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All Forum Posts by: Fareed Fityan

Fareed Fityan has started 13 posts and replied 28 times.

Post: Looking for a property manager

Fareed FityanPosted
  • Oakland, CA
  • Posts 29
  • Votes 5
Quote from @Powell DiGangi:

Im in the same boat @Fareed Fityan.  The BP prop manager finder tool on BP didnt give me what i was looking for.  Have you found a good local oakland prop manager yet?  Would be curious.  Im rather work with a small PMC or even an individual than a larger company. thanks!


 No I haven't found anyone yet. I've interviewed about 3 different companies and not happy with what they offer so I'm still looking. In the meantime I am still managing myself which is doable but not preferred 

Post: Looking for a property manager

Fareed FityanPosted
  • Oakland, CA
  • Posts 29
  • Votes 5
Quote from @Michael Smythe:

@Fareed Fityan

Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.

Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.

Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.

Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.

In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.

It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator – so, they often select the first PMC they call or that calls them back!

So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.

EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean? What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.? You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!

This also leads owners to ASSUME simpler is better when it comes to management contracts.

The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings. Why do you think purchase contracts are so long and have such small print?

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

P.S. If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general. Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊


 Thanks for the reply, I have already done some research (BP PM tool, yelp, general googling) which is why I switched to BP forums. 

I agree with you completely and I do not plan to make any assumptions with PMs. I already have a good example after meeting a potential PM that I mentioned in my original post. He was surprised I have had very minimal issues with my tenants. That's probably because my leases and screening process are pretty thorough. 

Post: Looking for a property manager

Fareed FityanPosted
  • Oakland, CA
  • Posts 29
  • Votes 5

Hi BP community,

Ive been managing my duplex since I purchased but now I have kids and it's getting harder to self manage. I used the PM tool and got in touch with 1 company but the PM I met did not make a good impression and didn't work out. Is there a company that I should look into or are there any recommended property managers that I should contact?

I haven't looked specifically for property managers on job boards but i figured BP may be a "straight to the source" route. Thanks!

I am currently in-between jobs at the moment and looking for some work. As a self-manage REI I know how busy it can be to ensure your property/properties are running smoothly.

A little background on myself, I am a project manager and typically work in the tech industry in the bay area. I love to organize my data/improve my REI process to be as efficient as possible so I can spend more time with my family and less time worrying about my property. I would be delighted to offer my services for anyone in need. If you can use some extra help, whether it be a one-time service or on-going, please let me know and I'd love to discuss details.


Quote from @Steven Kunkel:

@Fareed Fityan I don’t see why you can’t provide a “Notice to Quit” with a 30 days notice (Maryland requirement), if you don’t want to go down the eviction process.

I spoke with a lawyer and they recommended I speak with my tenant and if she doesn't plan on moving out I would have to start an eviction process once the eviction moratorium ends. Luckily my tenant informed me she will be moving out so I hope nothing changes.

Hi BP community, I need some feedback on whether I should hire a lawyer to help me with my tenant issue or if it's something I can take care of myself.

Background: so my tenant has been avoiding me. Not responding to calls, texts and emails. She hasn't paid rent in 4 months (and partially paid 2 months) after submitting an application for rental assistance (even though she is still working on the side). Every time I have spoken to her it's one excuse and lie after another. 

i also believe her son is damaging and trashing my property, I have evidence of him trying to light the property on fire from month 2 after move in. And recently seen backyard furniture damaged/destroyed.

My tenant's lease is up this August which is coming up soon and I'd like to send her notification that her lease will not be renewed but before I do that I want to make sure that I can do it myself or if I should just hire a lawyer to help me with this because I don't want this to get ugly and end up in court since I'm not sure how she will react. I want to be very careful since the moratorium is still in effect.

Originally posted by @Richard Hughes:

@Fareed Fityan

I understand where you are coming from. If they had asked you, you probably would have gave them the ok. What pissed you off is they just did it without asking. It would have pissed me off too ( I have 20 units.) I personal would have a talk with them and let them know that the contract said you cannot make any changes to anything unless you talk to me first. I would say I’m not going to call the company to have them undo what they just did but if this crap happens again you being getting a 30 day notice. That should get his attention. I would also make sure I gave him that in writing. Now if they mounted a satellite dish on top of my house, he’s got to go.

The bigger issue is the noise issue. Trust me I know. I evicted a tenant about a year ago for noise complains. I highlighted the noise and peaceful section in the contract and send it to them as a reminder and let them know you’re getting serval complains on them. The next day after you tell them to invest in some headphone you might as well start a log on every conversation you had and sent them just in cases you will need it. Hopefully you want my guess you will.

 Thanks @Richard Hughes. YOU get where I'm coming from. The bigger issue is the lack of communication. It makes me not trust the tenant who did this and now I'm weary of him. Though since then, he did apologize and seemed to understand what I told him when I first saw the installation. I think what I'll end up doing is move the cable that is going inside the house and putting it somewhere it is not an eye sore (it's eye level and not discreet). I'll deduct whatever costs incurs from that fix from his security deposit. Of course I will provide everything in writing and serve this as a final warning for him (the noise complaint being the first offense).

Appreciate the feedback!

Originally posted by @Bill B.:

You’d have to make sure your lease said “there will be no Internet available” correct? What if your property didn’t have cable and they had the cable company come out and install service? Or he wanted a landline phone? Thee all seem like things people expect to have access to.

As far as the noise form gaming I would remind them others have a right to peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their place as well. A $5 pair of headphones should solve this problem. Otherwise simply evict them after a couple of written warnings. 

I mispoke, I updated my post but the tenants already had internet service that was installed and being used. They decided to have a brand new internet line installed using a different internet provider which is what the issue is.

Hey BP community,

I've had 2 tenants living in a 3 bedroom apartment for a few months now (a third recently moved out, another is about to move in). I found out today that my 2 tenants ordered a new internet service and had someone come out 2 days ago and installed a new line from the outside. They drilled into the house to install the service and mounted a device on the side of my property. This was all done without my permission. I took pictures and documented everything. 

This violates the lease because it states no repair/changes are to be done to the property without the consent of the landlord. To be honest this is not a huge issue, but the bigger concern is that neither of the 2 tenants communicated anything, or even asked permission to do this. How can I trust tenants who do not communicate or let me know when something is wrong in/on my property?

The tenant who signed up for the new internet service in his name also never responds when I try to communicate and he has disturbed the other tenant several times by playing games late at night and being loud (the lease also states no one should cause disturbances and tenants are
entitled to quiet enjoyment of the premises).

My question is: what action should I take here? If I'm not mistaken I have the right to call the internet company to remove the wiring and patch up the hole they made into my kitchen and if I am charged I can take it out of the security deposit. Since it is a violation of the lease should I take stricter actions?