Re: Tenant filing false complaint to claim retaliation - Landlord Forum thread 199232

While I've strongly considered kicking them out, there are a few reasons I've held back. I'm relatively new at this so tell me if I'm misguided.

They were homeowners but were foreclosed on when the husband lost his job - they are now renting a property well below the standard they were used to (source of the problems I think), but they have the ability to pay.

I'm fairly certain they understand if I file anything in court, they are screwed in terms of finding another place to live with both a foreclosure and eviction on record.

There are very few 3 br houses available in our area, and none that accept dogs which means they don't have a real alternative.

I am not a slumlord and believe I have been very accommodating to their initial demands (putting locks on the old garage, adding more insulation to the basement, etc.). However, since they've continued to push (they deducted the cost of mouse traps and caulk from a payment), I've pushed back and they pay up.

While I admit it can be a pain in the ass, I am on the right side of the law and know how to use it (well...I'll reserve judgement until Monday's inspection), and I'm getting timely payments.

So, put up with their complaints as long as rent is paid, or try to kick them out and risk a battle and no rental income?

Or am I naive to think keeping them in their will work out okay in the end?

Another option is to have them go month-to-month when the current lease ends. You can write up a MTM rental agreement that says everything a yearly lease does, except that's it does not have an end date. It automatically renews each month unless either party gives written notice of termination.

Maybe if they know you can terminate them that easily, they'll be better tenants.