Tenants and Fireplaces, Wood and Pellet Stoves

[ultrarunner]

I'm fast becoming a fan of never renting anything with a wood burner...

My tenant was complaining the Insert was not drawing well so I came to investigate...

Turns out they had burned a whole cord of Green Pine... because I asked what happened to the split pile of pine just outside the fence... I was told it was really hard to burn and sizzled a lot but once it got going it was OK...

When to look at the chimney cap and it is coated so much you can reach and pull off the creosote.

Beginning to wonder how the human race has made it this far...

In Washington, I have a Pellet Stove that works great and had to pay for a service call because that tenant said it stopped working... the tech found the bag of pellets had turned to mush... had been left out in the rain...

 

[David Wayne]

Some people are destined to be tenants. If they were owners they would learn not to do those things because it causes problems and more work for them.
As a tenant it just causes more work for you. I had a rental house many years ago, first tenants complained of rats and mice. found out they were raising rabbits in the basement.
Straw and open feed bags-why do we have rats duh.

 

[ultrarunner]

Good point and one I need to remember...

Could just be after 30+ years with rentals I slowly becoming the grumpy old guy.

It does seem that common sense is becoming less common.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I'm fast becoming a fan of never renting anything with a wood burner...

My tenant was complaining the Insert was not drawing well so I came to investigate...

Turns out they had burned a whole cord of Green Pine... because I asked what happened to the split pile of pine just outside the fence... I was told it was really hard to burn and sizzled a lot but once it got going it was OK...

When to look at the chimney cap and it is coated so much you can reach and pull off the creosote.

Beginning to wonder how the human race has made it this far...

I have a Pellet Stove that works great and had to pay for a service call because it stopped working... the tech found the bag of pellets had turned to mush... had been left out in the rain...

IF you had instructions and/or resitrictions available on the use of the stove (how to use, types of wood, maintenance, etc), then charge them for the chimney sweep.. I have done this for septic systems and won in court 'cause the instructions are in the lease and required to read with initials and signature.

If you didnt have instructions and restrictions, you are stuck with the costs now, but can make up a set and add it as an addendum to the lease.

 

[ultrarunner]

I provide a binder referenced as Lease Addendum with instructions, tips and appliance manuals.

Septic and Wood Burning seem to be the problem areas...

The included Buck Stove manual is quite specific about avoiding green wood with high moisture and provides information about different wood species.

Prior the biggest issue has been with using the stoves as trash burners... plastic wraps and general trash.

 

[CurlyDave]

I'm fast becoming a fan of never renting anything with a wood burner...

Turns out they had burned a whole cord of Green Pine... because I asked what happened to the split pile of pine just outside the fence... I was told it was really hard to burn and sizzled a lot but once it got going it was OK...

Tenants are tenants because they do not know how to take care of a lot of things. IMHO you have to take some responsibility for this because you left the cord of green pine there. What did you expect them to do -- buy seasoned wood when there was free wood available?

 

[turnkey4099]

I provide a binder referenced as Lease Addendum with instructions, tips and appliance manuals.

Septic and Wood Burning seem to be the problem areas...

The included Buck Stove manual is quite specific about avoiding green wood with high moisture and provides information about different wood species.

Prior the biggest issue has been with using the stoves as trash burners... plastic wraps and general trash.

A set of instructions without the tenants signature might as well not be there at all. You have to show they read it...or at least said they read it by signing.

 

[ultrarunner]

The cord actually belonged to my neighbor... he used my splitter and the trees were suppose to be on the property line and said I had no use for the wood and it was cheaper for the tree guy to leave the rounds rather than us paying to have them hauled.

I told the neighbor I was fine with him leaving them neatly stacked to season... the stack could be seen from either home and we both have acreage...

My surprise came when I mentioned it to the neighbor I noticed he had moved the stack and he said he thought I did???

In the scheme of things this would rate very low... but I still can't understand using a buck stove to burn wood so green it sizzles and takes forever to catch...

 

[ultrarunner]

A set of instructions without the tenants signature might as well not be there at all. You have to show they read it...or at least said they read it by signing.

All I have is the written lease where they initialed receiving the binder... heck, on occasion, I have had tenants that refuse to read the lease... especially when I was managing Section 8 rentals... they said they read it all before and simply signed.

 

[mrmikey]

I had a property with a basement apartment, we lived it the upper. Beside us was a 4 unit building the the owner asked us if we'd be interested in looking after, sure couple hundred bucks here and there was great.....not. I wasn't responsible for renting, just upkeep. I've come to the conclusion people are pigs.

One upper unit you could see their back deck, which was their second means of exit, from our back steps.

This woman moved in, not bad looking neither. After she was there for a couple of days I asked her to get rid of the broke down cardboard boxes on the back deck as you'd have to walk over them if you had to get out in a hurry. Numerous times I asked her over the course of two weeks or so, never moved at all. Turned out she was turning tricks for shy of a month before the owner kicked her out. Wondered what all the traffic was LOL.

Anyway, I went over to clean up and get it ready to show. First order of business was to get rid of the boxes, so over I go with a big garbage bag and rubber gloves. I bent over and almost lost my balance, seemed like I couldn't get my eyes focused on the pile ..it seemed like it was moving. It was, she had been dumping cat litter under the top flattened box and it was CRAWLING with maggotts, I **** near ralphed

So here was the wife on the other side of the fence **** near rolling on the floor laughing at me while I made all kind of not pleasant sounds cleaning it up.

That was just one instance of a problem, anyway, never again would I rent an apartment for me or anyone else...............Mike

 

[ultrarunner]

For the last 16 years I have been transitioning out of residential and into commercial... find it much preferred as it is business to business and Triple Net Leases cover mostly just the space...

I do have a few where I am responsible for the roof or roof and septic.

 

[greenmojo]

I provide a binder referenced as Lease Addendum with instructions, tips and appliance manuals.

Septic and Wood Burning seem to be the problem areas...

The included Buck Stove manual is quite specific about avoiding green wood with high moisture and provides information about different wood species.

Prior the biggest issue has been with using the stoves as trash burners... plastic wraps and general trash.

Serious!?

I don't think I'd have thought of worrying about a tenant burning their trash in the stove / fireplace. Wow.

I don't have any rental properties yet, but have thought about it. Reading these stories is helpful.

~Moses

 

[ultrarunner]

I did best with simple 3 bedroom 1 bath single family homes of about 1100 square feet... the kind set up for free standing appliances... simple and clean.

The larger more upscale homes generally are a negative when it comes to renting... lots more to go wrong, more to paint, carpet, etc...

If the home is too large you may end up with a dozen people... seriously here in the SF Bay Area plus junk accumulates exponentially based on size.

I also like duplex and triplexes if the layout is good... preferably the entrances/yards are separated so each doesn't have much interaction.

The reason for my transition to commercial has a lot to do with renting in the SF Bay Area... many new requirements on Landlords with Just Cause Eviction Statutes, Rent Control, Business Licenses, Occupancy Taxes and Moratoriums on Rent Increases...

It has gotten to the point with Just Cause that an owner can only require a tenant to vacate from a narrowly approved list of acceptable reasons...

In the old days a Landlord could simply decide not to renew the lease... that is not an option anymore and thus the owner must have a Just Cause validated by the city or the tenant can stay.

 

[CurlyDave]

...I don't think I'd have thought of worrying about a tenant burning their trash in the stove / fireplace. Wow...

~Moses

When I installed security cameras in a 4-plex, we had to access the attic to run cables. We discovered that about 15 years previously a tenant had put their garbage in the attic rather than taking it to the provided dumpster. Dirty diapers, used feminine hygiene products, a wonderful discovery. Almost a cubic yard of this stuff. We got the approximate date from the empty prescription bottles.

This happened on the watch of the previous owner, and the building, including the attics had presumably been inspected prior to our purchase.

Never use that inspection company again.

OTOH, local rents have really taken off in the past two years and we are doing OK on the building, so a few issues are not that bad to deal with. If we were losing money I would be less happy.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've discovered a few things up in attic spaces... like a tenant that used speaker wire to steal power from the adjoining unit... no idea how long it had been going on... a real potential fire hazard too... happens with cable more often.

The wood burning problems with tenants could soon be a mute point... there is a move to disable/remove fireplaces when a property changes ownership... we already have some change of ownership requirements like sewer lateral, copper pipe, smoke detectors, etc... so removing the wood burning capability could become reality...

Rents should be rising but for existing tenants the city has mandated a moratorium on all residential rent increases... which hurts owners that have not been pushing through the maximum annual allowed rent increases under Rent Control...

Many nearby cites are also enacting first time ever rent ordinances...

 

[greenmojo]

I've discovered a few things up in attic spaces... like a tenant that used speaker wire to steal power from the adjoining unit... no idea how long it had been going on... a real potential fire hazard too... happens with cable more often.

The wood burning problems with tenants could soon be a mute point... there is a move to disable/remove fireplaces when a property changes ownership... we already have some change of ownership requirements like sewer lateral, copper pipe, smoke detectors, etc... so removing the wood burning capability could become reality...

Rents should be rising but for existing tenants the city has mandated a moratorium on all residential rent increases... which hurts owners that have not been pushing through the maximum annual allowed rent increases under Rent Control...

Many nearby cites are also enacting first time ever rent ordinances...

I'm here in central Washington, new construction and I installed two wood burning fireplaces. Funny to think some areas would be forcing their removal, while I am installing them. I have no problem burning their wood for them!

~Moses

 

[alchemysa]

From experience. Never rent out a place that has a fireplace or slow combustion stove. Once the good wood is burnt they will start burning any green rubbish they can get hold of. They will leave it unattended. They will burn the carpet or floorboards. They will keep it going even if they have burnt a hole through the stove or flue. They will fill the house with smoke so many times you will have to repaint most of the rooms. So, remove or padlock the fireplace,... or ask for a $5000 bond.

 

[Omega Woods]

^This +10

I would never allow my tenants to burn wood in any of my units. Way too much liability and risk. I'd let them have six cats before I'd allow them to burn wood!

My 2 cents.

 

[ultrarunner]

The wood burner with the problem is in Oakland...

I do have a fireplace insert, a pedestal wood stove and a pellet stove in the rental in Washington...

The pellet stove has been an issue several times... the last time the pellets were wet like a sponge from being left out...

In Austria I have a Kachelofen Tile Stove... it does have a padlock!