Tenants. . .

[marsidotes]

We've got two tenants from the local university living in what used to be my Dad's rooms before he passed away. They have their own entrance and their own bathroom, their own beds and each one has a desk. They also have kitchen privileges. This is the second year they are with us. Recently we learned that they purchased an electric space heater and

Comments

[sweetmeow]

OMG. This problem you have with them keeps on keeping on! I have never had a tenant, so I am clueless what you can and cannot do. An electric space heater uses mega juice. That would be expensive. Do they REALLY want the room to be 80 degrees??????

Do you have a lease with them? If so - when is the lease up? Or - is it month to month?

Also -- where is the thermostat? Could that room be more naturally cold (too many windows or not enough heating units)? We have a room like that. The heat in our house is not as even as we'd like. But - blocking the heating units would make a naturally cold room colder, for sure. Also -- is the space heater close to the thermostat? Also if the heat from a space heater comes in contact with the thermostat to your home heating, the thermostat won't ask for heat, making the rest of the house cold.

Telling them they can't use the space heater may make them leave, but I think you have the right to do that -- especially since the room is 80 degrees. That is out of line and unnaturally warm! You may have reached the point that if they leave it is best. If they leave, would it be difficult to get other (better) tenants?

I know you've had the conversation, so I guess they simply DO NOT GET that putting a bed, then suitcases in front of a heating unit will block off heat circulation to the room, and it will be cold. Plus - it is not good for the suitcase and other objects that come in contact with constant heat. Also -- is it a fire hazard to have things totally covering the heating units - depending on whether the heating unit gets too hot?

In winter you wear sweatshirts / sweaters, long pants. When cold -- I add another layer of clothing - or wrap in a blanket if I'm just reading. Shorts and t-shirts in winter? If they were my CHILDREN, I'd tell them to change clothes, but tenants. Not sure you can.

I just don't know what you should do, but I do think you have the right to ask them not to use the space heater -- or -- if you allow it -- the temperature in the room can't go above a certain temperature that you designate. But - then, who will monitor that?

You could charge them a heating surcharge to their rent, but deciding how much extra to charge would be tricky. Might not go over well. Their heat use has to be paid somehow, though.

I'm not good at this since I've never had any tenants, but I'm just throwing out any and all ideas I have.

Good luck, and let me know how this turns out.

[marsidotes]

I try to tell them that shorts and a t-shirt is no appropriate when they tell me their cold. John still wears shorts around the house, but he's not putting the house to 80... they have really been a pain lately. Not even a modicum of respect. . . I'm not a prejudiced person, but the one boy is a Muslin and I know what kind of respect they have for women. He takes his ear plug out for a minute and say. . . I'm studying and puts it back in. . . the other guy (with the shorts) looks at me like I'm crazy... like they are just going to do whatever they damn well please. I try to tell them to put their suitcases in the closet and he says, there's no room.

[sweetmeow]

Time for new tenants. Surely you can find better ones without too much hassle...?!

You're right that Muslim men don't think of women as equals - so - of course it would be more difficult to talk to them and get respect. Maybe John can get through to them?

[marsidotes]

Hey Wendy. . . I noticed that I never got back to you. Thank you for your valued suggestions. As it turned out, the matter was never settled, but when they moved out, I wrote up a bill estimated by the PSEG people for how much the heater was using for the hours and days they used it and took the money out of their security deposit. :)

[sweetmeow]

OMG - that was so long ago! I'm glad you got it resolved - even if it was out of their security deposit. Good Solution!