As a Landlord Am I Being Fair? (Covid related)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Seriously?

There is NOTHING unreasonable about a landlord wanting the rent to be paid. That is, after all, the whole point of renting - exchanging a fixed amount of money in exchange for living in a sound building.

If the tenant could not afford $1300/month in rent but signed such a lease anyway that is NOT the fault of the landlord - that is the fault of the tenant for making a poor financial decision.

When a tenant has a financial upset the ethical thing to do is go to the landlord and explain what the situation is - which it sounds like happened in the OP’s scenario. Now, the landlord is under zero obligation to renegotiate or change any terms. Many will do so, because losing a tenant case be a hassle, and evicting one is always a hassle. But no landlord has to do that. It is entirely legal for a landlord to begin eviction proceedings the first time rent is missed (although right now evictions will be on hold in some places, but that won’t last forever).

The OP generously cut the tenant some slack. But there is nothing unreasonable in wanting the rent money because a landlord has bills, too. A rental property isn’t a charity, and even when it’s run as a non-profit there are still bills to pay, taxes, maintenance, etc. Now the landlord knows the tenant has received some money it’s not at all unreasonable for the landlord to ask the tenant “hey, will you pay some of that money you owe me?”. I don’t think the landlord is expecting the tenant and kid(s) to go without food, but speaking as a tenant, I’d personally would at least offer $50 or $100 towards any rent owed as a gesture of good faith even if I can’t pay it in full. Because the last thing a landlord wants to do is have to chase you down.

Other things I have done when strapped for cash is offer to mow the lawn, tend the landscaping, do simple repairs, etc. The landlord won’t always take a tenant up on that offer, but some will.

This is going to be a problem for awhile, because a lot of people have lost income but their name is still on a lease.

22

Wait, do you know for a fact she’s getting unemployment? And the $600/week addition covid pay? Or are you assuming she’s getting it?

23

I would agree she is taking advantage of the situation. If she is getting unemployment, she is likely making at least what she was before and there is no reason she shouldn’t be accountable for her rent. If she is making the same amount of money or more, then why should she be getting a price break? You still have to pay your bills related to the house, whether you defer or not. Just because you own the property doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay bills for it!
As for Blindboyard’s comments, I don’t see any unreasonable demands from the OP. He set the rent, she agreed to pay it on specific terms. Not only has she not been sticking to those terms, she is now asking for more concessions from the property owner, who still has his own bills to pay. The OP isn’t forcing the woman to live there; she agreed to his rent and terms when she moved in. I get it that things happen and rents are ridiculously high now, but the OP has been quite generous at this point.

24

This. Very much this. It seems like for most of the country, regular unemployment claims are being held up for weeks, and the PUA isn’t being paid out in a timely fashion, so even people who are entitled to both are waiting to see even one thin dime. Just because she might be entitled to these payments, doesn’t mean she’s gotten any of it.

Not that it doesn’t put landlords in a very tough position, especially when you have mortgages and property taxes to pay yourselves. Hasan Minhaj just did a Patriot Act episode on the coming rental crisis on Netflix, it was very…scary.

25

This. (FWIW I’ve been a renter since 1994.)

I get why you say this, but in truth the only indication of whether someone can or can’t afford a rental is whether they pay their rent on time. Not their income.

When I switched from apartments to townhouses, there was a time when my rent was slightly more than 50% of my monthly takehome because I prioritized having a quiet, safe place to live. But my payment record is spotless, I’ve always had good credit, and I’ve always gotten my full security deposits back (which is why my applications were always approved). How much rent I’m willing to pay is my decision; potential property managers should put much more weight on those rubrics than my income.

Of course, I’m not saying that landlords should approve everyone who claims they will pay the rent regardless of their income. Likewise, high income is no guarantee of regular payment. Rental histories and credit ratings often tell a much better story.

26

She’s getting unemployment. At least she told me she is. What she also said was that the stimulus money hadn’t arrived. I don’t know if that means just the $1200+$500 child money or the $600/week. I’ve evicted one tenant and it was fairly easy as they didn’t contest anything or show up in court. Still, the “between tenants” costs (painting/repairs/carpet cleaning) are pretty significant and I like at least two years with any tenant to recoup the cost. I took chance with this one and I knew it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that things are back to normal in September. If not, the lease is up two months after that.

27

As far as I can tell, the OP has not said this. Maybe I missed it, as I did start skimming a bit due to the repetition in the thread. Because, to me, this changes the moral calculus a lot.

If the OP needs more money, that is a different moral calculus than simply thinking they could make more money. Having to increase costs to survive is just an unfortunate part of the system we live in. But if the OP is just trying to make money, then the rule of “people matter more than money” also must factor in. For example, it would obviously be horrible to kick out the tenant during a pandemic simply because you wanted more money for a luxury yacht.

That said, even this is a balance issue, because we don’t know how much the tenant is operating under necessity. That said, I don’t agree with those who assume from their behavior that they are “taking advantage.” What I see described is just the behavior of people with low money. You have competing bills if you’re poor–and if you can pay late to one, but not the other, then you’ll prioritize the other. If you can negotiate with one and not the other, that’s what you’ll do.

To me, the actual “fairness” as asked for in the OP depends not on whether something feels fair or on a one sided calculation, but on whether the landlord’s needs and wants are balanced properly against the tenant’s needs and wants. Neither should be getting more of their wants than the other. And the OP has to prioritize their actual needs.

I don’t share blindboyard’s reaction that the landlord is definitely wrong, but I’m also not for this “OP is obviously right” attitude in the thread, either. This is a moral balancing issue, and thus needs a counterbalance.

Plus, well, such a reaction makes me suspect the poster may also going through a housing issue right now, and may be projecting their own situation onto the OP. If I were getting unfairly kicked out of my house right now, I’d be more likely to read the OP unfavorably as well.

28

The OP isn’t running a charity!

News flash: landlords have bills, too. Landlords also have to serve regular meals of money to the mortgage company! And landlords are on the hook for repairs.

Truthfully, if the landlord has overdue bills or wants to hire dancing girls, it is of NO CONCERN to the tenant. The original rent was established at $1300, agreed to by both parties.

If you need a tank of gas for your car, or you buy a bag of groceries at the store, you don’t wonder if the grocer or gas station owner is making payments on a yacht. Why in the Hell would it even cross your mind what the landlord is doi g with his or her money.

The rental is a business. There is a contract between the landlord and the tenant. The landlord has fulfilled his part of the contract, the tenant needs to fulfill her part.

Period.

If the tenant, or anyone else has a problem with renting, go buy a house!
~VOW

29

OP here, again. Big T - who is to decide if I need more money? Some government agency? You? Do you need your income? Couldn’t you get by with less or do you just want more? Just so you know, I went from making a little money to losing money. I do have bills, like everyone else. I am, essentially, giving this tenant $2000. That’s cash never to be seen again. No tax break, no stimulus money. Its not like I have hundreds of units and can absorb the loss easily. I have exactly one unit and can’t operate at a loss for long. The tenant’s needs and wants have nothing to do with it. Is that how rent prices should be established? I’m a nice guy and like to help people when they’re down but there are limits and I’ve reached mine. The tenant seems to understand this and also seems to be appreciative. We shall see.

30

Based on my family’s many experiences with both renting and owning a home, you are a hell of a lot more likely to be able to negotiate some leniency with a landlord than with a bank holding your mortgage, which is the very definition of a situation without mercy.

If you can’t handle rent on a regular basis you really can’t handle a mortgage.

I do realize this can leave the destitute with an unsolvable problem. That is, of course, a major reason we have homeless people in this country.