is not received in a timely manner due to all the other information contained in the same message. Please keep the message short & to the point when maintenance is needed (& separate from other topics), so it can be addressed promptly.

Create & save documented proof in case anybody else needs to see it one day.

Bad things can happen to any place. Those bad things can rightfully sour even the best residents. If handling the management of that one resident becomes to difficult, I let them know that we are going to place that property into phase maintenance within the next 60 days.

Sorry for the grief your tenant is giving you.

I did the same thing and renewed the "mold" tenant in my 2024 posts. She waited until her lease was renewed to bring up the issue that she caused. When she " and the tenant feeding off her gave us grief it took 3 happy clauses in writing for proof of the offer, before they moved. Offer given to protect ourselves from grief lawsuits. I wouldn't contact her daughter. That could be turned against you like the "husband yelled at her."

I love the multiple choice idea.

We’ve had a few residents deteriorate into dementia. Becoming argumentative is an early sign of the change.

It’s not a single event or a day, it’s a slow descent which makes it hard to know when it’s time to change housing.

Costco has a body cam for $99. I think EVERY LL and handy person should wear one with each appt.

PS The police say people are better behaved when body cams are in use.

Wax ring: seldom need repair, but inspections spot it.

We do a 200 point inspection And make all repairs At turnover. With proper care Proper materials there are very few repairs needed during a tenancy.

In the real world we simply ask “do you have somebody who can help you with this? If you need us to do it, we charge $70 an hour.”

They quickly respond with “My ——(Boyfriend, brother, dad) is a contractor and can fix anything”

I’ll be teaching you how we make this work during Convention.

It's called navel gazing. I had one "off" tenant do this when she had an extended period of unemployment. She would even walk around the neighborhood and report problems with our

OTHER units from the exterior (which are few and far between as all of our units are gut rehabs).

She's now back to work full time (I think she took my other tenant's job who moved to NH for a job promotion).

Just raised her rent - only $30 though. She went a tad off when we offered that new lease, and I wanted to stop the process right there, but was talked into keeping her by DH and DS. That was JUST before she seemed to really drop off the deep end.

Wow, they only need give a week's notice on MTM? That's crazy.