Landlord Eddie Shiew says “I found they had turned a three-bedroom into a 10-bedroom apartment.” Shiew says that the tenants used sheetrock and divided each of the three bedrooms into three smaller bedrooms! The tenants were hoping to cash in on leasing out the extra rooms on
airnb.com.
The tenants were listing the rooms for rent. Two tourists, for example, reportedly were paying $35 per night for a room on the third floor. Once the landlord discovered what was going on, he brought in a construction crew to tear down the renovations and evicted the tenants. The two tenants, however -- Burak Firik and Dogan Kimilli who were renting the apartment for $2,500 a month – took Shiew to court!
“They went to court and got a court order against me, “ Shiew told FOX News. “They said I illegally locked them out.”
A judge ordered that Firik and Kimilli be allowed back inside the apartment. They have not done any more renovations but they are creating spaces to rent on airnb and using curtains as room dividers.
Shiew has hired an attorney and is trying to evict them. He claims the two men violated the terms of the lease, which does not allow any repairs or alterations on the premises without the consent of the landlord.
Firik denied to the media of doing any renovations to the apartment. He says he and Kimilli live in the apartment.
Tips for Landlords
- The best way out of a situation like this is to avoid a situation like this. Very careful tenant screening minimizes the chances of this happening.
- Have the right lease. If your lease isn't written with the right language you may find there is nothing you can do.
- Have regular inspections of the property so you know about modifications before they are completed.
Source: “Landlord Claims Tenants Illegally Turned Three-Bedroom Apartment Into 10 Bedrooms,” FOX6Now.com (Dec. 10, 2015) 
