Hi Guys, need some advice on current dispute between my tenant and neighbor.
2 of my neighbors has been complaining about my tenant since day dot.
From their story, it seems like the tenant is the neighbor from hell. (loud music all night, revving cars, uncontrolled kids etc)
So my neighbor complained to me, but I said just talk to my property manager and he will sort it out.
But they don't wanted too, worried that the tenant will damage their property etc if he known that they have reported him.
Long story short, they've endured 1 year hoping that I will end the lease.
I don't mind ending the lease, but I don't think its fair if i have to cope all the fees to find a new tenant (letting & ad fees, loss rental etc)
From my end, the tenant is a good tenant (rent paid on time and house maintained well)
I was thinking to ask them to compensate those fees if they wanted me to end his lease. Is it fair to do so?
Advice on Tenant and Neighbour Dispute
Comments
I would tell them its not your problem - You cant rent out to whoever you want. Why should you lose out to help out people who aren't your tenants
This.
I'm a landlord. So long as my tenants are not destroying my property and paying my rent, I don't care how much they piss the other residents off. I attend my strata AGMs annually and to be honest, if I was living with those people, they'd drive me crazy.
I'm a landlord. So long as my tenants are not destroying my property and paying my rent, I don't care how much they piss the other residents off.
What an absolutely horrible sentiment. You've got yours, so f$$k the rest, huh? I can't believe you'd freely admit that you don't care at all for the neighbours discomfort.
Have you ever dealt with unruly neighbours before? Have some compassion.
No, I don't care about my neighbours. Infact, I deliberately come across as intimidating so that they leave me alone.
And yes, I deal with unruly neighbours. I was slamming my bedroom wall last night telling the loser on the other side to stop blasting Savage Garden at midnight.
@tallkid123: Well, mate, all I can say is: I believe in Karma, what you give is what you get returned
@ThithLord: OK, and I will say: I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires
worried that the tenant will damage their property etc if he known that they have reported him.
How would the tenants know it was them? Does the property management require identity or could they report anonymously?
loud music all night
In most states there's noise laws, they can call the cops on non-emergency.
I feel for them, but they're being a bit passive imo.
You have to have a reason to terminate the lease.
I assume that you have a formal rental agreement, a bond, etc.? Any termination of the lease would need to be in line with that.Have you raised any of these issues with your tenant? What is their side of the story?
Tell the neighbours you are thinking of leasing the property to the Department of Justice for their recently paroled criminal accommodation program.
See which neighbour they prefer
Have you spoken to your tenant or have you had your property manager contact them?
But they don't wanted too, worried that the tenant will damage their property etc if he known that they have reported him.
This is a legitimate concern. If the tenants are a bunch of ferals, the neighbours have reason to be weary of repercussions. Have some sympathy - have you ever been in their situation? I have. Cops don't do sh1t. Real Estate Agency does bugger all.
I do sympathize with the neighbours, that's why I am considering to let the 'bad neigbour/good tenant' go if all possible. But just felt its not fair if i have to cope all the losses.
Definitely not fair - the blame lies solely on the bad tenants, though. Do you have insurance? Maybe they cover this sort of thing? I don't know, I'm just a lowly renter, lol
If you budge and give in to your "neighbours" now, it's over.
Your next tenant is going to be "worse" than the first one. You will be the godsent pushover and your neighbours will keep complaining until your eventual realisation that they want a bigger backyard, ie. No neighbour.
You're a landlord. Your ideal tenant is the one that pays rent on time and keeps the place in good repair, ie. your current tenant.
Ps. The people living next to your tenant are not your neighbours.
This.
Personally I’d try to figure out if it is a genuine issue or not, visiting the house yourself if it is possible, or asking another neighbor (not one of the complainants) if they have noticed anything
Maybe you have unreasonable neighbours that think children should be quiet at all times and any noise after 7pm is a nuisance. Then ignore their complaints and keep the tenants. The neighbours would be just as likely to complain about the next group. I think this is the most likely, if it was a genuine problem surely they would have escalated it, not just decided to put up with it for a year and hope you don’t renew the lease.
But there is a chance they are telling the truth and the tenants are being obnoxious at all hours. If that is true it seems like a risk to assume just because you have had no problems so far that you won’t have them in the future. You’d kick yourself if you renewed their lease for another year and a few months later it turns out they had started causing major damage to the house, and your neighbours didn’t even bother to call you and tell you of anything they’d seen as they’d written you off as not caring.
You’d kick yourself if you renewed their lease for another year and a few months later it turns out they had started causing major damage to the house
Exactly. You'll only find out how bad they are when it's too late. Your 'neighbours' are giving you the early warning signs.
On the flip side, it'd be good to get some evidence of the unwanted behaviour. If you're not too far from your property, drive past every now and again. Might be good to do an inspection yourself too (with notice). Sometimes the property manager will have a different idea of what's acceptable than you do.
Take heed of your neighbors complain. There is usually no smoke if there's no fire.
I would seriously get there and see for myself. Your property may be in danger of being unkept and even damaged, which will cost you $$$ to fix.
If 2 neighbors complain, you have a legitimate case in all likelihood. Take action and don't delay. I have clients telling me tenants have cost them $10K+ worth of damage when their property manager was "suppose" to look after the property - didn't really care or do their jobs properly.
Good luck
Is your property manager doing their job properly regarding conditions reports etc, they sometimes seem to get lazy and just tick and flick as it causes the least amount of work for them and you don't find out what was really happening until they actually move out. Then, of course, the PM will just claim they had been good up until then.
I would try and find out if they are as bad as the neighbours are claiming. If you are contemplating ending their lease to keep the neighbours happy, I would simply say what you have mentioned here, ie they have been OK from your perspective but if they are happy to cop the fees and associated costs with finding another tenant then you are willing to do that for them.
Tell your neighbours to call the cops or the council if they have serious concerns. No different than any trouble neighbour. The fact they likely haven't says it all.
If they bother you more, just say you're thinking of terminating the Lease and setting up a Residential Methadone Rehabilitation centre with the new juicy state government grants on offer. That'll shut them up.
It’s possible your being triangulated. Two or more parties in dispute and to help alleviate there own anxiety they call another party into the triangle to sort the problem for them. As some have already alluded to there are usually two sides to a story but somewhere in between lies the truth. E.g the neighbour making the noise may have a hearing problem or the ones making the complaint could be exaggerating the issue to get there own way. You could write a letter to all concerned parties, inviting them to a community gathering, with the goal in mind of creating a harmonious living experience without it being about a specific complaint issue. If the complainants or alleged offenders refuse to attend you may have to take it to a legal process and threaten to evict them all if their leases are up unless their prepared to talk. However if either of the parties don’t wish to communicate with one another it could indicate that there are bigger issues of conflict here then the presenting problem
legal process
Wut
It’s possible
youryou're being triangulated. Two or more parties in dispute and to help alleviatetheretheir own anxiety they call another party into the triangle to sort the problem for them. As some have already alluded to, there are usually two sides to a story but somewhere in between lies the truth. E.g the neighbour making the noise may have a hearing problem or the ones making the complaint could be exaggerating the issue to gettheretheir own way. You could write a letter to all concerned parties, inviting them to a community gathering,with the goal in mind of creating a harmonious living experience without it being about a specific complaint issue. If the complainants or alleged offenders refuse to attend you may have to take it to a legal process and threaten to evict them all iftheirthey're leases are up unlesstheirthey're prepared to talk. However if either of the parties don’t wish to communicate with one another, it could indicate that there are bigger issues of conflict herethenthan the presenting problemWell the spelling and grammar was definitely terrible…but how is OP going to start a "legal process" if the tenant and neighbour refuse to attend a "community gathering"??
Don't know. Couldn't process what was said. I was getting seizures just trying to read the whole comment.
You have no obligation here. It is not your responsibility to monitor the tenants behaviour. As you said, you only have one side of the story and it is weird that they would bypass the usual channels to try to get their neighbour 'kicked out' via the backdoor. If they have a noise complaint or legitimate neighbour dispute they should take it up with the local police or council.