There’s no easy way to handle it.

You’ve dealt long enough with the missed payments, damaged property, loud house parties, and unanswered phone calls. You knew to become a landlord wasn’t going to be easy, but no one warned you it would be this hard.

After grabbing all the self-help books you could, you still haven’t found the answer to your problems. The nightmare tenant is still there. 

There’s no need to worry anymore. Keep reading below for 5 effective tips on how to handle the nightmare tenant.

1. Always Remain Rational

It’s easy to become emotional. There may have already been moments where you’ve stood in the doorway and yelled at the tenant who broke another window.

While it is completely natural, and sometimes warranted, to become angry with someone, it’s best to remain rational in all interactions with your nightmare tenant. Problem tenants sometimes feed off emotional responses and can react by causing more trouble.

When speaking with your trouble tenant, remain firm, assertive, but remain calm when speaking. Don’t throw papers or bang your fist on the wall. You’ll get a better response if you’re calm and collected.

2. Always Back up Your Point With Facts

When confronting your nightmare tenants, have facts to back up your point. If they broke a rule stated in the original lease agreement, bring a copy of the lease when meeting with them and highlight the rule they broke.

Did they only pay a fraction of their rent for the third month in a row? Bring receipts highlighting the amount they did pay. 

If you come in with obvious facts and receipts, they’ll have a harder time trying to fight your side of the argument. 

3. Always Show Them Respect

Even if you’re angry and confronting someone, you can confront them and still show respect. 

For example, if you believe they are destroying some of the property, give them the promised 24-hour notice before coming into their space. Don’t go into their space without warning, and don’t bang on their door at midnight when you’re upset.

4. Always Have Empathy

Some people are just not good people. That’s that.

However, some bad tenants are bad tenants because no one has cared enough to teach them how to be a good tenant. Learning how to be empathetic with a difficult person is a hard process, but it could pay off for both parties in the end. 

Be a little extra patient when dealing with their paperwork, take the time to show them how to fill out a maintenance request, and answer their emails in a timely manner. Your kind responses could soften their heart.

5. Always Be a Step Ahead

Don’t scramble for receipts and paper trails when things go poorly with nightmare tenants. Have a folder for all of your tenants and keep copies of important notices or items in their folder.

That way, if they spontaneously confront you first, you can pull out their folder. It shows you’re prepared, organized, and serious about what you do.

Top Tips on Handling a Nightmare Tenant

The nightmare tenant may have missed rent again or they might have broken a chair, but above are top tips on how to handle the situation in a professional manner.

Make sure you confront your trouble tenants with respect, possibly an extra dose of empathy, and facts to back you up in any situation. No matter what happens, you want to handle things like a professional.

For more on real estate tips, make sure to check out the rest of our page and contact us. 

Nearly 40% of households are renting their home. It is a statistic that speaks of how popular and affordable renting has become in recent years. 

Landlords are seizing this opportunity to rent out their property. 

But there’s a lot more to it than having a for rent sign on your front lawn. As a landlord, you need to have a formal lease agreement set up with your tenants. 

More importantly, you should know what’s included in a standard lease agreement to avoid any confusion with tenants such as who pays for repairs, etc. 

To cover the essentials of a lease agreement, here are the 5 most important terms you must include in a lease agreement. 

1. Occupancy Limits

You want a standard lease agreement that limits the number of people who are renting your residence. You don’t want way more people occupying your residence than what was agreed upon in the lease. 

You can apply the standard two renters per bedroom rule. This rule varies depending on the size of the bedroom and if the occupants have children. 

You should also see what your local occupancy and rental laws are before applying these rules. 

2. Length of Tenancy

Leases can be as short as six months and as long as thirty years. It depends on what the landlord and tenant agree on. 

In addition, the tenant will typically move in and pay on the first of the month. 

3. House Rules

A landlord must have house rules in order to establish what tenant can and cannot do in the home that may be illegal or damaging to the landlord. 

As a landlord, you can have quiet hours in the lease and specify no smoking on the premises. 

You may also want to include rules about pets or playing instruments loudly.

4. Deposits and Fees

A security deposit is required for almost any lease agreement. A security deposit is an assurance for the landlord in case any damage is done to the property. The landlord can use the security deposit to make repairs if needed.

The cost of a deposit is usually equivalent to a month’s rent. It should also be paid before the tenant moves in. 

5. Repairs and Maintenance Requirements

A maintenance checklist can help tenants understand what they need to clean or inspect on a regular basis. 

You may require tenants to replace filters, light bulbs, and batteries. But these are minor requirements for a tenant. 

You should include in the lease who is responsible for repairs. Fixing appliances can be especially expensive and should be noted in the lease. 

You can also find more information on DIY landlord property management by reading about it on our blog. 

A Standard Lease Issues Creates Fewer Issues With Tenants

A landlord should find a standard lease agreement with these terms to avoid potential conflict with a tenant. 

You want a lease agreement that spells everything out in order to avoid confusion or costly expenses that the landlord will have to pay for. 

You can find more information on lease agreements by contacting us. 

Are you in the market for a house?

While every person and house is different, there are some things that don’t change. For instance, every prospective buyer will always have questions about the home buying process.

We’ve got the most common real estate questions asked by buyers so you can be prepared with the answers you need to close the deal.

Let’s get started!

Financial Real Estate Questions

Money is an important part of life and a major part of every real estate transaction. Many of the questions buyers have will have to do with the financial aspects of the undertaking.

Some of the financial real estate answers that buyers will want may include:

Does the House Have a Mortgage?

An interested buyer is going to want to know what kind of financial debt is associated with the house. This may include questions about the current mortgage or whether there are any liens on the property.

They’ll also want to know what kind of restrictions are on the property for building, changing, or developing as they wish. No one wants to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for their dream project only to learn they can’t build what they want on the land they’ve just paid for.

What Are the Property Taxes?

Another of the expenses that most buyers are curious about before signing on the dotted line is the amount of property taxes. No one wants to be shocked when the property tax bill comes in and it is a lot higher than expected.

What About Commissions, Inspections, Fees?

Before entering negotiations or putting an offer in on the house, a buyer will want to know all the expenses associated with buying this property. These include the commissions, inspections fees, and other expenses they’ll have to shell out before moving in.

Inspector Gadget

Almost every buyer will have some questions about the state of the house they are considering. While they can walk through it a hundred times themselves, there is some information you just can’t determine by simply attending an open house.

Lights, Camera, Action: What’s up with Electrical Matters?

Most buyers will want to know more about the electrical system in the house. Inquiries about when it was installed, any problems, repairs, or issues are to be expected.

They will most likely want to see the fuse box or circuit breaker for a better idea of what they’re dealing with. Most people will inquire about the details of a house inspection and if one hasn’t been done, will either negotiate that into the terms or get one themselves before closing.

Have Any Repairs or Upgrades Been Done to the House?

They’ll want to know when repairs and replacements were done on the house. The roof, plumbing, basement and everything in between.

Are There Any Water Issues?

These may include:

• Are there water pressure issues?
• Is the house on well water or city?
• Is it on a septic tank or sewer system?
• Have there been any leaks, flooding, or situations to cause mold?
• Are there any water flooding issues in the residence or on the land?

Any issues with standing or flooding water may not be apparent at the time of year the house is being sold. It’s important to have full disclosure into any water issues prior to making the commitment to buy a property.

Ask These Real Estate Questions Before Committing Yourself

Asking the right real estate questions now could save a buyer a great deal of money and headaches a couple of months or years down the road. And as a buyer, you now know the kind of questions you need to ask.

For more information on real estate and property management, keep reading our blogs!