All Forum Posts by: Jennifer Rysdam

Thanks Sue. I have been doing M2M up until this point. I thought it would be easier, as you mentioned. However, the one person I decided to end a lease on decided that he wasn't going to leave. I ended up having to evict him anyways. 
My experience here in MN has been that every year I have at least one person move out in Nov. or Dec. Then it sits there empty until spring, costing me thousands. The only people I get applying in the winter are those that I don't want to rent to. They are usually getting kicked out or evicted elsewhere. It has cost me way too much. Now I'm switching to 1 year leases for everyone that end in one of the Spring or Summer months. I have no problem leasing multiple units then, but winter just kicks my butt. If I lived in a warmer area I'd definitely stick with MTM.

Thanks. Who do you use for your electronic leases? 

I'm going to be renewing a few leases here shortly and want to know what everyone's process is. Do you print a whole new packet with the lease and addendums for them to sign, or do you just do a renewal form that states the new dates, rent amount, and that the previous lease is still in effect?

Also, if you do print out the whole thing, do you meet with them or just give it to them to sign and return? I know times are crazy right now, so I can't imagine meeting with anyone face to face.

Thanks much!

I don't think there will have to be a line drawn. This will end at some point in the next few months and people will get back to work. We'll all know when that happens. I'm not really worried though because the government is putting together a package to get people money starting in the next 2 weeks. At that point they will have no reason not to pay their rent. You just have to play it by ear. You will know who is trying to screw you. 

I will not be evicting anyone. These people are already out of work due to no fault of their own, making them homeless will destroy any bit of normal life they have left. They are good, hard working people. I cannot be the final nail in their coffin.
I'm hoping that the government will come through with the assistance they are promising for them.
I realize that not everyone can do this, but I have a very large reserve for my building and am glad that I can.

Looks like, as I type this, the government is hoping to try and put a 6 month forbearance on mortgages and small business loans. That would help! 

I'd add wood and turn the cabinets into white shaker cabinets, with new hardware too. Vinyl plank flooring in both. New countertops, sink, faucet, and gray paint in kitchen. In the bathroom I'd replace just about everything I could afford and also put a second shower curtain to cover the window.

I just use SmartMove. They send the tenant an email, tenant clicks, pays online, and the info comes to me. I don't have to deal with any of the fees.

If I lived in TX I would stick with month to month for all of the reasons stated above. I live in MN. My month to month leases have been a pain because every year I'll have someone move out in November or December and then it sits empty until the warmer months. I plan on switching everyone over to yearly leases this summer.

@Raymond Lacross I don't necessarily reject someone based on their Facebook account, but it lets me know a lot about them. If I get several applicants, I will definitely not put the one with the pictures of themselves getting high at the front of the line. There are a lot of criteria that go into choosing someone, and that's just a small piece of the puzzle. I live on the border with South Dakota, and it's hard to get background check on people. Sometimes Facebook and internet searches are the only way I can get the information.

Here's what Brandon Turner had to say:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hufXoUBiTY0