All Forum Posts by: Steve Maginnis

Hello @Aaron Hyatt. We use Rentec Direct. Best of luck. 

I would be interested. 

@Laura Stayton, I can understand letting an owner decide between several qualified applicants, but an owner should not be able to deny anyone who is qualified. Gone are the days when you could disapprove of someone because they showed up to the showing with a nasty, junk filled car, late and with an attitude.  If they meet the criteria, they should be approved. We all need to have strict qualifications in place and make sure we abide by them. If we do not approve someone because they were obnoxious during a showing, that can only open the door to a discrimination lawsuit. You can discriminate against someone for being an idiot or filthy, but be ready to prove that in court.  We have to be very transparent in these situations. Either they meet the qualifications or they do not. Just make sure your qualifications are in writing and provided to the applicant prior to applying. 

Everyone here is assuming the agent did a poor job of locating a quality tenant.  The original post stated, "Now tenant is creating a lot of trouble by blowing everything out of proportion and making it hard for me to work with her.".  This applicant could have been very well qualified and there was no reason whatsoever to not approve the application.  Being hard to work with does not constitute an unqualified applicant (even if it were revealed prior to approval).  If I were the placement agent, I would feel bad about this and offer to place another resident for a highly discounted price or for free, but that is only for the sake of keeping happy customers, not because the applicant was not qualified.  Bottom line is, if an applicant checks all the boxes on your requirement list, you should not turn them down. At least not without facing a possible discrimination lawsuit. Best of luck. 

No. I have not taken more time to try and find a reputable company. It is on the To-Do list though. Let me know if you have any success. Best of luck!

Hello @Jennifer Baldassari. The best idea I have is to do an online search for the property management company , with the name in quotes so it will be an exact match. Ads for many of the properties they have rented in the past should show up in the results. Then you would have to do a tax lookup for that address to contact the property owner. Alternatively, if you know someone with MLS access, they can pull up a list of properties marketed over the last several years by that PM. Provided they market in the MLS.

Hey @Drew Sygit that took a quick turn for the worse, LOL. 

Thanks @Rita Ciaccio!  

Hello @Ashley Hughes.  Another point to consider is that the toilet issue may have been an emergency repair, due to the flooding. Especially if this was the only toilet in the unit.  Your PM agreement may provide that the minimum $200 threshold does not apply for emergencies.  In addition, if we have a charge such as this where the tenant is responsible, the owner still pays us for the invoice up front, then we collect from the tenant to reimburse the owner.  The PM company should not advance repair costs for the benefit of a client's property. So the fact that they covered the cost is a plus.  It does sound to me like your PM is acting appropriately.  I also commend them for applying for assistance on behalf of the tenant (and you).  

Many, many tenants with otherwise good relationships with the PM may still bad-mouth them when speaking with the owner.  It is very common.  Oftentimes the reason they may not like the PM is because they are working to benefit you and protect your property!  If you do not trust your PM, you can certainly shop for another one, but it sounds like you will be untrusting of any new company (which is normal).  I suggest you keep a close eye on the PM.  Review your statements, question any repairs for details, ask for original work order requests from the tenant if possible to prove they are valid.  You can also request the PM perform inspections of the property.  They may be willing to Facetime you while at the property so you can do a virtual tour.  As long as your property is being maintained well and the PM numbers add up, it should be easier to start to trust your PM.  Best of luck.  

Hello @Dave Jackson It sounds like your PM is trying to get away with not having a trust account. Trust account violations is where most RE Brokers get in to trouble, so not having to deal with them is a plus for them. It's nice for them, but not always the most efficient or effective method for the Landlord. I assume it differs state to state, but in NC, we can keep deposits in the same account as the rents. We just need to make sure the accounting is handled properly. I believe your PM should maintain their own account for deposits and rents, and they can use rents for expenses. We have a $300 threshold for any single repair. For our multi-unit owners, we simply email them a quote for the make ready cost, and when they approve via email, we pull from the account once repairs are complete. For SFR individual owners, we have the same process, but may need them to send in additional funds if necessary. They typically pay via Zelle, CashApp or Venmo, which are setup to go directly in to the trust account. So they can pay half up front, then the remainder upon completion when photos are provided. Bottom line is, I feel your PM is being a bit lazy based on what you describe. Best of luck.