All Forum Posts by: Julie Chai

Quote from @Adam Bartling:

@Julie Chai the easiest thing is to list it with  a realtor who also does PM, I am based in Houston, if you would like a run through my database let me know.

 I found this portal called Innago yesterday, that helps with all tenant screening, background checks, rent collection, etc.  Basically, a DIY portal for owners for free.  I was planning on using this portal until I find another PM to go with.  I'll just need to ask my RE agent to help me showcase the place in person.

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

You have someone lined up, let them do it.  The fact that your tenants had an airBNB operating out of the rental against the terms of the lease and your current PM didn't do anything doesn't say much.  When you found out, you should have told your PM to handle it-that is what you are paying them to do.  I can't imagine anything harder than a PM having the owner working with tenants and not keeping the PM in the loop. You've already been doing things for the eviction, I'd just keep doing it.

I've always kept my PM in the loop and had them communicate with the tenants for me the entire time.  I've never went behind them and try to talk to the tenant myself.  Maybe I didn't explain it right in my original post.... but bottom line, PM just wants their money and don't want to do the hard work. PM helped me with evictions before with tenants refusing to pay maintenance bill, but because this time they don't agree that tenant is breaking the lease, they won't help me this time. 

What would you do if in my position?  Lease agreements includes utilities with rent, tenants pay rent on time but using it as an STR, putting you in a negative every month, lease states "No Airbnb or VRBO"

Quote from @Richard F.:

Aloha,

Why, if you have a PM, are YOU now dealing with Rental Agreements and evictions? Who is named on the Agreements, you or your PM company? If you, the Tenants should have been notified of a "change in Management", and been dealing direct with the PM.

Of course, depending on Local Laws and the terms of your "Management" Agreement, maybe this is acceptable, but ours always state that we are contracted "To Manage" the described premises, so I would probably be firing you too. Sorry, I know that is not what you want to hear.

 Hi Richard, the lease is between the tenants and the owner (me) and I have an agreement with the PM. When I took over the property and lease, we transferred the management from the old PM to my new PM, which tenants have always been dealing directly with my PM the entire time.

If an owner has good reason to file an eviction on a tenant for lease violation, isn't the PM supposed to take instructions from the owner?  They said they disagree with me, said "their" broker has not found any lease violations, and therefore wouldn't help me put up eviction notices because tenants are still paying rent.  My attorney says I have a strong case and according to Texas Property Code, they beg to differ from the PM's reasoning also.

@John Underwood  The tenants asked me if I was interested in buying their Airbnb business but after looking at their mickey mouse prosposal.. it doesn't look like they make that much money. I guess I'll have to have my attorney put up the notices.. but now that we're near the end of the month, i'll wait until after I receive August rent to put up the notices.

I have a fourplex in Houston, TX and I live in SoCal.  I have been going back and forth in legal matters trying to renegotiate our lease rates with my tenants.  They are using it as an Airbnb Arbitrage, which is violating the lease agreement.  When I purchased this property, the rent includes utilities and it's putting me in a negative every month.  Since they don't want to renegotiate, I've decided to evict them.

Suddenly, today, when I tell my PM to put up Eviction Notices on their units, they send me an email giving me 30 days notice that they will end our contract on August 18th because they don't want to be part of the litigations.  They're telling me since I have my attorneys helping me with the eviction process, they should be the ones to put up the notices.

What is the best way to go about finding new tenants and who can help me in this process?  I have a well-qualified attorney, separate from this case, that is planning to partner up and create a new management company.  I want to use her to manage my property but it's not up and running yet.... although she is helping me and giving me advise as I go thru this case, I wanted to get more insights from my fellow investors here in BP.

1. Should I have a RE agent help me find tenants?  screen tenants and check their background?

2. Should I hire a new PM in the meantime to just help with finding tenants?

3. Should I try to connect with Harris County Housing Authority to find tenants?

Ahhh!!!  Don't know what to do!

@Brad Larsen No but I will look into them. Thanks!

@Jerry Ta Thanks for the introduction.  I'll be doing some research!

@Nathan Gesner Thanks!  This is a great start.  Appreciate your suggestion :)

Can anyone please recommend a good property manager for my fourplex?  I'm currently using Real Property of Houston and not really happy with their communications and I've only been working with them for a year.  

Thanks in advance.

Update: Booking.com finally reimbursed me for the damaged rug but I still won't list my property on there because of lack of help from customer service.  Not worth my time and piece of mind.

Quote from @Lisa Marie:

Thanks to all for the replies.  I will do a little more research on the feasibility of self managing, as well as evaluating other PMs in the area.

I know there are a lot of software options to manage the calendar across platforms and automate guest emails and cleaner reports, but if I have just one property, what's the best option for me?  Theoretically we can do everything manually, but as I have mentioned multiple times, we want less work, not more work.  Is there a software that provides all the functions but with no or little cost?  

 Hi Lisa,  I only have 1 listing also and self manage from another state.  I just recently had my worst booking nightmare and my cleaner from TurnoverBnB did not do a very good job.  It was a great platform to find cleaners, but they are not the best.  I recently hired a cleaning company this week and after they examined my place after my TurnoverBnB cleaner "cleaned", they sent me pictures of dirty baseboards, dirty pots in cabinets, floor vacuumed but not mopped, etc. So... just FYI on TurnoverBnB.