All Forum Posts by: Connie Chan

@Jake Stuttgen thank you! That’s helpful. Do you think their price pretty in line with market? Or is it worth me spending time finding a handyman or plumber to do it?

@Benjamin Bleasdale as it goes with real estate it’s location location location. The variance will be huge comparing something like SF to a smaller city with less employment.

A tenant in a property I don’t live near (but I don’t have a property manager for) said their garbage disposal isn’t working. A friend recommended that I just have the tenant buy a new one at Home Depot and use their installation services and reimburse them. Has anyone used Home Depot install for something like that? Not flooring or kitchen/wash room appliances? I don’t have a sense for how good of a job they do not the price. If it’s really that easy wouldn’t more landlords just outsource the fixes to them?

Thank you everyone for the input! I’ll let them know that the gas cost for heating is really high. It may make them rethink having one. Also the solar cover is a terrific idea. My pool isn’t rectangular shaped so I wasn’t sure if feasible but it sounds like it can still work and will save both me and the tenant a lot of money!

@Toan Le I use a mobile app called Tellus. It’s free for all parties and supports multi units and everything. Also has a lot of functionality for finance tracking, co-managers, maintenance tickets, etc. My tenants pay more on time using it.

@Ryan H. I think some landscaping can help in certain situations. I had one tenant where I did very basic landscaping. Basically creates an area with new soil so she could plant things. And had a few pots of flowers from Home Depot. It made a huge difference. The wife was looking for a rental where she could garden and that’s why she chose the rental. It only cost a few bags of new soil... and the labor in loosening up the old dirt.

Hi! Would love some opinions. A tenant wants a pool heater. It costs maybe $5,000. I think it adds value to the property so I’m open to doing it but would you ask the tenant to split the cost?

@Vernon Trice III I use a free app called Tellus, tenants have been paying more on time and it’s full of features. My mother and husband use it too and we all can collaborate and help each other manage the homes. Definitely check it out if you want a full system. It does expense reporting, cash flow statements, rent roll, listings, screenings, collect rent, chat, etc.

Regarding the cost of the conference, travel and hotel, just a reminder to all the landlords out there to remember to consult accountsnt and log those tax deductions! :-)

@Mark Belenky Hi Mark, it’s unfortunate to start off the lease like that but it’s possible it was a one time mistake. I would see if the tenant had an explanation and then try to create better processes to help prevent it from happening. For example you can remind them of the rental due date and then offer to accept rent electronically with a system that allows for AutoPay for example. I use the Tellus app but there are other options as well. Software helps remind tenants before rent is due and the AutoPay or one click payment helps them pay more on time. They won’t have to be near a bank or have to find a stamp and envelope or anything. My tenants have been paying a LOT more on time ever since I made the switch.