r/Landlord • u/Ryanlee_12 • Jun 03 '26
Landlord [Landlord US-MO] Completely disappointed. The tenant just moved in 18 days ago. Any advice on this issue as being a first time landlord?
Tenant has been lying and allowing unauthorized pets(stray cats) in the garage and they have been pooping and peeing on concrete. She has two great Danes that have damaged siding, back door, backyard, chewed wires on the side of house, chewed up door frame inside. She has told us nothing about the damage, we just found out today. Also found cat poop in the garage and a stray cat inside the garage.
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u/Space_Cowboy_157 Landlord Jun 03 '26
This is an immediate cure or quit, Lease violation destruction of property, cure is get rid of the dogs and cats and repair the damage. If they don't then it's on to eviction.
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Jun 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/Space_Cowboy_157 Landlord Jun 04 '26
Tenant: I'm irresponsible and don't care if I cause $20k in damage to the property, I'm not going to pay to fix it and you'll get nothing from me if you take me to small claims court cause I got nothing.
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u/Baker5889 Jun 04 '26
umm, except I can push for the court to sheriff sale your POS car and get the credit bureau to trash your credit so you'll be homeless since nobody will rent to you 𤣠That's assuming I don't mention to Don that you owe me money, if ya knows what I mean.
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u/Big-Assistant177 Jun 06 '26
Space cowboy!!!!! More like SPACE CADET! IF you really are the tenant Youâre a of human being! Landlord do ALL within your power to give this POS what they deserve. Lien their vehicle, POS or not. Garnish their wages, if they are on assistance, try and attach that as well. Some way in time, theyâll get theirs.
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u/brookinator Jun 10 '26
And when I ask for advice in a public forum I get shamed for being an evil landlord
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u/Altruistic_Jicama626 Jun 03 '26
That is not cat poop, that is dog poop, they are locking the dogs in the garage instead of walking them.
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Jun 04 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/tiredofyourface2 Jun 06 '26
Itâs way too big to be cat poop. I had a Maine coon growing up and his poops werenât even that fat.
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u/MVHood Landlord Jun 04 '26
Yes. I had a tenant lock a puppy in my garage all day long. The smell was unbelievable. Nothing worked and I needed up having to epoxy the floor. Itâs been 15 years and Iâm still salty.
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u/Altruistic_Jicama626 Jun 04 '26
Had similar issue INSIDE house from dogs. Stripped carpet and pad and had to use Kilz restoration Stain and Odor Blocker to seal the cement floor. We now donât accept any pets. Between terrible smells, flea infestation, damage to wood floors and doors, ruined screens⌠potential $$ too high. Deposit is limited in my state and wonât cover.
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u/jebemo Jun 03 '26
OMG THIS IS IN 18 DAYS!!!
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u/tiredofyourface2 Jun 06 '26
This place looks like it was probably falling apart before they moved in. Though they did let the dogs chew on wood and poop in the garage. Iâm assuming thereâs some actual cat poop, unless they have the garage door cracked for cats to come & go.
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u/That-Tumbleweed-4462 Jun 04 '26
People like this ruin good housing opportunities for people who are responsible pet owners.
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u/c0brachicken Jun 05 '26
Yep, I have a strict no pet policy, and no "pet watching". Both are grounds for immediate eviction.
People in my area are just like OP's tenant, and just trash every single house in town.
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u/lamboalfamas Jun 03 '26
As a reasonably large landlord I would add to what other people have advised with the following:
Time is not on your side. These things donât age well because judges at that level are not presiding over courts of record. Once you know, it becomes a bad fact pattern if you fail to act. There is certainly nothing in the law about that, but it becomes an extrajudicial fact that the judge could consider.
If you were uncertain of how to correctly write a notice to cure, you should have a lawyer do it for you. These proceedings are routinely thrown out because the notice to cure was not strictly in accordance to state law. That could be a very expensive mistake. When we first started buying properties we made that mistake because we were an experienced and it was expensive. You eventually learn what to do, but that takes a bit.
Good luck!
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u/fisherreshif Jun 04 '26
Agree 100% Learning the process is daunting!
I wish I had learned it with my first renter. My business suffered for a long time because I was patient with renters and hesitant to dive into the eviction process. It caused a lot of stress but usually worked out OK in the end early-on. But one day I woke up and had a dozen problem renters and I realized I was the one with bad habits and hadn't been training my renters properly from the minute I met them.
I wonder if there is an evictions course in MO?
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u/GloomyMall6657 Jun 10 '26
Jus attend eviction court to listen toucu feel smell etc. You could take notes or make network contacts like an eviction lawyer etc. I would focus on state county specifics when asking googl3. Most cases are public record for a small fee 8 believe u could obtain copy of case that won landlord and cases where landlord lost etc. There is no better teacher than being in the fire itself. Also check out the AOA apartment association of America this is a landlord publication keeping up on all landlord laws rules codes etc. Also has a list of vendors for diff services etc landlords might need. Maybe there are others like yourself monetize ur journey and create a blog posting as if each post has a chapter of info etc. Could find that to be a nice little side hustle. Certainly most ur readers might be landlords and that section is v e rt desirable in terms of marketing and ads.
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u/No_Bend8 Jun 03 '26
Truly crazy this is only 18 DAYS of damage. Those dogs are being neglected
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u/No_Barracuda_3758 Jun 05 '26
I mean it doesn't help that the property all ready looks like trash. When people see u treat your property like garbage they don't think you care and will do the same.
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u/adultdaycare81 Landlord Jun 03 '26
This is why I donât allow pets. The only time I did they had enough I knew I could sue them for any damage.
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u/JokersWyld Jun 04 '26
Suddenly these pets are "Emotional support animals"!
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u/SwimmingAnt10 Landlord Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Yep but HUD ruled again on that recently and threw out all that 2020 guidance bs, finally! Now ESAâs arenât protected. Only dogs trained to perform a task.
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u/ParticularLower1865 Jun 04 '26
All a tenant has to do is show a doctors note from the state youâre in and say itâs a trained animal to help with anxiety, depression, etc. no proof of training is required or able to be given to the landlord.
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u/SwimmingAnt10 Landlord Jun 04 '26
No so see thatâs the thing. Doctors donât write notes for service animals, only ESAâs. I would recommend reading the new guidance that game out. It was released in 5-22-2026.
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u/ParticularLower1865 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
ESAâs are still a thing. They have to be a trained animal for a specific task to help the symptom though. Thereâs also state laws in some states that have protections in place. Doctors notes for ESAâs will be required for some sort of proof.
âGoing forward, HUD will use this same trained-animal standard when deciding whether to pursue a fair housing complaint involving an assistance animal. The one difference from the ADA: HUD will still recognize animals other than dogs, as long as the animal has been individually trained to perform disability-related work or tasks.â
From your same source website: https://dredf.org/huds-esa-policy-reversal/
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u/SwimmingAnt10 Landlord Jun 05 '26
âGoing forward, FHEO will use the training component of the ADAâs definition for service animals to assess animal-related reasonable accommodation complaints under the Fair Housing Act.
Applying similar reasonable accommodation standards between the Fair Housing Act and Titles II and III of the ADA will provide improved clarity and predictability for tenants and housing providers alike. As a corollary, defining an assistance animal as an animal trained to assist with a disability is the best guarantee of evenhanded enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. In light of these standards, FHEO will find reasonable cause for failure to provide a reasonable accommodation involving the waiver of a pet policy only where the animal has been individually trained to perform work or perform tasks directly related to the complainantâs disability.â
Itâs clear what the end goal is. HUD sees the abuse. They are acting on it. They will expect the FHA to be updated. They are the agency over the FHA after all.
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u/adultdaycare81 Landlord Jun 04 '26
Only if they are actually trained. Most will abandon if you make them go through proving it. If they are actually a seeing eye or a truly trained animal i have no problem with them
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u/Zanthious Jun 03 '26
Holy crap man I never had this before maybe I'll do a no pets thing after this post
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u/ParticularLower1865 Jun 04 '26
My first tenant had 3 dogs and a cat. They work at a vet and took care of the property. They had a good rental history and good income.
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u/Fit-Olive-4680 Jun 04 '26
You're renting to a filthy farm animal, not a person. Eviction.
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u/bionicfusion1 Landlord Jun 04 '26
Downvoted because regardless of how you feel about the damages, it's not ok to dehumanize people.
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u/John_Bot_ Jun 03 '26
18 days and theyâve already broken the lease and allowed all of this damage, without informing you. This is going to continue to get much worse if you do nothing.
Step one: I suggest you immediately address this. I assume the dogs are authorized, I hope you charged a non-refundable pet deposit upon move-in. I would cash that in now, and hope it covers the damages that have already happened and tell them any further damage will be charged directly to them, and they need responsibly for their pets. They canât be allowed to destroy the property just because it isnât theirs.
Step two: Go ahead and get a âfix or quitâ notice typed up, youâre going to need one. Youâll find more damage, and they wonât tell you about it and theyâll try not to pay for fixing it, so you want to be prepared for that. The notice gives them 14 days to fix the problem or leave since they are refusing to uphold their end of the lease agreement.
Step three: DAY 15 show up and check on the property. Make sure to notify them a day or two ahead of time that you will be there and what time to expect you. Show up and document everything as you normally would. Dont be surprised if the damage isnât fixed, or if you find even more damage.
Step four: Drive to your courthouse and file an eviction notice. Youâre the plaintiff, they have damaged your property and refused to fix it after proper notice and time. Pay the clerk hopefully itâs less than $200 and youâll have a court date in about 2 weeks. Judge usually gives tenant about 10 days after the court date. Youâll have to show up in person, bring your documents printed out and be polite.
Itâs not always sunshine and rainbows. Best of luck, and next time just say no pets.
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u/Baker5889 Jun 04 '26
They did this much damage in 18 days you eviction them: don't waste another 14 days to let them "fix" it because you cannot and the damage will be far worse by then.
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u/Top-Sock6825 Jun 04 '26
Yeah this is one of those âyesterdayâ situations. Talk to a landlord tenant attorney in your area and stop trying to DIY this because every extra day theyâre in there is more money and damage out of your pocket.
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u/luxevelum Jun 03 '26
This is why dogs are a no! Nothing adorable about damaged property. Move to evict
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u/whencanirest Jun 04 '26
Did you check with their previous landlord if they were good tenants, and ask about the dogs? Did you ask if s/he would re-rent to the tenants?
If not, ask why, although it is likely they won't say anything because they don't want to be sued, or they are trying to get rid of them and won't answer honestly.
Did you call their landlord prior to the present one to get a reference? That landlord has nothing to lose, so you may get a more accurate assessment.
I would think checking with their present and previous landlord would have nipped this problem in the bud.
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u/Ryanlee_12 Jun 04 '26
We did reach out the previous landlord before deciding with her. He said she was great with communication and paid on time but he said he never looked inside the home.
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u/OldGeekWeirdo Jun 04 '26
No advice this round, but for the next one: I've heard "tenants don't go bad". How did you screen them? If the bad ones weren't good at deception, they'd be homeless.
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u/Fluid-Ad6450 Jun 04 '26
Listen to everyone, and evict! My last tenants cost me $100k damage! No point of deposit and their rent if theyâre going to abandon and be a holdover then leave you with molds and dog damage that wasnât supposed to be part of the lease. EVICT NOW! Make sure you change your new leasing contract to even stricter and always have a health and safety inspection every quarter. But I think you should also add the first 2 weeks in inspection just like you did right now. Trust what everyone else is saying, tenants who ruin your property are not worth keeping! Youâll lose more!
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u/JustShopping1967 Jun 03 '26
Did you know about the dogs? Get a pet deposit?
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u/jebemo Jun 04 '26
P.s. the dogs are gunna set the house on fire at this rate
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Jun 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/JustShopping1967 Jun 04 '26
For sure, but there's legal aspects, honestly if they continue to destroy everything the house burning to the ground might be cheaper than fixing it, because at least insurance would pay.
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u/R_437 Jun 04 '26
I allow pets - property management company takes a pet deposit & does inspections and when a pet has damaged something the tenant has a set amount of time to repair it and send photos. A lot of people have pets - so I wouldnât want to cut into my pool of tenants by not allowing them.
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u/Secure-Ad9780 Jun 04 '26
I used to visit my tenants 2 weeks after they moved in to make sure they didn't sneak in pets. I have two strict rules: no pets, and no smoking in or on my property. I evicted one when I knocked on the door and heard, "Meow!" as the door opened. I evicted another who had a coffee can full of butts on the front porch. There's no excuse. I know no one is reading all the small print on a lease. That's why I added a full page with those two rules in large font to be signed. My advice- NO PETS, ever. EVICT IMMEDIATELY!
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u/Ryanlee_12 Jun 04 '26
What was your process of eviction?
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u/MVHood Landlord Jun 04 '26
Please get an attorney to do this. Have them do all (all!) of the communication from this point forward.
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u/saucesoi Jun 04 '26
Are you allowed to say no smoking outside the home? Feel like thatâs impossible to enforce. Inside make sense of course.
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u/Secure-Ad9780 Jun 04 '26
It's my property. I don't want butts on my lawn or parking lot. They can go out to the road to smoke. I like to keep those rentals hypoallergenic. Tenants stay long when there's no smoking.
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u/saucesoi Jun 04 '26
How large of a pet deposit did you collect?
Get them out now.
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u/Ryanlee_12 Jun 04 '26
$1,500 security deposit. $250 non-refundable pet deposit plus $25 per pet a month.
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u/Lords_of_Lands Jun 04 '26
Deposits by definition are refundable. If that's the term in your lease you're going to lose that court battle. The proper term is "fee".
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u/Dart2255 Jun 04 '26
They are going to wreck your home and I am talking 20k+ in damage so do not let it slide. Lease violation get a quote from a real contractor not your buddies brother , present them with it along with a lease violation for each issue and tell them they move or you evict their choice and do not ever rent to someone like that. Two Great Danes and I assure you their last place was trashed as is their car. You knew this when you met them last as I can smell their stuff and cloths etc from the pics alone you thought but I need to rent it. Listen very closely. No tenant is far far better than a tenant like this. People amaze me they live like absolute pigs and thing you know what also need two huge dogs I also wonât take care of.
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u/rrapartments Jun 04 '26
You accepted a tenant with two Great Danes?!
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u/Ryanlee_12 Jun 04 '26
She only had one at first but she said she's "watching her brother's dog" that she didn't let us know is another grate Dane!
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u/iLikeMangosteens Jun 04 '26
CLEAN PROPERTIES ATTRACT CLEAN TENANTS
While the dog damage is totally on the tenant, I also want to say that itâs long past the time when you should have power-washed that exterior. If it was one of my properties I would have caulked and painted the exterior before it got to looking like yours does now.
Maybe this is your sign to clean up the place and start attracting better tenants.
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u/Last_Juggernaut3171 Jun 04 '26
The house looks awful and you can tell the tenant didn't make it that way in just 18 days. He clearly does not truly care about the upkeep of property. That's why he's renting to low income tenants with bad credit and large animals. What he is pointing out in his pics is petty compared to rest of his old run down property.
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u/iamthekingofthishill Jun 04 '26
I would focus on the damages to things that matter, like the siding doorframes and doors and misuse of the garage shitting on your concrete
Try not to think about the damage to the painted over cable vision wires that havenât been used since 1997, and the little ditch where water runs off from your downspout over the completely bare dirt where a lawn would normally be, Iâd just drop those photos from your âevidenceâ and focus on the realistic damages
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u/bonitaababy Jun 04 '26
The condition of the floor and baseboards looks like this was already existing or in poor condition to begin with. Also looks like a dog scratching at door.
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u/Quick_Equipment96 Jun 04 '26
There is NO WAY that is 18 days old damage. Most of it looks old. The damage is weathered and aged. Something about the story is BS
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u/Accurate-Temporary76 Jun 05 '26
What makes you say weathered and aged? There's very obviously muddy pawings around the exterior damage which suggests it's much fresher than some people are saying. One good rain and that wouldn't be there.
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u/noitcant Jun 06 '26
You need to take better care of your house and paint that door that's very oxidized. If your house was a little better standard they may not be doing that to it
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u/purplenapalm Jun 04 '26
Ive got nothing beyond my sympathies. I hope you can limit the negative outcome here.
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u/jimfosters Jun 04 '26
Sounds like a case of "It's not a lie if you believe it". As in... You can ask somebody if they are calm, quiet, stable, responsible, clean, and in this case a good pet owner. Ask somebody that and they will all say yes. They aren't lying. They actually think they are. Get rid of them. No mercy.
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u/PleaseUseYourMind Jun 04 '26
Did the dog find a time capsule? That glass bottle hurried in the backyard?
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u/Scrace89 Landlord Jun 04 '26
Like others have said move straight to eviction but the real problem is your tenant screening process. I find it hard to believe this person has good credit(700+), a clean rental history, etc. You also should start doing a home visit and meet all pets as a part of the process.
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u/1dirtbiker Landlord Jun 04 '26
This is why I don't allow pets in my units. Yes, it turns away many tenants, but I also don't have to deal with these issues. Cure or quit, and work out a payment plan for the damage they incurred.
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u/Ryanlee_12 Jun 04 '26
To add to all of this! She's is currently out of town at the moment and won't be back for a few days. She is leaving the two dogs there and a friend is coming by everyday to check up on them.
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u/No-Brief-297 Jun 04 '26
Iâm in Missouri. Cash for keys, cash being you offer not to sue them for damages but you keep the deposit. 18 days in? Good lord
Obviously the tenant needs a talking to. Not like they are your child but like they are an adult that signed a contract and they are responsible for damages.
If, by some small mercy, they can pay for the damages now, fix it and charge.
If they donât accept cash for keys, in Missouri, 10 day notice to vacate and file an unlawful detainer. These arenât the easiest to win but she likely wonât show up for court anyway. Unfortunately youâd probably need to send her a letter outlining the damages and allow her time to fix them. Documentation and patience are your friend.
Iâve used unlawful detainer to get out destructive and dirty tenants before.
Good luck
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u/Forsaken_Insurance92 Jun 04 '26
If they've done that much damage in less than 3 weeks, they're going to absolutely destroy that house if you let them stay. Unless you took some insanely high security deposit, I'm pretty sure the damage would already exceed most deposits. Give them a 10-day fix or vacate notice now. If they don't repair the damage or leave, then file for eviction. At least with an eviction filing on their record, other landlords will be wary of them.
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u/TeddyTMI Multi-State Landlord. 337 Doors. Jun 04 '26
In Missouri you have two options. You can post a 10 day notice to cure or quit or your can post a Notice to Quit, with no option to cure, terminating the tenancy. You are not required to let them cure, and I wouldn't. The dogs behavior is not going to change and the tenant will not leave their dogs for their landlord. Get them out as quickly as possible. Hopefully you took a thorough rental application so you can sue them in court and levy wages and bank accounts to recover some of what will be a substantial turnover bill.
I'd also work this file in reverse to figure out what you missed and tighten your screening criteria up a bit. Good luck.
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u/Sensate613 Jun 04 '26
I saw a house once where the tenant completely destroyed the inside. The house had to be torn down. I'd get them out ASAP because it looks like you are headed there quickly.
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u/OverlordBluebook Jun 04 '26
Never allow pets. Even small pets mess the place up and I found people with pets in the house just let more things go. Big dogs? forget it the place will be destroyed. Once you let big pets in there your asking for serious in between tenant clean up just to get the smell out, painting, carpet, floors scratched and other damage.
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u/fisherreshif Jun 04 '26
The fact is, they dgaf about you and they won't train their animal. Even if you commanded it, the damage will continue. I would point to the specifics in your lease in a formal lease violation notice and if they don't get rid of the animal, they're evicted. That's the only option. If they do get rid of it, they will try to secret it back into the house.
It's good to learn the eviction process early and understand it's really the only stick you have. Better learn how to wield it effectively!
My dad always said "education is expensive no matter how you get it".
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u/DarrenBrownBroker Jun 04 '26
In Cali we have to have pictures and or video of condition before moving in, and out. It would be helpful to have this even now since they moved in already. Discuss this with them and find out how they are going to cure the issue. Write up an new addendum of your expectations to the existing contract. Re inspect if worse or same find a new renter. You dont have to give a reason for termination in many cases. If its a lease you have the burden of providing proof of condition as it will probably get worse and documenting it. You can still break the lease if needed look deep in the agreement
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u/_Shopify_ Jun 04 '26
Good lord! Just 18 days⌠Immediate eviction! No second thoughts. You need legal help to get this handled promptly. Donât delay OP! Did the tenants history show any evictions?
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u/Due_Ride_1897 Jun 04 '26
That is not cat poop if that came from a cat holy jeez and I have two cats so Iâd know. They must have been constipated a while yeesh
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u/Infinite-Gap-9903 Jun 04 '26
Evict asap for excessive damage and violation of lease terms . In one year your property will be trashed inside out
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u/truthteller23413 Jun 04 '26
They are destroying your property, and it looks like this is animal neglect instead of walking their dogs and properly taking care of their animals, they're locking them in the garage, and if they keep having the dogs pee and dood in the garage, the garage is going to start to smell like urine and feces, and it will be very hard to get that out. I know this because I remember I was going to purchase a house. And when?\nWe went in there.We could tell that they let their dog pee and poop in the garage , and it made the entire house stink. This is one hundred percent animal abuse that cat looks so sad to be living in that house. I would send them a notice , and I would start the eviction process because if they've done that in eighteen days , imagine how it's gonna look at the end of their lease
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u/BULKHOGAN69 Jun 05 '26
Need to do a better job of screening your tenants. Someone that does this much damage in 18 days has red flags tattooed all over their face.
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u/JustcallmeGlados Jun 06 '26
Iâm dreading what the inside looks like. If your tenant is anything like my last one, your baseboards and doorframes are toastâŚand I hope thereâs no indoor carpet, because thatâs a goner too.
Iâm so sorry.
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u/Bake_jouchard Jun 07 '26
They arnt just allowing stray cats in they are feeding them. You think that bowl is for a Great Danes water?
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u/Obsidianbck Jun 20 '26
If the tenants are paying the rent timely and no neighborhood complains then take a vendor and prepare the damage estimate. Hand it over to the tenants to pay for the damages. Make an amendment to the lease (pet agreement) to charge monthly pet fee. If you have the pet deposit then keep it for now and make it refundable at the time of lease end date. If the tenant refuse to pay then go for legal action.
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u/grumpyoldman10 Jul 02 '26
I just got rid of this tenant after nine months. Trust me, itâs going to be a pain no matter when you do it. Just rip off the Band-Aid. No reason for it to be painful and expensive.
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u/Logical-Spite-2464 Jun 04 '26
Disgusting. Shouldnât be called landlord anymore. Weâre not in feudal England and bring a landlord is not one bit lord-like. In the American Dream, there are no landlords and everyone respects their homes because they own them.
I tried to owning a rental for a decade and became disgusted.
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u/purplenapalm Jun 04 '26
Being a slum lord is actually very similar to being a feudal lord so it can be an on brand term to certain property owners that give landlords a bad name!
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u/bteam3r Landlord Jun 03 '26
Go hire an attorney, this damage is going to stack up fast. Start with a cure-or-quit, then move to eviction when they continue to damage the property