A couple weeks ago I published the newsletter article, How the Landlady Lost the Deposit. I was surprised to find an email from another landlady here in town, Joan which took me to task for this article she took to be pro-tenant.

Here is what Joan said about my article:

PLEASE LET ME HAVE YOUR LAST NAME SO I WON'T RENT TO YOU.......I SEE THE POINT BUT AT TIMES WE HAVE TO CHARGE TENANTS FOR ITEMS THEY DAMAGE.......IN YOUR CASE IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE HAD A NON REFUNDABLE CLEANING DEPOSIT, WHICH I DO NOT HAVE, BUT WHEW, THIS WAS NOT A FUN "GAME".     IN CASE YOU DON'T SEE THIS, BY PUBLISHING THIS INFORMATION FOR THE "WORLD" TO READ YOU JUST INFORMED ALL THOSE NUTS OUT THERE WHO ARE JUST WAITING TO SUE.   THIS HURTS THE HONEST LANDLORDS JUST GETTING BY AND PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY.     SOME DEDUCTIONS ARE OFTEN NECESSARY......AND I ALWAYS TRY TO BE FAIR ABOUT THEM......BUT YOU JUST ALERTED ALL THOSE IDIOTS WE DON'T WANT TO TANGLE WITH.       TRY TO BE HELPFUL TO "WE" PROPERTY OWNERS......IT WILL HELP YOUR BUSINESS......

The caps were all Joan, sorry, I know it is hard to read….Here was my reply:

Hmmm...do you believe that you get to break the law with impunity? You are not allowed to have mandatory cleaning fees you take from security deposits.

This was not a fair person, this was someone who broke the law...

It is not helpful to help people break the law; they are helped by following the law.

I am afraid Joan was only more angry in her reply:

RECEIVED YOUR REPLY.......I GUESS YOU WERE NOT REFERRING TO ME ABOUT MANDATORY CLEANING FEES....SINCE I DO NOT CHARGE EITHER A CLEANING FEE OR A CREDIT CHECK FEE OR APPLICATION FEE.     YOU SEEM A BIT DEFENSIVE HERE.  WHAT I AM POINTING OUT IS THAT YOU ARE BITING THE HANDS THAT WILL FEED YOU.     NO ONE IS SUGGESTING LANDLORDS CHARGE UNFAIR FEES OR PRACTICE UNFAIRLY BUT YOU ARE VERY NAIVE IN THAT ONCE YOU HAVE HAD A VERY, VERY UGLY TENANT WHO DOES NOT PAY RENT AND DESTROYS YOUR PROPERTY IN REVENGE, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO VIEW BOTH SIDES.  

MY POINT IN WRITING IS THAT YOU, DEAR FELLOW, JUST BLASTED OUT TO ALL THE CREEPS WHO ARE TRYING TO SUE LANDLORDS AND WHO MAKE THAT  THEIR ONLY AGENDA......  I HAVE HAD ONLY ONE BAD APPLE AND THEY COST ME A MINT....JUST DECIDED NOT TO PAY THEIR RENT....AND WHEN THE PAPERS CAME THEY STARTED THEIR DESTRUCTION.......MY POINT IS YOU ARE ENCOURAGING LAWSUITS FROM THE NON-LEGITIMATE TYPE TENANTS......WE KNOW SOME LANDLORDS CAN BE UNFAIR AND YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE.....BUT AIRING IT ON YOUR WEBSITE IS A VERY BAD PRACTICE FOR SOMEONE TRYING TO BUILD A BUSINESS.     

WE ALL NEED ..A FAIR BUSINESSMAN INTERESTED IN THOSE OF US STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.....VERY HIGH PROPERTY TAXES AND UTILITY COSTS OUT OF SIGHT..........MY BOTTOM LINE IS ONE NEEDING A FRIEND ON MY SIDE......WHERE IS YOUR PRIORITY AS A BUSINESS PERSON?    HAVE A NICE DAY.....AND I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK.

The thing Joan misses is renting properties is a business. Several years ago I worked with a Court Officer serving process in Mecosta County. He contracted with a property management company that rents mainly to Ferris State University students.

Now don’t get caught up on the student part of this, look at the process and think what message your tenants would get when you do not take all lawful actions to protect your interests.  In Big Rapids. the day  the rent was late, the late fees were applied and the 7 Day Notice to Quit was posted.  On the day the Notice to Quit expired the lawsuit to evict for non-payment of rent was filed and I would pick up the lawsuits to be served once a week and serve the suits.

There were almost no evictions. The property manager was predictable, consistent and unwavering. To drop the suit the tenant had to pay the court costs, the late fees and the cost to serve process. In the first months of the school year this actually was another source of revenue for the property manager and the kids learned quick.

Getting back to Joan, we see this visceral reaction to an article she believes benefits the tenant predator. Joan could not be more wrong, yet fails to reach out to learn more, instead she reaches out to berate someone who is really informing. Education is now a bad thing?

The predator tenant Joan talks about cannot succeed in an environment where landlords are doing business as allowed by law. Here in West Michigan we have a terrific organization in the Rental Property Owner’s Association. The cost to join is $185 a year plus a $50 application fee in the first year. RPOA gives you access to credit reporting which includes all the local courts, as well as seminars and support in your rental property business.

Yes I know, it costs money, but I said this is a business, though, right? How much does it cost you to get rid of a bad tenant?  By the time you get rid of them you may have lost two month’s rent. Once they are gone there are repairs and your rental still sits empty. If the rent is just $500 a month you have already paid $1000 . Instead of paying a yearly fee to the Rental Property Owner’s Association , we have the landlords who could pay 5 years of dues instead of subsidizing the predator tenant.