Landlord Quick Tip
Posted: 19 Dec 2010 02:46 PM PST
Tip #86: Meet the Neighbors
One of the best ways to retain good tenants is to allow them to develop a sense of community within the rental property.
Meet The Neighbors is an “intranet” provider that allows tenants in apartment communities to stay in touch with one another.
Designed by the creator of the Lunch Club in NYC, this free service offers a secure homepage for each community or apartment complex, and allows tenants the opportunity to meet one another, connect on common interests, and feel like they are a part of a neighborhood.
The format offers a notice board to alert tenants of upcoming events or rule reminders.
Participation is voluntary. Landlords can register the building and offer the link to new tenants, or put an interested tenant in charge.
Go here to see a demo: http://imsource.com/betas/mtndemo/demo1.html.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Landlord Qick Tip #56 Join the Circle
Landlord Quick Tip
Posted: 17 May 2010 07:50 AM PDT
Tip 56: Join the Circle
Imagine having a cup of coffee every morning with a nationwide expert on marketing residential rentals, or having lunch twice a week with a professional who can show you how to determine the optimum amount of rent.
You can meet these industry powerhouses from you home or office computer by joining the networking group Multifamily Insiders free of charge, as you drink your morning coffee.
Multifamily Insiders is the interactive social hub for the apartment industry, providing a place for landlords, multifamily professionals and investors to network, coordinate more effectively, share ideas, experiences, and knowledge with each other, all for free!
The site has the largest collection of multifamily-specific blogs and discussion groups, as well as document sharing, job listings, and other networking opportunities. Whether you self-manage, or are purely an investor of apartment properties, Multifamily Insiders is a valuable resource in your business.
As an AAOA member your free Multifamily Insiders membership will provide you with instant access to the advice and comments of multifamily professionals from across the country.
Supercharge your property management knowledge by taking advantage of your free Multifamily Insiders membership today.
Click here to register your free account: Multifamily Insiders Registration Page
Posted: 17 May 2010 07:50 AM PDT
Tip 56: Join the Circle
Imagine having a cup of coffee every morning with a nationwide expert on marketing residential rentals, or having lunch twice a week with a professional who can show you how to determine the optimum amount of rent.
You can meet these industry powerhouses from you home or office computer by joining the networking group Multifamily Insiders free of charge, as you drink your morning coffee.
Multifamily Insiders is the interactive social hub for the apartment industry, providing a place for landlords, multifamily professionals and investors to network, coordinate more effectively, share ideas, experiences, and knowledge with each other, all for free!
The site has the largest collection of multifamily-specific blogs and discussion groups, as well as document sharing, job listings, and other networking opportunities. Whether you self-manage, or are purely an investor of apartment properties, Multifamily Insiders is a valuable resource in your business.
As an AAOA member your free Multifamily Insiders membership will provide you with instant access to the advice and comments of multifamily professionals from across the country.
Supercharge your property management knowledge by taking advantage of your free Multifamily Insiders membership today.
Click here to register your free account: Multifamily Insiders Registration Page
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Using Facebook as a Tenant Screening Tool by Janet Portman
Using Facebook as a Tenant Screening Tool
Posted: 10 May 2010 08:34 AM PDT
Rent it Right
by Janet Portman, Inman News
Q: When I screen potential tenants, I talk to their current landlord and their employer, ask for references, and order a credit report. Some of the landlords in town are also regularly looking on the Internet, to see if the applicant blogs, has a Facebook page, and so on.
One friend told me that when he looked at the Facebook page of an applicant he was about to rent to, he saw that the person is really into partying and drinking. My friend didn’t rent to him.
Should I be looking at Facebook pages, too? –David R.
A: Your question calls for two answers: a legal one and a practical one. From a legal point of view, should you be checking applicants’ Internet postings? And, from a practical point of view, is it a good idea?
The steps you’ve been taking when screening tenants are the tried-and-true methods that careful landlords have been using for years to weed out risky applicants: those whose past actions indicate that they may not pay the rent or may not be considerate residents and neighbors. Although these methods are commonly used, they are not legally required.
It’s possible that a court might rule that these tools are the “industry standard,” which might make them quasi-mandatory, but it’s unlikely. Running a residential rental business (unlike, say, car manufacturing) is engaged in by too many people, in too many varied ways, to conclude that it’s an “industry” with common metrics and procedures.
So because you’re not legally required to do even what you’re already doing, it’s very unlikely that a judge would consider checking for Internet postings to be a legally necessary step in the screening process. Consider, for example, the issue of screening for those who are legally required to register as convicted sex offenders.
No state requires landlords to go online and look for their applicants on these lists, and California specifically forbids them from doing so. If you’re not required to consult the Internet for information as serious as registration for one of these crimes, it’s not reasonable to think that you’d have any duty to search for evidence of partying.
This conclusion has to be adjusted, however, for one situation: If you’re hiring a resident manager, you are screening not only a tenant, but a future employee, who will have access to tenants’ personal information and even their homes. You have a duty to make sure that you do not place a dangerous tenant manager in that position — in other words, your duty to screen has changed significantly.
Careful landlords do investigative background checks for tenant managers, with the legally required advance notice to the applicant. These investigations may turn up relevant information, including the applicant’s postings on the Internet.
So much for your legal duty. What about the practical value of hopping online and checking out your applicants? It’s hard to resist, and indeed you may learn information about your applicants’ lifestyle and habits that would reasonably lead any landlord to say, “No thanks on this one.”
As long as you’re looking at Web postings that are available to the public, your applicants will have no legitimate beef if you reject them based on what you see and read. But be careful — you can safely reject any applicant only when your reasons for doing so, no matter where you found the information, are legally justified, and not based on that applicant’s membership in a protected class, such as race and religion.
For example, suppose you have an applicant who passes every good-tenant test you have, but who also has a Facebook page that proudly announces her membership in a particular religion. If you reject her, and rent to someone whose qualifications were less sturdy, you’re setting yourself up for a fair housing claim.
The rejected applicant may argue that your knowledge of her religion, gleaned from your visit to her Facebook page, must have motivated your decision — why else would you choose someone less qualified?
On the other hand, if your visit reveals that this person is a party animal who loves to host regular “keggers,” plays the kettle drum, and collects stray cats, you have solid grounds to reject.
Janet Portman is an attorney and managing editor at Nolo. She specializes in landlord/tenant law and is co-author of “Every Landlord’s Legal Guide” and “Every Tenant’s Legal Guide.” She can be reached at janet@inman.com.
Copyright 2010 Janet Portman
See Janet Portman’s feature, Higher Risk, Higher Deposit.
Posted: 10 May 2010 08:34 AM PDT
Rent it Right
by Janet Portman, Inman News
Q: When I screen potential tenants, I talk to their current landlord and their employer, ask for references, and order a credit report. Some of the landlords in town are also regularly looking on the Internet, to see if the applicant blogs, has a Facebook page, and so on.
One friend told me that when he looked at the Facebook page of an applicant he was about to rent to, he saw that the person is really into partying and drinking. My friend didn’t rent to him.
Should I be looking at Facebook pages, too? –David R.
A: Your question calls for two answers: a legal one and a practical one. From a legal point of view, should you be checking applicants’ Internet postings? And, from a practical point of view, is it a good idea?
The steps you’ve been taking when screening tenants are the tried-and-true methods that careful landlords have been using for years to weed out risky applicants: those whose past actions indicate that they may not pay the rent or may not be considerate residents and neighbors. Although these methods are commonly used, they are not legally required.
It’s possible that a court might rule that these tools are the “industry standard,” which might make them quasi-mandatory, but it’s unlikely. Running a residential rental business (unlike, say, car manufacturing) is engaged in by too many people, in too many varied ways, to conclude that it’s an “industry” with common metrics and procedures.
So because you’re not legally required to do even what you’re already doing, it’s very unlikely that a judge would consider checking for Internet postings to be a legally necessary step in the screening process. Consider, for example, the issue of screening for those who are legally required to register as convicted sex offenders.
No state requires landlords to go online and look for their applicants on these lists, and California specifically forbids them from doing so. If you’re not required to consult the Internet for information as serious as registration for one of these crimes, it’s not reasonable to think that you’d have any duty to search for evidence of partying.
This conclusion has to be adjusted, however, for one situation: If you’re hiring a resident manager, you are screening not only a tenant, but a future employee, who will have access to tenants’ personal information and even their homes. You have a duty to make sure that you do not place a dangerous tenant manager in that position — in other words, your duty to screen has changed significantly.
Careful landlords do investigative background checks for tenant managers, with the legally required advance notice to the applicant. These investigations may turn up relevant information, including the applicant’s postings on the Internet.
So much for your legal duty. What about the practical value of hopping online and checking out your applicants? It’s hard to resist, and indeed you may learn information about your applicants’ lifestyle and habits that would reasonably lead any landlord to say, “No thanks on this one.”
As long as you’re looking at Web postings that are available to the public, your applicants will have no legitimate beef if you reject them based on what you see and read. But be careful — you can safely reject any applicant only when your reasons for doing so, no matter where you found the information, are legally justified, and not based on that applicant’s membership in a protected class, such as race and religion.
For example, suppose you have an applicant who passes every good-tenant test you have, but who also has a Facebook page that proudly announces her membership in a particular religion. If you reject her, and rent to someone whose qualifications were less sturdy, you’re setting yourself up for a fair housing claim.
The rejected applicant may argue that your knowledge of her religion, gleaned from your visit to her Facebook page, must have motivated your decision — why else would you choose someone less qualified?
On the other hand, if your visit reveals that this person is a party animal who loves to host regular “keggers,” plays the kettle drum, and collects stray cats, you have solid grounds to reject.
Janet Portman is an attorney and managing editor at Nolo. She specializes in landlord/tenant law and is co-author of “Every Landlord’s Legal Guide” and “Every Tenant’s Legal Guide.” She can be reached at janet@inman.com.
Copyright 2010 Janet Portman
See Janet Portman’s feature, Higher Risk, Higher Deposit.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
5 Great Reasons to Move Payments Online!
Your Paperless Office: Five Great Reasons to Move Payments Online
Posted: 28 Apr 2010 04:34 PM PDT
A single check seems small enough. But added up, the checks your property management company deposits or prints can ultimately bury your staff under a mound of paper. If you are on the way to a paperless office but haven’t yet tackled electronic payments for receivables and payables, you are paying more than you need to run your operation.
Many property management companies use a blended approach of electronic and paper-based payments, although the trend is clearly towards electronic payments. Most electronic payment implementations involve a combination of one or more of the following:
Moving resident rent payments, application fees and other receivables online using ACH (Automated Clearinghouse) and credit cards.
Moving your payables online by sending electronic payments to vendors, owners or investors, employees and others.
You may have already implemented check scanning for receivables or MICR laser check processing for payables. Congratuations – both these technologies are effective ways to streamline your backoffice. However, these methods still carry handling costs. Electronic payments can dramatically reduce these costs even further.
Here are five great reasons you should implement electronic payments as part of your paperless office initiative:
1. Improve efficiency and accuracy. After all, isn’t that the reason you decided to go paperless in the first place? With electronic payments, your staff can save a significant amount of handling time and reduce errors. According to independent studies, each paper check you eliminate can save your company at least $2.00 in handling costs.
2. Greater security. Each time a check is handled, whether it’s by the post office or your backoffice staff, the odds of a loss or security issue is increased. Online payments are a more secure way of getting the payments into or out of your account.
3. Improve cash flow and visibility. Rent payments made using an ACH system are deposited more rapidly than a traditional paper check. Notification of non-sufficient funds occurs faster as well. In addition to faster funds availability, electronic payments provide your accountant and management team with a more real-time view into receivables and payables.
4. Fewer trips to the bank by you and others. Payments you receive online are automatically deposited at the bank, saving you trips to the bank and improving deposit security. Your payables are deposited directly as well, and although this doesn’t affect your bottom line, it’s the greener way to go.
5. More convenience for your customers. Payments by paper check are clearly on the decline, and forward-thinking companies are offering innovative electronic payment methods to their customers. In property management, you can provide more convenience to your customers: residents, vendors, investors/owners, and employees. These customers expect it.
You can find electronic payment solutions from multiple sources, including your bank, independent payment processing companies, and from your property management software vendor. Once you get started with electronic payments, you can streamline your operation even further and start to unbury your staff from that mound of paper.
For More information on Online Payments go to www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com/cherylniesz
Posted: 28 Apr 2010 04:34 PM PDT
A single check seems small enough. But added up, the checks your property management company deposits or prints can ultimately bury your staff under a mound of paper. If you are on the way to a paperless office but haven’t yet tackled electronic payments for receivables and payables, you are paying more than you need to run your operation.
Many property management companies use a blended approach of electronic and paper-based payments, although the trend is clearly towards electronic payments. Most electronic payment implementations involve a combination of one or more of the following:
Moving resident rent payments, application fees and other receivables online using ACH (Automated Clearinghouse) and credit cards.
Moving your payables online by sending electronic payments to vendors, owners or investors, employees and others.
You may have already implemented check scanning for receivables or MICR laser check processing for payables. Congratuations – both these technologies are effective ways to streamline your backoffice. However, these methods still carry handling costs. Electronic payments can dramatically reduce these costs even further.
Here are five great reasons you should implement electronic payments as part of your paperless office initiative:
1. Improve efficiency and accuracy. After all, isn’t that the reason you decided to go paperless in the first place? With electronic payments, your staff can save a significant amount of handling time and reduce errors. According to independent studies, each paper check you eliminate can save your company at least $2.00 in handling costs.
2. Greater security. Each time a check is handled, whether it’s by the post office or your backoffice staff, the odds of a loss or security issue is increased. Online payments are a more secure way of getting the payments into or out of your account.
3. Improve cash flow and visibility. Rent payments made using an ACH system are deposited more rapidly than a traditional paper check. Notification of non-sufficient funds occurs faster as well. In addition to faster funds availability, electronic payments provide your accountant and management team with a more real-time view into receivables and payables.
4. Fewer trips to the bank by you and others. Payments you receive online are automatically deposited at the bank, saving you trips to the bank and improving deposit security. Your payables are deposited directly as well, and although this doesn’t affect your bottom line, it’s the greener way to go.
5. More convenience for your customers. Payments by paper check are clearly on the decline, and forward-thinking companies are offering innovative electronic payment methods to their customers. In property management, you can provide more convenience to your customers: residents, vendors, investors/owners, and employees. These customers expect it.
You can find electronic payment solutions from multiple sources, including your bank, independent payment processing companies, and from your property management software vendor. Once you get started with electronic payments, you can streamline your operation even further and start to unbury your staff from that mound of paper.
For More information on Online Payments go to www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com/cherylniesz
Sunday, April 25, 2010
If you are using "Craigs List" You Must Read This Post!
Landlord Slapped With Fine Over Craigslist Ad
Posted: 22 Apr 2010 08:21 AM PDT
Landlord Must Issue Warning to Others on Craigslist
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement between her office and a Revere, Massachusetts landlord over allegations that his rental ad in Craigslist violated state discrimination statutes.
This judgment is the result of a continuing statewide investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into reports of widespread discriminatory housing advertisements on the Internet.
“As more families face tough financial times and have no choice but to rent, landlords and real estate professionals must recognize that the rental market is a regulated industry,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While we hope that this enforcement initiative will have a deterrent effect, our office will continue to monitor Craigslist.”
The Attorney General’s Office has settled 20 similar cases and filed six other complaints against landlords and real estate agents across the Commonwealth accused of violating state anti-discrimination laws on Craigslist.
In this case, the landlord used Craiglist to advertise a unit for rent in Revere, stating “no Section 8.” The Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits landlords and others involved in property rentals from discriminating against people who use state or federal housing subsidies to pay for all or a portion of their rent.
The settlement requires the landlord attend trainings on state and federal fair housing laws. He has also agreed to place “Equal Housing Opportunity” in any future rental property ads. And, in an effort to increase awareness of this important issue, the landlord is required to place postings on Craigslist informing other Craigslist users that the Attorney General monitors Craigslist for discriminatory advertising and that it is against Massachusetts law to state a discriminatory preference against recipients of housing assistance subsidies.
He will also pay $750 to a local charity that provides legal services to poor and low-income persons in housing and a variety of areas.See Fair Housing “Zero-Tolerance” Policy Netting Huge Awards Against Landlords.
Posted: 22 Apr 2010 08:21 AM PDT
Landlord Must Issue Warning to Others on Craigslist
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement between her office and a Revere, Massachusetts landlord over allegations that his rental ad in Craigslist violated state discrimination statutes.
This judgment is the result of a continuing statewide investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into reports of widespread discriminatory housing advertisements on the Internet.
“As more families face tough financial times and have no choice but to rent, landlords and real estate professionals must recognize that the rental market is a regulated industry,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While we hope that this enforcement initiative will have a deterrent effect, our office will continue to monitor Craigslist.”
The Attorney General’s Office has settled 20 similar cases and filed six other complaints against landlords and real estate agents across the Commonwealth accused of violating state anti-discrimination laws on Craigslist.
In this case, the landlord used Craiglist to advertise a unit for rent in Revere, stating “no Section 8.” The Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits landlords and others involved in property rentals from discriminating against people who use state or federal housing subsidies to pay for all or a portion of their rent.
The settlement requires the landlord attend trainings on state and federal fair housing laws. He has also agreed to place “Equal Housing Opportunity” in any future rental property ads. And, in an effort to increase awareness of this important issue, the landlord is required to place postings on Craigslist informing other Craigslist users that the Attorney General monitors Craigslist for discriminatory advertising and that it is against Massachusetts law to state a discriminatory preference against recipients of housing assistance subsidies.
He will also pay $750 to a local charity that provides legal services to poor and low-income persons in housing and a variety of areas.See Fair Housing “Zero-Tolerance” Policy Netting Huge Awards Against Landlords.
April Property Mgmt. Marketing Ideas by: Property Manager.com
April is one of my favorite months in property management because it’s full of ANTICIPATION! We’re all waiting for that first big weekend, when the leasing season really kicks in to high gear for all those late May and early June moves. Instead of waiting this year, why not take a proactive approach with some fresh ideas to drive traffic to your door?! Here are three ideas to get your creativity flowing:
1. Not only is it easy being green, but it’s a great sales pitch! Tap in to the good feelings around Earth Day this year, April 22nd. This holiday, conceived in the 1970s by a senator from Wisconsin, has grown exponentially in popularity over the last few years due to the climate change concerns. You can make a good impression by tying in your move-in concession to Earth Day by planting a tree in the new resident’s name (there are services that will do this for just $1!), donating the cost of offsetting the carbon footprint of their move in, or even offering them a green move in gift, like a box of CFL bulbs for the lights in their apartment – a move that not only is eco friendly, but super wallet friendly for them as well!
2. April 16th is National Stress Awareness day, so what better time to invite people to come in and check out the stress free living that your community offers! This is a great chance for outreach with the community around you, since you can involve local massage schools or day spas in the marketing event by asking them if they’d either be willing to donate a coupon off their services OR spend a day in your club house, providing those services to people who come in to tour. Nothing is better the day after filing your taxes than getting a nice massage or pedicure. And it could be great for the business, since it helps them find clients.
3. April is also a great month in most of the country because it’s warm enough to start to see some outdoor activities, however, if you live in a large metro area like I do and have kids, I’m sure you know exactly how expensive some of those city teams can be for kids to play on. If you have the open space in your community, like a large courtyard or play field, why not send out fliers to a local school and offer to host dodge ball or kick ball games Thursday evenings for kids in their third or fourth grade classes? It brings people in to your community, and if you leave your office open until 7:30 those nights, you have a good chance of tapping into families who may be thinking about moving this summer. Best of all, you look like a community that understands how important and tight costs are right now to everyone, even kids.
These are just some springboards for your teams to start with. There are tons of great ideas out there for this month, you just have to sit still for a moment and think about them!
1. Not only is it easy being green, but it’s a great sales pitch! Tap in to the good feelings around Earth Day this year, April 22nd. This holiday, conceived in the 1970s by a senator from Wisconsin, has grown exponentially in popularity over the last few years due to the climate change concerns. You can make a good impression by tying in your move-in concession to Earth Day by planting a tree in the new resident’s name (there are services that will do this for just $1!), donating the cost of offsetting the carbon footprint of their move in, or even offering them a green move in gift, like a box of CFL bulbs for the lights in their apartment – a move that not only is eco friendly, but super wallet friendly for them as well!
2. April 16th is National Stress Awareness day, so what better time to invite people to come in and check out the stress free living that your community offers! This is a great chance for outreach with the community around you, since you can involve local massage schools or day spas in the marketing event by asking them if they’d either be willing to donate a coupon off their services OR spend a day in your club house, providing those services to people who come in to tour. Nothing is better the day after filing your taxes than getting a nice massage or pedicure. And it could be great for the business, since it helps them find clients.
3. April is also a great month in most of the country because it’s warm enough to start to see some outdoor activities, however, if you live in a large metro area like I do and have kids, I’m sure you know exactly how expensive some of those city teams can be for kids to play on. If you have the open space in your community, like a large courtyard or play field, why not send out fliers to a local school and offer to host dodge ball or kick ball games Thursday evenings for kids in their third or fourth grade classes? It brings people in to your community, and if you leave your office open until 7:30 those nights, you have a good chance of tapping into families who may be thinking about moving this summer. Best of all, you look like a community that understands how important and tight costs are right now to everyone, even kids.
These are just some springboards for your teams to start with. There are tons of great ideas out there for this month, you just have to sit still for a moment and think about them!
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