All Forum Posts by: Mary Ann Aulbur

Bottom of my lease in bold print:  Keys are given when utilities are put in tenants name.

Also my utility company has a special provision for landlords - when utilities are changed, I am notified by email.  So no utilities are shut off; they are just transferred to landlord or tenant.  Good for them and good for me.

Fees:  for failure to maintain property and/or a fee to perform maintenance.  To do these, it means regular drive byes to inspect.  So is this a hardship?  Do you have the time?  Or you could give incentives such as a reduction in monthly rent if done.  Still have to check though.

So it just depends on your circumstances.  For me, a drive by works well.  I just text them.  And my lease is simple.  Large type for tenant responsibilities in a bullet point format.  And yes as others have stated: if the city fines the landlord, the landlord is owed the money.  But if the landlord must devote time to tenant failure to comply with the lease, that is a chargeable fee too (office fee, paperwork fee, management fee, or whatever).  So how strict do you want to be?  It takes time and effort to do this.  Is it worth the work and time?  Will the tenants move if you do this?

Registering a pet and a doctor's note may not be the same.  I would tell the tenant that I would need to check to verify that it is a trained  service animal and prescribed by their doctor.  And I would verify with the doctor.  If the doctor would not confirm, then I would not rent to them.

If I could not deny, I would make sure my animal policy addresses issues such as cleanup, shots, flea control and behavior of the animal.  Also, that I had a non-compliance clause with fees attached for all my tenants with or without pets.  

I would make this fee as high as possible.  So if the tenant felt just because they were handicapped they did not have to pick up animal litter, they would soon get a wake up call.  Also, regular inspections on the rental unit are mandatory.

There is a program for section 8 called the Housing Choice Voucher Program.  That may be what she is thinking about.

Formica has worked well for my B rentals.  If an expense adds nothing to my rental rate, why do it.  All rentals in small SF homes in this town do not generate enough cash flow to warrant any expensive additions.  Which doesn't mean, I don't give other things - storage, cleanliness, working mechanicals.

Just 2 units for now

Space, Storage, Light, View, Convenience.  The more you spend, the less return on your investment.  Is it safe?  Fencing or lights.  Is it private?  Fencing and window coverings.  What about decor?  Neutral.  Trim.  What about expensive finishes?  Seriously--why.  

Ask yourself--What is my definition of a quality tenant?  Is it someone who stays put, pays on time and doesn't hoard or destroy?  Or is it someone who pays more than the current market rate?  If they are paying more, they are probably looking for a better/cheaper place while renting from you.

How upset will you be when they do not treat these expensive elements in your rental with the tlc like you would in your own home?  Make rental experience better with less.

Wish I took the pictures before I rented.  I took pictures of all the windows and the indirect lighting in the bedrooms but not the closets.  Tenants love storage and light.  So that is what was shown in my ads. 

But speaking as a homeowner, I prefer solid wooden shelves.  If high end, I would stain and polyurethane the wood not paint which I do for renters.

Open wooden shelves made with plywood, supported with 1x4's, trimmed with simple stock molding and painted.  Do these floor to ceiling.  Very cheap and tenants love them.  Even if only 1 foot wide.  Also put a light in the closet.