Renting to Multiple Occupants Can Be Sticky

Sandy, you have the only policy that works and that is to get the rent from one source! Kudos to you for standing your ground!

Sandy, As a young service man in Hawaii, we rented a beautiful 5 bedroom house with a pool and a view. There were 10 of us and I was responsible for the rent check. The landlord required a full month rent upfront,a security deposit, and a thousand dollar check to be held in a interest bearing account.

All went well until people got transferred and we couldn't replace them. We soon had lost 5 renters and went to the landlord to end our relationship.

We never lost a penny and were rewarded the full deposit including $1200 from the interest bearing account. We also received 5 letters of recommendations to other landlords.

This landlord explained that she had been burned by so many renters that she appreciated our conduct and maintenance...

It pays to have the one check system...

Hi SS,

No one in her right mind would allow 3 people to pay the rent separately. Get 'em tiger!

Yes, that makes it less of a sticky situation.  Sometimes by owners allow more than one so they can get more security deposits.

Sandy,

I can see how this could be a difficult situation.

Ann Hayden in steamy Wildwood, Missouri

Once I learned what to look for I quit getting burned. We have been lucky as to have great tenants in our own IP. This is great info for new landlords.

Sandy, would it not be easier to hire a management company for your rentals to handle this so you can relieve yourself from the headaches?

Personally I don't like these roommate situations.  I even hesitate to rent to unmarried couples if they have never lived together before - they always tend to break up within a few months of moving in and then one or both want off the lease.

My son leased a house with two others  when he was in University. The landlord had a very tight lease agreement.

1) there was an overall umbrella lease to cover the whole house,

2) then each tenant had an individual lease. If one tenant moved out that person was still responsible to pay his portion of the lease unless they sublet with the landlords approval.

This was very ironclad.

In Ontario however, the Landlord Tenant act prohibits a landlord from preventing more tenants to move in than actaually on the lease because "situations change".

Jointly and severally and each occupant needs to qualify for the WHOLE house rental payment....sharing may be a matter of economics for them individually; however, it should not impact the landlord in their ability to qualify or collect the scheduled rent.

Yes, it has to be one lease for the whole house, since it will likely prove hard to re-rent a portion of an undivided space with one or two existing tenants already there.

Hi Sandy, If I had only known you in 1994! LOL!!  Your approach is the safest and sanest! The "boarding house" approach will drive anyone bonkers.

Good point about finding someone that can be the primary so to speak and have them be able to afford it on their own. That way they are the landlord from their own roomies. Your right, always too much nonsense with multiple tenants.  Good post & I'll remember this one.

Sandy. Very true. I had a similar situation on one of my rentals. It is always better to deal with ONE Qualified renter. Anything else would be Just Uncivilized.

It looks like we might be renting a house out to a few college roomates come August I told them the same thing.  One rent check.  I can't imagine collecting rent from multiple people in one house.  It's hard enough collecting from some tenants.