Question: I am a landlord and have a situation regarding the return of our tenants' security deposit. We have had the same tenants for more than six years and they recently renewed a two-year lease. However, six months into the lease they purchased a home. They notified us of their intent to vacate the middle of last month. We found a tenant to take possession within 30 days, and between the time our old tenants moved and our new tenants moved in we repainted the home and installed new carpets.

Over the years the old tenants had three children and acquired five dogs.  more...

Question: I live in an 11-unit apartment complex. Our front-entry door is a hollow-core door just like our bathroom door. These doors are not very secure and are showing serious signs of weathering due to age. I have asked my landlord for a new door and was denied. My neighbor even offered to pay for a new solid-core front door and was told "no." Are there regulations regarding exterior doors on rental units? If not, what can I do about getting a new door?

Property manager Griswold replies:  more...

Question: I just drove by my rental house and noticed a sign in the front yard indicating that the tenant has applied for rezoning so he can conduct a software development business at the premises. The tenant never asked permission to do this. I feel this action is a breach of trust, and I have lost confidence in the tenant. In addition, I don't know how to monitor this activity in the future. Do you have a position on this circumstance and/or what action do you recommend on my part?  more...

Question: I have a commercial retail building and have received a bill from my tenant for the repair of the air conditioner. I was not called prior to repair, no bids were taken, and the bill is a rather high total amount. The tenant's explanation was that she was in the middle of classes and had to repair it immediately. My tenant did not attempt to call me or advise me of this until two weeks after the air conditioner was repaired. I am not inclined to comply with the request for full reimbursement because of the manner in which this was handled.  more...

Question: We have owned a condo on a local golf course for seven years. There is a beautiful waterfall fountain/pond on the property that has been there since the complex was built in the early 1970s. We, along with the owner before us, took good care of it and consider it to be an integral part of our living experience. We are not sure if it is in the association common area, but the association has never taken any steps whatsoever to care for the fountain.  more...

Question: I own a condo that I've rented out for the last 13 years. My current property manager is my concern. The last tenant sublet my condo to another person who was not on the lease. This new occupant caused considerable damage before he was removed, and I found out about the damage through a third party, not my property manager. Then, without my knowledge, the property manager brought in a "contractor" he found through a small ad in a local newspaper to do the repairs.  more...

Question: I have owned a two-unit apartment building for the last four years. I have month-to-month tenants in one of the units that started renting there after I bought the building. They have a clearly written agreement that states they are the only two tenants and no subletting or other tenants are permitted. However, we are about 90 percent sure that someone else has moved in for the last nine months. He never comes or goes and yet he's there day and night, seven days a week. How do we prove it and what recourse do we have?  more...

Question: I signed a one-year lease for an apartment here when I came down for college. My father was a co-signer on the lease because I don't have credit or a job. Well, unfortunately my father has suffered a severe stroke, which has left him with almost no memory, impaired speech and mobility, and no job. Aside from this I also received a letter from his neurologist telling me that I have to travel back home and take care of my father, being that I am the only available family member -- my other brother is in the military and cannot leave to take care of him.  more...

Question: Four years ago, my landlord agreed in writing to a $350 rent reduction on my one-bedroom apartment. The landlord is now very ill and there is a good chance the building may be sold. How do I ensure that I will continue to be able to pay my current rent and not have the new owners hold me to the rent agreed to on the original lease or otherwise raise my rent?

Property manager Griswold replies:  more...

Question: I rented a room in my home to a male tenant. After several months he disappeared. Twenty days past the rent-due date I tried but was unable to locate him. Seventy five days passed and he reappeared, and he demanded his belongings, claiming that I was a thief. I felt it was abandoned property. I told him that the room was being advertised for rent. Ten days later he returned but I was not at home. I had a guest staying with me and he walked right in and threatened the guest. My guest told him to return when the owner was present.  more...

Question: I am a homeowner and look for your column regularly. I have a garage in-law (a legally converted garage that is a rental unit) that is very cute and cozy. I have a married couple renting at the time, and they have been here nearly a year. Without going through all the gruesome details, "Dumb" and "Dumber" overstuffed my washer and dryer until they finally wore them out and now are out of order. It is very expensive to get them repaired and very expensive to replace.  more...

Question: My partner and I own a loft in a small eight-unit building, and we are members of our building's homeowner association (HOA). We share a common wall with our neighbor, who lives in our sister building next door, which has a different address and separate HOA. Our neighbor plays very loud music all day and night. We have called the police many times, written polite letters to her and even suggested mediation to resolve this problem. Our neighbor has refused mediation and hasn't responded to our letters.  more...

Question: Our lease agreement states that rent is due on the "last day of the month." Unfortunately, my husband does not get paid until the first of the month, at which time we do pay our rent immediately on the 1st. The landlord is claiming that he "must" have it on the last day due to a mortgage due on the 1st, which if not paid exactly on the 1st, charges him a $56 late fee, a sum he is asking us to pay. Our lease details nothing about late fees or grace periods on our rent.  more...

Question: My question relates to a tenant who said he must send me a federal 1099 tax form with the total amount of rent he paid to me in the prior year for renting my house. He claims he has to in order to collect a federal tax credit. I've never heard of such a thing. I do have a strained relationship with this particular tenant and think he may be just trying to cause me problems. Can you tell me where I can find the tax ruling on this? I am a novice at renting my house out so pardon me if I sound very ignorant, as I may very well be.  more...

Question: We have been in the same rental house for the past eight years. Last Monday night, we were awakened by a strange noise in the kitchen, and discovered that the kitchen was on fire. My wife and I got our kids out first, then the dog, and everyone is OK. We also managed somehow to get the garden hoses out and fight the fire ourselves, and managed to put a good deal of it out before the firefighters arrived. However, there is severe damage to the house, and smoke and soot damage to our belongings. The cause of the fire (per the fire department report) was the dishwasher.  more...