Have tenants get “renters insurance” - Posted by Frank Chin
Posted by Frank Chin on April 30, 2007 at 06:22:05:
Kenny:
Hard to say if she’s trying to beat you. It’s because of things like theft, breakins, burglaries, slips and falls inside the tenant’s unit by their visitors that I advocate requiring “tenant (renter) insurance” in the lease. If something happens, say “file a claim against your insurance”.
This also benefits you that it’ll cut down on claims you file against your own policy, which may result in high premiums or cancellation if you file too many claims.
In this case, I would tell her that you’ll file an insurance claim against your liability carrier, as well as the electricians insurance, after she files a police report which is mandatory in these cases. If the police report is taken, I don’t recommend that you tell the police you were there the whole time.
BTW, I had a slip and fall case, some guy came after me with $3,000 in chiropractor bills, and I filed a claim against my insurance. Turned out it was a smart thing since he had problems getting attorneys handling the case since lawyers can’t bluster insurance compamies the way they can try to threaten me. He complained to me but I said “sorry, the insurance is handling it, and I feel bad your attorney doesn’t take your calls”.
You didn’t say you had a lease or not, but the way I would handled cases like this in the past is to say that “I normally rent to folks a bit more handy”, and either “I don’t have the time” or you have “health issues ( i got a bad back)” that you won’t be able to take care of so many odds and ends.
In one case where a “mechanic” had a mom living with him, I get a weekly call about “hinges that creak”, “magnets that don’t hold kitchen cabinet doors close if you slam it” etc. After about four of these calls, I called the son to explain that for the price I charge (I usually charge a bit below market), I expect him to oil creaky hinges. Told him that for another $200/month, we can take care of these little things that everyone else can handle. He said “he’ll speak to his mom”, and I never got another complaint.
In my screening, I try to look for the “pain in the @ss” type tenants. I watch how they fill out the application form in my presence. It’s two pages, and usually the ones that complian about “too many questions” also turn out to be a “pain” later on.
I had an out of state rental that my sister manages, and we had one of these tenants. I was told she was charming when the place was rented to her.
She complained about everything, including how diificult it was to open the windows. My brother in law actually goes by to open the window for her when she gets home from work, and then close it at night for her. He’s downstairs. She’s an older lady, and at one point wanted “hand grips” for getting in and out of the showers. We offered to get portable ones, but she wanted ones screwed to the walls, which if properly done, requires the walls be opened up, plywood installed, and retiled, and the grips screwed onto it.
I was not interested in redoing the bathroom of a newly converted building. We raised the rent quite a bit on renewal, above the average in the area, and she moved.
Frank Chin