washer and dryer

If it's seriously bothering you that much, you might want to just bite the bullet and move the appliances out yourself. It's your building, your rules.

Or at least hire someone in the area to move it for you.

i would do that but i live in florida, and if i buy the place, my mom would be the one to have the keys. so im stuck.

Is there a way to switch it so the tenant is paying for water and sewage? And, what are your plans if you take out the washer/dryer? Were you planning to sell them or just get rid of them? Maybe you could offer a great deal to the tenants to buy them. Then they wouldn't be your problem and you wouldn't have to move them.

I would highly recommend getting those utilities in their name if you can. People are much more energy-conscious when they're the ones paying for it.

Good luck.

Rina

well the problem with having the water and sewage in there name is you run the risk of them not paying it. and that is the one utility that if its not paid, they can put a lien on your house. and if they dont pay it for a year, that can really suck. and even if i sold it to them of couse i would still have to payte water bill

Where I am, just the delinquent sewage gets transferred to the property owner. But I've never really had a problem with any of my tenants in that area. I do check with the utility company from time to time to make sure they're not behind.
Are you planning to still let them have laundry hookups? If so, at least selling the appliances to them would solve the problem of having to move them around or be responsible for their upkeep. Just a thought.
Ahh, the joys of being a landlord, huh?

Rina

im not sure what m gonna do. if i keep the w/d i can charge more for rent. but if i sell them the units ill still have to pay the water bill. so im in a bit of a pickle

Do you know how old the appliances are? If they're new, I'd keep them. If not, and something breaks down, the cost of repair or replacement might not offset the extra rent you get. (how much extra would you charge, btw, with them included?)

Good luck, Josh.

Rina

ill prolly ask for the same amount that i got for the last place which was $500. people seem to think thats alot for the area. but for all that stuff included i dont think so.

Hey Josh
Here is a good solution to your problem. Just remove the Washer/Dryer and hookups and water pipes for the washer. Turn the area where the machines DID sit into a closet (everyone loves extra storage space) Tellyour tennants "sorry you will have to wash at the local wishy wash or laundrymat. LOL! Then you won't have to worry about high water bills, leaky washing machine ruining your floors etc....
Put the machines in storage andif you ever decide tosell the house then make the washer dryer area magically reappear so you can get more for your property.
Sissy

My in-laws had built a duplex years ago, after we (my husband and I) started investing. It's a very nice split-level building. Originally it did have laundry hook-ups, but my father-in-law cut off the pipes and put in coin-operated washer & dryer in a separate "middle room" downstairs, thinking he could make a little extra money from that. Well, with what it cost him to have a separate meter and electric for that room, he ended up losing money, and boy did it irate the renters when they could see that the pipes were there for laundry hookups in their own downstairs.
To make a long story short, they didn't end up liking being landlords so we bought the duplex from them, eliminated the "middle room", put the laundry hook-ups back, added stairs to the decks (which he had never put on), and raised the rent by $300mo ($150 per side). The renters were thrilled.
I'm not saying it's the same situation as Josh. Just that usually if you give people the same amenities that you would want in a home yourself, and think about their needs, they will treat you very well, and you won't have to worry about them ripping you off. Even section 8 tenants (I've had a few).

Josh, in your case, if it's the norm in the area for people to go to the laundromat, you certainly could remove the laundry hook-ups. But then again, how much more desireable would YOUR duplex be if it was one of the few to offer them. But I still wouldn't want to own the machines.

Sissy, you're right. Removal WOULD eliminate the problem!
It's funny how many little things there are to consider with renters.lol

So, Josh, other than that how do you like having the 1/2 duplex?

Rina

so far its goood. theyhave only been in there a month so no trouble yet. its an older lady and her son. and they have a cat. so i imagine and hope there wont be too much trouble

I'm not too sure about this due to lack of personal experience, but most people tell me that the older the renter, the less problems you have.

but you want to treat your tenants like you want to be treated. You want it a win-win situation for you and your tenants. If you are worry so much about the washer/dryer and concerns about having your tenants do a 100 loads a month which its impossible, then have them pay for the water to eliminate all concerns. If the waher/dryer brake down, have the tenants replace it since they are the ones using them. If they move out, have them take their appliance with them. If they don't want to replace it, then thats on them. I would hate to loose good tenants over a waher and a dryer. That's my two cents in and i think it's an easy solution.

lloyd

I agree with lloydsap, Have the tenants sign an agreement of understanding that if and when the machines break that it's up to them to replace them. I wouldn't charge extra for the unit with the machines. Take care of your tenants and they will take care of your property.

Maybe you could have a NTE of the amount you will pay for utilities. Tell the renter if the bill goes over $20/mo he owes the rest. Show him average bills from the past to verify amount.