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Questions For The Renter

Its a owner's/landlord's market these days. Housing prices are so high, rents are so high, private landlords have their choice of tenant they want. Why just yesterday I went to go look at a huge master room for rent in a brand new townhouse in N. San Jose, decided against it as I might be changing job locations. Anyways he told me he had already 3 applicants who wanted it and he was holding out but I would have it if I wanted and I believed him. A 1br/1ba in a decent air conditioned apartment to live in by oneself is easily $2400/mo. Its fucking ridiculous right now. Either make more money or pay all your money towards rent and fuck saving to buy your own home. I really wish there was rent control for the entire state of CA. God knows we need it.
 
Speaking as a landlord, the only clause I use from OP's list is required renter's insurance for exactly the reason already posted above. Otherwise, it's a case of one party wanting zero risk in a transaction while the other bearing all the inconvenience. That's shitty.

The key of renting is finding and holding on to good tenants and quickly ridding yourself of bad ones. Easier said than done, but totally doable.
 
Bbq is illegal in certain apartment type buildings per CA. If any of.the properties in question fall under that law (all single family dwellings are excluded) it would be redundant to mention in the lease so it would be a good idea to bar it anyway!
 
The bathroom thing seems redundant with just a general "keep the place in good condition" type clause. I doubt you want to go down the road of getting too specific.

I can just see at the end of the lease "what do you mean I needed to clean the kitchen too? it's not called out like the bathroom is!"
 
Responses in blue

I am not sure how you think cleaning carpets once a year is reasonable, but cleaning bathroom once a week is not. To me they fall under the same thing you stated for bathroom. As long as they are clean on move out, who cares, and if tenant lived there long enough I believe carpets fall under "consumable" items, like paint.
 
I am not sure how you think cleaning carpets once a year is reasonable, but cleaning bathroom once a week is not. To me they fall under the same thing you stated for bathroom. As long as they are clean on move out, who cares, and if tenant lived there long enough I believe carpets fall under "consumable" items, like paint.

Cleanign carpets once a year[b/] is totally reasonable. Anyone shoud have their carpets cleaned at least once a year. That shit collects dust and grime like nobody's business. Being required to clean the bathroom once a week is totally excessive unless you regularly have horrendous ass explosions or terrible aim or never fuckign flush.
 
Cleanign carpets once a year[b/] is totally reasonable. Anyone shoud have their carpets cleaned at least once a year. That shit collects dust and grime like nobody's business. Being required to clean the bathroom once a week is totally excessive unless you regularly have horrendous ass explosions or terrible aim or never fuckign flush.


Should and must are two different things. Just seems somewhat an abstraction line: carpets good, bathrooms no. The latter gets dirty too. Would you be ok with once a month, once a year for bathroom cleaning?
 
One check? YUP! One master tenant who is responsible for everyone else. You're the landlord not a parent. How they divide everything up is their business. Picking up one check for one property on the first of every month is your business. How're you supposed to evict one roommate if they're short?

Exactly! A bunch of renters getting together and sharing rent is a potential nightmare unless there is a single-payment clause in the lease, AND every tentant is on the lease AND each is separately wholly responsible for the full rent.

Any disputes between them, or any one of them unable to pay is their problem, not mine.


My renters have been very long term and I give them a wide berth. I hate shopping for new renters so I haven't raised the rent in quite sometime. Everyone wins.

Likewise. Though it has been several years and the amount rents have gone up is starting to get a little hard to ignore.
 
This is why I would never want to be a residential landlord.

It's no different than any other job; bosses, colleagues, clients, paperwork, etc, you never know what you're going to get, but it's all in how you manage it. I've had great tenants.
 
Responses below:

*No subleasing or short term rental such as airbnb/vrbo.(seems legit)

Totally fair and I've seen it in leases a few times.

*Payment must come from one roomate, no multiple payments accepted.(this I see will lead to trouble but, I refund the deposit in one check to all roomates)

I don't have a problem with this either and have always done it as a matter of courtesy. It's not the landlord's business where the money comes from so long as it's delivered to them on time. As it was elsewhere mentioned in this thread, I've had leases specifically mention that all tenants are responsible for the full rent in the event that one or more tenants doesn't pay or pay in full. This honestly forces tenants to choose their roommates wisely. Who wants to be responsible for your deadbeat "friend"?

*Tenant must conserve water. No washing of cars or patios.

That's bullshit....unless the landlord is paying the water bill. If I'm paying it, I'll decide how I want to spend my money on my own, thanks.

...But must maintain landscaping.

This is actually quite common. Every house I've rented has specifically mentioned that maintaining the landscape is required. Most have included a mow-n-blow gardener at a minimum, though. The most I usually have to do is keep it watered and trim the bushes and such as needed. The gardener handles the rest.

*Returned check charge is now $35.

Totally fine.

*All hardwood floors must be 80% covered with area rugs.(very redundant)

Why? If you don't want the floors scratched up, that isn't necessarily going to prevent it from happening. Also, how are you going to enforce it without repeated visits? The tenants could just put out the rugs each time they know you're coming and remove them when you leave. Sure that's labor intensive and dumb but it's plausible.

*Tenant must have carpets cleaned annually and supply landlord with copy of bill.

Why? I've never seen this before. My leases have always required that the carpets be clean upon move-out. That's it. In fact, in most cases, the landlord would cover it completely if I stayed longer than one year.

*Tenant agrees to clean the bathroom weekly.(these 2 will be pains in my butt)

Sure, I'll agree to it, but how are you going to know I'm doing it and what is the standard I'm being held to? Seems to me that the standard clause that requires the tenant(s) to keep the property in order and clean would already imply that the bathrooms be kept clean. Why the need for a specific clause?

*No BBQ's or smoking on property.(insurance co. mandated)

Get a new insurance company. :|

Seriously though, if I carry renters insurance (which every place I've rented has required with specific amounts) why can't I BBQ or grill? Bryan mentioned it earlier that some municipalities have outright banned BBQs and grills outside of common areas in apartment/condo buildings. A couple of the apartments we've lived in have done this as well on their own or at least stated that the only BBQs/grills that could be use have to be gas or electric. But a house? I've never seen that clause in a lease for a house.

*Tenant must carry renters insurance.(new for apartments. I foresee trouble with 1 bed/1 bath renters)

Not a problem at all.

This is why I would never want to be a residential landlord.

I wouldn't either. Isn't that why many owners use property management companies?
 
I think if I was a tenant and I encountered most of those clauses that try to limit how I use the property, I would probably sign and then still do whatever I wanted.
 
Should and must are two different things. Just seems somewhat an abstraction line: carpets good, bathrooms no. The latter gets dirty too. Would you be ok with once a month, once a year for bathroom cleaning?

I'm just making an arbitrary distinction. It's what I'm OK with. Probably different for other people. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a requirement for cleaning the bathroom, but once a week is excessive IMO.
 
I'm just making an arbitrary distinction. It's what I'm OK with. Probably different for other people. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a requirement for cleaning the bathroom, but once a week is excessive IMO.

Fair enough. :thumbup
 
It went from no no charcoal, then no gas, no electric and now just no. Insurance co.'s are even doing independent building inspections. And policy costs rise every year.

Dayum, that's ridiculous.

State Farm leaves me and my three rentals alone...but I guess I should ask my agent if a fire caused by a BBQ won't be covered.

Good luck on the bathroom inspections...I try and leave my tenants alone and generally only visit the houses when I'm doing improvements and/or maintenance.
 
I carry renter's insurance. Peace of mind, like $15.00 per month and it covers so much. Plus, it lowered the cost of my motorcycle insurance because of the multiple policy discount.

Exactly; if you drive rental insurance is usually free due to the multi policy discount.

No brainer.

I need to suggest that to my other renters other than my daughter who already knows that.
 
And I would be honoured to have you as landlord or tenant.

:laughing

My tenant who was a manager for me when I actually toiled called to say the fan over the oven only has one speed now and she'd like it replaced with a microwave/hood combo.

It goes in tomorrow! :laughing

Mind you, you can get a microwave/hood combo for under $200 which is what a decent hood costs anyway.

I like to keep her happy.

Next month have to fix her fence and she wants me to replace the quite new toilet to a taller one because her huge son keeps busting toilet seats! :wtf

I might just get a riser for the existing toilet if she'll go for that.

Redoing her kitchen counters soon using Granite Transformations that did a great job at another house of ours.

Doubt I'll ever raise her $1,050/month rent on her 3/2 house as she was such a great employee back in the day.
 
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