Rental questions - Realtor not advertising rental appropriately

[Ruth Buckley]

Hi BP landlords, 

Two quick q's I was hoping folks could help with:

1. We put our townhouse on the market for Sep 1st rental last week with a realtor. He told me it would go out to '500 websites'. The townhouse is pretty new and in great shape so I was surprised not to get any viewing requests this week. When I went online I could not find it advertised on any of the big websites (Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, etc.). I could only find it on one website. I have signed a contract with the realtor, am I still obligated to stay with him despite this? Should I request a deduction on the broker fee based on the lost time marketing (approx 1 week)?

2. We just signed the P&S on a multifamily. The lower unit already has a lease rental until Nov 30th of this year. We discovered that one of the people living in the unit is not on the lease, should we request that they are added before we close? Also there was no statement of condition signed when the lease was originally signed. Should we request one before close?

Thanks for any pointers!

Ruth

[Nathan Gesner]

1. Yes, I would contact the PM and ask why it isn't visible. They probably forgot to click a button or something. Keep an eye on it because it could be a simple mistake but it could also be a sign of a low-quality PM that promises the moon and hands you mud pies.

2. Yes, you should try to get the seller to screen the additional person and add them to the lease. If they can't or won't, do it immediately upon closing. I require all adults to be screened and on the lease. It's very common for one person to pass screening and then move in a boyfriend or relative that would never pass.