Tenants and Fireplaces, Wood and Pellet Stoves

[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!