Tenants
After Hours Calls from Your Investment Property
The majority of my customers are new investors. The most successful ones want to know everything about not only how to buy an investment property, but how to own one and be a successful landlord. A frequent question that I get asked is: “How often do you get calls at night”. This must be one [...]
The majority of my customers are new investors. The most successful ones want to know everything about not only how to buy an investment property, but how to own one and be a successful landlord. A frequent question that I get asked is: “How often do you get calls at night”. This must be one of those stereotypical images non-landlords have of owning investment properties.
Truthfully, owning and managing 28 rental units, I get a 2-3 calls after 8:00 pm per year. They are probably evenly divided between a heat out call and some neighbor calling about a bad tenant doing something they shouldn’t be.
The heat out calls I obviously take seriously and deal with immediately. Occasionally I am frustrated by those calls as the heat had not been working all day, but the tenant waited until after hours to contact me.
When I get the irate neighbor call, I handle it in several ways depending upon the neighbors posture and request. If it is something simple, like a stereo playing after hours and the neighbor is reasonable and courteous, I will commit to calling the tenant to talk to them. I do, however remind the neighbor to call the police so we can get a police call on record against the tenant for possible future eviction.
If the neighbor is irate and has good reason to be, but is being respectful, I may drive down to the property and see what is going on. I will recommend for them to call the police immediately, though. Only a couple times have I got an irate neighbor that is insulting or demeaning on the phone. Then I simply remind them that I am not the tenants parents and they should take it up directly with the tenants or the police (end of call!).
Taking calls after hours will also vary depending upon what type of properties you own. If you have single family houses in nice areas, I would expect you would never get a call unless the property burned down! In rougher areas, you will probably take more calls.
Have you always wanted to buy investment property, but never knew where to start? Don’t Wait! Get Started now.
Scott Ficek is a Minnesota Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage Plus in Minneapolis and helps new and seasoned investors buy and own Investment Property. He owns and manages almost 30 investment property units from single family to multi-family. Find his website at www.minnesotainvestmentrealestate.com or receive his blog via your RSS Feed or in your Email.
Calling All Landlords!
Why aren’t you calling me?
I lose 8-12 tenants per year (both by my choice and by their choice). In the last 4 years, that I have owned the majority of my properties, I have probably turned over 40+ tenants. It dawned on my the other day that despite that volume of prior tenants, I probably [...]
Why aren’t you calling me?
I lose 8-12 tenants per year (both by my choice and by their choice). In the last 4 years, that I have owned the majority of my properties, I have probably turned over 40+ tenants. It dawned on my the other day that despite that volume of prior tenants, I probably receive 2-3 rental check calls per year for previous tenants.
I can understand why I may not get a rental reference for a tenant that I evicted, but I don’t get calls for my best tenants that just moved out at the end of their lease. Interesting…
I was always taught as a landlord to call the previous 2 tenants when you are doing your tenant screening process. (You call both in case the current one is trying to get rid of the tenant. The one from a year or so ago will give you the real story.) Therefore, by my estimates, each year, I should be getting 16-24 rental verification calls (ie: previous 2 years worth of former tenants).
Have my fellow landlords gotten too busy to make a simple phone call to check up on their prospective tenant? Do they just not care?
Using a screening service is a must, but it only gives you part of the story. They may look great on paper, but have been a nightmare tenant. Many landlords don’t file evictions if the tenant just moves out, therefore, you won’t see a problem on the rental screening. Maybe they are very noisy or have lots of parties or fix their cars in the front yard; all items that may not show up on a paper report.
There is no better information about a tenant than to talk to your fellow landlord and find out exactly how these people have been while they lived in their property. You need to ask them at least the following questions:
- Were these people living in your property from xxx date to xxx date?
- Did they pay their rent on time?
- Did they give you proper notice to move out (in fact, did you know they are moving out!)?
- Have you had any complaints from the neighbors or any police calls to their apartment?
- How does their unit look after they lived there?
- Would you rent to them again?
- Do they owe you money now?
When you ask the questions, listen for any subtle clues or hints that the landlord is trying to give you about the tenant. Are they dying to give you the dirt on this tenant? I bet they are.
I understand that many landlords or bigger complexes will not return your calls or answer your questions (or tell you the truth), but I have found that many will. You need to try. Call me, I will take your call and tell you the truth.
Investment Property Blog-Tenants
You could almost argue that this entire blog eventually ends up at Tenants. They are why we are in business. They are the customers. They are the headaches. They are the money (inbound from rent and outbound from repairs).
Here are just a few of the best posts from the last 12 months about tenants:
Once a [...]
You could almost argue that this entire blog eventually ends up at Tenants. They are why we are in business. They are the customers. They are the headaches. They are the money (inbound from rent and outbound from repairs).
Here are just a few of the best posts from the last 12 months about tenants:
- Once a Bad Tenant, Always a Bad Tenant
- Investment Property Rent Collection
- Can’t Evict if Always Late on Rent!
- 7 Secrets to a Happy Tenant
- Reverse Prospecting for Tenants
- Section 8 or Not Section 8
As I tell my new investor clients, “being a landlord is unlike anything else you have ever done”. It is good to read everything you can about being a landlord and managing tenants.
Pre Eviction Mediation in Hennepin County
Evictions are a necessary part of being a landlord. Depending where your investment property is located, you may do them once every 5 years or once every 5 months. Ultimately, though, I see an eviction as the last resort. At the same time, I can’t allow my tenants to push me around and simply never [...]
Evictions are a necessary part of being a landlord. Depending where your investment property is located, you may do them once every 5 years or once every 5 months. Ultimately, though, I see an eviction as the last resort. At the same time, I can’t allow my tenants to push me around and simply never pay me. But unfortunately, 95% of my evictions result in me collecting ZERO dollars from the tenants. I am left with a big bad debt right off.
Two weeks ago while I was down at Hennepin County, filing another eviction (5th one for 2008-not a good year), I read about doing Pre-Filing Mediation. This is a procedure in which a neutral third party, at the request of the parties to a dispute, assists them in reaching a mutually satisfactory settlement. In mediation, both parties need to agree to meet with each other and the mediator. The mediator is not a judge and will not decide the solution, he is more like a facilitator to help the parties find a agreeable solution.
3 possible outcomes to pre eviction mediation:
- An agreement is reached and signed by both parties, no court case is filed, no fees are paid, and no record of this action exists. Good for everyone.
- The parties can not agree during the mediation session, they are served right then to appear in court in 7 days. This case will be one of the first ones heard by the judge in Hennepin County eviction court.
- If one of the parties is not willing to use mediation, the case is referred back to housing court and the eviction will proceed as normal. This case will be one of the first ones heard by the judge as a reward for attempting mediation.
Benefits to Mediation for the Landlord:
- No filing fees if the case is settled
- Priority status on the Hennepin County Eviction Court Calendar if the case does not settle
Benefits to the Tenants:
- If the case is settled, there is no court record of an eviction action being filed against the tenant.
In my case, I decided that the tenants just needed an authority to wake them up to the fact that they are not living in Mom & Dad’s house any longer. They have signed a lease and they have obligations to pay. Although we did not go to mediation, the letter from the mediator quickly motivated them to work out a payment plan with me. As of now, they are on their way to paying off their back rent!
Although I may not use this in every situation, I think mediation can be a softer approach that may get you your past due rent paid, instead of just clearing out your apartment.
Have you always wanted to own investment properties, but never knew where to start?
Rental Assistance For Tenants
John asked a great question to my post, “Give me your investment property questions“:
“I recently had my tenant go to the county for a one time crisis assistant payment to keep from getting evicted. If you wanted to give whatever you know about that or the process it might be interesting. Seemed like a one [...]
John asked a great question to my post, “Give me your investment property questions“:
“I recently had my tenant go to the county for a one time crisis assistant payment to keep from getting evicted. If you wanted to give whatever you know about that or the process it might be interesting. Seemed like a one time thing Anoka County does and there was another group that was a non profit that would do the same for adults.”
Owning investment property in certain areas, I do run across this from time to time. Essentially, there are multiple sources that a tenant can go to and get assistance to pay damage deposits, past due rent, and such. These sources are both governmental and from non-profits.
For past due rent, the tenant will simply need a statement from you showing the past due amount. They will take that into the agency and within a couple days, they will mail you (the landlord) a check.
When I have a prospective tenant say they are getting assistance for the damage deposit or first month’s rent, I require a confirmation call or letter from the assisting agency. This is similar to confirming rental or employment history that you should be doing during your tenant screening process.
Sadly, many tenants have figured out how to work the system and they literally have the yearly anniversary marked on their calendar. I have a few tenants that will short pay their rent and their utilities bills starting about 3 months prior to their anniversary of receive help last year. Then just before I file a MN eviction on them and their lights are turned off by the utility company, they run in to the agency begging for money. Since it has been at least 12 months since their last assistance, the agency pays the bills. I have seen the assistance be a entire month’s rent and $300-400 in utility bills.
Have you always wanted to buy investment property, but never knew where to start? Don’t Wait! Get Started now.
Minneapolis Section 8 Waiting List Reopens
Section 8 Voucher Waiting List Opens for First Time in 5 Years
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is opening its waiting list to new applicants for the first time since May of 2003.
The MPHA has automated their waiting list processes; Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) applications will be [...]
Section 8 Voucher Waiting List Opens for First Time in 5 Years
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is opening its waiting list to new applicants for the first time since May of 2003.
The MPHA has automated their waiting list processes; Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) applications will be available to the public online for two days only: Thursday, June 12 beginning at 12 a.m. through Friday, June 13 ending at 11:59 p.m. The website is www.mphaonline.org. Scroll over to the Section 8/ HCV Program tab, find the Section 8 Waitlist link and complete the application online.
Applicants who do not have a computer will still be able to fill out applications online at a participating library or obtain a paper application to mail in. Information about the waiting list process can be obtained by calling the Section 8 HCV Wait List Information Line at 612.335.4404.
Source: Press Release, Congressman Keith Ellison
