How do you handle the tenant for whom things are just not right?

We have one right now. I rented to the wife Ann initially. She is a very sweet American girl who found love and marriage while living abroad. The husband Massimo is an Italian national and was to join her a few months later. Well, Massimo is here now sitting on the couch watching soap operas and finding things for the landlord to fix.

The list was long and arrived by text. It included items like the toilet seat is worn. There is a leak under the sink. The window does not stay up by itself. The screen door needs painting. The auto lighter on one burner of the stove does not work. We would like a new metal screen door. Etc, etc, etc.

How did I respond? Cheerfully, I triaged the list. I called her immediately and told her what I would fix and what she could pay for. For instance, I am happy to fix all leaks, re screen windows and repair the auto lighter on the stove. I am legally required to repair health and safety items. I even threw in a new toilet seat. It is cheap enough and if it will make them happy, ok. However, any upgrades to the apartment are the tenant’s financial responsibility. An expensive metal door was not previously agreed upon. When they found out what the cost to them would be, they were somewhat less interested.

In the case of this particular unit, it was completely renovated just before Ann moved in. The unit was spotless! Massimo’s fix it list seems to me to be a bit of Italian machismo. The equivalent of pissing on a fire hydrant. That is ok. He is getting some attention and hopefully he will be settling in soon having marked his territory and the peace and quiet will resume.

Hopefully…