A Landlord's Woes

Today we had two evictions and a section 8 inspection. None of which are the finer moments of being a landlord. I often wish that I actually could receive all of the money back that people steal from me. From the 2 evictions today, I lost nearly $4000 in rent not paid. Another $160 in manual labor and at least $2000 in painting, repairs and basic roach removal. Yes, it was a depressing day to be landlord. It's a constant search or a person who isn't lying about their reliability. It's a persistent gamble to find qualified individuals that will not only take care of, but appreciate all the hard work you've put into a home. This business is not for the faint of heart....or for anyone who has a fear of roaches. The biggest irony of the day was a sign we discovered in one of our 2 bedroom,  100-year old, beautiful Victorian apartments. You know, the ones with the hardwood floors and the claw foot tubs. It was severely trashed and infested with roaches. We had to get shovels to scrape up the carpet  in the hall laden with so much dog urine that it was literally glued to the floor, all the while dodging dog poo balls and piles around on the hardwoods. Yet amongst the piles of trash and yuck was a pretty little sign that read, "Don't forget to pick up after your pet!" Yes, irony at it's very best. Clearly, these people could not read.
But probably the most important piece of advice I can give anyone doing an eviction also came i to play today. Rule #1: You never..ever...under any circumstance, open the fridge when the power has been turned off for a week. It's just a fact. Cold rot is much more tolerable than hot. These are the precious lessons of a landlord. For whatever it's worth.