Landlord Horror Stories You’ll Never Have to Experience

December 7th, 2021

As a turnkey rental property landlord, you rarely have to deal directly with tenants. If you buy your turnkey property through MartelTurnkey, you never have to deal with tenants. Every one of our turnkey properties is sold with a property management company already in place. That means you’ll never have to experience the kinds of horror stories that some other landlords have had to deal with over the years. We’ve assembled some of the worst stories about being a landlord for your reading pleasure, because, well…you’re safe!

 

Shoot ‘em Up Tenants

 

According to a story shared online, one landlord dealt with problematic tenants in a Section 8 building he managed. Evictions were common. But one previous tenant stands out because he apparently got it into his head that using firearms inside the rental unit was a good idea. He “accidentally” fired straight into the apartment below, which happened to have several small children in residence. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but that particular eviction notice was a challenging one to deliver.

 

Avid Cooks

 

Another landlord horror story is the one about the tenants who were avid cooks. Their interest in the kitchen amenities didn’t pertain to hosting dinner parties, however. They used the rental property for their meth kitchen, brewing up all manner of illegal substances inside the landlord’s property. But the worst part came when the cops were called and the landlord received a late night phone call about having to answer some serious questions. Downtown.

 

Fire it Up!

 

When an enterprising real estate investor purchased a rental property in foreclosure, he knew he would have to give notice to the existing tenants. A generous 60-day notice was given according to state laws. The next day, the house was in the news after a fire had broken out. Thankfully, the fire department acted quickly and the house was saved. Whew! However, the next day, yet another fire erupted in the house, this time with complete destruction of the property. Very suspicious, indeed.

 

Nothing to See Here, Folks

 

When a real estate investor rented to a law enforcement officer, he considered it a job well done. Even the neighbors would be glad to have a police officer living in the area, he thought. The landlord’s occasional drive-by’s all looked good. The grass was mowed and it looked like all was well, even though the tenant repeatedly declined yearly inspections. Of course, when the cop moved out eventually, the truth came out. The tenant had been raising reptiles and the place was literally crawling with bugs. There was also a lovely rodent—and we mean the yucky kind, not cuddly hamsters—infestation. 

 

Fluffy Stays

 

Most landlords don’t mind it too much if a tenant leaves behind this or that. As long as the tenant wasn’t a full-blown hoarder, a few boxes or scattered toys are no big deal, right. But one landlord got a very, very big surprise when the tenant left behind an old couch, plus a 6-foot pet Python. It was in a cage, though, so no problem, right?

 

Landlording dates back hundreds of years. No doubt there are some horror stories dating that far back, as well. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about any of those things. When you buy from MartelTurnkey, you get quality, screened tenants, a property management company and protection from the kinds of scenarios you just read about. We’ve written a lot about the benefits of owning a turnkey rental property, but these stories really illuminate just how bad the alternative is. When you’re ready to earn passive income as a turnkey rental landlord, please get in touch with us!

 

 

Customer Testimonial:

 

 

“We hit some rough water with the bank but MartelTurnkey is tops in my book. Communication, which is the biggest key in long distance real estate transactions, was as good as it gets, got my questions answered promptly and they helped me work with the bank.”

 

~ Ron, Northridge, CA

 

 

 

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