"What maintenance/improvements have you deferred because of low rental income?"

I keep up with general maintenance of my building, but I have no incentive to do anything inside my low rent unit but to keep it minimally habitable. My market rate units have fresh paint and modern appliances; the low rent unit hasn't been painted since the tenant moved in the eighties. Selective deferred maintenance is another downside to rent control. Resentment on the part of market rate tenants is another.

Steven Edwards

1) The Building needs exterior paint. The building looks awful, but I just can't afford to get it done right: with permits, lead covering, scaffolding, etc. I know that once I start the project it will open up a can of worms. 2) total roof replacement. I've just patched it up each time and crossed my fingers. I can pass these charges on over a period of time, but I still have to pay for it up front. Small property owners don't have "bill" control. Contractors get paid on the spot, whatever market allows. And when my tenant lets the toilet leak for two months without telling me (until I get the bill), another $2000 literally flushed down the toilet.

miren

Anything that is not absolutely necessary - due to aging & other losses it has been important to stay with only utmost priorities. Yard and garden have been neglected (except in front where "looks" are so important. Repairs that could wait have waited - it's too hard to coordinate how I feel with what I can afford for help and timing with a handyman who is busy. So things just wait. It may seem as if these items are unimportant or they would get done regardless, but when small repairs pile up, and various help is needed, it becomes a burden to clear many at once. Repairs should be done in good order for an efficient upkeep of property.

muriel wanderer

Exterior paint; rebuild of back stairs (which seriously need it but are instead being patched and repatched just to keep them safe); new interior hallway carpeting. I defer exterior and common area painting. I would also do more cosmetic work if funds were available.

Henry McKenzie

I'm afraid to defer maintenance knowing it will lead to an even bigger bill in the long run. So I just take it out of my own pocket. Someday maybe I'll do a capital improvement pass on to tenants. Yeah right, I understand the process for that is a real pain in the ass.

Maxine

There was a time when I washed every window in my building every six months. I also was extremely fussy about repainting rooms about every 5 years, even when the tenants lived there. Carpeting was steam cleaned every six months also. But not any more! Once they move out, if ever, the unit will get totally renovated anyway. It really bothers me as the common areas and yard are immaculate, in fact I just spent over $20,000.00 on new sidewalks, brick driveway and sewers, which will be passed through by the way. The proverbial wind has been taken out of my sails as far as doing anything inside except health and safety repairs. Thanks to rent control this city has lost a landlord that used to care a lot.

Dennis Wolframski

Generally, I have cut back on all maintenance, except for health and safety issue and stopped improvements all together. Mainly, this is due to the lack of interest I have in the property since any investments that are made to the buildings are both unappreciated and uncompensated.

Name Withheld

Kitchen/bath major upgrade, window replacement, stair reconstruction (other than repairs to keep existing structure sound). Generally, the major items are maintained only. Will not do major capital improvements. Even repainting a unit is deferred.

Bob Noelke

Exterior Painting and carpeting in the common area. Both of these are expensive especially with scaffolding costs, etc. You can go cheap on them, but you run the high risk of doing them again in about 5 years. I have been subsidizing tenants who are paying $195, $212, and $320 for years. Just paid PMS (property management systems) $150 for its service to increase the rent on one of my tenants to $45 dollars more per month. Of course, the tenant immediately made a service call which cost me $140 in labor and material on his stove. I do have good relations with all of my tenants, so just recently, this same tenant and I were chatting about politics and property taxes. I was stunned when he actually disclosed that he also pays property tax. He has a house that he rents out in San Mateo. I actually would support rent control for the elderly in a building with 6 or more units. The FACTS on rent control more often points to it helping the middle class and NOT those who actually NEED it. Those who actually need it often have unstable lives and are much in fluctuation to be able to stay in the same place to keep the same rents. Therefore, facts have demonstrated that rent control historically have truly benefited those who have stable and decent jobs and rent control is just icing on the cake. Another of my low paying tenants actually had two rental units {I guess because they were so cheap} before he died.

Eva

well, where do I start....Our middle floor tenants have just served us with a lawsuit claiming that because we didn't replace their carpet in what they deemed a "timely matter," that they were entitled to $500,000.00 (yes, half a million dollars) in compensatory damages for "mental anguish." They are eligible for free legal aid: We are not. We now have to pay a lawyer a retainer of $5000.00 to fight this ludicrous claim. This lawsuit follows a $4000.00 renovation to their unit that was recently completed, but our contractor had to delay replacing the carpet because his eye-surgery had rendered him temporarily blind. The delay amounted to approximately 8 weeks, and the carpet had never been replaced by either of the previous landlords in the 10 years that these tenants had occupied the property. There are other numerous repair issues that we attribute to the constant ebb and flow of illegal "sub-tenants" including graffiti inside and outside their unit that we're expected to repair. These tenants also occupy a full floor, three bedroom, 1800 sq.ft. unit. They sublet rooms out to various people and are currently making a profit on our rental property. Their rent? $1100.00.

Name Withheld

Remodeling Units. Painting Exterior. replacing sidewalk.

Steve King

As Swedish economist (and socialist) Assar Lindbeck, asserted, "In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city; except for bombing." The magnitude of this failed policy for the future of San Francisco cannot be overstated. I do no improvements and only health and safety maintenance issues because there is NO money to do anything else. Everything else has gone up except rent which is limited to 60% of the consumer price index. Insurance, maintenance and repairs are not limited to 60% of the consumer price index and nor are tenants salaries and I don't think they should be. Each month that a small property owner rents, the rents fall further and further behind the Consumer Price Index. There are people that for one reason or another have not taken care of themselves and they need help. There should be a means test for these people and all of society should help them and not just a few small property owners.

Name Withheld

I have deferred exterior painting and replacement of rotting wood windows (screws, L- brackets and glue & putty works well enough until my rich subsidized ?customers? leave)...then I'll be rid of all tenants and can have family and friends come visit. The REAL question is..."Why would anyone BUY property in San Francisco??" When you rent you pretty much have the property to yourself for as long as you want. You don't have to pay for routine maintenance, insurance (fire or liability), property or Bond Taxes, Garbage pick-up, water or sewer charges, repairs are free (including appliances, plumbing, heat, electrical, water leaks in roof or windows) and your monthly costs are guaranteed to rise less than inflation !!! What a Deal !!! If I were smart, I would have bought a nice little vacation/retirement place and 'rented' an apartment to raise my family...and then 'they' would also have a 'very affordable' home in which to raise their family.

Name Withheld

We recently got our property back and did a complete rehab, but prior to that, we delayed putting in a laundry room, opting instead for a skeleton, washer-only hookup.

Name Withheld

Exterior painting, carpet cleaning and concrete repair in garage have been deferred, due to low rents.

Name Withheld

I put new vinyl windows in my unit. They’re great: increase comfort, save energy, cut out noise, are safer, make my building more water tight. Why should go to the trouble and expense of improving the other five units of my building in this way (prospective tenants have never complained about the old windows)? I would be much wiser spending this money on something fun for me!

Roger Mason