The tenant, a female part time student, has signed a 6 months rental agreement (3/1/04 - 8/31/04) with us to rent one of the bedroom in our condo, my daughter, a full time student, is living there with her. She first agreed for 12 months lease, then said 6 months after she moved in. We changed the rental agreement from 12 months to 6 months lease for her anyway.
The tenant informed me on 4/29/04 that her mother is ill, she need to stay and take care of her, also she got laid off and can not afford to pay the rent anymore. She offered me to keep the deposit (one month rent) but she also want to stay 2 more weeks for using the deposit.
We told her we would accept her offer to keep the deposit but she need to move out right the way. She can pay for any additional days if she want to stay longer, because we have alreay let her move in on 2/21/04, 9 days before 3/1/04 without charging her rent. Also she only paid 1/3 instead of 1/2 of gas bill for the first 30 days to help her out.
She moved out most of her stuff on 5/3/04 and supposed to move all her stuff (futon bed in the garage, excerise machine in the finished walkout basement, fish tank in the living room and etc...) and clean the room yesterday as she agreed but was not very happy and willing to. She did not show up and did not call me at all. She still owe us 4 day's rent as of yesterday plus 25 days's estimated gas and electricity bill charge.
We don't know her very well. She seems changed her mind easily and could not keep her promises. She agreed to give us a copy of her driver's license for our record, then asked why we need it and refused later on. We did not bother to ask her anymore. So basically we only know her name, that's all.
What is our right as a landlord? What is the best/resonable way to handle this case? How long should we wait before take any action?
as of 5/11/04:
The tenant still did not contact us or left us a forwarding address 4 days after she moved out. It's required by law. That means she waived her right to ask for the deposit back. Also she did tell me to keep the deposit due to her early termination of rental agreement by phone.
Should We assume she completely moved out? left whatever she does not want in the condo? She told me by phone on 4/29/04 about her early termination of the lease and agreed to send me a check to pay for her gas and electricity bill plus a few day's rent. but we have not received yet.
We will try to find a renter with all our effort. I have called her father to expain to him about the situcation. But he never not call me back either, he said he will talk to her.
I found her father's phone number on swithboard.com, but the address is not available. We knew the city he lives in the state and she mentioned to me when she first came to see our condo. I was in the condo once to see my daughter, I saw a mail (P.O box, I didn't remember) coming from the city her father lives and the same last name, so I assumed that her father. That's how I found her father's home phone #.
She did give us back the door/mail box key and garage door opener on 5/3/04. If that means she told us she completely moved out and left whatever she did not in the condo?
Need your advice how long should we hold her stuff if we find a renter by Michigan law
The tenant informed me on 4/29/04 that her mother is ill, she need to stay and take care of her, also she got laid off and can not afford to pay the rent anymore. She offered me to keep the deposit (one month rent) but she also want to stay 2 more weeks for using the deposit.
We told her we would accept her offer to keep the deposit but she need to move out right the way. She can pay for any additional days if she want to stay longer, because we have alreay let her move in on 2/21/04, 9 days before 3/1/04 without charging her rent. Also she only paid 1/3 instead of 1/2 of gas bill for the first 30 days to help her out.
She moved out most of her stuff on 5/3/04 and supposed to move all her stuff (futon bed in the garage, excerise machine in the finished walkout basement, fish tank in the living room and etc...) and clean the room yesterday as she agreed but was not very happy and willing to. She did not show up and did not call me at all. She still owe us 4 day's rent as of yesterday plus 25 days's estimated gas and electricity bill charge.
We don't know her very well. She seems changed her mind easily and could not keep her promises. She agreed to give us a copy of her driver's license for our record, then asked why we need it and refused later on. We did not bother to ask her anymore. So basically we only know her name, that's all.
What is our right as a landlord? What is the best/resonable way to handle this case? How long should we wait before take any action?
as of 5/11/04:
The tenant still did not contact us or left us a forwarding address 4 days after she moved out. It's required by law. That means she waived her right to ask for the deposit back. Also she did tell me to keep the deposit due to her early termination of rental agreement by phone.
Should We assume she completely moved out? left whatever she does not want in the condo? She told me by phone on 4/29/04 about her early termination of the lease and agreed to send me a check to pay for her gas and electricity bill plus a few day's rent. but we have not received yet.
We will try to find a renter with all our effort. I have called her father to expain to him about the situcation. But he never not call me back either, he said he will talk to her.
I found her father's phone number on swithboard.com, but the address is not available. We knew the city he lives in the state and she mentioned to me when she first came to see our condo. I was in the condo once to see my daughter, I saw a mail (P.O box, I didn't remember) coming from the city her father lives and the same last name, so I assumed that her father. That's how I found her father's home phone #.
She did give us back the door/mail box key and garage door opener on 5/3/04. If that means she told us she completely moved out and left whatever she did not in the condo?
Need your advice how long should we hold her stuff if we find a renter by Michigan law
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