Dirty Tenants with Roaches
My fiance and I are negotiating buying a 2-family brownstone in Prospect Lefferts Gardens and need to decide whether to keep the tenants, who are month-to-month. The current owners say they’re much better tenants than most, pay on time and are reliable. But when we went in with the house inspector (while the tenants were…
My fiance and I are negotiating buying a 2-family brownstone in
Prospect Lefferts Gardens and need to decide whether to keep the tenants, who are month-to-month. The current owners say they’re much better tenants than most, pay on time and are reliable. But when we went in with the house inspector (while the tenants were at work), there were plates and pots full of cooked pasta and sauce lying around the kitchen and the place was infested with roaches. We definitely want to bring in an exterminator; any thoughts on whether we should keep these tenants and work with them? Or ask for the house vacant? How hard is it to find good tenants in PLG? We’re very new to this landlord thing, so any suggestions would be most appreciated.
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If the landlord wouldn’t fumigate the apartment, the tenants could have found other ways to get rid of insects and it doesn’t cost much…including not leaving dirty dishes containing food in the sink. Dirty tenants now will be dirty tenants in the future. You could try the lease clause suggested by the previous poster, but if there are roaches in that apartment, there are roaches all over the house, and you’ll have to take appropriate pest control steps to preserve your sanity. Please try to have the house delivered vacant. The tenants can find another place to live; you are not obligated to keep them.
The best thing regarding tenants is to issue a new lease that clearly states their responsibility in keeping the apartment insect/rodent free, and to clealy state that, so many dollars will be charged to them for pest control. I’ did it to my tenants, added a 250.00 clause to the contract, it worked! ANd it’s best to hold onto tenants, especially good ones.
Remember they are living in you house. Remember that movie Pacific Heights with Michael Keaton? If you have not seen it go rent it and then decide about the roach infested tenant question.
Get it vacant. Remember a seller can say anything to sell. I bought a house with tenants (who wouldn’t leave) and was told the incorrect amt. of rent they were paying — which they weren’t paying at all. You want a clean slate especially if there are renovations to do throughout the house. You can feel bad for them, but you don’t have to subsidize them.
I have also been told that you can have it in the contract to deliver vacant, but the seller cannot legally promise that. Eviciting even a non-paying non-lease holding tenant can take up to 9 months if you go through the courts. Good luck!
Right, the poor tenants with a filthy, roach infested apartment…
Have the place delivered vacant. The tenants will not change their ways for you. If they were clean and paid their rent on time (get copies of checks, not just the landlord’s word of mouth), then maybe it would be worth considering.
If you bought your house more than 5 years ago, perhaps keeping the rent at below-market rates was an option. Today (or recently), the price of the house probably won’t let you do that. I got great tenants on Craigs List. Much better than using a broker.
What about the tenants? Where do they go? Doesn’t anyone feel any responsibility to them? Haven’t you ever left dishes in the sink? Maybe the landlord wouldn’t fumigate. We kept the tenants when we bought our house, even at below market rent because it seemed wrong to put them on the street. We raised the rent when they moved five years later.
I agree, get the house delivered vacant. If they are accustomed to roaches and leaving food out, that’s not going to change, it’s going to effect your life. You’ll always be fighting to keep up with the tide of pests. Don’t put any of your belongings in there until it has been fully fumigated.