Overly demanding tenant

Sligo1

Op although ths woman is obviously a nutcase or not very clued up about tenancy and renting. I don't mean to cause offence but I can't help but think you are letting her do this. You still havent set her straight yet so you can't expect her to change her ways until you do. And when i mean set her straight I don't mean telling her not to call you... I mean telling her you are not obliged to do any of these things she is asking or provide her with anything else (unless legally obligated). You really need to grow a backbone and lay down the law to this woman. Amd if she doesn't like it then tell her you would be happy for her to leave the property and mutually agree to terminate the lease. I don't understand why this is taking so long for you to explain this to her..... My head would be wrecked!

murphaph

OP you need to toughen up and fast. You don't appear to have the first clue about your rights and responsibilities as a landlord. Start doing some reading and stop being taken for a ride. This woman probably can't believe her luck...texting you for bin bags lol, I'm just waiting for the "come round and wipe my arse" text. Jesus wept.

djimi

Sligo1 wrote: »

I don't understand why this is taking so long for you to explain this to her..... My head would be wrecked!

I dont understand it either; the OP must have the patience of a saint. Most people would have lost the rag completely with this idiot long before now.

OP, again I would advise looking into hiring the services of a letting agent and let them deal with the property (once you instruct the tenant in writing of the change of agent then you are free to ignore/block their calls). They wont take the kind of **** that you have been taking, and you can simply instruct them to say no to any requests of any nature that are made that arent essential repairs. From what you have said here, it would be well worth the money in your case as you dont seem to have the temperement to deal with this tenant in the manner that is required.

foggy_lad

username_x wrote: »

On mobile again so apologies if I miss any replies.

She text me AGAIN this morning asking me to supply her with plastic bags by 12pm so she could move stuff outside. I do not see what is wrong with an email in this instance. Currently flicking through the lease to see if there's anything about being a nuisance to the landlord in there because I know there is something about being a nuisance to the neighbours.

What is she throwing out now?

OP just on a calmer note, you should text this nutjob woman back immediately and tell her she is not allowed remove anything from the house until you get there to do an inventory of your property.

When you get there you tell her that the property is in good condition as required by law and if she has any further requests to remove items or for bin bags she should make a complaint to the PRTB because you have fulfilled your legal obligations and all she has done so far is to remove your property and cost you mosey by not being there when agreed.

Tell her that due to her constant harrassment you are considering making a complaint about her to the PRTB for making unreasonable demands.

JillyQ

username_x wrote: »

On mobile again so apologies if I miss any replies.

She text me AGAIN this morning asking me to supply her with plastic bags by 12pm so she could move stuff outside. I do not see what is wrong with an email in this instance. Currently flicking through the lease to see if there's anything about being a nuisance to the landlord in there because I know there is something about being a nuisance to the neighbours.

Op there may not be anything in the lease about the tenant being a nuisance, but I am sure if your lease was drawn up by a solicitor there is a bit init about changes to the property i.e your bathroom cabinets being disposed off. Use that clause init and evict her.

Milly33

She sounds like a complete head wreck of an tenant. I would get rid of her

D3PO

OP grow a backbone. Tell her to piss off. God almighty Im finding it hard to have any sympathy for you as your feeding this nutcase tenant with ammunition.

Faith

D3PO wrote: »

OP grow a backbone. Tell her to piss off. God almighty Im finding it hard to have any sympathy for you as your feeding this nutcase tenant with ammunition.

I have to admit, I'm feeling the same. There's nearly 100 replies on this thread and you're ignoring every single piece of advice. Are you just using the thread as a rant?

If you want the situation sorted out, then you need to follow the excellent advice on this thread ASAP. I mean, ASAP, not next week, next month, after Christmas. Now. Today.

If you don't actually want to do anything, then continue to let your tenant walk all over but know that you're facilitating her. She'll be knocking down walls next while you do nothing to stop her.

JillyQ

D3PO wrote: »

OP grow a backbone. Tell her to piss off. God almighty Im finding it hard to have any sympathy for you as your feeding this nutcase tenant with ammunition.

Faith wrote: »

I have to admit, I'm feeling the same. There's nearly 100 replies on this thread and you're ignoring every single piece of advice. Are you just using the thread as a rant?

If you want the situation sorted out, then you need to follow the excellent advice on this thread ASAP. I mean, ASAP, not next week, next month, after Christmas. Now. Today.

If you don't actually want to do anything, then continue to let your tenant walk all over but know that you're facilitating her. She'll be knocking down walls next while you do nothing to stop her.

I agree with both the above posters. I have one simple question for the OP did a solicitor or barrister draw up the lease for you?

_Kaiser_

To be honest they're almost as bad as each other IMO (sorry OP!)

We have a tenant who is clearly just taking the piss at this stage and making ever more outlandish requests of the OP

Then we have the OP who's asking us if we agree that an email should be sufficient for requesting bin bags - rather than telling her tenant to <insert preferred term here>/go away with herself!

OP.. your best bet here is to meet this tenant with a friend/witness as has been suggested previously. Outline the rights/responsibilities BOTH OF YOU have here and give her the option that if she's not prepared to abide by that, she can leave without penalty (save for the cost of whatever she has thrown out without your consent which you'll deduct from her deposit). Tell her she won't be getting a reference either.

And then, when you FINALLY do get her out... have a long think about if you are actually suited to this landlord game. I don't mean that to sound condescending/insulting but the questions you've posed here and your apparent unwillingness (so far) to take decisive action to reclaim YOUR property would make me think it might not be such a good idea unless you do a LOT of homework and learning from this experience first!

josip

I don't think the OP is trolling and I can see from a previous OP post that my previous suggestion is inappropriate.

<snip>

I think we should be considerate to the OPs situation and not be overly critical about how she has dealt with a box of frogs tenant


Mods, please snip the above link if it's against a forum rule.

percy212

You are in a very difficult situation here OP. Unfortunately your tenant would seem to have some personal problems. I think most people would be hard pressed to cope with her. Someone suggested that you get a managing agent who can handle all dealings with the tenant. In your position I would definitely go that route. You could post a question in a regional forum asking for the name of a good estate agent that does that type of thing and go from there...I think a buffer between yourself and the tenant is definitely required.

pwurple

You're being a bit hard on OP here I think. It's a new situation for them, and they already have some kind of dynamic built up. This is a nightmare tenant to get as a first letting.

OP, I would repeat the communication you already sent about when and how to contact you, and then follow the advice in the thread. Make sure the tenant knows that you are willing to end the lease prematurely now, as things dont' seem to be working out. (they may feel like they are trapped in some way).

If you are uncomfortable doing so yourself, then hire an agent to deal with it.

Ray Palmer

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

And then, when you FINALLY do get her out... have a long think about if you are actually suited to this landlord game. I don't mean that to sound condescending/insulting but the questions you've posed here and your apparent unwillingness (so far) to take decisive action to reclaim YOUR property would make me think it might not be such a good idea unless you do a LOT of homework and learning from this experience first!

I think that is unfair. When I started out I was in a similar situation of being much younger than the people renting. This in itself causes problems as you are not given the due respect. You have to be much stronger at that age to be taken seriously. I even had a tenant ask to speak to my mother! She seemed to refuse to accept I was the LL and owned the property. When she did happen to meet my mother she proceeded to tell her that I wasn't managing her property correctly. I was absolutely furious but there was no way to explain to this woman I owned the property.

She acted in a similar way as described here except none of her "improvements" were anything other than damage. At least this tenant sounds like she is actually trying to make the place better.

OP I already said what you should and if you drag your heals on it you are just letting it get worse. There are certainly worse tenants out there but that been said dealing with somebody like this is stressful. She certainly sounds like she could be on medication or should be. It might just be a bad time in her life or she is having an episode but you wouldn't kick somebody out for having a broken leg.

As a LL you are often dragged into other peoples' problems so always best to set ground rules as quickly as possible.

Certain people here will class me as a horrible LL but lots of the things I say are for ones own protection. Ultimately I am actually a big softy and considering how long I have tenants it stands to reason. One of my tenants has a mental illness and her family are so grateful that I am always consistent with her. She know exactly where she stands with me and that consistency is reassuring as friends and family can't do that.

djimi

pwurple wrote: »

You're being a bit hard on OP here I think. It's a new situation for them, and they already have some kind of dynamic built up. This is a nightmare tenant to get as a first letting.

I think people are just starting to get a bit frustrated reading this as plenty of good advice has been given, but yet the OP still seemingly is unwilling to act decisively. Certainly in my case I mean no malice, but Im willing the OP on to do the right thing! She needs to start taking control of the situation and laying down the law; the longer this persists the less likely there will be a resolution.

pwurple

djimi wrote: »

I think people are just starting to get a bit frustrated reading this as plenty of good advice has been given, but yet the OP still seemingly is unwilling to act decisively. Certainly in my case I mean no malice, but Im willing the OP on to do the right thing! She needs to start taking control of the situation and laying down the law; the longer this persists the less likely there will be a resolution.

The OP is at the start of being a LL. I remember my first tenants, I was ridiculously lucky. I was taking over an existing lease, so all just continued as normal. I got lucky with my first few tenants I chose myself (quiet people, about the same age as myself). My first nightmare tenants were a couple who's relationship started to break down. About 1 month into the tenancy they were calling the guards on eachother, calling me in the middle of the night about changing locks on the other one, kicking down doors and generally battering the place to absolute bits over a couple of days. There was a frying pan lodged in the kitchen wall, tiles smashed, shower enclosure in bits, you name it. I got rid of them immediately by literally shouting at them an telling them to get the **** out and never come back... but it was a rude awakening for me I must say. Had I been in my twenties at the time, and they were my first tenants, I would have been much less self assured. I would have probably faffed about with letters and tried to repair the place.

Faith

djimi wrote: »

I think people are just starting to get a bit frustrated reading this as plenty of good advice has been given, but yet the OP still seemingly is unwilling to act decisively. Certainly in my case I mean no malice, but Im willing the OP on to do the right thing! She needs to start taking control of the situation and laying down the law; the longer this persists the less likely there will be a resolution.

This exactly. I've acted as a landlord (on behalf of my parents, in a different country) when I was the OPs age and it's hard and frustrating but there's no point in asking for advice and then not taking any on board.

The longer it goes on, the worse it will get. That's what the OP needs to understand, and it's why people are being firm in their recommendations.

djimi

pwurple wrote: »

The OP is at the start of being a LL.

Which is why people are encouraging her to act decisively from the start. Im well aware that its not an easy job, especially if you get nightmare tenants, but the way that the OP is allowing herself to be walked over here is worrying. Most people, whether cut out to be a landlord or not, would have snapped long ago and told this clown to **** off with her ridiculous demands and stop calling every five minutes.

Ray Palmer

pwurple wrote: »

The OP is at the start of being a LL. I remember my first tenants, I was ridiculously lucky. I was taking over an existing lease, so all just continued as normal. I got lucky with my first few tenants I chose myself (quiet people, about the same age as myself). My first nightmare tenants were a couple who's relationship started to break down. About 1 month into the tenancy they were calling the guards on eachother, calling me in the middle of the night about changing locks on the other one, kicking down doors and generally battering the place to absolute bits over a couple of days. There was a frying pan lodged in the kitchen wall, tiles smashed, shower enclosure in bits, you name it. I got rid of them immediately by literally shouting at them an telling them to get the **** out and never come back... but it was a rude awakening for me I must say. Had I been in my twenties at the time, and they were my first tenants, I would have been much less self assured. I would have probably faffed about with letters and tried to repair the place.

Couples breaking up are very high on the list of the worst situation to be in as a LL. I had nearly identical situation you just mentioned but there were also kids involved.
I came down once and they were hurling abuse at each other with their two kids cowering in the corner. So I took the kids off for a treat and told the couple to decide who stays because if they didn't they would be both out and child services would be called. Luckily the woman left as she seemed to be the problem. A week later they were back together and then 2 months later it all went off again but then I insisted the moved out as they were disturbing all the tenants and the neighbours. He was really reasonable but she threaten to smash all the windows in. 3 weeks after they left 2 windows were smashed in.

B.A._Baracus

From reading this thread the tenant seems to have such self-entitlement. Like the Landlord is her personal slave.

I expect that when username-x does finally try to get her out, you'll get some sort of "legal" non-sense out of her. You know the type, "I have my rights!" blah blah blah ...

tom tom 55

how dare you.

Micky Dolenz

Being a landlady/lord is a profession or should be treated as such. It's business. If you can't do it OP, hire someone that will act on your behalf and best interest. It will save you in the long run.

Milly33

Agree if you let her walk all over just as anything else she will take advantage. Just meet with her and say look stop this ****.. She is completely taking the piss.. Or get rid of just like everyone on here has said

cram1971

But it's no wonder she is separating

SteelyDanJalapeno

cram1971 wrote: »

But it's no wonder she is separating

Who is separating?

iverjohnston

You think you can read people, but every so often you get caught out. This case illustrates why land lords prefer tenants in full time employment , they are unlikely to be texting you before 6 am! To be honest, I would tell her that I needed to move in myself, and give her four weeks notice. And everything to be left exactly as it now is. Deposit returned if all rent and bills paid up to date

Cuddlesworth

My father had a tenant like this. Started off with small requests like changing the kettle because it was old or a new toilet seat. It was a new tenancy and he catered to these requests in the initial week, its not unusual to find things in the first week that neither he nor the tenant could have seen during viewings.

Then it started with requests for new furniture, white goods. Repaint a perfect wall. Marks in floorboards she wanted gone. She didn't like the glass in a internal door. She wanted glass in another internal door. She didn't like the door bell sound(I loved that one).

The thing is, he isn't a push over. He denied all the stupid things when they came up and told her to piss off when she range, texted, emailed.

But she never stopped. She rang on Christmas day to tell him a lightbulb in the hall had blown(one of many times). She rang to complain the water had gone(keeping in mind the whole area's water had gone, something she was very aware of). She rang to say "her" TV wasn't working. Her broadband wasn't working(it was a bloody 3g stick). She rang to tell him that the bin truck in the morning was too loud. That there was a loud party up the road. That a dog was barking.

I 100% agree with another poster on this thread. If you are even slightly considering getting rid of a tenant, get rid of them. People don't change, they won't settle down and they don't stop calling.

hdowney

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

My father had a tenant like this. Started off with small requests like changing the kettle because it was old or a new toilet seat. It was a new tenancy and he catered to these requests in the initial week, its not unusual to find things in the first week that neither he nor the tenant could have seen during viewings.

Then it started with requests for new furniture, white goods. Repaint a perfect wall. Marks in floorboards she wanted gone. She didn't like the glass in a internal door. She wanted glass in another internal door. She didn't like the door bell sound(I loved that one).

The thing is, he isn't a push over. He denied all the stupid things when they came up and told her to piss off when she range, texted, emailed.

But she never stopped. She rang on Christmas day to tell him a lightbulb in the hall had blown(one of many times). She rang to complain the water had gone(keeping in mind the whole area's water had gone, something she was very aware of). She rang to say "her" TV wasn't working. Her broadband wasn't working(it was a bloody 3g stick). She rang to tell him that the bin truck in the morning was too loud. That there was a loud party up the road. That a dog was barking.

I 100% agree with another poster on this thread. If you are even slightly considering getting rid of a tenant, get rid of them. People don't change, they won't settle down and they don't stop calling.

Mother of merciful. My patience woulda ran out in quick time and I woulda needed a shovel and a new patio!

fasttalkerchat

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

My father had a tenant like this. Started off with small requests like changing the kettle because it was old or a new toilet seat. It was a new tenancy and he catered to these requests in the initial week, its not unusual to find things in the first week that neither he nor the tenant could have seen during viewings.

Then it started with requests for new furniture, white goods. Repaint a perfect wall. Marks in floorboards she wanted gone. She didn't like the glass in a internal door. She wanted glass in another internal door. She didn't like the door bell sound(I loved that one).

The thing is, he isn't a push over. He denied all the stupid things when they came up and told her to piss off when she range, texted, emailed.

But she never stopped. She rang on Christmas day to tell him a lightbulb in the hall had blown(one of many times). She rang to complain the water had gone(keeping in mind the whole area's water had gone, something she was very aware of). She rang to say "her" TV wasn't working. Her broadband wasn't working(it was a bloody 3g stick). She rang to tell him that the bin truck in the morning was too loud. That there was a loud party up the road. That a dog was barking.

I 100% agree with another poster on this thread. If you are even slightly considering getting rid of a tenant, get rid of them. People don't change, they won't settle down and they don't stop calling.

I think some people forget that renting isn't an all inclusive service... others are just mental.

Cuddlesworth

hdowney wrote: »

Mother of merciful. My patience woulda ran out in quick time and I woulda needed a shovel and a new patio!

Sadly, she hasn't been the worst tenant. Like another poster here, he has been left with very large bills to fix damage to property's combined with large sums of rent unpaid. If he didn't own and run a small construction company the fix costs would have put him under many times over.