All Forum Posts by: Makan A Tabrizi

Quote from @Makan A Tabrizi:

How do you folks handle nail/screw holes in walls. Filling them in not an issue but I'm seeing some renters are using anchors. Additionally, trying to spot paint even a white wall with white paint doesn't work, let alone other colors. I don't want to have to paint an entire wall (multiplied by the number of walls that have had nails in them) every time a tenant moves out. Thank you for your input.

Keep a cheat sheet for your property(ies) with color brand/codes for each room and common info needed such as appliance info, fridge opening HxW, etc...

Paint should be standard sets of colors for all the properties you have.

Flat means hard to clean, repaint it all. I use eggshell on the walls, flat only on ceilings and high gloss on trim and windows. Flat is easiest to touch up but I'd rather wipe and touch up eggshell than usually repaint a whole wall due to dirty hands, etc. JMHO

Quote from @Makan A Tabrizi:

Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

We try to get ahead of the issue by preventing it in the first place.

We do a tenant orientation at the property when they sign the lease and go over the specifics, one of them is no modifications, no painting walls and ... nail holes.

We actually provide them with 2 packs of command strips and show them how to use them. We also tell them that we charge $25 per hole for TV mounts, shelves etc 

I think that $10 up-front investment has reduced the number of issues by probably 80%.

Our walls are textured (sand textured in Milwaukee, orange peel textured in the western suburbs - yes, there is an actual dividing line), so we try to avoid the usual palm-sized patch and fill only the hole without making it bigger, so we can get away without texturing. And yes, you have to paint at least the whole wall, if not the whole room. 

Like Dan, we have a standardized paint (white clay by Behr in eggshell, but SW will mix it NP)

 Thank you for the suggestions Marcus. I have no experience with command strips. Are they easy to take off?

 The only problem with command strips is if they are cheap knock off they almost always take the paper with it when you pull them down. If they are the 3M version and you are slow and careful on the pull off, they usually release but not always. Unless you supply the 3M ones I guarantee the tenants are going to use the Dollar Store ones that leave torn paper everywhere. 

Quote from @Makan A Tabrizi:

Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

We try to get ahead of the issue by preventing it in the first place.

We do a tenant orientation at the property when they sign the lease and go over the specifics, one of them is no modifications, no painting walls and ... nail holes.

We actually provide them with 2 packs of command strips and show them how to use them. We also tell them that we charge $25 per hole for TV mounts, shelves etc 

I think that $10 up-front investment has reduced the number of issues by probably 80%.

Our walls are textured (sand textured in Milwaukee, orange peel textured in the western suburbs - yes, there is an actual dividing line), so we try to avoid the usual palm-sized patch and fill only the hole without making it bigger, so we can get away without texturing. And yes, you have to paint at least the whole wall, if not the whole room. 

Like Dan, we have a standardized paint (white clay by Behr in eggshell, but SW will mix it NP)

 Thank you for the suggestions Marcus. I have no experience with command strips. Are they easy to take off?

Yes they do. We use them at home now as well, my wife likes to redecorate.. The reason we supply a couple packs is to avoid the cheap knockoffs. 

Quote from @Chris B.:

Hello Makan.  I also know nothing about Apartments.com scoring specifically, but I'd probably group the report in with other similar application services like Zillow.  #1 rule is not to trust them, but they still have value.  Much of the information in these reports is self-reported and not verified.  In some areas, I find that the information is exaggerated (applicant lied) to make their application look better

Here's how I use them:  A lot of times, the applicant will self report information that disqualifies them.  I thank them for their interest and let them know they do not qualify.  If the report looks good, We have a phone interview.  If that goes well, I show the property and then I provide them with my own application.  After that is returned, I do a background check through Transunion or a similar service.  If the Transunion report verifies everything, and they meet my other criteria (credit scores, proof of income, background and eviction checks...) then we are good.

In my 15+ years at this, I have found a very strong correlation of credit score and tenant quality. This not only relates to tenant's likelihood to fall behind on rent, but it also corresponds to how well they will treat your property.  I have lost a lot more $$$ to tenant damage than to unpaid rent.  ALL of my major problem tenants happened to have had a average (adults in the household) score below 625.  those with score averages between about 625 and 685 have issues, but generally are manageable.  I've never had a problem with a tenant with a credit score above 700.  With this said, I do consider the situation.  A recent divorce can cause serious credit issues and I've had success with a tenant in this situation.  In another example, a tenant had no credit as he had just immigrated to the US.  He had a tech job and we talked the business and he was legit and when meeting the family, they were very respectful.  This was another great tenant.

Regarding Zillow applications, I differ with Kevin's experience.  In one area I rent, you just cannot trust them; over 50% of them have completely bogus data.  Great resource for advertising your property, but not so great for screening.  They do minimal at best verification of the data the applicant provides. It looks like Kevin's and my markets vary.  I have nicer Class B properties and it is expected that the applicants have a good record.  I put a lot of money into my property to make them nice.  One bad tenant can ( and have) quickly destroyed a year+ worth of profit.

I agree with the vast majority of what you said. There is certainly a strong correlation to credit score and tenant performance. I'm in a cheaper cash-flowing market in PA. A B class rental here is probably different than a B class rental in your area as is the profile of the tenant that occupies it.

In my area a B class rental might be occupied by family with 2 wage earners each working full-time entry level jobs like warehouse workers. That would be the bottom end of who could be a B class tenant in my area. 

I accepted a tenant into a B class rental a few years back who was making low 6 figures at the time as a union boiler-maker but had NO CREDIT SCORE! This person had never used credit. Every market is different but I have had a few tenants like that. I also had a state corrections officer that was similar. Good paying jobs but no score at all!

With regard to Zillow my experience is that they provide a good credit score/report. I believe they use Experian but their background report is unreliable. My state has a good court website where I can better do my own background checks for free so that isn't an issue.

One think I sometimes try to remind people is that EVERY APPLICANT qualifies for a rental! They will all (in theory) be living somewhere. Understanding your market, what you are offering, and the kind of tenant you can expect to attract and KEEP will help you determine how to screen.

If you have a C class rental but screen it like its an A class rental, some landlords might believe they are doing a superior job! However, that will likely lead to increased turnover and increased vacancy time in between tenants. So, while you might have fewer tenant issues you might make a lot less money overall! 

We try to get ahead of the issue by preventing it in the first place.

We do a tenant orientation at the property when they sign the lease and go over the specifics, one of them is no modifications, no painting walls and ... nail holes.

We actually provide them with 2 packs of command strips and show them how to use them. We also tell them that we charge $25 per hole for TV mounts, shelves etc 

I think that $10 up-front investment has reduced the number of issues by probably 80%.

Our walls are textured (sand textured in Milwaukee, orange peel textured in the western suburbs - yes, there is an actual dividing line), so we try to avoid the usual palm-sized patch and fill only the hole without making it bigger, so we can get away without texturing. And yes, you have to paint at least the whole wall, if not the whole room. 

Like Dan, we have a standardized paint (white clay by Behr in eggshell, but SW will mix it NP)

Quote from @Bill B.:

I was told by my PM at a recent move out it was now considered normal wear and tear and you couldn’t charge for it. 

Normal wear and tear would be a few small nail holes for hanging artwork, a clock, etc. Mounting shelves, a TV, or other large items that requires screws, bolts, or anchors should be regulated by the landlord and charged to the tenant. The same goes for an excessive number of small holes, like a single wall with 40 nail holes. I've had many renters with kids that stapled posters to walls and left hundreds of tiny holes. Tenants should pay for that.

My lease considered normal to be a few items hung using 1" nails or smaller. We forbid TV mounts, shelves, or items that require bolts, anchors, screws, or large nails. We also do not allow the tenant to patch holes or touch up the paint, because they usually do a terrible job that takes longer and costs more to fix.

Quote from @Makan A Tabrizi:

Quote from @Bill B.:

I don’t know if it’s a new law but I was told by my PM at a recent move out it was now considered normal wear and tear and you couldn’t charge for it. 

I assume any painter / handyman doing your turnover could do that kind of touch up in almost no time for almost no money.  

Touch up is not issue. Trying to match the color that is already on the wall is just about impossible, even with left over paint from the initial painting. He tried to do patch work on this one wall with existing paint and it looked like a jigsaw puzzle :) 

 If you can't touch it up you're using the wrong kind of paint. Flat is easiest, eggshell next easiest as far as sheen. You don't need to use pure white - actually you can use any color, though lighter is easier - but you do need to use a paint brand and color that's not going to change. That generally means getting paint from someplace like Sherwin Williams and using one of their long-term colors. We use a color called Shoji White, which is kind of gray/beige white, has enough color that it can pop white trim but is light enough on the wall to match anything. Navajo White is another popular color. The bigger point is that if you use Walmart, Lowes or some other big box paint the base colors can and do change which will make touch-up difficult. Those stores go with whoever wins the cheapest contract. Case in point, years ago we used Olympic paints from Lowes, which were carried for a long time. Then Lowes phased out Olympic, and even with the paint code I couldn't get mixes that touched up. And if you're not already using the same paint color on all properties, you should start and you can thank me for this tip later. Using different colors was one of the biggest mistakes we ever made in the early days; tracking the colors even with a spreadsheet was a nightmare, as was keeping dozens of different touch up colors in the storehouse. 

The other part of this: don't scuff or sand any more than you need to. Anything the size of a plastic wall anchor or smaller, you should be hitting it with lightweight spackle and use a damp sponge, not a sanding sponge, to take off the excess. That will prevent scuffing the paint making touch up necessary. 

Finally: *DO NOT* let tenants attempt to fill holes or do touch up themselves. Many tenants are idiots and I'm surprised they can dress themselves in the morning. We have had tenants use everything from latex caulk to roofing cement to try to fill nail holes. One guy used white rubber cement, left in big blobs everywhere because he thought it just peeled off after he was done. We had to repaint the entire unit because the material he used left oil stains everywhere. In our move out sheet we specifically tell tenants not to fill holes or try to touch anything up. 

@Dennis McNeely

Have you used 'Nix' yourself?  How will interior light affect the result (cool white, daylight etc)?

I use white flat paint for all of my units.  When they move out and i paint over the spackle repairs it is usually undetectable.  Anchor I leave in the wall and paint over them.  Tough issue but it's unreasonable require tenants not hang things on the wall.  On MTM tenants i tell them not to hang pictures or make holes in the walls, however.