8 posts from September 2009

If this messes up.

I have new tenants starting in October.
They are not exactly, totally, on target for what we're looking for.
(UC grad students, postdocs, that kind of thing.)
Yes, he's a student.
But not at UC, rather he's at the local art college.
And his girlfriend is a waitress, thinking about coming back to school.
But they seem really nice.
And they like the apartment, in the way that it should be liked by someone living there.
If they are going to be happy.
And, besides that, they have

Two Rescued Rabbits.
 

Indoor-only kitteh from in back just came wandering into my kitchen.
Again.
The second time they've just let him out to stray.
No collar, no one watching.
It's not that I don't think he's safe - the yard and whole area is very cat-friendly.
And not that I don't love to see him.
But the kids who are moving out
(Thank you, powers that be!)
Are being really flaky.
And not around much.
I'm a bit disturbed by the feel of this.

To show the unit, we had to go clean it up for them, including kitteh's box which was icky.
And sweep the porch off, and clear space on the floor of the apartment for people to be able to walk through, and the like.
And recycle a crapload of bottles.
They seem not to have the concept of giving the beer bottles a quick rinse, so the whole trash area was smelling like a brewery.
In fact they throw everything into the recycling unwashed, ick. ick. ick.
Oh, and even though the whole apartment was just painted about 2 years ago, I seriously need to repaint it.
Including the front door which someone has been putting out cigarettes against.
Sigh.

And now I've just discovered they are screwing over the girl who moved-out.
I mean, beyond just playing Nasty Girls with her to get her to move out.
(Current tenant told her they both had to go cos she'd arranged to move out, and as soon as Old Tenant signed a new lease announced Oops, I'm staying after all.)
But with the deposit here is the deal.
See, the two original girls moved in, each paying half the deposit.
When the first one moved out - August 15th - the remaining roommate was supposed to pay that departing roommate back for her share of the deposit.
I continue holding the entire deposit, cos the lease is still continuing.
And then the remaining tenant gets the new moving-in person to reimburse her for the money she just paid to the girl who left.
That way the one who has left is done with the place, and the people living there both have a financial stake in the condition they leave it in.
Then, when the last lot leave, I pay the one remaining original tenant all the deposit I'm holding and she and her subtenant work it all out.

Well, I just found out the girl who moved out hasn't been paid any money by her old roommate.
And I found it out from her, not from the remaining kid, a girl who has talked with me about getting back her deposit and all.
So I was getting ready to hand that kid all the money.
Which would mean the other girl would have come by eventually wondering where her half of it was....

ACK.

So... to get back the the kitteh - which is certainly a better topic and a much nicer place to be.
I have a bad feeling that she is intending to leave it behind when she goes.
She hasn't said anything..
But she seems to be really ignoring it very hard this last couple of weeks
And now it is roaming about on its own, and coming in and eating here.
Dang. I don't need another cat.
But he is a darling, and loves the other cats here.
Dang. Dang.

Maybe I could just drop her off at the Animal Shelter.

DOUBLE ACK.

Did I even mention the furniture from my garage she is using?
When she moved in she didn't have much furniture, so I offered her the use of a dresser I was about to freeccle.
I also said she could look in the storage, and if there was something she could use, to ask me about it.
She never said a word.
I didn't say she could just help herself to stuff.
But I was showing the unit and, uh, surprise!
Familiar stuff.
Ya know - like a small antique sewing table belonging to my great grandmother?
So not okay.
I sent an email saying to just leave it upstairs when she goes.
But now I have to be out there watching to be sure nothing walks away with her...

TRIPLE ACK.

(sooooo ready for her to be gone!)
.

From Miss Cellania:

As you can tell from the title, language warning for people who want to be warned...

I'm back to hawking the place on Craigslist:

Looks okay to me.
(I mean, the photo sucks, but I have to go get some new ones anyway.)
It's fairly private back there.
Cats legal, free private laundry downstairs,  easy walk to campus.

.

But no stainless steel in there, or granite.

Out back unit tenant just gave notice that she's leaving October 1st.
(I'll fudge the 30 day bit for her, cos I know money is an issue, and she can't manage paying double rent.)
The annoying thing is that if she'd done this as of September 1st, life would be ever so much easier, and I would be getting in a graduate student or two who would stay put a couple of years.
Prolly with a cat.
But the term's already begun, and most people are settled in by now.
Not entirely sure why current kid is leaving, but I think it was roommate meltdown.
Or discovering the water bill.
(She somehow had managed not to realize it needed to be paid, and the water company has only just started going after her.)
She's all apologetic and helpful about it all
But still.

Dang.

So I'm just getting the first nibbles, and they are all people who won't want it.
Professional couples who will want their stainless steel whatsies.
The husbands will all kick the metaphorical tires of the place and demonstrate their care for their spouse by being douches about it.
Ya know, just say no and go away - I'm sorry your king-sized bed and monster tv won't fit in the bedroom, but you don't need to treat it as a personal affront.

 
And the rest will be desperate people I won't want.
If I set up Section 8 on the apartment they will never leave.
Because there aren't enough Section 8 units, and they won't be able to afford to leave
So they will stay there forever.
Re-adjusting rents in Berkeley only happens between tenants, except for tiny, tiny cost-of-iving increases set by the city.
So you want the place to turn over every so often so you can do a reality check with where rents are now.
Especially since I have it already listed at the low end for Berkeley - cos I want students.
And already a little lower than that - cos the economy sucks.
And cos I am looking for tenants in OCTOBER.

And, worst of all.

Baby cat will be moving too.
(Curtains stay, though)

Grrrrrrrr.

They are at it again.

I don't even have  a rabbit.

I have no idea what all he's talking about, but this guy posts the most incredible photographs of Japan.
http://orchidolog.vox.com