Almost a year later....

Well, adventures in housing continue.

It makes me rather sad, but have learned the hard way why so many landlords are so very unreasonable.

They have to be!

Otherwise, you get burned. Repeatedly.

Eventually you learn, I guess.

We tried allowing pets. That SO didn't work.

Everyone SWEARS that their animals are fixed and fully trained, and that they will be responsible for them and clean up after them and....and....and....

We've had 2 tenants with cats. First one wasn't too bad, although after he left we discovered bags and bags of dirty kitty litter stored in the room. And, of course, cat wasn't fixed.

Tried again with another seemingly sweet young lady who turned into a tenant from hell. Unfixed, of course - and female; constantly in heat and attracting many, many strays, who sprayed everywhere. Not okay. When I insisted she get it fixed or get it out, she shorted the rent "so that she could afford to fix it" ....and STILL didn't do it. Not only that, once I wasn't there as often, she decided she didn't like the dirty kitty litter in her room so moved it to the empty room and apparently never changed it again. JUST the sort of thing one wants when showing a room to a potential tenant. NOT!

Once she decided to move out, too, she gave up cleaning up after it - cat puke left to dry for days in my office; nice welcome home present.

We didn't fare much better with dogs: again, one was more or less okay. The second was a horrible experience; owner turned out to be total jerk, and the dog showed it. Part of the problem was that Scrooge is only there part time ... which was confusing for the poor dumb mutt. He got to be dominant most of the time, but then when we would show up with Scrooge he had to back down.

And of course, unfixed Rottie - backing down was not his favourite thing. Made one heck of a mess of our bed showing his displeasure. Every time he was able to get in there, he left a pile - right on the bed!!! And his owner thought it EXTREMELY unreasonable of us to expect that he clean it up.

Anyway ... we can be taught and unfortunately, that means that we can no longer accomodate pets. Which makes me sad, but what can you do?

Fortunately, most tenants are not as obnoxious as those 2 were.... but they have changed our approach to landlording (is that a word? LOL) Am being a lot more careful about checking references, requiring first & last up front, and going with my gut.