Tenants Annoyed by Access
Ok, our tenants are annoyed by the need for us to access the yard through their apartment. I understand that it’s inconvenient, but I have given a heads up and I have cleaned the apartment after each delivery of pebbles, cement, etc. it’s been two non consecutive days of about 3 hours each and now…
Ok, our tenants are annoyed by the need for us to access the yard through their apartment. I understand that it’s inconvenient, but I have given a heads up and I have cleaned the apartment after each delivery of pebbles, cement, etc. it’s been two non consecutive days of about 3 hours each and now today we need about 3 hours (probably the last) I have tried to be understanding and helpful, allowed them to hang out in our place, watched their kid during the time and bought them dinner. Now, today she doesn’t want to allow access and finally agreed to one hour. What is reasonable here? have I not been nice enough?
By the way, when we rented them the apartment they were not home during the day,and they have access to the garden so they will reap the benefits of the work being done.
Thanks for any advice or recommendations!
We carry everything for our backyard (plants, mulch, garden furniture etc) through the parlor and down the stairs. Unless it’s truly construction material — which pebbles and cement surely qualify as. I can’t imagine your tenant’s lease prohibits such access. But I would also think 3 days of access should be enough to get the job done. Could your contractor work more efficiently? I also agree that an offer to have their apt professionally cleaned after the work is completed could help.
northridge – No, we never go through their apartment, it is not the only access, I just don’t want the guys to have to climb all those stairs back and forth hauling sand and gravel and soil.
to clear things up:
They have been unreasonable in the past – I posted a while ago about their (Indian) cooking smells and how when I asked them to open a window instead of the hallway door they said I was making their baby sick etc…
They have also complained about the yard not being very usable and asked that we help clean it up for their baby’s birthday party.
We are doing the work now because it is the right season for it, we have the $ now and we will be using it too.
I want to know if I need to accomadate her today and keep being nice or just say, I am sorry but we need to do this and have the right to. Otherwise the guys have to bring everything up to the parlor and down the back which is a lot more work.
Thanks
So if I’m understanding you the only way to access the backyard is through their apartment?
To start with that’s a pretty bad setup that’s ripe for misunderstandings and arguments.
How often do you go through their apartment to get to the back yard? The somewhat ominous phrase here is “By the way, when we rented them the apartment they were not home during the day”. Does this mean you went in and out freely all the time?
If not, OK, this is probably reasonble. But if you’re constantly going through their apartment this could be called abusing your privileges. Tenants have a right to privacy in NY State, and the rules tell you not only what you can do but it also contains a general clause that you can’t abuse your privileges. “A landlord may not abuse this limited right of entry or use it to harass a tenant”.
A few days for necessary repairs may be fine. If it’s more than that then you’re probably violating their privacy.
Call Miracle Maids and arrange to give them a free housecleaning, to be redeemed whenever the tenants want it. It does sound like a PIA, but smother them with love or bring the supplies in from the parlor floor where you obviously have a deck and stairs!
sorry, they DO have access? forget them. but when they move out, i would reconfigure your home so that the next tenants have NO access. they sound like ungrateful people and that’s just bad karma!
I am guessing that lot of landscaping/improvement work being done in yard and more convenient to access thru garden level. But this landscaping mostly done for your benefit and is not essential- that you can and do get to yard from your apt. but carrying stuff up and then down is too much work.
Yet they do benefit somewhat – as you share yard with them.
Is that the story?
do they have backyard access? do you let them use the yard? if so, pursuant to your lease with them all you have to do is give 24 hours notice. they are being terribly unreasonable especially since you are cleaning up. what do they sit at home ALL day long? ridiculous. it is YOUR house!
why in the world are you upgrading the garden? The view of it from the parlor level? Repairs are one thing but pebbles, dirt, concrete etc etc through one’s house is another.
I stick by my earlier post. If the garden is part of the rental apartment and if they are fine with it as is, they have a right to complain. Occasional access is one thing but this sounds like too much. Sorry.