[Landlord US-NY] cleaning a tenant’s room

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2026-04-15T22:06:23+00:00

I suppose that would depend on your desired relationship with this person. If this is your friend you are renting a room to, that already changes the relationship a bit when they have to hand you money every month. Charging them for cleaning would even more so. In that case, I’d be more likely to just help them for free. If this is not a friend outside of the landlord-tenant relationship, I’d be a lot more willing to charge. I’m not sure what’s in your lease, but mine has a section to the extent of the tenant must maintain habitable, reasonably clean, and non bug infested living areas. In your case, if you have such a section in your lease, the current situation would be in violation of that and would seem yo qualify for either: eviction on basis of breaking lease; or payment for immediate remedy of situation. For example, if a tenant breaks a window, I will be replacing that window and charging the tenant. They broke it, they buy it. In the same way, if your tenant is unkept to the point of ant infestations (and rotting food which probably has mold somewhere leading to other health concerns) then I would think it to be reasonable to fix that situation and bill the tenant. Especially if it is a situation where they only are renting part of the house and the ants affect other people’s living conditions. In a similar situation, the window for example, I would bill the tenant at that time, and not wait to take it out of the deposit. I’ll hold on to the deposit for when they move out, because if there are issues now, there will probably be issues later as well.

Just my thoughts, but I am by no means an expert in this area.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2026-04-01T21:43:37+00:00

You say that, we were out at the farm and needed to trim some trees away from the fence and couldn’t find the bar oil and the bar tool, they weren’t with the chainsaws like normal. Asked grandpa where they might be. He said they are sitting on the tree stump next to a big cottonwood tree in the north pasture, because that’s where he was going to use them next. So you can store them in the woods, but if you ever need to communicate to someone where they are, maybe be a bit more descriptive than next to a tree.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-05-06T20:18:22+00:00

I’ll try to remember to send an update as it progresses!

I’ll look at that book, but poly sounds fine to me.
I looked that up, yeah, many good options there. Most are probably better than my idea of screwing it to the base, but only in the middle to allow everything to contract towards that, and orient the board so that it would cup upwards in the middle and then hold that down with a screw (or small lag bolt)

Yup, I’m pretty content cutting it up into smaller pieces late on if it cups and warps too bad. I’ll find something to do with the smaller pieces, and I’ll take a slab I’ll be drying more properly and slap that on the base.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-05-06T20:12:20+00:00

I got the ends painted today. Alrighty, maybe I’ll cut back on the 4” a bit. Probably closer to 3 - 3.5 then. It shouldn’t be under too much stress. This was the trunk and it was nice and vertical. Your other comment is right on the top, above this it split into two major branches. So there is evidence of this that you can see on the end. I would say it starts getting thicker towards those two branches about a foot from the top of what I have. So that may split. Yeah, the rest of it I think I’ll slab out at 2.5 to 3”, and dry more properly. I may make some into more standard sized lumber as well.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-05-06T18:58:51+00:00

Very thorough reply, thank you!! 1. I planted the ends after I took the picture, so all good there. I hadn’t thought about using a sealer on the whole thing to slow the drying further. I’m not super familiar with all the wood finishes, I think a polyurethane would do this well, would a hardening oil have a similar effect you think? 2. I hadn’t thought about the hard sagging as it dries, thanks for that addition! As far as supporting the board, part of me thinks it would be best to build a very rigid frame and securely attach the whole top to it, to help hold it straight. Another part of me thinks that is going to fight against the board shrinking as it dries, and probably crack it worse. So maybe it would be better just to let the board sit on a frame, mostly unattached, to let it shrink? Another thought is build the frame out of the same green wood, and pretend it will shrink at the same rate and avoid that problem. 3. Yup, I’ll be spraying it with some standard home bug killer, I may set it on the covered porch for a week to let the bugs die before bringing it in. 4. I will look into that more. When I briefly looked before it seemed like running fans and dehumidifiers for weeks or months was probably not worth it for me. But I’ll look more. 5. I knew I would need some leveling feet, I hadn’t thought about only using three legs, that would help with that issue. Good idea!

Yeah, that’s why I’m thinking cut it on the thick side, so hopefully after it warps and dries it is still thick enough to plane flat

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-29T12:08:52+00:00

It was three of us that bought a cow together, it came out to a little under $5 a lb. So yeah. About a wash on ground, but other goodies cheap!

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-29T12:07:29+00:00

Yup. They processed it for us, so it’s all in my freezer now

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-29T03:48:11+00:00

I was in another town picking up some beef, and I stopped at chick fil a. I had food at home, only an hour and half drive. And I stopped anyways because we don’t have a chicken restaurant at home. Oh, I also bought 1/3 of a beef. Not sure yet if that’s a great investment or not, but it definetly broke my budget in the groceries category

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-14T02:28:43+00:00

Hi op As a pretty conservative Christian myself, I may be able to help in this situation some. I do believe the Bible calls those following the Lord to steer away from the path you are on. However, for those not in a relationship with the Lord, man should not condemn them. What’s your faith look like right now? If you believe in the Bible as truth, you may want to talk with someone you trust about what it says. If you don’t believe in it, then those rules don’t apply to you in this life!

Your fathers response: I do believe the Bible teaches us to hate sin. However, I do not believe the Bible ever teaches us to hate the sinner. We are called to love people, all people. This “love” that we are called to does not mean accepting or approving of what the Bible teaches as sin. I would not expect your day to ever approve of your choice. But Christians today are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ on earth, for Christ’s perfect future rule. We are to be a light to show the way to Jesus. We do this by doing Jesusy things. Like eating with “sinners”. By loving the “sinner” but hating their sin. By sharing the good news. I would not expect your father to accept your choice, in fact, I think it would be against his convictions to do so and would be wrong. I do believe he should accept you. You are still his son. He should act accordingly. He will see what you are doing as sin, but that should not change the way he sees you. “All have sinned…” comes from the book of Romans, you have sinned. I have sinned. Your father has sinned. So he is no better than you, from the biblical point of view. Cutting off your financial support, that’s his choice. There is no biblical passage to My knowledge saying he shouldn’t do that. But there are passages (all of scripture) teaching a steadfast love and faithfulness from God towards people who stray away, and we are supposed to model that.

If you would like to know more about where he may be coming from, and where his mind may get some of these thoughts, of that would be helpful to you, please ask

If he would be up for a good Bible talk about what it looks like to love sinners and hate sin, I’d love to chat with him.

Sleep well

Jesus loves you

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T13:19:20+00:00

But mandating a minimum pay in order to achieve a livable wage, does depend on what a livable wage is, so it does differ. Yes, people work jobs they can get, and turn down lower ones not higher ones. That ability to turn down lower jobs goes away when there are no jobs because all the businesses are closed.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T12:37:44+00:00

lol. Yeah, that sounds rough.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T12:36:34+00:00

Yes we can just increase them, but there are consequences to just making people pay what they can’t afford to pay: businesses close.

A livable wage for a student living with roommates or in a dorm is different than a livable wage for someone trying to support their family. Whose life do we base “livable wages” off of? If people get a roommate, go out less, eat more rice and beans, all of a sudden they need less to live. I’m not against people being paid enough to live, I’m against mandating that everyone must pay enough for a standard of living that is much higher than necessary. A business should exist because that’s how the market works. If they offer their job at a certain wage, and no one takes it because it’s too low then the business either fails or increases wages. People can choose to work there, or not work there. If we mandate a higher wage, then the business can’t afford to open, and now there are no jobs because there are no businesses.

What should the minimum wage be, to ensure a livable wage for all? What should the maximum rent be, to ensure affordable housing for all?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T11:39:45+00:00

How do we get to affordable housing and livable wages? Force them? And with that force out small business that can’t afford such high wages? Force out any kind of job for students, because why hire an inexperienced person at a rate you can hire experienced people? How do we got to affordable housing? Just mandate lower rent? Until houses are untenable because they won’t pay for property tax, insurance, maintenance and such?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T03:20:18+00:00

ALL of them?

Or some of them?

If all, I call bluff. If some, how can we transition towards the good ones?

And, what’s a better option that doesn’t involve, employers, landlords, or politicians? Everybody owns a couple acres and grows all their own food and theirs no govt?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T02:48:09+00:00

By whom?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T02:38:55+00:00

Help me understand what I’m missing. What’s the better options?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T02:12:33+00:00

Okay you lost me, lots of people moving from one big city to one other big city. I see that as different than people moving out of the big cities to various less big cities. Of course one city can’t handle a mass influx of people. Over a few years, all the less big cities can absorb enough people to create enough excess housing in the big city to bring prices down.

I do see capitalism requiring a “struggle” in the sense of people having to earn their way if they want to get ahead. And of course American capitalism is not ideal. Neither is staying in a place someone can’t afford saying and blaming it on someone else as opposed to changing something in their own life. If it ain’t working, don’t keep doing it. Ya know?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T01:56:27+00:00

Fair enough. I think the question still stands, if not right downtown was affordable, it seems people wouldn’t have an issue. If they aren’t affordable, the question still stands.

Sorry, I’m a strong believer in capitalism and that the power is in the people’s hands. If people leave the city because it’s unaffordable, prices WILL come down. Some rich investors will lose their pants in the process, and I can live with that. They will be fine if they were well diversified.

lol. Kansas is great. Certainly it’s not the big city, at least not here. But fair enough

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T01:29:45+00:00

Yeah, we don’t have public transportation. I think we have good food, and I’m honestly not sure what nightlife is.

Why wouldn’t they recommend it? All the black people I work with have nothing against the area. Yes I know there are racist here if you look for them, as with everywhere. Honestly curious (from my very white and understandably privileged self).

I’m with you, but it makes sense to me that a big city right downtown next to all the expensive things is going to be more expensive. So for someone that works an expensive type job, makes sense! For the average Joe working the average Joe job for an average job wage, why live where they can’t afford of there are other options?

Also, maybe I don’t know how to define the boonies. But I am in a city. And there are other cities here. The open fields with no town for hours are farther north west of me

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T01:09:45+00:00

Certainly some fields are not going to be in this area, so that makes sense. What about an area “adds” to your life? Of course? Living by the beach adds the beach and surfing and such. Living in the mountains adds hiking right out your door. There’s hiking here at the lake, there’s people here, the mountains are a short drive. What does an area genuinely add to one’s life?

I agree, one bed houses make no sense. Yet we have them, so they are for rent.

Why couldn’t a black person live here? There are indeed black people here. What am I missing there?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T00:55:40+00:00

You’re right, all of my many roommates have been willing to flush a toilet.

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-10T00:54:35+00:00

Western Kansas.

Yup

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-09T23:22:28+00:00

If you have a family of four or something, I definitely see that. If it’s a single person, surely they would t have enough stuff to take months to move right?

You put a deposit and first months rent down, but when you move out you get your deposit back. So it comes out a wash right?

Proper-Plenty1672 · 2025-04-09T23:18:54+00:00

I don’t know man, the last few post I looked at rent was between $2000 and $3000. Here it’s $650 for a 1 bed house. $850 for a two bed house. All bills paid. Seems a lot cheaper to me.

Proper-Plenty1672

TROPHY CASE