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All Forum Posts by: Laura Stayton

Laura Stayton has started 1 posts and replied 248 times.

Post: What is the typical fee charged by property manager while rental is vacant?

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Christian Gibbs:
Quote from @Adam Bartomeo:

Normally, this fee is added when it is a flat fee service, or the owner is difficult to work with on pricing.

Working with contractors is a difficult task filled with frustrations and missing timelines. We moved a lot of the work inhouse to have full control of the timelines. If one is not accustomed to working with contractors, then your expectations are probably unrealistic. I grew up in the industry and still have a hard time with holding contractors accountable.

thx Adam - 

We agreed from the start that we would pay the $500 a month as they sounded great in an interview , go to town council meetings on our behalf , and do some in house work like put up blinds and minor repairs that is included in that fee. Also she is working with us with city ordinances to see if down the road we can change it from a LTR to a STR.

last two- three years my wife and I have been property managing it from across the country using handymen as our boots on the ground and I remodeled the house with contractors inbetween tenants . Getting the phone call that a pipe has broke or well pump is broken is definitely not the parts of landing that we love !

We really like our new property management but we didn’t anticipate the house being empty for so long because the fleas were having a hard time being exterminated .

However we will be bringing in $2100 rent  on this house and I feel that once a tenant in place I would like to negotiate to a lower fee as it seems the “ GM” part of the job will be over for the most part. 

It’s a month to month contract so I am trying to find a solution to see if they take a lower monthly fee .

Thank you for your response!

Christian


It sounds like they are doing work for you in going to meetings, arranging contractors, and working with city ordinances.  Flea infestations can take awhile to treat and NO contractor is going to do repairs until that's done.  It must have been really bad.  

I agree if it's a normal prep and quick turnaround then no fees should be charged but if they're attending meetings and dealing with ordinances and such that is outside the scope of normal management duties and prep and they should be compensated.

Post: Tenant refuses to give me forwarding address for security deposit

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Simeon Rivas:

My former tenant is refusing to give me her forwarding address. She is having the mail forwarded from her ex apartment, but I cannot track that or know when she has received it. Should I just send it though there or make her give me the forwarding address? I am in Conneecticut fyi. 


Check your landlord tenant code.  In DE if they don't provide a forwarding address we just send it to the address they rented by certificate of mailing

Post: Lease Final Walkthrough

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133

I think we all understand this.  Is there a question here?  I agree a walk-through alone is not comprehensive enough to find all issues with the home.  We always send a contractor through to test everything and if broken, give estimates to repair and we can determine then if it is tenant damage and what charges to the security deposit should be.

Post: Tenant Charges When Moving In

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133

Check your landlord tenant code on what is allowable by code.  We charge one month rent and one month security deposit before move in (make sure payments have cleared before turning over keys)  One month security is max allowable by Delaware Landlord Tenant code.

If they have a pet you can charge a pet deposit (again, by state code, DE you can charge up to 1 month rent)

If separately metered utilities, make sure they've transferred them into their name by providing account numbers and also a copy of their renter insurance before move in.

Good luck!

Post: Arizona Tenant - Not paying Rent, Not Communicating

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Ravi Kiran:

I have this tenant who has been staying on the property for last 8 years. Sometimes she was late for rent and they were keeping me in loop about the same and then paid the rent a week later etc.

Now for Sept they didn’t pay the rent and when I reached out asking for rent after 5th Sept, they said that they vacated the place due to hazardous mold issue (she says she verified with over the counter mold kit) and also said this is a 5 day notice to fix the place. When I replied back to their email asking when I could pickup keys to assess the situation, she doesn’t respond to email, nor she pick the phone, nor responds to text. Yesterday I went to the home to see the condition, there was no car on the driveway… I opened the main door to peep inside…looks like they still have lot of their stuff inside and I can smell bad odor; I just closed the door and returned back. Any suggestions how to approach this situation ?

Few more points:

Their lease is valid till May 2025.

This is the first time she even told me about mold.

In the email she did ask me to settle the lease.

I have a little less than a month of rent as security deposit, which I am ready to settle without any additional penalties for abandoning the property.

At this point I am okay with her leaving the place, just I want to get the control of the property back to fix the mold issue.

History:

1) Recently the AC has been replaced and after that there was some intermittent issue with the installation (temp doesn’t reach target intermittently) and I had to call the tech back 5 times to finally get it resolved.

2) Also last month I replaced electric range with Brand new Electric range.

3) Two months back she said the refrigerator was leaking, I asked her to send picture of the make and mode of the refrigerator, but I never got a reply back.

4) Also for last 4-5 months she has been asking me to send her 5-day notice so that she can claim reimbursement, I was sharing a document and she was paying the rent a little late. But now I am wondering if those options have dried up and she is looking at the Mold issue as an excuse to not paying rent and dragging her foot.

5) I verified their lease, I do see mold clause in there asking the tenant to inform immediately about any mold.

Could you please advise ? As it has been more than 48 hrs since I have been informed about mold, could I enter the property and take it over as an emergency issue ? What to do with their belongings ?

Check your state's Landlord Tenant code for direction on how much notice you need to give to go inside. In DE you have to give 48 hour written notice sent by certificate of mailing.  I would do that right away to get inside an assess.

I may be reading this wrong, but it might be that she is out of the home temporarily for the mold issue if she's telling you to fix it in 5 days (is the 5 days code for your state?)

Definitely get inside and go from there.  You may need an attorney 

Post: Rental acquisition with bad tenants

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Jennifer Fernéz:

Im looking at properties to buy, and saw a tenant in a 4-unit property I like paid $1,000 in late fees. They are also smokers and their unit is horrid. They are month to month. What are common practices to remove them? Another tenant in the same property pays $750 a month and should be paying more around $1100. What is the best way to increase her rent?   Do I do it all at once?  I need help with etiquette and what to do 

Agree, check your state's Landlord Tenant code.  In Delaware, a 60 day notice is required to terminate a month to month lease.   To my knowledge you can't require the units be vacant unless you want to wait for the current owner to send notices out and then purchase.  Investor to investor sales don't require a tenant to vacate here.

Post: Shouldn't Prop Manager handle eviction?

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133

What does your management agreement say?  It should be spelled out there.  Also, is it allowable for them to handle where you are?  Check the landlord-tenant code.  The eviction process in DE has become so tough and time intensive to do that we use an attorney as needed.

Quote from @Stephen Homes:

A tenant of mine is refusing contractor to come in for major repair, although I notified her a week in advance. What is the fastes legal action to take in NJ to get access to the rental house? 

In Delaware we are required to give the tenant 48-hour written notice of entry (sent by certificate of mailing) unless they agree to something earlier.  The exception is if it's an emergency and then we can enter anytime.  So check the landlord tenant code where you are to make sure you comply.

Good luck

Post: Property Managers in Wilmington, DE

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Jason Griffin:
Quote from @Laura Stayton:
Quote from @Jason Griffin:

If anyone has very good property manager recommendations in Wilmington, DE, please share.  Thanks!


 We're in Delaware!  Where is your home located in Wilmington?  We don't do much in the City of Wilmington.


 What company are you with?  The property is in the city.  Thanks for the reply!  

Hi Jason, it's Delaware Realty Management.  We handle Trolley square area and some areas but not much.  Feel free to message me or check our website

Post: Property Managers in Wilmington, DE

Laura StaytonPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Delaware
  • Posts 248
  • Votes 133
Quote from @Jason Griffin:

If anyone has very good property manager recommendations in Wilmington, DE, please share.  Thanks!


 We're in Delaware!  Where is your home located in Wilmington?  We don't do much in the City of Wilmington.