Originally Posted by Socal Local

If you found someone that was interested in a month by month lease, you could still leave the property on the market and then arrange that viewings for prospective buyers could only be once a week at a specified time. When we were looking at property recently, we looked at a few properties that were rented out and this was what they did.

Originally Posted by ironporer

An occupied rental house might just be able to sell a bit easier than a normal house in today's market...investors might look at a property that is already producing income to pay their mortgage.

Originally Posted by Englishmum

You need to check what your rights are as a landlord if the tenants stop paying the rent and you need to evict them. Here in New Jersey, I understand that if a family moves in and stop paying the rent, it's very, very difficult to evict them as children are involved and the tenants seem to have more rights than the landlord. Apparently the only way to get them out is to prove to the courts that you are moving back in yourself....

My best friend is in a terrible situation with both of her properties in NJ. About 5 years ago she bought a 2-bedroomed flat in an older building which was totally renovated, as an investment - just across the Hudson River from NYC . The first tenancy went fine, but her latest tenant is a landlord's worst nightmare. He is self-employed and started paying the rent late as 'work was slow', and always at least a fortnight in arrears. Then he got 'sick' and wasn't able to pay the rent due to being in hospital. My friend (currently living in Australia) got a phone call in the middle of the night to say that all the residents were out in the street shivering in the early hours as her tenant had burnt the kitchen down!

Apparently he and his girlfriend were so spaced out on drugs that they didn't even know the kitchen was on fire! The firemen said that the whole apartment has been trashed. The tenant also has 3 large dogs (not supposed to have pets) and the small private lawned area is a mess. The tenant has also been pestering the other residents for alcohol at all times of the day. When my friend sent a contractor round the tenant refused to let him in (was shaking from the DT's as well - he's a drug addict and alcoholic). She had to send a representative to court yesterday to start eviction proceedings and I think (could be wrong) that it takes at least 60 days to get them out once the court has approved the eviction order. My friend found this tenant via 'Craigslist'...didn't get his credit history AFAIK and thought he was a nice, plausible guy.

She's also had problems trying to sell and/or rent her 6-bedroomed house too - it's Victorian and she left it empty (over the Winter) when she left for Australia. It is currently in contract, but she's taking a big loss on it.

It does seem to be the case in New Jersey that it's not the norm for realtors to offer a property management service like they do in the UK; I know of two expat families renting houses here and all the agents do is the 'introduction' of tenant to the property - the realtors typically have no further interest and both families pay their landlords directly, with both landlords doing the check on the house condition when the rent renewal is coming up. (One friend has been given 3 months notice though as her landlord wants to sell the house).

TBH I'd love to sell our house and just rent or buy a small flat as I'm living between 2 countries (our son is still living in the house - he doesn't need a garden!) but the market isn't that great right now so I think we will need to hang on to it for another year or so. However, the NJ laws do seem to favour the tenant, so I don't think I'll take the risk after what has happened to my friend. On the other hand, we've been renting out our little house in Essex for 14 years and only ever had one problem tenant (who did a midnight flit) but we do have an estate agent 'managing' the property - they're a bit useless TBH but they do collect the rent.

Originally Posted by Englishmum

My friend found this tenant via 'Craigslist'...didn't get his credit history AFAIK and thought he was a nice, plausible guy.

Originally Posted by lisag8070

Jesus!...its stories like this that fill me with dread...I'll have to check the NC state law on this but I know that I will be using a management company....and I'll make sure I go over the fine print with them to find out exactly what they do and don't do...and how much this kind of "care" will cost me..

Originally Posted by Englishtart

Second tenant wasn't military, (property agent ignored my condition of renting to military only!)

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

Probably because it would have been illegal for the property agent to exclude on such a basis.

Originally Posted by Englishtart

Firstly, I hope you don't need to rent, because you have a great offer for sale!! (thinking positive thoughts for you )

I just got back into my house Tuesday, after renting for 2 years, (2 different tenants, 1 yr leases) First tenant was military, great tenant, stress free for us as landlords, because the military will garnish the rent if the tenant doesn't pay, if you are near a base, you can contact the housing office and rent through them.

Second tenant wasn't military, (property agent ignored my condition of renting to military only!) Anyway, they were a family of 5, pretty good at first, but towards the end they decided they didn't want to be married any longer and started having problems, late paying rent, or not paying until threatened with eviction! Their lease was up on May 8th, the inspection went ok (according to agent) I got my keys back, did a walk thru' myself, dishwasher was mouldy and STUNK, every appliance was filthy inside, cupboards all dirty, house STUNK of cats! I was pissed, but just happy to have my 'home' back...Now everything is spick n span and smelling much sweeter:-)

Good luck hon, renting can be a great alternative if you can't sell, but can also be a nightmare!

Originally Posted by tamms_1965

Yes, but agent could only have just posted it with the miliary relocation office.

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

Probably because it would have been illegal for the property agent to exclude on such a basis.

Originally Posted by lisag8070

yay...you have your house back.....

some people have just no respect for other peoples property or belongings...but glad it only took some elbow grease to make it yours again..I'm seriously considering just leaving it empty..

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

...which would effectively be doing the same thing.

Originally Posted by tamms_1965

It is not illegal to advertise in only place.

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

Not as such. But if said advertising can be shown to be a deliberate attempt to exclude certain classs of people from possible renters, then it very much could be a legal problem.

Originally Posted by snowbunny

Federal fair housing law is not as strict about this as some states' laws. If I stick up an advert in a restaurant frequented nearly exclusively by "white" people - there is nothing illegal about that in Texas or in federal law. If a non-"white" applicant were to be denied by me explicitly citing their race as the deciding factor, they could file a complaint with the federal government. However, there is much more leeway given to someone renting their sole single family residential property, than to a corporate owned multifamily multiunit complex.