12 years later, and suddenly 12 years have passed - true story.
Now, I have had some really really good tenants... and some on the other side of that spectrum...
My Business model.
Now, I only do (if it is a real thing) medium term rentals, you know six months in the winter and four-five months in the summer, so everything has a fixed ending; sometimes I'll extend but everything that starts, has that fixed finish.
Here are a couple of examples some of the 'fun' tenants I have had...
The deaf alcoholic...
She arrived with her mother who seemed really really angry with her. She drove her up to Big White with all her stuff, she helped unload and take everything up the entrance stairs to the place.
We only met as she moved in, everything had been done via email. Anyway she told me she was a teacher... then told me she was deaf... she had a dog - cool, I like dogs... she was incredibly thin - like sickly thin... she had just bought a new car... and because she was a teacher was going to tutor from her new place 'huh? this is Big White', I thought, but whatever.
Her mother left, well, stormed off actually and left her with me. She kept mentioning "new start, new start, private tutoring, I'll build up my client base" etc. Again 'huh?' I thought, 'you're only here for four months... but' again, 'whatever.'
Deaf...? Well, she combined a hearing aid with lip reading.
Her mother had given me her number in case of emergencies... a bit weird I thought because this woman must have been mid 40's... but again, whatever.
Yes, Alcoholic...
Bad? It was so bad an ambulance came to take her to the hospital numerous times... but she would just check herself out... find more alcohol... come back up the mountain... drink more... start screaming.
And that car...? Oh yes. I was driving up Big White road one time and I see it half on and half off a forestry road. Apparently she had run out of alcohol, driven into Kelowna, bought more alcohol and then driven off the road... hitch hiked back up to the village, nope not to go home... but to go find more alcohol...
Obviously I realized why her mom had given me her number... I realized why her mom was so angry when I first met them... and I realized why her mom was so angry when she came to pick her up, and take her away...
'Never rent to roofers.' A number of people had told me. "Ha! What are they talking about? I know roofers, my friend's son is a roofer, those people know nothing."
I cannot remember his real name so I'll call him Jon.
Jon came from Vancouver, had just split with his wife (er those alarm bells didn't ring...) had a contract in Kelowna, needed a place for a few months - great.
The rent.
Jon paid his first month, but his debit card didn't work when he needed to pay his second month... 'his wife had emptied his account' apparently. "Don't worry." He said, "I'll sort it out..." He said... ha! I don't think I saw another penny.
The brother... and his family.
I went to Jon's place; someone else was living there. "Who are you?"
"I'm Dave, my brother said we" (a family of four apparently) "could stay for a while." He said.
"Where is your brother? He's not paid rent."
"He'll be back... tomorrow, a few days, next week... never."
The brother and family seemed really nice... at the start. But after a couple weeks, a month, with no rent being paid, or electric, gas, insurance, water, cable, internet... I'm getting concerned. I don't want to kick this young family out, but you know, I have my own family to try and support. "You can't just kick renters out." He told me.
"You are not a renter, you're a trespasser... your brother was a renter and he has disappeared back to Vancouver."
"Well, we've go nowhere to go..."
I thought I was really nice to them, I let them stay for months, they never paid any rent... of course they promised numerous times but you know... He told me he was struggling with Bi-polar disorder... okay, but I still cannot afford to support you and your family.
Eventually I convinced them to leave - it was kind of amicable... "we've left some garbage" he told me "sorry". I didn't really care at the time, I just needed him out.
Now you think after parasiting off of me for four months they could at least clean... or even take the garbage down to the garage waste bins... or not steal my furniture... or electronics (x-box and a bunch of games...) you'd think eh?
He called me up all mad "Why did you call the police!??"
"You stole from me."
"Well... you didn't have to call the police!"
"What should I have done? You owe me thousands in rent, thousands in stolen goods, and you're not answering, my calls or emails?"
He promised to return the stolen items... ha!.
But that story didn't end there. A few weeks later after not returning the $1000's of stolen items, he calls me up. "My son left some remote control cars there..." He tells me.
"Pick them up when you bring my stuff back." I suggest.
He's mad again "Can you not send them?!!"
"I'll send them when you send me my stuff, or you pay for it."
And just in case you're wondering... nope I never got anything back, the police never did anything and he never paid me... fun times.
Seasonal Staff.
It is what I started with. Yes I have had some challenging ones but 12 years of as many as 25 properties under management each year... I've decided, they are the best - you guys are the best! I don't rent to anyone but seasonal staff these days.
They are AWESOME!
If you're still reading, thanks! But back to my business model.
- I rent direct from owners.
- I guarantee the owners rent - my company still pays the owner even if the tenants are delinquent.
- Because I guarantee rent, I am very careful with the tenants I choose. Really? Yep, true story.
Solido Properties Ltd has been renting, owning, buying, selling, managing, renovating, suffering, enjoying, repairing and and and... cleaning... lots... since 2012. If you're looking for an alternative to vacation rentals or looking for longer mid season (5-12 week) bookings. Contact us through our (what you will discover) rubbish website or via email at solidorentals@gmail.com or even through our Facebook page here.
And if you are seasonal staff looking for summer or seasonal rentals, reach out to us too.
