Today I had another teaching lesson with a tenant. This gal has been renting from me five years or more. She has three young girls. Over the years I have had to explain to her a utility bill and how to read it, how to clean (seriously), how to recycle and save on the garbage bill and even some parenting advice.
Today she learned about MY paycheck.
She is behind a month on her rent. She used to be on Sect 8, her one daughter is on disability and so is she. Once she got married and her husband finally secured a full time job, they lost their food stamps and Sect 8. She was complaining about all the taxes that gets taken out of her husband's paycheck.
I mentioned my taxes were due. That led to the conversation of exactly how much of her rent I actually get to keep.
First there is the house payment to the bank.
Than money for property taxes (she did not know that some of that money goes towards our schools)
Third on the list is insurance.
What shocked her was that I had to pay income taxes on her rent. She had no idea that taxes paid for disability, food stamps, section 8...
You bet I pay.... Federal State and Social Security.
"You have to pay taxes?"
I said I sure do. And when it is all said and done, I have very little left at the end of the month from your rent.
"So you work for free?"
uh huh...you got it now.
Than a furnace or hot water heater or stove or refrigerator needs repair or replacement. Or the flooring is in bad condition and we replace and than the tenant tears it the second week after it's installed (which she did) All that has to be paid for somehow.
So, I told her that should explain our frustrations and irritations when we see her damage the storm windows and throw away the parts instead of getting them fixed, or pounding large nails in the walls to hang posters,....etc, etc etc.
She just had no idea. Next time she complains about how little her husband's check after all the deductions, she can think about the paycheck I get to keep very little of.
