 Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Feb 16, 2013 3:44 PM
 Checking House (by Martin [CO]) Feb 16, 2013 4:24 PM
Checking House (by Lois [CA]) Feb 16, 2013 4:26 PM
Checking House (by in [IN]) Feb 16, 2013 5:02 PM
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Feb 16, 2013 5:13 PM
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Feb 16, 2013 5:59 PM
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Feb 16, 2013 6:08 PM
Checking House (by V [OH]) Feb 16, 2013 6:58 PM
Checking House (by Wilma [PA]) Feb 17, 2013 4:44 AM
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Feb 17, 2013 6:56 AM
Checking House (by Tim [IL]) Feb 17, 2013 7:09 AM
Checking House (by Tim [IL]) Feb 17, 2013 7:20 AM
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Feb 17, 2013 7:29 AM
Checking House (by myob [GA]) Feb 17, 2013 11:20 AM
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Feb 17, 2013 2:41 PM
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Feb 17, 2013 8:14 PM
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 3:44 PM
Message:
I have an SFH rented out to a great tenant. Received Feb's rent right on time. We had a big snow storm here and it is very obvious the tenant has not been home as the driveway hasn't been touched. The tenant does have a job that could take him out of town for a time, he's a Captain on a fishing boat. I emailed him twice but haven't gotten a response.
Should I go into the house just to be sure there's nothing wrong? I am concerned in case of furnace failure or god-forbid, he hurt himself somehow. Is it OK to go in at this point??
Great tenant and zero problems in nearly two years. --74.103.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by Martin [CO]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 4:24 PM
Message:
Despite your obviously good intentions, you need to see what the lease says. If it does not give you permission to enter, then I would think you could only enter if you have reason to believe that something has happened (almost like a probable cause). At this point, it only sounds like you would like to check up just in case something happened.
Now, if your lease says that you have the right to go in and inspect with proper notice, then I would say you have attempted proper notice by the emails.
It is all in the lease.
On his application/lease, is there an emergency or other contact? You could try them.
If all else fails - if there is nothing in the lease that gives you authority to enter, and you feel like you simply must get in the home to check it out, I would hire a sheriff to come in with me, to witness that you did not disturb or snoop anything of the tenant's, and that you only inspected reasonable things. --174.29.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by Lois [CA]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 4:26 PM
Message:
Can you request a 'wellness check' from local law enforcement? --75.36.xxx.xx |
Checking House (by in [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 5:02 PM
Message:
No one is home, no tracks, go in and check out the furnace, the filters need changed and a note was tacked on the door. it could have blown off...
Knock first and don't worry the snow knows... --98.253.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 5:13 PM
Message:
The house is close by. I will go there tomorrow and tack a message on the door that I need to check the furnace and well for proper operation. I'll give it few days and then go in. I will notify the local police regarding my intentions. Tiny town, they know me anyway. --74.103.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 5:59 PM
Message:
My lease is clear. NO REPSONSE is considered an emergency or abandoned, allowing us to enter for an emergency inspection.
Document the non-response, then document the entry.
IDEA!!! I've been looking at a cool video camera that hooks on your ear like a bluetooth - I could wear this as I walk thru the house to document I did not steal anything! Amazon here I come!! --50.129.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 6:08 PM
Message:
Re-reading...
Take a pic of the snowy drive and lack of footprints in/out of doors.
If no tracks, posting a note will not be more proof.
I would not wait a few days. When it comes to chekcing things, ALWAYS check now, not later. You could have a swimming pool in your basement like I just had.
(next door neighbor lady saw my helpers truck and talked to him. "Yeah, I saw water FLOWING out of the foundation, down the hump in the front yard, and it made this giant puddle here in the yard several days ago. Been running ever since." --50.129.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by V [OH]) Posted on: Feb 16, 2013 6:58 PM
Message:
The wellness check is the best way to avert an emergency, while waiting for this I text my kids to check on them. --75.94.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by Wilma [PA]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 4:44 AM
Message:
Make sure that you put a clause into your lease about "emergency entry" requiring no notice. For now, as someone on this board has said many times, you can always claim you heard water running, and were worried.
That said, knock a bunch first, then unlock, stick your head in and holler, "It's Rich, the landlord - is everything OK? Make sure any neighbors can hear you if they are around. The camera is a good idea, too." --71.185.xxx.xx |
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 6:56 AM
Message:
Got in touch with my tenant. He's been on an extended fishing run and they had to port someplace way up north to ride out the bad weather. Coming home today.
Thanks for the sage advice and my lease has all that about emergency entering etc etc, I just never had cause to think about that until now.
Thanks for all the sage advice. --74.103.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by Tim [IL]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 7:09 AM
Message:
Tiny town? Call the local police or EMT's, tell them you're worried about tenant and ask them to check it out, they probably will & might even let you tag along. Around here they don't charge for this - one advantage of small towns is they know everybody and pretty much usually still care! Do it NOW, he might be in there ill, slipped n fell/hit head, stroke, heart problem, anything. You might save a life today, tomorrow could be too late. --108.175.xxx.xx |
Checking House (by Tim [IL]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 7:20 AM
Message:
Phew! That's a relief, huh?
Now's the perfect time take a minute to make a plan for next time before it gets swept away by other things life throws at you.
And by the way, thanks for bringing it up, it was an issue I needed to review myself! Going to put a paragraph in my Tenant Manual regarding my "suspected emergency" protocol. --108.175.xxx.xx |
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 7:29 AM
Message:
Yeah, I was actually worried about him. 30+ years ago, I was a renter and living alone. Fortunately I had to go away on business with an associate or I would be dead. During that trip I contracted meningitis and my associate had the presence of mind to insist the hotel open the room. I was found near death. Had I been at home I surely would have died with no one there. Meningitis is generally a kid's disease, but I was 32 when I got it. Left me deaf and partially blind but at least I'm still around. --74.103.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by myob [GA]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 11:20 AM
Message:
I think your first sentence in last post was reason enough to check on your tenant. He should appreciate that-- you checked up on him-- not the rental. --74.184.xxx.xx |
Checking House (by Rich [RI]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 2:41 PM
Message:
Hmmm, you know, that's actually true! I was worried about him, not the house. Maybe I'm not such an old grinch after all. --74.103.xxx.xxx |
Checking House (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Feb 17, 2013 8:14 PM
Message:
I skimmed Wilma's post and thought she said "It's the RICH LANDLORD!" --50.129.xxx.xxx |
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