Latest from The Brief
Not subscribed? Change that.
It was a simple Facebook post.
"For Rent — 2 beds, 1 bath, no pets."
Then came the message that caught the Legal Plan Member's eye.
"I'll take it. My income is $4k a month, but my credit score's 420."
Wait... what?
Who leads with that?
It's like walking into a job...
Remember why you bought rental property?
Rent checks rolling in.
Poolside mojitos.
Easy money, right?
Then reality hit.
Now you're getting 2 a.m. calls because the fridge light’s throwing a rave and forgot to invite you.
Here's the deal:
You can keep being Mr. Fix-It for free…
OR...
Landlords are lazy.
Yep, we said it.
How else do you explain the guy who thinks watching an episode of Cops counts as tenant screening?
Look, screening tenants is important.
But there are some lines you just can't cross.
Like a tenant's arrest record.
Just because someone got...
It doesn’t feel right.
But you know it’s gotta get done...
Your tenant says they can’t leave because, well... they’ve got nowhere to go.
Like that somehow means they’ve hit the jackpot and get to stay at your place rent-free.
Rent’s not getting paid,...
Look, we get it.
Google is free.
And you've got a printer.
But here's the thing:
Leases are legal documents (shocker, right?!?)
And when things go sideways with a tenant, that "cut-and-paste" lease from 2009 ain't saving you.
So, your tenant toured the place, smiled, nodded, and signed on...
You've got one Tenant.
Just one.
He hasn't paid rent in three months.
He's turned your property into a petting zoo.
And ghosts your calls like you're trying to sell life insurance.
So, what do you do?
You could sit there, fingers crossed, hoping he magically turns into the renter of...
There's a rumor making the rounds...
You know the one.
If one tenant screws up, you've gotta evict everyone.
Yeah, no.
It's like throwing out the whole bag of chips because one went stale — total waste.
So, let's stay you've got two tenants in one place.
One's a dream — pays...
We almost stepped in it, y'all.
Ever been so close to a rookie mistake that you could taste it?
Like when you're about to leave the house and realize you've still got your pajama bottoms on?
That was us this week.
We were this close to firing off an eviction notice to a Section 8...
You won't believe this...
Two tenants.
One loud dog.
And a letter that would make your grandma blush.
Tenant A is done with Tenant B's dog, Clifford, who never stops barking.
So Tenant A slips a not-so-nice letter under the door — think a wild mix between a diary entry and a roast, but...
Words that make your day:
"Nah, you're good. No need for that."
For Illinois landlords, that's like spotting a unicorn.
Because there's always a hoop, right?
A form to file.
An email to send at 11:59 p.m. when you're two deep into your Netflix binge.
This comes up a lot when a...
It's your lucky day:
Your Tenant is handy.
Good with a wrench.
Knack for painting.
Stuff like that.
So when the sink leaks, let them handle it (and shave some off the rent).
Win-win, right?
Wrong.
What's the big deal?
Well, if something goes wrong or they get hurt - you're liable.
Plus, there's...
Have we not learned our lesson yet...
You're itching to kick out that deadbeat tenant.
They're three months behind on rent.
And their "emotional support" alligator is wreaking havoc on the joint.
There you are.
Bolt cutters ready.
New locks in hand.
"We Will Rock You" queued upon on Spotify....