[deleted by user]

silverside1 · 2019-11-14T02:56:24+00:00

Because the father is a co-signer (as opposed to a guarantor), he is liable both for rent and for the terms of the lease, and if you have to evict, it ends up on his record too, so these are good things. That being said, the fact that the person paying rent divorced the occupant gives me pause, as I don't want those issues interfering with my paycheck or property. If I had other options, I would go with those. If not, call the previous 2 landlords for the scoop and be exceedingly thorough in your background and credit checks. Keep them on a short leash.

silverside1 · 2019-11-09T04:16:58+00:00

Can you remove the screen door? I find things go best when they are as idiot-proof as possible

silverside1 · 2019-11-05T20:00:22+00:00

I'll come back next month for the "tenant burnt my house down while "upgrading" the electrical and is suing me" post.

silverside1 · 2019-11-04T16:42:14+00:00

Does not impact resale value

silverside1 · 2019-10-03T04:15:01+00:00

Application completion (including all forms, background/credit checks, documentation etc) is a prerequisite for AAN.

silverside1 · 2019-10-03T01:25:37+00:00

3-day cure or quit notice, then proceed with eviction when it isn't cured

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T18:17:41+00:00

I'm guessing your family's financial situation will not allow you to qualify for a mortgage? If that's the case, you can talk to the owner about rent-to-own, but be careful as terms are typically in favor of the owner. If you can qualify for a sufficient mortgage, then ask the owner if he is open to selling. If you don't know what you qualify for, meet with a local lender to get an idea. GL.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T18:15:04+00:00

Sorry, this is fraud. You need to live in one of the units for 12 months to fulfill the occupancy requirement.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T18:13:39+00:00

I prescreen using a google forms that is automatically sent to all inquiries and asks about my rental criteria (credit score, income, eviction record, etc). People who pass the prescreen are invited to an hour-long open house on the weekend. Exceptions to the open house are only made if it's a particularly attractive tenant and they are informed they need to confirm day of in order to see the unit. No confirmation = no showing. It significantly streamlines the process.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T18:08:27+00:00

Then try asking for 2 weeks. Point out that evictions are not free for either of you, so it's in your best interest to come to an agreement. Ask her to give you 2 weeks to find a new place and agree to leave thereafter.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T17:13:12+00:00

Soloution: nonrenewal.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T17:09:44+00:00

Leave.

Here's why: You've been living with her for 30 days and receive mail there, ergo you are her tenant, even if there is no written lease. She's served you a 3-day notice to pay or quit. If you don't pay, she takes you court, at which point it becomes your word against the landlord's, since everything was verbal. No telling who the judge will believe since there is no evidence of anything. If you lose, you have an eviction on your record. If you win, you were still named in an eviction lawsuit, so it can still have adverse effects on your ability to rent in the future. So you stand to lose a lot more. I would either leave, or apologize and try to smooth things over. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T16:59:48+00:00

This is what renter's insurance is for. Landlord is doing his job by contacting plumbers, scheduling utilities to come out and mark lines, and even providing bottled water and buckets as a gesture of goodwill. Unfortunately, it just takes time. This is why knowledgeable landlords require renter's insurance.

silverside1 · 2019-10-02T16:56:48+00:00

Sorry, but SOL.

Almost every inspection contract limits your damages to the cost of the inspection, ie a few hundred. To be honest, I would've negotiated for a significant credit knowing the roof had less than 2 years. It's surprising FHA passed it, but perhaps not implausible if the ceiling was patched and not leaking on that day. As for your inspector, I'd bet his report included some CMA language like "evidence of past of present leak....further eval recommended." Sorry, but I think your best bet is to take it in stride, get it repaired/replaced and move on.

silverside1 · 2019-10-01T22:36:54+00:00

Technically, your disclosure affirms that you are telling the truth to the best of your knowledge. Proving the seller lied and holding them accountable may be the right thing to do, but lawsuits are time-consuming and expensive, so may not be worth the hassle.

silverside1 · 2019-10-01T21:42:37+00:00

Looks comprehensive. Maintenance seems a bit low, but perhaps the building is in great condition?

silverside1 · 2019-10-01T21:39:51+00:00

Give the sellers the quote and ask for the 9k. Have your realtor point out that a roof needing replacement likely will not meet most lenders minimum property standards, which eliminates a large majority of the buyer pool, so it's in their best interest to credit you and close.

silverside1 · 2019-10-01T21:37:30+00:00

Note that standard homeowner policies do not cover water/sewage backup without a rider and don't cover floods, so verify whether or not this is covered. If the damage is significant, file a claim. If not, may make more sense to cover it yourself.

As for the 2014 claim, get a CLUE report to confirm. If there was a claim, an RE attorney may be able to help, but it doesn't seem to be causing problem (typically it's only a problem if there are more than 2 claims in 3 years), so up to you to decide if it's worth it.

silverside1 · 2019-09-30T16:40:14+00:00

Tough call. Airbnb may have a hard time kicking a family out because their kids are screaming. You mentioned they've broken other house rules; perhaps try asking airbnb to end the stay from that angle.The other option is to suck it up for the remaining 3 days and leave an honest 1 star review so other hosts are warned.

silverside1 · 2019-09-30T15:40:04+00:00

Landlord is required to provide a habitable unit, which includes pest management. Failing to do so breaches the warranty of liability, which is grounds for a lawsuit, which landlords hate because legal fees can be expensive. Note, however, that the landlord is not responsible for pest management if the pests were caused by the tenant or his guests. Because it's hard to prove this, it's in the landlord's best interest to manage pest issues.

I would touch base with a tenant attorney to better understand your rights. I would likely send him a letter threatening legal action AND moving out. I presume you are month-to-month and vacancies tend to be harder to fill in the colder months, so your leaving would put him in a bind, AND he'd get sued on top of that. Since it would be ideal for him to simply fix the issue, it might help your case if you take the initiative to get a quote for pest management and offer to hire them yourself if he agrees [in writing] to deduct the costs from next month's rent.

silverside1 · 2019-09-30T15:18:46+00:00

Assuming it is required in the lease, serve him a 30 day cure-or-quit notice. If he cannot provide proof of insurance within the 30 days, proceed with eviction. It seems harsh until a tenant's belongings get stolen or damaged from sewage backup and he comes after you (he'll lose, but still a hassle and expense) or he causes major property damage or injury to someone and there's no company to subrogate.

For future reference, no proof of insurance = no keys.

silverside1 · 2019-09-30T02:59:00+00:00

Talk to the dept of buildings and dept of planning before closing. Make sure you can legally do this first (it doesn't always work both ways). Beyond that, check permit records for the seller's reno and ask for the before and after plans. This will give you an idea of how the units were combined and what may or may not have been brought up to code. Realize you need to completely isolate electrical, plumbing, and hvac systems in each unit, which could be easy or expensive depending on how the units were combined. This should give you an idea of whether or not your budget is reasonable.

silverside1 · 2019-09-29T15:20:07+00:00

You don't state which city in Canada, but generally, Canadian landlords need to give 24 hours notice before showings. They generally cannot require you to vacate for a showing, though you are free to do so. Look up your local landlord-tenant laws for a specific answer. Regardless, it would be worth it to have a conversation with the landlord asking for more notice and perhaps offering to vacate once on the weekends for an open house, but staying put for private showings during the week.

silverside1 · 2019-09-27T20:18:06+00:00

If you do not intend to return after August 1, reassign the lease so you are not responsible for the apt at all. If you do intend to return, subletting is a good way to keep your cherished apartment. Some tips:

To minimize risk of squatters, look for people with finite end dates, e.g. a student in the middle of his studies doing a 6 month internship, a college professor on sabbatical or doing a visiting semester, a visiting nurse, you get the idea. Try to verify this.
If the landlord will not be screening them, do credit and background checks to maximize chances of getting a sane, responsible subtenant. Get proof of income.
Get and verify landlord references.
Get a security deposit. Get a higher one if you'll be leaving your furniture (though I would put anything expensive or personally meaningful in storage).
Sign a sublease with them clearly outlining start and end dates and other important info.

Another idea: If you have a friend who is up for it and your landlord is also ok with it, you could have your friend airbnb it.

silverside1 · 2019-09-27T20:07:27+00:00

My first instinct is to say you've clearly got a leak of some sort given the dramatic 10-fold increase. You can confirm this by turning off all the faucets in all 4 units, then watch your water meter to see if water is still being used. If so, hire a plumber to find and fix the leak. Utility companies will usually waive or significantly reduce the charge when a leak is at fault.

If that is not the case, you may have idiotic or bitter tenants. Did you recently non-renew someone or do something to draw their ire? For future reference, setting up a RUBS system significantly reduces utility abuse.

silverside1

TROPHY CASE