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you can do what i did. simply walk away. i didn't want to do it, but, as you can see, the so-called "slumlords" are just trying to find someone who hasn't been to prison and won't trash the place. how can you POSSIBLY keep up with repairs when a tenant's abusive boyfriend creeps in before the ink is dry on the rental agreement? the police and the courts here will tell you that they don't care to enforce violations on the number of occupants in a rental. they're too busy dealing with murders and the like. i've had some of my unluckier fellow ex-landlords recount situations where tenants slash water beds (that they weren't supposed to have; just TRY getting an eviction for an illegal waterbed; you'll be laughed out of court!) so that they could move; read: the ceiling is collapsed with water damage so i can't stay here; i guess i'll call city code enforcement so i can break the one year lease.

i say to all (and especially those who have vacant units ) who complain about so-called "slumlords," just ATTEMPT to find a decent, law-abiding, pay the rent on time tenant for your house/unit. it's a needle in a haystack in most urban areas.

In college, I, along with four roommates, leased a house. My roommates were the sloppiest bunch of guys, refusing to park on or around the driveway, instead opting for the middle of the yard. This type of action wore down half of the grass in the yard.

I was the only individual who ever cut the grass, and when I went home for the summer, one of my roommates subleased the apartment for summer quarter. What happened is that the subleese's dog had urinated all over the carpets. Unfortunately, we didn't get our deposit back.

College students can be just as bad.

There is merit to what you're saying - but it is an absolute impossibilty for me.

I'm not a landlord - I'm an owner occupier. Have been for 10 years, today to be exact.

Not only are we trying to sell to move out of this neighborhood, we're moving out of state. We do not have the wherewithal, unless we hit the lottery this week, to buy a place in Virginia and leave this one to the Realtor in Delaware. Owe too much on it.

I understand exactly what you are saying about the repairs, I have several friends that were landlords in the past and some are currently. I've helped making a lot of those repairs.

The thing about the lure of section 8 is the landlord is guaranteed the monthly rent. And even though he has to make the repairs to damage caused by the tenant - he still gets his money.

Because I'm in the City limits, there is a different set of regs for the Section 8 housing. In fact as an owner-occupant I'm under stricter guidelines of how I have to maintain my property than are the landlords utilizing Section 8.

Wonderful state of affairs, isn't it?