landlord tenant relations: Landlord/Tenant Relations in Property Management- The 4 Types~
- 08/15/09 04:54 AM
As a professional residential property manager these past 16+ years, I have had my fair share of challenging scenarios. Most scenarios involving Landlord/Tenant relations fall into 4 possible categories: 1. Good Landlord/Good Tenant- My favorite scenario, and by far the most rewarding one to work with. The Landlord recognizes their responsibilities to the Tenant and the property, while the Tenant fully understands and adheres to the terms of the lease agreement. 2. Good Landlord/Bad Tenant- I would say I hate to work with these scenarios, but they tend to be a significant part of new incoming business (Client placed a tenant … (0 comments)
landlord tenant relations: My Tenant Has Never Heard of "Small Nails", and It Cost Them...
- 05/10/09 04:06 AM
We just pulled off a small miracle this week. Our tenants moved out of their home on Tuesday, we had the home painted Wednesday, cleaned Thursday, carpets cleaned Friday, and new tenants moved in Saturday morning. Even for professional property management, that is a pretty tight turnover. What should have been a very easy turnover was complicated by our ex-tenants use of anchor, or "molly" bolts. While it was evident that the home they lived in was kept quite nice over the past 18 months, we did not know the damage that was hiding under every wall hanging. The walls of … (5 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- The Perilous Pitfalls of Renting to Friends and Co-Workers
- 03/15/09 06:03 AM
Recently an unhappy applicant posted their thoughts in a comment on our blog, so we thought it best to touch on an important subject that has or will impact many landlords- the decision to rent to a friend or co-worker. Applicants Mr. & Mrs. "Smith" submitted applications to rent a home of ours in Elk Grove. Mr. "Smith" was a co-worker/friend of the owner, so certain concessions that would not normally be allowed were approved by the owner in order to make the move-in go as easy as possible on the applicants. The rent was reduced along with the pet deposit, … (2 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Voicemail is Great...But Nothing Beats the Personal Touch and Novel Approach of Answering the Phone~
- 02/28/09 02:50 AM
We did it again. For the.....(pause while counting).....let's say "umpteenth" time, we managed to secure a fantastic applicant on one of our homes, even though ours was one of a dozen homes these people were calling on and we were NOT the cheapest rental. How did we get the applicant over our competitors on Craigslist...what's our secret? It is nothing special, yet in this age of automation where everyone is so dependent on voice mail, perhaps it is somewhat unique. We answer the call. In this case, the caller was transferring here from the Bay Area, called on at least 12 … (5 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- New Laws affecting Landlords in 2009
- 12/18/08 10:59 AM
As Broker of a small, service based property management company serving Landlords in the greater Sacramento area, we do our best to stay at the top of the learning curve. I recently attended a class offered through a professional organization called NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers). While much of the material covered we found to be derivative of previous legal classes attended, we always come away with at least a few valuable pieces of information. I was happy to see many of my peers in the industry in attendance, though being "sardined" into a room designed for 40 occupants … (4 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- Communication is Key
- 12/05/08 05:22 PM
We accepted another client today, who left their current Sacramento Property Manager after 7+ years of service. The culprit? Poor communication stemming from a pet policy. Our new Landlord client has a duplex on a quiet cul-de-sac in Sacramento. One side has a long term tenant that recently had to get rid of an unauthorized pet (a pit bull). The other side had a tenant that wanted to purchase a pet themselves (a lab). Rather that discuss this with the Landlord, the now ex-property manager denied the request, and the tenant subsequently vacated the property during the slowest time of year … (2 comments)
landlord tenant relations: What are Clients Looking For? The Lost Art of Being Genuine~
- 11/06/08 04:47 AM
After 16 years as a Sacramento area Property Manager, I have learned a few things about our market, our client base and how to attract and keep quality client relationships. I have read numerous articles, blogs, etc. about how to impress clients, to win their confidence, to dress for success, along with dozens of other catchy phrases promising certain victory in the business world if we follow these simple instructions. I have always seen myself as an original thinker, as I always seem to find myself looking for a different way to do things that would make me and my company … (6 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- Who Pays What Utilities? Keeping up With Current Rental Trends
- 11/05/08 09:17 AM
Ok, you've found a good tenant with the credit, income and history requirements all met. Now its time to sit down and enter into a lease agreement. As Sacramento area property managers, a common question we get from both tenants and landlords is regarding the utilities. Who pays for what? In the greater Sacramento area, is it customary for tenants to pay for gas electricity and phone. However, most landlords pay for the water, sewer and garbage. This custom can very from county to county. In some areas, utility companies for water will acknowledge a tenant as a responsible party, but … (8 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- Documentation is Key to Minimizing Liability~
- 11/03/08 07:44 AM
It seems crazy to me, as a Sacramento Property Manager over the past 16+years, to hear that people are still making verbal agreements with their tenants. We were hired by a Landlord last week to step in and take over a delinquency problem with an existing tenancy. When asked to produce documentation, we were provided with a handwritten piece of stained notebook paper with some scribble on it. Basically, this tenant had befriended the Landlord and convinced her to let them rent the home on a month to month basis for $1000/month in the Rosemont area. Now, they were over 1 … (1 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- Firm But Fair- A Practical Guide to Tenant/Landlord Relations
- 11/02/08 03:43 PM
We signed up a new client this weekend, a very nice woman with a problem tenant in her unit. When I asked her to describe the situation, I was not very surprised, having heard the story a hundred times before over the past 16 years as a Sacramento property manager. The tenant said they'd pay last week, but they did not. The story keeps changing, and now they were 1.5 months behind on the rent. This was the reason she was signing up for property management. She was hoping that we could get her tenant back on track. I hated to … (1 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Working on the Weekends? Sacramento Property Management at it's Best
- 11/01/08 05:03 AM
It is a gray, wet morning here in Northern CA. After a night of handing our candy to ghouls, ghosts and goblins, I settled in for some cheesy horror movies and a well deserved rest. November 1, 2008. I turned 41 today. It doesn't feel all that different from 40. My wife and I had our coffee, charged our digital camera, prepared our documentation, and got ready to go to Elk Grove for an 11:00 am move-in appointment. You see, we work when there is work, sometimes 14-21 days in a row if duties call for it. We are a small … (2 comments)
landlord tenant relations: Landlord's Learning Center- Beware the A.D.A. Scammers, A Cautionary Tale of Avoiding Extortion~
- 10/27/08 12:41 PM
As the Broker/Owner of a small (100 single family units) property management company, I try to stay on top of the learning curve. By attending classes on a yearly basis, I keep up to date on legal issues affecting our industry. I had the privilege of attending a class sponsored by the local Rental Housing Association. The subject was ADA Compliance. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was created to insure fair and equal treatment of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, with any new law comes a host of people trying to capitalize on it. One common area where ADA is used to … (0 comments)
A well educated Landlord makes more informed decisions, which in turn makes them a quality client for an effective Property Manager like ICPM. Our blog is dedicated towards educating consumers and agents on the finer points of Property Management, while helping them to steer clear of pitfalls and poor business practices.
As a professional residential property manager these past 16+ years, I have had my fair share of challenging scenarios. Most scenarios involving Landlord/Tenant relations fall into 4 possible categories:
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