Tenant built bedroom in apartment's dining room?

I am having a very uncommon (at least it has been uncommon for me) problem with one of my tenants. I live in my apartment building with my husband. A few months ago whenever we would leave and come back a tenant (who is not the one the question is about but complains about EVERYTHING) would tell me how the tenant in the unit by mine was pounding the whole time I was gone and how loud the pounding was. I confronted the issue with the tenant. They had received permission to paint most of the rooms. They told me that the pounding was simply them rehanging shelves and pictures etc. I had no reason to disbelieve them. I saw no evidence of anything else in the unit so I told the other tenant that really they were in no violation of their lease (she really shouldn't have been able to hear that much anyways my unit is between the two of them) As far as them pounding when I was not home they said that they did that as to not disturb me (I own a business and often work from home). Recently the tenant was put onto HUD. There are special programs in our county for certain types of people. The tenant is able to receive the help of these special programs. On the HUD paper when I received it to sign the unit was marked as a 3 bdroom. It is only a 2 bedroom. I questioned the tenant why it was already filled in and why was it marked as a 3? She stated that her caseworker did it bc she used the dining room as a bedroom thus making it a 3 bedroom. (I do not approve of this the tenant was here last fall when my husband and I took over the building and we had no reason to get rid of her) Recently, her 15 yr old daughter (who likes to tell anyone everything) let it slip that they have a 4 bdrm unit. I told her no it was 2 bdrooms. She stated no that it was now a 4 bdroom unit bc she sleeps in the utility room (it is very small she stated she sleeps on a cot . I know that there can be no other room. The room was basically big enough for a washer and dryer then it had some shelves and drawers. Considering the tenant has a washer the cot would basically take up all the free space) She then proceeded to tell me that since her mom and her mom's bf built the walls around the dining room it was now a bd room. (basically it is a room in a room) It is only the mother bf and her 2 children I don't understand y they would need a 4 bdroom. I am not quite sure how to approach the situation. I do plan to call HUD tomorrow. But I am baffled at her literally building a bedroom. I am so scared to see it. It was recently remodeled. This was a mansion built in the 1900's. The tenant has a part built on in 1940. It has amazing details and is beautiful!! (Advice on staying professional through this would be greatly appreciated!) I am legally can be let into the apartment at any time I wish for emergencies otherwise I must give 24 hrs notice. Which they have received. I just learned this information and am still trying to wrap my head around it. I believe the tenant told HUD the apartment was a 3 bdroom to receive more $. I plan to talk to them to see if they consider it a 2 or 3 bdroom since it is the dining room being used a bedroom. Now that I think back the pounding and everything was shortly before HUD's inspection (which I now know was not them rehanging everything it was them building a bedroom!)

5 months ago - 5 answers