Tenant horror stories

H

Hook in Mouth

Member
Hey guys
Looking for some landlords to share some experiences with there tenants (no names please) and how the problems were rectified. Just trying to see what others have been through. We decided after all the non sense that selling and buying different house is probably our best option. But we are still on the hook for eviction if the renter doesnt leave. What a pain in the butt. This guy could use a laugh so lets here em!

Hook In Mouth
 
Early in our landlording experience we had a couple hiccups. People not paying rent, room mates that called the cops on each other for various things (we didn't allow room mates that weren't on the rental contract but would find out about them on the infamous nights), damage to the property etc.
Best was trying to resolve via a calm conversation, although we usually were the ones to compromise. When that didn't work we went to rental board but all that typically did was increase our cost even when we "won".
I even had a tenant who claimed he couldn't possibly move all his stuff out in one day. I showed him it was possible to do it in under an hour.
 
A friend rented his very nice Okanagan home since he was to work in Vic for two years. Young professional couple with good jobs trashed the place including dog crap all through the basement. You can't tell by looking at someone.
 
It took me 30 years as a landlord to realize that the best story to tell people about tenants is when all your doors are sold and you have NONE. The "updated" BC tenancy act allows none responsible, none accountable, none paying tenants to do as they please. Landlords have no authority and must ask/beg for arbitration but never see any return of owed damage or rental funds. My recommendation is NOT to become a landlord and have a life without tenant nightmare stories. Its weird because in 30 years I had all awesome tenants, except 2. Yes I have some horror stories, here's a "minor" to me, world is ending to tenant one.

Tenant on phone, OMG the kitchen light fell of the ceiling and my 3 year old daughters life is at stake, could have killed her. You need to get here and fix right now.

Me-WTH happened?

Tenant- The light just fell of the dam ceiling while we were eating supper. Clearly a safety infraction of some sort.

Me-Drive 4 hrs to look at situation. Upon entry clearly see light globe is off canter, tenants wife explains 2 days earlier they had daughters B-Day party, a piñata party with 12 little girls. Maybe globe got knocked a little. I straighten out and drive 4 hrs again. That was the first of lots of safety, life at stake incidents. Last one earned an eviction notice, the free month rent landlords must give for evictions was worth it.

I have landlord friends that lost lots of money, nice rental on Bear Mountain, when your away the grow ops can play. Others as tubber states above, due all the due diligence you want, you cannot screen all issues, lots have no respect or common decency today. Cant imagine being a landlord during Horgan's Covid rules, all for the poor tenant, no protection for landlords.

I now have no doors, no tenants, no headaches, far less stress and way more cashflow. Life is way better tenant-less.

HM
 
The best are young Mormon boys on their required mission. Rent paid directly from the church in Salt Lake City. All others are a gamble. Got out of it years ago when a tenant rebuilt his car transmission in the living room on the carpet.
 
Never, ever would do the tenant thing ever again. Period!

I stopped roughly 10 years ago and had one good tenant along with probably 10 horror stories.....many involved the RCMP.

I know there is lots of good tenants, but I only found one myself. The stress wasn't worth the rent money (when it was paid)
 
the new fridge you just bought us doesn't work my vegetables are not keeping cold enough - "oh maybe look at the dial turn it up a little.."

couple days go by...

the new fridge you just bought us still doesn't work it keeps freezing things in the main part of the fridge - "oh maybe look at that same dial and turn in Down a bit"

ha ha ha unfortunately a snippet of the conversations before recommending this individual move along...
 
been lucky so far more "pain in the butt" stories than damage etc..
 
We had a tennant in our basement suite who was in a witness protection program and was testifying in a hells angels murder trial. She was also turning tricks down there.
 
We hired a local kid to water the garden when went to the Island. When we got home there were several empty beer bottles in the yard. We assumed it was him, but didn't know how it could be. Turns out the neighbour behind rented her place and the renters turned the basement into an Airbnb party spot. Partyers were launching stuff over the trees into my yard. Glad I wasn't home.
 
One tenant who was a bad dude liked to drink....then go a little nutty. Cops kept coming to arrest him on other charges, he never answered, they would ask if he was home and I said yes, thy then asked if they could kick in the door! I said only if they paid for damages....

This went on for a bit, then he made some comments to my kids one time. I called the cops, they kicked in the door, big fight, more cops, off to jail for a long time I was told. He had punched well over 60 holes in the walls.....

Last renter.
 
So you want to be a landlord?
You are a bit on the smaller side, better get a big dog. Don't feed him for the last few days of every month.
 
Many tenant stories but one comes to mind. Lloyd phones me up at supper time on New Years Eve. It had snowed and apparently water was flooding into the foyer of the house. I'm dressed for a party but rush over to see what was going on. Water from melting snow was coming down the driveway and into the front door. The strip drain at the front of the garage had plugged with wet snow. Lloyd, the lazy little ****, had not bothered to shovel a bit away so the water could drain. So there I am, ruining my shoes, clearing the snow away, missing dinner.
 
We rented the main/upstairs 2000sq ft portion of our house to a professional couple with 3 kids. We lived in the 700sq ft suite. They stayed for approx 7 years and always paid rent on time but they were so hard on the kitchen. 3 Bosch dishwashers in that time. 1 fridge. 2 kitchen faucets. How to you break stuff like that?!? We had to reglaze the bathtub. New bathroom vanity. The more I think about it the more stuff we had to replace.

Then when it came time to leave they squabbled over the damage deposit. I thought we were pretty lenient about the scuffed hardwood floor, damaged kitchen cupboards, but I drew the line at the singed pot burn in the 2nd bedroom carpet. Seriously...who takes a pot straight from the stove to the bedroom floor.


I'd say that we had a decent rental experience, but still lots of hassles and stress. I couldn't imagine doing it again to be honest, but I guess we're in a different financial position now. I did feel pretty strapped for cash when we first bought.
 
I've had two separate groups in my main house for about 18 months each now. Both have been stellar until this week when the girlfriend cheated on the boyfriend with her sisters husband. Now the guy is trying to find a tenant to pay her 25% while he's hurting pretty bad. I was thinking about giving him a discount until he can sort it out. Bit of a ****** situation.
 
I have a friend who booted out their tennat gave them a few months notice and said he needed them out because he wanted to live in the space.

While the former tenant found out he wasent living in it took him to court and now he owns the tenant like 6 months rent for his new and old place. He's on the hook for thousands of dollars.
 
And people wonder why there is no rentals. One bad tenant and many dont want to rent to people. Once my situation is almost over i will fill ya in on the details.

hook in mouth.
 
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