Posted by Beachbum on June 24, 2008 at 20:48:44:
As well you should! ALL negotiations should be held BEFORE the lease signing. Tell the tenant to talk with their lender/utility co/cable co and change THEIR due dates. Most will make a one time adjustment. Advise the tenant that if they have no roof over their head, they will have no need for the other expenses!
request from new tenant - Posted by corine
Posted by corine on June 24, 2008 at 07:36:25:
About four weeks ago I posted that I had four vacancies to fill. Thank you God, I did it, without missing a beat.
I have a very nice; feel very blesses to have this woman whom rented my place in the Victorville area. Management companies…said it would be vacant 6-9 months up there. A couple of others didn’t want to bother driving 10 miles to the house. Scared, freaked out about this info., I got down to business. Set the price to be very attractive and hit Craigslist everyday.
Ten days later, I found a woman with her two daughters, divorce, lost their house. She grateful, happy and has taken over hiring the shampoo guy, cleaning the place, bringing the lawn back to life. The last tenant had stopped watering the lawn what appears to be a good month before leaving. In the heat wave, the grass pretty much died.
Anyway, Maria today emails me with a favor, to make the due date for her monthly payment on the 15th of the month. She says that’s what she’s used to in her budget.
I’m not used to that. I want it like everyone else, near the first of the month. For me, it’s another loose end I have rattling around in my brain.
What would you do?
Oh, and my last tenant won’t be seeing much of her deposit back. I’m not being mean, it’s just that there are some very real deductions. But how do I deal with the almost dead lawn that she stopped watering.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Maurice
Posted by Maurice on July 01, 2008 at 18:44:29:
Many tenants are a little scatterbrained when it comes to handling money. That is one reason they don’t own a house.
I would much, much, much rather have the rent due on the 15th, and have it in the bank on the 15th every month, that have it due on the first and not get it till the 15th without a major hassle.
In other words let her pay on the 15th but pro rate the rent. She will have to pay half a month’s rent to cover the 1st thru 15th, then pay a full month’s rent on the 15th. But she will only have to do this once.
About the lawn. It sounds like the new tenant is taking care of that?
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by jack E
Posted by jack E on June 27, 2008 at 14:20:54:
I do not get too hung up on whether a tenant pays on the ist or the 15th, as long as they pay. Yes it is easier if you are a landlord to have all pay on the same date. But if you have a really good tenant as it sound like you do, you might want to amke an exception. If you only have one, its easy to remember.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Dave T
Posted by Dave T on June 27, 2008 at 06:51:37:
Why not offer your tenant a bi-monthly payment plan – pay half rent on the first, the second half on the 15th? She can even set it up with her bank on an automatic bill pay.
I have one tenant on a fixed income that would be consistently late if I did not delay her rent due date until the 10th. This schedule works for her and she has been diligent about keeping this schedule for the past six years. I have never charged her a late fee.
I would check your landlord tenant law before changing the “grace” period on your late fee. If the landlord tenant law dictates a five day grace period, a shorter timeline will be unenforceable.
As to the grass situation, did the problem cost you any money out of pocket? Did you have to reseed or resod? If not, and watering will bring the lawn back, then you don’t have any out of pocket “damages” to deduct from the former tenant’s security deposit.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Dave T
Posted by Dave T on June 27, 2008 at 06:21:22:
Why not offer your tenant a bi-monthly payment plan – pay half rent on the first, the second half on the 15th? She can even set it up with her bank on an automatic bill pay.
I would check your landlord tenant law before changing the “grace” period on your late fee. If the landlord tenant law dictates a five day grace period, a shorter timeline will be unenforceable.
As to the grass situation, did the problem cost you any money out of pocket? Did you have to reseed or resod? If not, and watering will bring the lawn back, then you can’t charge the former tenant’s security deposit.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Levi
Posted by Levi on June 24, 2008 at 13:30:24:
I try to work with tenants. Most are due on the 1st. One guy pays every Friday and every other Wednesday. One guy pays the 3rd Thursday of every month. I dont care when it comes, as long as its on time and regular.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Sailor
Posted by Sailor on June 24, 2008 at 12:26:04:
I offer to pro-rate the rent for all my new tenants so that the due date is on or just after their payday. If they change jobs I w/change it again. My tenants all live from one check to the next, so I want to be 1st in line for payment.
Yes, there are a lot of details in landlording, but it is a simple matter to mark your rental due dates on a calendar.
Your grass w/probably come back w/good watering, but unless you have an automatic system, most tenants are going to neglect your lawn. You don’t need to just figure out what to do now; it w/cause you less stress to figure out your future policy so you can readily handle the same problem next time.
Are you sure you want to landlord?
Tye
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by phil fernandez
Posted by phil fernandez on June 24, 2008 at 11:40:15:
Maria, our policy is to set up ALL of our leases from the first of each month. The rent is due on the first.
PERIOD
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by camgere
Posted by camgere on June 24, 2008 at 08:28:43:
Right now she is paying the 1st to the 30th. To move the payment interval from the 15th to the 14th she will have to come up with 14 days rent on the 15th of the current month (which has been paid in full) to cover rent from the 1st to the 14th of the next month. At this point she probably won’t be interested.
I’ll bet that two rent vacation (skipping from the 1st to the 15th, six weeks between rent payments) that seemed logical to her seemed very clever. Oh and then she could ask to go back to the 1st and get another two week rent vacation. Be sure to make out paperwork, signed by the tenant, indicating any changes that you can show to an eviction judge should the need ever arise.
I have a couple retirees who get money on the first and pay by the 5th. This hasn’t caused any unusual problems other than an extra trip to the bank around the fifth.
If she has auto deposit of funds, you could ask for auto widthdrawal of rent.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by Corine
Posted by Corine on June 24, 2008 at 12:38:35:
I’m actually a pretty good landlord. I’m in so deep now, there’s no turning back. It’s not that bad anyway, just this pain in the butt in my condo. You only hear about the bad stuff. There’s also alot of good.
Yes, there is a sprinkler, automatic at the house I was talking about. She just didn’t want to pay for the water I guess.
OK. I’ll work with her on the 15th for payment. What you said makes sense. She’s worth it.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by RichV(FL)
Posted by RichV(FL) on June 25, 2008 at 16:10:00:
Phil,
You got it man. Thats the way it has to be done. Sometimes I like to pro rate rent if they have to move in early, but I turn a 12 month lease into a 13 month. Rent is always due on the 1st.
RichV(FL)
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by corine
Posted by corine on June 24, 2008 at 12:39:34:
I like this answer better.
Re: request from new tenant - Posted by corine
Posted by corine on June 24, 2008 at 12:42:37:
I’ve already given her two weeks in June. I didn’t pro rate June. I was happy to have her. But I will hold firm to what is stated on the lease. Due on the 1st, late on the 3rd. I used to have it late on the 5th, but I’ve recently changed this.
I don’t really like renegotiating after the fact. I’m sticking to my original plan.