We had an interesting day yesterday.
background:
About 3 weeks ago, our new tenants of 6 weeks, gave their "notice".
On a Fixed term Lease, (in Canada) there are only a couple of ways a tenant can break a lease. One of them is by getting a doctor's note.Their lease doesn't end until June 2015.
So they attempted to go the doctor's note route, but they didn't do it legally.She is newly pregnant, lots of morning sickness, and says she can't stand the smell in the mobile. She has stopped cleaning, and they are leaving at the end of July.
Doesn't matter to us....we started advertising and made appointments to show the property. We just assumed if they want to be released from their lease, they would have the property presentable.
We took 3 applicants through, ( in the period of 2 days) and they were disgusted by the state of the property. When we opened up the closet doors where the washer and dryer hookups are, it is overflowing with garbage. (there is a utility shed they could store the garbage)
Dirty dishes are all over the kitchen and lounge room.
Dirty clothes all over the property..up and down all the hallways, bathroom, kitchen, lounge room spare bedrooms..everywhere.
Outside they have a used mattress leaning up against the patio.Garbage strewn all over the lawns.The lawn hasn't been mown since before they moved in (it was now about 12-18" high). The utility shed is also full of garbage, but those bags are ripped open, and the decomposing contents are everywhere.
The garbage bin by the end of the driveway is fallen over, contents spilled out, and flying around.
Our obligation is to try to mitigate our losses.We held up our end by advertising and starting to show the property.After the applicants reaction, we inform the tenants we are not showing it until they vacate.
We receive an email they will be out at midnight on 31 July.I even speak with her in person, at the property on the 31st, and she says she will leave her key, and her partner will return it the next morning, to leave his key.
We and our hired handyman arrive the next day.The place is a mess. Broken furniture is abandoned.The mattress has been hidden behind the property.The garbage is still where it was left.
We have hired a trailer, and all the garbage is removed and taken to the dump.By the end of the day, the place is all cleaned, lawn mowed, looks pretty good.Locks were changed, and a note on the door stating this.
A 'For Rent' sign is posted on the inside window.
The first day of the month is rent day, and so we deposited their cheque, as their lease is not legally terminated.
Yesterday, I received a phone call from the male tenant, demanding to know why we deposited the cheque....that was when we found out it actually cleared...that was really unexpected
That was also when we found out he was inside the property, and stated "one way or another I will get the money you owe me"
We called the RCMP, and told them a B&E was happening right now.They said if we get there first, to remain in our car and wait.
We arrived and he was gone, but the front door was kicked in. The windows we had stored on the floor inside was kicked and smashed.( we were replacing a window in the property next door) The closet door was ripped off, along with the master bedroom door. The towel bar in the bathroom was broken off the wall. The brand new fridge had its door kicked, so it wouldn't close (Rob was able to repair this), and the For Rent sign was ripped out of the window.
RCMP arrive. The tenant actually called as we were talking with the RCMP. It was on speaker phone, and the RCMP was recording the phone call, but he was watching us from somewhere, because he was playing dumb when asked why he broke in. Anyway, we gave them a copy of their applications, with all their info on it.
During the clean up, I found their lease from their previous rental. It started 15 Jan,2014 and was supposed to be for a year. I called the landlord and we had a chat. I offered any help they needed, if they wanted to take them to court. He told me his story. The tenants left the place in a pigsty, and what looked like oil that was dumped in the bathtub (WD40 type). They also left under the 'it smells in here, and we need to leave'.
They then went to another property for 6 weeks, and then to ours. So in 8 months, they are their 4th rental.
Hmmm..I wonder if they put a stop payment on next months rent.....
So all this damage will be added onto their bill.
Just wondering what the condition of the property will be when we attend today.
being a landlord is never boring
background:
About 3 weeks ago, our new tenants of 6 weeks, gave their "notice".
On a Fixed term Lease, (in Canada) there are only a couple of ways a tenant can break a lease. One of them is by getting a doctor's note.Their lease doesn't end until June 2015.
So they attempted to go the doctor's note route, but they didn't do it legally.She is newly pregnant, lots of morning sickness, and says she can't stand the smell in the mobile. She has stopped cleaning, and they are leaving at the end of July.
Doesn't matter to us....we started advertising and made appointments to show the property. We just assumed if they want to be released from their lease, they would have the property presentable.
We took 3 applicants through, ( in the period of 2 days) and they were disgusted by the state of the property. When we opened up the closet doors where the washer and dryer hookups are, it is overflowing with garbage. (there is a utility shed they could store the garbage)
Dirty dishes are all over the kitchen and lounge room.
Dirty clothes all over the property..up and down all the hallways, bathroom, kitchen, lounge room spare bedrooms..everywhere.
Outside they have a used mattress leaning up against the patio.Garbage strewn all over the lawns.The lawn hasn't been mown since before they moved in (it was now about 12-18" high). The utility shed is also full of garbage, but those bags are ripped open, and the decomposing contents are everywhere.
The garbage bin by the end of the driveway is fallen over, contents spilled out, and flying around.
Our obligation is to try to mitigate our losses.We held up our end by advertising and starting to show the property.After the applicants reaction, we inform the tenants we are not showing it until they vacate.
We receive an email they will be out at midnight on 31 July.I even speak with her in person, at the property on the 31st, and she says she will leave her key, and her partner will return it the next morning, to leave his key.
We and our hired handyman arrive the next day.The place is a mess. Broken furniture is abandoned.The mattress has been hidden behind the property.The garbage is still where it was left.
We have hired a trailer, and all the garbage is removed and taken to the dump.By the end of the day, the place is all cleaned, lawn mowed, looks pretty good.Locks were changed, and a note on the door stating this.
A 'For Rent' sign is posted on the inside window.
The first day of the month is rent day, and so we deposited their cheque, as their lease is not legally terminated.
Yesterday, I received a phone call from the male tenant, demanding to know why we deposited the cheque....that was when we found out it actually cleared...that was really unexpected
That was also when we found out he was inside the property, and stated "one way or another I will get the money you owe me"
We called the RCMP, and told them a B&E was happening right now.They said if we get there first, to remain in our car and wait.
We arrived and he was gone, but the front door was kicked in. The windows we had stored on the floor inside was kicked and smashed.( we were replacing a window in the property next door) The closet door was ripped off, along with the master bedroom door. The towel bar in the bathroom was broken off the wall. The brand new fridge had its door kicked, so it wouldn't close (Rob was able to repair this), and the For Rent sign was ripped out of the window.
RCMP arrive. The tenant actually called as we were talking with the RCMP. It was on speaker phone, and the RCMP was recording the phone call, but he was watching us from somewhere, because he was playing dumb when asked why he broke in. Anyway, we gave them a copy of their applications, with all their info on it.
During the clean up, I found their lease from their previous rental. It started 15 Jan,2014 and was supposed to be for a year. I called the landlord and we had a chat. I offered any help they needed, if they wanted to take them to court. He told me his story. The tenants left the place in a pigsty, and what looked like oil that was dumped in the bathtub (WD40 type). They also left under the 'it smells in here, and we need to leave'.
They then went to another property for 6 weeks, and then to ours. So in 8 months, they are their 4th rental.
Hmmm..I wonder if they put a stop payment on next months rent.....
So all this damage will be added onto their bill.
Just wondering what the condition of the property will be when we attend today.
being a landlord is never boring
