Twilight Zone Tenants

I had conducted my due diligence and “checked out” an engaged couple who were potential tenants for a 3 bedroom 1 bath house. All of their references, credit report, rental histories, criminal background information, etc. “checked out” well. But yet, there was that little something that kept eating at me. I further conversed with them to gain insight in their character. They didn’t say anything out of the ordinary, and never mentioned that they were party animals or that they were alcoholics or drug addicts. In other words, nothing stuck out that made me feel that they would be anything other than ideal tenants. Yet, I still felt a sixth sense yelling at me” Don’t Do It! Don’t rent to them!” I just couldn’t place my finger on it, but something just didn’t feel right.

Three weeks after the tenants moved in I received a phone call from Shantell, the female half of the couple, screaming at the top of her lungs, Tell my fiancée that he can’t kick me out the house, I’m on the lease too! And there it goes! I knew it was too good to be true. I knew there was something wrong, something that no references, credit or criminal background check can disclose. Tenants with multiple personalities!

I asked Shantell to calm down and tell me what happened. She is calm she yelled and that she wanted me to explain to her fiancée that he can’t kick her out the house. I asked to speak with her fiancée. In a calm and much more relax tone he explained that he doesn’t want her living there and he was tired of her. As I was trying to explain, shantell’s ranting can be heard in the background and drowned any conversation I was attempting to have with Mr. Shantell, at which point I can hear Shantell asking for the phone back. Her ranting continued for about another 3 minutes straight. Needless to say, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Finally, when I heard a 2 second pause I screamed back – I’m not a marriage counselor and slammed the phone down.

I was so disgusted with myself that I responded like that. All kinds of vision of the two of them fighting and tearing up the house danced in my head. I decided to drive over there and talk to them in person. I expected to hear screaming and fighting and furniture being thrown around as I walked up to the door. But to my amazement, an eerie calm silence surrounded not just the house but the whole neighborhood. I rang the doorbell, once then twice and then the door opens. Shantell greeted me with a big grin and a huge hug and asked me in the house. I was confused; I expected the house to be in disarray, and Shantell in a bad mood and Mr. Shantell laid out on the floor with a possible black eye. Instead, I was greeted with warmth as if I was just invited over to dinner. I asked if all was OK. I was told yes, why. I referred to the phone call I received earlier and they responded with a dumb, confused look. I reminded them I received a call from them stating that Shantell was being kicked out of the house. Oh that, they responded. Now, I am really, really confused. It was just a misunderstanding and all is well.

What!

After reconfirming that they understood what the lease stated I walked out to my car and felt like I was just in an episode of the Twilight Zone. The following month they were evicted for failure to pay rent.