Landlord question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 07-17-2013, 03:52 PM

Hi all.
Its not too often I am stumped by an issue with a tenant but I had a new one this week. I have a young lady who just moved in who called and said her AC was not working. I went to her apartment and found the thermostat appeared to be dead.

So I called my repairman and discussed what it was doing and asked him to come have a look at it.

So later he calls me and said that in that unit there is a couple of breakers next to the air handler (not in the main panel like all my others pretty much are) and that they had been turned off by my tenant. The air handler is in the laundry pantry and I guess she sat a box down against the breaker and managed to turn it off.

I am inclinded to give her the bill or split it with her.

I am afraid I am somewhat influenced by the fact that she has been very needy and has been calling or emailing nearly every day at least once with a request. Nothing big but it all costs me money and she had the chance to see the apartment before accepting it and did not ask for any of it then, so legally I can just say no to much of it. I feel the need to draw a line in the sand with anything not clearly my obligation because it will never end otherwise. (this was Monday, this morning I got a call from her at 645 and she had managed to lock herself out of her apartment ).

What do you think about the AC repair bill?

compu_85 · #2 07-17-2013, 03:55 PM

How much was the bill, and how much is her rent each month? Does she need help often?

-J

spdrun · #3 07-17-2013, 04:03 PM

Eat the bill. You should know your unit and know what to check before calling a repairman. Consider it a lesson in the mechanical systems of the building

If the tenant is a needy little whiner, can you not renew her next year?

compu_85 · #4 07-17-2013, 04:05 PM

Eating the bill is my suggestion too, if the tenant isn't needy. If she frequently needs help I would split the bill.

-J

t walgamuth · #5 07-17-2013, 04:08 PM

She is just moving in and she has been uber needy all through the process, asking a zillion questions and asking the previous tenant to move out because her previous lease ended July 1 instead of August one.

Rent is about 900. I also allowed her to haggle me down about $100 because she plans to stay for a few years (she says). She has a good job at Purdue.

t walgamuth · #6 07-17-2013, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Eat the bill. You should know your unit and know what to check before calling a repairman. Consider it a lesson in the mechanical systems of the building

If the tenant is a needy little whiner, can you not renew her next year?

I knew I could count on you for sympathy.....(not).

I am pretty familiar with all of my 25 units but do miss a few things now and then. All but two or three I either built or completely gutted and remodeled.

spdrun · #7 07-17-2013, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I knew I could count on you for sympathy.....(not).

I'm sympathetic, but such a thing isn't what I'd call someone for until I spent a bit of time troubleshooting myself.

compu_85 · #8 07-17-2013, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

She is just moving in and she has been uber needy all through the process, asking a zillion questions and asking the previous tenant to move out because her previous lease ended July 1 instead of August one.

Rent is about 900. I also allowed her to haggle me down about $100 because she plans to stay for a few years (she says). She has a good job at Purdue.

Then I'd offer to split the bill. I assume it was like $500?

-J

Can't Know · #9 07-17-2013, 04:26 PM

If she wasn't a PITA, would you be asking about splitting the bill?

I'd chalk it up to experience. She didn't turn off the breakers on purpose, and I can see how that could easily happen. I'm surprised you're permitted to rent units with exposed breakers (CA has such weird rules/regs/laws; here you'd never get away with that, nor could she legally put a box in front of the circuit breaker, regardless whether there was a cover on it). How hard/expensive would it be to put a door or cover on that and then you prevent the issue permanently?

In the end, it's not really her fault, so it really shouldn't be her expense, either. You let her haggle you down on the rent, and you can't really blame her for that either, people haggle about everything nowadays.

engatwork · #10 07-17-2013, 04:43 PM

How does she look Tom?

spdrun · #11 07-17-2013, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Can't Know

I
I'd chalk it up to experience. She didn't turn off the breakers on purpose, and I can see how that could easily happen. I'm surprised you're permitted to rent units with exposed breakers (CA has such weird rules/regs/laws; here you'd never get away with that, nor could she legally put a box in front of the circuit breaker, regardless whether there was a cover on it).

Uh, what? Door-less breaker panels are very common in San Diego apartments, generally located in a closet. You just have a flat metal panel bolted down, with cutouts holding the breakers in. (The whole thing sits flush with the plaster on the wall, no box sticking out).

t walgamuth · #12 07-17-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Eat the bill. You should know your unit and know what to check before calling a repairman. Consider it a lesson in the mechanical systems of the building

If the tenant is a needy little whiner, can you not renew her next year?

I knew I could count on you for sympathy.....(not).