Your cousin is acting very entitled. Of all else fails sister trumps cousin. You are renting to your husbands sibling and since he also owns the property he has a say in the tenants

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The simple reply is: "We've got a no pets, no kids lease for the guest house, and cousin has both. SIL and her DH have neither. If we were renting to strangers we'd have the same limitations on the lease. It's business." Then change the topic every single time. "Lease, no pets/kids, how is the chicken salad?"

You can't say (as someone suggested), "We don't mix family and business" because you are renting to family. Just not to this cousin. And while you really don't owe anyone an explanation for doing what you want with your own property, you have a very easy go-to script here.

Umm. Just, FYI, it's illegal to say you will not rent to family with children. It's family status discrimination.

See more here -- http://civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/understanding-your-rights-housing-discrimination.html

The Fair Housing Act does not apply here. A guest house is considered an "accessory dwelling unit" or ADU. ADU's are not separate residences but are considered detached unit within a property. So, if the OP is the owner of the SFH, that has no more than 4 units (in this case, it has two, the main house and the guest house), FHA does not apply.

Here is documentation from the Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/crt/fair-housing-act-2

Department of Justice: Fair Housing Act wrote:Sec. 803. [42 U.S.C. 3603] Effective dates of certain prohibitions

[...]

(b)Nothing in section 804 of this title (other than subsection (c)) shall apply to--

[...]

(2)rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters as his residence.

Sec. 804. [42 U.S.C. 3604] Discrimination in sale or rental of housing and other prohibited practices

(c) To make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

So, an owner occupied SFH with less than 5 units is not covered, except that such an owner may not publish or advertise that they are restricting renting to any protected class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The simple reply is: "We've got a no pets, no kids lease for the guest house, and cousin has both. SIL and her DH have neither. If we were renting to strangers we'd have the same limitations on the lease. It's business." Then change the topic every single time. "Lease, no pets/kids, how is the chicken salad?"

You can't say (as someone suggested), "We don't mix family and business" because you are renting to family. Just not to this cousin. And while you really don't owe anyone an explanation for doing what you want with your own property, you have a very easy go-to script here.

Umm. Just, FYI, it's illegal to say you will not rent to family with children. It's family status discrimination.

See more here -- http://civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/understanding-your-rights-housing-discrimination.html

It's also illegal many places not to rent to a DV victim, so I'd stick to pets and occupancy. "Looking for a tenant with no pets and only one person per bedroom for wear and tear reasons."

But instead I would just find a tenant and tell everyone it's actually a friend or friend of a friend and you promised it already, unfortunately.

If you want to be completely legal, you’d have to say no pets unless those animals are also service animals. I love it when non-lawyers give legal advice - if you’re going to cite a rule/regultion, at least read it and include the qualifiers/exceptions (note, there are exceptions for the prohibition on discrimination based on familial status!).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I guess I'm a party of 1 but I think it's pretty shitty and insensitive that you'd rent it to another family member. I don't blame you for not renting to the cousin, but of course she is going to be hurt that you rented to another family member but not her. And of course people are going at ask about it!

I think your "I don't want her drama" comment is incredibly unkind and worthy of the shitstorm you created.

She's a deadbeat tenant.

+1

She would be an absolute nightmare.

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I guess I'm a party of 1 but I think it's pretty shitty and insensitive that you'd rent it to another family member. I don't blame you for not renting to the cousin, but of course she is going to be hurt that you rented to another family member but not her. And of course people are going at ask about it!

I think your "I don't want her drama" comment is incredibly unkind and worthy of the shitstorm you created.

She's a deadbeat tenant.

The next time a family member complains, tell them to take her in. See how far their charity goes then. You have to do what's best for you, and if you rent to her, the police will be there all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The simple reply is: "We've got a no pets, no kids lease for the guest house, and cousin has both. SIL and her DH have neither. If we were renting to strangers we'd have the same limitations on the lease. It's business." Then change the topic every single time. "Lease, no pets/kids, how is the chicken salad?"

You can't say (as someone suggested), "We don't mix family and business" because you are renting to family. Just not to this cousin. And while you really don't owe anyone an explanation for doing what you want with your own property, you have a very easy go-to script here.

Umm. Just, FYI, it's illegal to say you will not rent to family with children. It's family status discrimination.

See more here -- http://civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/understanding-your-rights-housing-discrimination.html

It's also illegal many places not to rent to a DV victim, so I'd stick to pets and occupancy. "Looking for a tenant with no pets and only one person per bedroom for wear and tear reasons."

But instead I would just find a tenant and tell everyone it's actually a friend or friend of a friend and you promised it already, unfortunately.

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I guess I'm a party of 1 but I think it's pretty shitty and insensitive that you'd rent it to another family member. I don't blame you for not renting to the cousin, but of course she is going to be hurt that you rented to another family member but not her. And of course people are going at ask about it!

I think your "I don't want her drama" comment is incredibly unkind and worthy of the shitstorm you created.

And the cousin proved her right by immediately causing drama when she didn’t get what she wanted. Imagine the drama she’d cause when op insists she pay the agreed upon rent or be evicted. Or replace something she damages. Or doesn’t allow pets or abusive DH. OP is allowed to rent the house to whomever she wants, and not to rent it to those she chooses not to. OP didn’t start the drama here. She’s allowed to say no. Cousin’s gossip and whining started the drama.

I dunno. I guess I'm a party of 1 but I think it's pretty shitty and insensitive that you'd rent it to another family member. I don't blame you for not renting to the cousin, but of course she is going to be hurt that you rented to another family member but not her. And of course people are going at ask about it!

I think your "I don't want her drama" comment is incredibly unkind and worthy of the shitstorm you created.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The simple reply is: "We've got a no pets, no kids lease for the guest house, and cousin has both. SIL and her DH have neither. If we were renting to strangers we'd have the same limitations on the lease. It's business." Then change the topic every single time. "Lease, no pets/kids, how is the chicken salad?"

You can't say (as someone suggested), "We don't mix family and business" because you are renting to family. Just not to this cousin. And while you really don't owe anyone an explanation for doing what you want with your own property, you have a very easy go-to script here.

Umm. Just, FYI, it's illegal to say you will not rent to family with children. It's family status discrimination.

See more here -- http://civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/understanding-your-rights-housing-discrimination.html

OP never said that - she said her cousin has pets (which they aren't allowing) AND her kids are destructive. Folks have extrapolated.

the Word

NO.

is a complete sentence...

Anonymous wrote:Just say it’s already rented. It’s no longer available.

That won't cut the drama though.

Just say it’s already rented. It’s no longer available.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Don't explain.

This, don't give rental requirements as that is obnoxious. I wouldn't explain or say you aren't ready to rent it out right now.

OP already said she wants to rent it to her SIL and SIL's husband. Saying "We aren't ready to rent it out right now" would be a lie that creates a lot more drama when everyone finds out that SIL is in the guest house. I get the idea of not having to explain yourself if you don't want to, but it also seems like "There's a no kids, no pets rule and cousin has both" is a simple way to shut down family carping about why cousin can't have the guest house, without OP ending up pushed into discussing her issues with the cousin's finances, lifestyle, relationship etc. over and over when family members complain.

Anonymous wrote:No. Don't explain.

This, don't give rental requirements as that is obnoxious. I wouldn't explain or say you aren't ready to rent it out right now.