DEAR RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS, WHAT THE H-E-double-hockey-sticks IS WRONG WITH YOU? PART 1

My daughter-in-law owns a residential cleaning company in Wilmington NC.  They specialize in move-out/move-in cleanings. 

She has some pretty good stories to tell.  You tend to see the worst with the move-out cleanings.

One was what she affectionately refers to as "The Cat Box".  This is a house on a lake that was evidently rented to someone with MANY cats.  When she got the call from the property manager that it was bad and she'd need to have more than the usual 2 people, she thought she knew what to expect.  The property manager told her BEFORE she went in that the owner was not going to have it painted or clean the carpets.  So they asked her to make it look as good as possible for showings.

She went to check it out before she sent her crew.  She was flabbergasted!  This was not a property that needed to be cleaned, this was a property that needed to be gutted!  And that wasn't even taking into consideration how bad the yard looked.

She said there was no way to get the smell out, even if the carpets were cleaned, they would never be rid of the stench.  The refrigerator had half an inch of dirt on every shelf and the door seal had mold.  One of the toilets was leaking and the bathroom floor was flooded.  One of the shower heads was leaking back into the wall. Just wait till I tell you what the property manager suggested be done about that! The kitchen floor was so bad, it wasn't until they had spent 1.5 hours scrubbing, when they realized it was white, not brown.

She called the property manager to bring her up-to-date as to just how bad it was. The property manager said, "Just do the best you can.  The owner is just not going to do anything about it."

Now, before I go any further, let me say this.  That property manager needs to have her butt respectively, kicked!  I know what you're thinking here, but that's tomorrow's post . . .  and day after tomorrow, I've got a few things to say to tenants. Today's post is:  DEAR RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS,  WHAT THE H-E-double-hockey-sticks IS WRONG WITH YOU?   We'll get to the property managers and tenants, I promise. 

They spent 10 hours over 2 days cleaning this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home.  And while I did not see it myself, I have seen her work, so I am confident that when they finally called it a day, that house was as clean as it could be.  That doesn't mean it was as clean as it should be.

Who is being harmed here?  Well lets make a list:

•   The tenants
•   The property
•   The neighbors
•   The community
•   The slumlord

1.  Now, it's real easy to say, "The tenants aren't being harmed.  If they don't like it, they could move."  Or clean it.  And you're right they could.  But when they entered into a lease, they had the legal expectation of certain things being in good repair.  If something should break while they are there, whether it's their fault or not, the landlord NEEDS to repair or replace it.  Charge them for it if need be, but get it taken care of! 

2.  What did the property do to deserve such dis-respect?  You paid good money for it.  Treat it right and it will treat you right.  If you want quality tenants, you need to offer, provide and maintain a quality property.

3.  I'm sure the neighbors just love the peeling paint and missing shutters on your rental property.  And what does the state of dis-repair do to home values in the neighborhood?  Oh, that's right, you live on the other side of town/out-of-state, what's it matter to you?  A great deal if you're smart.  See #5.

4.  Did I just hear you say, "It doesn't effect the community."?  I beg to differ.  When you allow your property to fall into a state of dis-repair, it does effect the community.  Instead of setting the bar higher, you are lowering it and it does have an impact on the community.  How would you like to see your rental property next door to your home?

5.  "If someone is willing to put up with it, why should I put money into it?"  Because:  It will protect your investment.  You will have better tenants.  Should you want or need to sell, you'll get more money for it.  It's the right thing to do.

You have spent good money on your rental property, why wouldn't you take care of it?  Why would you think that it's okay to offer a home in that condition for rent? 

Now before you think all I'm doing here is complaining, join me here later for DEAR RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS, WHAT THE H-E-double-hockey-sticks IS WRONG WITH YOU? PART 2  We'll talk about some ways for Rental Property Owners to protect themselves and their investments.