Rental Housing Can Be a Fiasco

Have you dealt with rental property fiascos? I have. Fiascos in my rental home business are failures that I have dealt with recently as a landlord. Rental issues have become more difficult in the past 20 years. It hasn’t all been bad, because some of the renters were great and considerate tenants. Individuals made their payments on time each month and were very respectful of me, the landlord and their rights. They obeyed the lease by avoiding unnecessary damage to the property, informed me of repairs in a timely manner and provided payments on time. One of the tenants chose to make upgrades to the house, not because there was a need, but as stated, “I wanted to make changes just because I live here”.

One of the most recent fiascos was a tenant that insisted she had never had “animals” in the house. At the end of the lease and in casual conversation, it was shared that her cats loved to sit at the window and watch outside. The contractor checking for repairs to be made confirmed that multiple cats were living in that room and had “marked” their territory causing the entire floor to be replaced. That area reeked with a terrible urine smell which was a major fiasco causing an unnecessary added expense.

The final and most recent calamity of the tenant landlord fiasco was when an NSF check was written and upon eviction many of the family’s belongings, some furniture, foods, clothing and electronics had to be removed from the house and hauled away by a trash pickup company because they left it. If you are a landlord, what kind of tenant stories have turned into a fiasco for you?

My call to action for Tenants in North Carolina is to become educated of their rights to live in a safe and secure housing environment. In addition, they must understand that the rent payment must be made according to the Rental Agreement, and they should keep their apartment or house clean and secure and not cause unnecessary damage. It is important that all renters provide their individual property insurance to protect the valuables in their residence. This information will be shared with prospective tenants at the time of the lease signing.

Please allow DrWanda to give you peace of mind in your search for safe and secure housing and to help you meet your needs for successful living.