Think You Can Top These?

Following are actual excuses that landlords have received for not paying the rent.

"I apologize; in an absent minded moment (and I have had plenty lately), I mailed 3/4 of my bills last month without stamps. I'm not even sure if they're the correct stamps. I hope I can get my act together next month! I'm also sorry I haven't called you. I don't get home from work until after 8 and it’s usually closer to 11."

"I can't even sleep. My dogs are keeping half the neighborhood up every night. How am I supposed to keep a job if I can't sleep?"

"I just found out you own this house free and clear! You've been profiting off me all this time?!"

"My previous landlord found me. He made me make a payment towards my balance."

"Do you co-operate with credit counseling to lower my monthly payment?"

"Carl got arrested and moved out. I hope you don't expect me to pay his share too."

"I had this nightmare... This house is giving me a bad feeling. I think it's haunted."

"I've been trying to call you all day so you can come and pick up the rent monies, but there was no answer so I spent it."

"My husband accidentally dropped a lotion bottle in the toilet. He and the plumber had the toilet on the front lawn until my husband, who is a chef, got out the bottle with his long fork. So we paid a plumber $135 to have a chef fix the toilet."

"We ran out of blue envelopes."

"I don't have the rent money, but I ordered a pizza to be delivered to your family."

"I didn't get my child support check and I think your former tenant stole it. I would like to have the mailboxes moved inside the building."

"My wife's mother is sick, and if she dies, I'll have it all next week."

"A car hit the house and made our food go bad."

"The mailbox is broken."

Even if this not-so-wonderful situation has occurred in your life, I still hope you can have a chuckle at these. Do you think you can top these? Post, and we'll find out!

--AdviserToTheAdvisers

“I am putting my house up for sale. How do I evict the tenants?”

You don’t! From your tenants’ perspective, why should they lose their home because you plan to sell the building? IF you have a clean purchase sale agreement, i.e. all conditions and subjects to removed, and IF the purchaser plans in good faith to move in to the house or the unit occupied by your tenants and IF the purchaser requests in writing that you do so, only THEN can you issue a two months notice to end tenancy for landlord occupancy.

-- LandlordMentor

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog – information for and dialogue among BC’s residential landlords. What question do you have? What’s your pet peeve as a landlord? How do you find – and keep – good renters?

LandlordMentor and AdviserToTheAdvisers have many answers and – like any good mentors or advisors – are always learning more.

Who is LandlordMentor? He is CEO of the Rental Owners and Managers Society of BC for 11 years, previously corporate real estate executive, labour negotiator, human resources professional and – in the dark ages – RCMP Officer.

Who is AdviserToTheAdvisers? She is the Member Service Manager, in the service industry for nearly 10 years, who is in charge of all advice and service that leaves the ROMS BC office.

"Can I pay you on the 23rd? I just bought a new laptop and it cost a little more than I thought. Sorry."

"Man, is it a new month already? Wow."

Do you have to put up with these excuses – and the more creative ones? In a word, NO! Rent is due on the first of the month; that doesn’t mean the second! You can issue a Notice to End Tenancy on the second and your renter then has five calendar days to pay the full rent, or move out!

Want to learn more? Go to www.romsbc.com or post here.
Happy Day!

-- LandlordMentor