Any other landlords here?

[ExiledInIllinois]

The only landlord I ever had an issue with was with one that was too cheap to get an emergency retrofit permit. I told him he could even have an inspector come out on Saturday or Sunday night if needed. That landlord was a real jerk, especially in the dead of winter. One time I had to go TWO weeks without hot water. Man did I need a shower after that spell! The lame landlord kept on blaming somebody else. He was probably trying to save money instead of paying a little extra for his good tenant's comfort. Oh well. You would think they would know how to navigate the building code system instead of blaming it. I paid good money in rent and was always on time. I even saved the guy's life one time when a fire broke out next door! You'd think knowing how to get emergency work done by paying a little extra would do the trick. And some call Ralph cheap. I don't think even Ralph, if he was my landlord, would let me go without hot water for 2 weeks in the middle of winter while blaming somebody else. Ah heck, I don't blame that ex-landlord, maybe he was just too cheap, scared, and lazy to find out how the system works. He kept on babbling about: "What the heck does the internet know over a live contractor!" Besides that, most landlords I had were cool.

 

 

I was living in this dump that I rented from a total prick. Place was falling apart. Hot water heater melted down, caused a small fire and knocked the heat out. Smelled like smoke for weeks. The douchebag landlord drops off these pitiful space heaters like thats going to help. I only had one window staring out at his crappy pickup truck which was parked on street for months, never moved. Total nightmare.

 

I feel your pain brother. Cheap landlords are the worst!

[mrags]

 

Would you please keep out of adult threads, purple monkey?

 

 

I can see no insulation in interior walls outside no. May be worth while to look at spray in insulation.

lol.

 

Ya, that's what I thought. Although I'm not 100% positive it's not in the exterior walls, I'm assuming its not or it would have been on the small wall that I tore apart.

 

In the end, when the time comes and I have to look for new tenants in the side that's currently being rented out, ill end up gutting much of it. The kitchen needs a major update. It was in about the same shape as my kitchen and I just tore mine out completely and started from scratch.

 

Yes, drywall is a pain in the butt, but I can do it all on my own no problems. In all honesty, if I gutted the endnote downstairs, it would probably take a week or so to hang, Mud, and sand all the drywall if I just had 1-2 people to help cut and hang the drywall. I've gotten pretty good at muffing and sanding actually. Add to it the possibility that I don't have any insulation and it would be cheaper to do it myself than it would to pay someone to come in and drill holes in the wall for that spray foam. Also, I have to account for every wall being covered in nasty smoke, multiple patch spots over the years and holes from multiple pictures being hung over the last 55 years. It just seems like its easier to rip it all apart than to pay someone to spray insulate it when they could easily be upgraded.

 

Any idea how much it costs to spray foam? Ever done it before?

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

I know this thread will have little interest to most, but will to some. Give me your worst/best tenant stories. Thought it it would give you a chance to vent. God knows I need one.

 

And let's hear it from the other side. Renters give your worst/best landlord stories.

If hearing horror stories about other people's tenants makes you feel better, check this out:

 

http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108360

[ExiledInIllinois]

Any idea how much it costs to spray foam? Ever done it before?

 

Think first... Don't want to cause a fire... Remember, wires may (most likely are!) running through those walls. Sometime "easy" now is 100 times "harder" later.

 

This means, be careful. What kind of wiring do you have? Romex? Wire in mechanical conduit? If your building is romex... Check into the fire rating and what not not. Make sure it doesn't degrade the wiring or encase (keep it loose) things... Probably code but, will be a pain in the butt if you want to add/fix an electrical situation/circuit. This is why emt/conduit rules... I'd strictly check the code first before doing this if you have romex wiring. Yes, this may entail using that awful thing called the internet first. Be careful what a contractor might say.

 

;-) :-)

[mrags]

 

 

Think first... Don't want to cause a fire... Remember, wires may (most likely are!) running through those walls. Sometime "easy" now is 100 times "harder" later.

 

This means, be careful. What kind of wiring do you have? Romex? Wire in mechanical conduit? If your building is romex... Check into the fire rating and what not not. Make sure it doesn't degrade the wiring or encase (keep it loose) things... Probably code but, will be a pain in the butt if you want to add/fix an electrical situation/circuit. This is why emt/conduit rules... I'd strictly check the code first before doing this if you have romex wiring. Yes, this may entail using that awful thing called the internet first. Be careful what a contractor might say.

 

;-) :-)

im more interested in tearing all the drywall out and putting in insulation and re-drywalling it all back up myself. Would probably be cheaper honestly. Would just take about a week to do everything. Which isn't a problem for me considering I get a lot of time off.

 

Was just asking a round about number for the cost of the spray foam. Sure I could search the Internet, but then id have to decide if I want to believe what someone I've never met or taken advise from in the past. I'd much rather ask someone that I know that offered up that solution.

[Jim in Anchorage]

lol.

 

Ya, that's what I thought. Although I'm not 100% positive it's not in the exterior walls, I'm assuming its not or it would have been on the small wall that I tore apart.

 

In the end, when the time comes and I have to look for new tenants in the side that's currently being rented out, ill end up gutting much of it. The kitchen needs a major update. It was in about the same shape as my kitchen and I just tore mine out completely and started from scratch.

 

Yes, drywall is a pain in the butt, but I can do it all on my own no problems. In all honesty, if I gutted the endnote downstairs, it would probably take a week or so to hang, Mud, and sand all the drywall if I just had 1-2 people to help cut and hang the drywall. I've gotten pretty good at muffing and sanding actually. Add to it the possibility that I don't have any insulation and it would be cheaper to do it myself than it would to pay someone to come in and drill holes in the wall for that spray foam. Also, I have to account for every wall being covered in nasty smoke, multiple patch spots over the years and holes from multiple pictures being hung over the last 55 years. It just seems like its easier to rip it all apart than to pay someone to spray insulate it when they could easily be upgraded.

 

Any idea how much it costs to spray foam? Ever done it before?

No idea on cost spray in never did it. I would think it would be simple to do your self, use a hole saw and spray it in.

The problem with drywall work you summed up well with the statement " if I just had 1-2 people to help cut and hang the drywall." That stuffs heavy. you can't do it yourself. If you got a good work crew great. If not pick a method you can do yourself.

[Jim in Anchorage]

If hearing horror stories about other people's tenants makes you feel better, check this out:

 

http://realestate.ms...mentid=13108360

"I rented to a veterinarian who had her boyfriend move in. The two of them started collecting animals. I had agreed to an outside dog only, but now they had four horses, six dogs, and I couldn't count how many cats! They had fenced in the backyard and put the horses in the yard, right up to the back door, and had the basement full of animals and couldn't possibly clean up after them. Then she left this guy. He stayed, and the contract was only in her name. We couldn't get this guy out of our home."

 

4 horses? Pet friendly is one thing but Christ...

Edited February 10, 2013 by Jim in Anchorage

[mrags]

 

"I rented to a veterinarian who had her boyfriend move in. The two of them started collecting animals. I had agreed to an outside dog only, but now they had four horses, six dogs, and I couldn't count how many cats! They had fenced in the backyard and put the horses in the yard, right up to the back door, and had the basement full of animals and couldn't possibly clean up after them. Then she left this guy. He stayed, and the contract was only in her name. We couldn't get this guy out of our home."

 

4 horses? Pet friendly is one thing but Christ...

wow. Just wow

[Jim in Anchorage]

wow. Just wow

Yeah 4 horses. Takes the "pet friendly" to a whole different level.

Regards your DW project don't forget you need a dumpster for the waste. Not a bad idea to replace it, it allows you to check for mold/mildew on the studs. Again IF you have the help to pull this off. They don't call it sheet rock for nothing.

[mrags]

Yeah 4 horses. Takes the "pet friendly" to a whole different level.

Regards your DW project don't forget you need a dumpster for the waste. Not a bad idea to replace it, it allows you to check for mold/mildew on the studs. Again IF you have the help to pull this off. They don't call it sheet rock for nothing.

thanks. Ya, I could easily demo everything solo. If I could get a buddy, who's a contractor to come by for a weekend, I could probably get the entire first floor cut and hung and working on taping and mudding. Of course, he's the same one Thats been saying hes gonna help me for the last 6 months finish my kitchen and he really hasn't. But if we work out a weekend to do it, it could easily be done.

 

Thanks. Sorry about the horses.

[Tux of Borg]

 

What do you pay the manager?

 

I forget what it is for him to find the tenant, do a background check, and have them sign the lease. I think it was a couple hundred which he takes out of the first months rent. After that he gets 10% of each months rent. Most months he collects rent, takes out his percent, and cuts me a check. But he does walk through of the properties, handles evictions and handles all the problems. Last summer one of my tenants had their AC go out on them. He got a guy out there right away to figure out what the problem was. When I got the call it was to inform me of the issue and to ok for the guy to fix it.

[Jim in Anchorage]

I forget what it is for him to find the tenant, do a background check, and have them sign the lease. I think it was a couple hundred which he takes out of the first months rent. After that he gets 10% of each months rent. Most months he collects rent, takes out his percent, and cuts me a check. But he does walk through of the properties, handles evictions and handles all the problems. Last summer one of my tenants had their AC go out on them. He got a guy out there right away to figure out what the problem was. When I got the call it was to inform me of the issue and to ok for the guy to fix it.

Interesting. I was told a flat rate of $270 a month to manage regardless of rental income. But $500 to bring in a new renter. I thought that was awfully high.