How to Live for Free in Charlotte, NC

Landlords who own older, neglected properties in this area BEWARE! Before you rent your property to anyone, get a list of violations from the city housing code and N.C. statues and following them to the letter or you could end up with one of these tenants:

They move in then stop paying rent. You file an eviction and go to court about 2-3 weeks later. The tenant brings photos of anything that is on one of the lists above:
1. The vinyl has cuts in it
2. There's not enough weather stripping around my door
3. The screen on my window has a hole in it.
4. I didn't have hot water for 2 weeks (even when I didn't let anyone at the office know).

Judges are ruling in favor of these tenants. No eviction and they don't have to pay the rent they owe you.
So, they continue to stay in the apartment and not pay rent. You fix everything, go back to court and whoops:
1. The bathroom door doesn't lock
2. I have roaches
etc.

Judge rules in favor of tenants. No eviction and they don't have to pay the rent they owe you.

So, you spend $3,000 updating the apartment. New floor covering, treatment after treatment for roaches,
new screens, new locks on all interior doors.

They still don't pay rent....

Then, they get an attorney through Legal Aide, who cites you as well.

Heaven forbid if you lease through Housing Authority. They go into rent abatement for water stains on the ceiling (might be mold, so you have to hire a professional company to test it and certify what it is then pay for professional mold remediation.) Kilz upshot won't help you here.

We've even tried making deals with a couple of these tenants to just leave and forget the rent they owe...NO WAY!

We've offered one tenant 2 deals to get out. They are still there, owe $5000+ rent, and even though we were cited by the City of Charlotte and fixed everything they listed, someone different was called in and they found more.

Beware, Charlotte is a great place to live for savvy tenants and no place to hire maintenance staff that are not top in their field. :sick: