I've read on here today about thinking when the phone rings, "How can I make money on this call?" Too funny.

It's more like, "How many other ways can a tenant find to contact you?"

Had a tenant message me on Facebook today, "Can you give me a call?" xxx-0000 So, I had time to think, gee I wonder if his roof is leaking again? Or, if she forgot how to turn on the heat again? Or, if I might know what happened to their missing dog? Or if the washer hose is leaking again? Or can we fix the missing handle on the shower? But no, this is a new one, "Can we please do something about the dog smell & child pee smell in the carpet in the small bedroom?" Mind you, we had it steamed cleaned, $225.00, but alas, are going to have to rip out 2 year old carpet from previous tenant damage. Paint floor with Kilz and just put vinyl flooring over it, 9 x 12 kids room.

Oh Pat, I had to laugh!

I had a tenant contact me two days ago. She's been on one side of a duplex for five years. The other tenant has been there for two plus years. Her complaint? Could I do something about the disgusting food cooking odors she smells when her neighbor cooks dinner.

Supposedly it just started recently. I told her to call me when it happens again so I could see what she's talking about. Two separate AC units with air handlers in the shared attic.

Sure enough their was a mild cooking smell. I went next door and the other tenant had been cooking. Her opinion is she's done nothing different than usual but that the complaining tenant used to get home from work after 7:00 pm and now she gets home around 5:30-6:00 when she is indeed cooking dinner.

Just so annoying because she wants me to do something about it. I think I'm going to tell her the only thing I can really do is let her out of her lease which is just month to month anyway if this continues to bother her so much.

The complainer got a brand new AC unit installed and added insulation about a year and a half ago even though her unit wasn't broke, just old. Her neighbor's needed replacing and I got a better deal if they just did them both at the same time. Reduced her bill. She pays under market rent. And complains about her neighbor's cooking in a duplex? She did offer to pay if I would have the AC systems inspected. But geeze, they are brand new. And the smell was not in the least bit disgusting. Just a minor cooking smell that goes away pretty quickly.

Husband is not happy that I asked him to go over and just take a peek that nothing is disconnected up there. I may have to volunteer to do it myself.

We had the same situation. Tenant cleaned carpet and there was no noticeable smell until the windows were closed at the end of the summer. 3 months after new tenant moved in. Had to suck up the expense. :( We now close all windows for a few days for odor detection purposes.

Pat VA that was me about the phone calls. The money you should have made as plenty MO pointed out-- from last tenants $? Tenants don't have my facebook info cause I'm not on facebook. I have a cheapo cell at 12.00 a month if I need cell contact-- otherwise only office phone.

A good carpet man would have told you of pet odor problem. My guy will say you know that from bedroom had dog in there.

Lisa FL what do people do who leave near Wendy's and MacDonald's and KFC's?

Previous tenants just up and left on the 4th of the month, no notice, no rent. I only had 500.00 deposit and that didn't even begin to cover the damage those people left.

Even though we've been doing this for 30 years, I still make plenty of mistakes. Should have never rented to them in the 1st place. No more out of state deals.

At the very least I should have been making inspections and nipped it before it got that bad.

I'm afraid that, after all these years, my reaction to a phone call from tenants is, "now what?".

I black light the carpets when a tenant leaves, whether they had declared pets or not. My experience is that it is easy to hide pets since I have to give a 24 hour notice before I can enter.