A friend of ours, who lives in our old building, called this afternoon. "Um, guys," he says, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but your tenants now have two large pit bulls; one of them peed off the balcony onto the decks below. And I think there are new people living there, too."Great. It's the kind of call every landlord just loves to get. We decided to swing by and check things out. Turns out that yes, there were two American Staffordshire Terriers staying there--two beautiful, big, friendly dogs. However, the lease says we must approve pets first. Additionally, we have a pet deposit and a size limit on dogs. Hardwood floors and two very large dogs don't mix. We have one medium-size dog and hardwood floors, so we are all-too-aware of what kind of damage they can do. So, as much as we love big galumphing dogs, we really can't let them stay.
We're not confrontational people by nature, but I think the unplanned meeting went well; the tenants are nice and promised to get the dogs out by the weekend. The extra people are just temporary guests. But one of the three tenants does want to move out, so we'll be dealing with sublessors soon, a new experience for us.
Overall, the landlord gig feels like a drag today. We still haven't found tenants for the unit upstairs from us, although everyone who has come through really likes it. Just when we think we have an application, someone's plans change. Oops, it's the wrong school; it's a longer commute to work than they thought; they can't afford it after all; one of the roommates isn't ready to move yet; etc. But at least we're getting the impression that it's priced right.
Please keep your fingers crossed, everyone, that we'll find new tenants for upstairs soon. And if any of you landlord types have dealt with a sublease before, I'd love to hear your feedback.
