I have two rental house, and they have not been a money making deal! I seldom raise the rent, and I am too trusting, too believing. It would be embarrassing for me to write here about how much money renters have cheated me out of. I have let them get behind, and I have given in to them, when I should have sent them down the road. I had one renter that gave me sob stories, which I accepted. They would pay some, not all, and then end up owing me more than ever. I am sure one renter tore my house up, because I got tired of being ripped off by her, and I talked too straight to her, so more holes in the walls, a door broken off at the door casing, and the basement left full of garbage, mostly not even sacked. Then I made a deal with the next renter to haul it off, they took my money, and never did haul it, and I ended up hauling it myself! I had 3 renters in a row in one house, all left owing me money, and 2 of them damaged the house! Thanks to the County Sheriff who lives behind that house, I now have a good renter there! I have our younger daughter and her daughter in the other house, and they are doing the best they can, not able to pay the full amount, but I decided since they are my kids to work with them on what they are able to afford. They are not destroying the house, but they are working on it periodically, and so at least now I have peace of mine, knowing that I have no renter who are abusing, defrauding, and damaging me! It is a very good feeling. I don't mind helping my kids as long as they are trying, making an effort too!
With these little sari-sari neighborhood stores in the Philippines, you just have to figure what you are able to lose and keep going. If you figure they eventually will pay, then sometimes it makes sense to keep working with them. If you figure they will give you money when they have it, and you can afford to operate that way, then maybe it will pay eventually. Even though you don't collect from them what they owe you, you could let them know that things are hard for you, and please pay as soon as you can! If you can keep things friendly, then maybe eventually it will work out. What is sad is when someone, like my renters can pay, but because of poor management, or because they just don't care; want to spend, waste, blow their money in other ways, then they leave you in a hard way. That is what is sad. It is okay to work with good people that are not taking advantage of you, but doing the best they can!