All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

1. One of my AZ tenants had just moved to the desert. Within the first month, he submitted an AC repair request. He said, "the system's humidifier wasn't working and the air was too dry." When I explained that the HVAC system didn't have a humidifier, he belligerently argued. So my AC guy went over, fiddled around the unit for a few minutes and told him it was "fixed." We still laugh about it. 

2. Our seasonal Canadian clients would ALL leave big orange Home Depot buckets full of water throughout their house. They asked us to re-fill them on our regular home inspections to keep the "air moist."

3. When we sold one our AZ properties, the buyer's agent called to tell me they would need to do an exterior "scorpion inspection." The house was on a golf course in an established community, but it is still AZ. Scorpions are supposed to be outside. I assured them after 8 years, we had never found a scorpion in the house. They insisted and showed up at our house one night at 9pm. The agent, his wife, the buyers and both sets of in-laws. We had 8 adults with black lights scouring every inch of our backyard for an hour. They didn't find a scorpion. 

Totally disagree. You are running a business and business is about relationships. A good business takes care of their customer. Your tenant is your customer. I don't know why landlords have such a disconnect on this. When a hotel leaves a handwritten note with a gift waiting in your room, or the maitre d' in a nice restaurant knows your name, do you think... "Ahhh, now I have the upper hand?" OR do you consider it good customer service and feel compelled to spend more time/money in their establishment?  

>>>>steps down from soapbox<<<<<

You are 100% right in your instinct to get your tenant a welcome gift. A small gesture will go a long way towards building a good working relationship with them. The goal is to keep them happy and comfortable in your property for as long as possible (if they are good tenants). They are paying off an asset for you, remember. 

A few welcome gift ideas: A plant with nice note, new welcome mat, printed address labels or custom stamp, gift card to nearby movie theater or restaurant, bottle of wine... 

@Ryan Rubel

YIKES, What a mess! 

I agree with @Marcia Maynard that you need to be sure he is responsible for flushing the gravel. Does he have a fish tank? Did he admit it? Can you get a picture of it?

 If so...

1. I would first call a local landlord/tenant attorney and get their advice. 

2. Provide him with the bill, add it to his lease ledger. Offer him the option to pay a lump sum or with payments over the next few month's rent (backed up with promissory note). 

3. If he doesn't agree to a payment plan and doesn't pay it with February rent, you can file for eviction. Again, check your local statutes and speak w/ an attorney

4. If he doesn't make arrangments or pay in full, he runs the risk of having an eviction on his record and a judgment you can use to garnish his wages. To me, this is less risky and quicker than small claims. 

He doesn't sound like the type that is going to willingly pay the bill, but he may be convinced after he hears the nasty alternative that will follow him as a tenant and ultimately cost him more money. 

Good Luck!

New Pet Addendum - No Fish Tanks.... unless they are "service fish"  :-) 

Hi,

 This is tricky. I don't like to show the home when it is still occupied. It is an inconvenience for the current tenant, it doesn't usually show well and in my experience (over the last 10 years), it ends up being a waste of time. 

Here's how I handle online inquiries before the house is "renter ready." I list it and explain to the inquiries that the home is not ready to view yet and explain the renovations you'll be making - people LOVE fresh paint and new carpet. Tell them, due to ALL OF THE INTEREST you've had, you are accepting applications. If the applicant is approved, collect a hold deposit, that is fully refundable pending their inspection of the house. The laws on hold deposits vary, so be sure to check with your attorney for help drafting the hold deposit agreement. Set up viewing appointments or an open house for the day it will be ready and you'll have a list of pre-qualified, approved applicants ready to see it day 1. 

This system has worked very well for me. If you have any questions, let me know. 

Hi,

Congratulations!! I've looked into Cozy.co and Rentulations.com. They are inexpensive and seem to have a nice interface. 

Hello @Ben Cochran ,

Congrats on having 10 potential applicants, that's awesome!

First, I require potential applicants to provide income/employment verification before showing the house. This keeps me from wasting time showing people who don't have the minimum requirements. 

Not everyone who views the home will necessarily want to proceed with an application. I run an application on everyone over 18 who will be living in the home. I only run one app at a time and I let people know it is on a first come first served basis. I don't like to waste people's money applying for a place that has other pending applications. It can get expensive for tenants. The first applicant has 24 hours to complete the application and return all of the supporting documents before I go to the next person interested.

Here's a  link to a BP post I wrote about my complete process, from Marketing to Move In. 

Yes, I highly recommend including your criteria / minimum requirements in your online listings and reiterating it on every sign call. It saves time by allowing tenants to pre-qualify themselves. 

Hi Dave, 

Congrats on taking the plunge and becoming a landlord!

Here's a  detailed article on how you should handle security deposits in FL. 

Here are my favorite resources to find a good landlord/tenant attorney

• Contact your local NARPM office (National Association of Residential Property Managers). They will have a legal expert who teaches continuing education. This is how I found our attorney.
• Contact your local Real Estate School. There are several property management classes required for new agents and continuing education. Classes are taught by a seasoned manager and attorney. Again, our attorney teaches at the real estate school as well.
• Yelp - You can check your local yelp listings and review other people’s ratings/experience. Referral - Ask for referrals from an experienced landlord or a local real estate investor group.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! 

I totally agree with @Nick Foster

We have a 2B/2b in a beach community and the short term rental rates are fantastic. I disagree with @Lisa Parda we actually get higher rents on Airbnb than VRBO for the same listing. Airbnb started as a couch surfing site, but it is much more than that now. The interface is superior, listing fees are cheaper and you can learn a lot more about the renter before booking. 

You don't need a PM, you just need a good cleaning person who can be a second set of eyes for you between bookings. We charge a cleaning fee and haven't had any damage. We have our property listed as "not suitable for children," and minimum rental age is 25. 

With Airbnb it is all about location, if you are in a desirable area, you'll make better returns than a long term rental. 

Hi @Account Closed

Congratulations on your first rental! You are in the right place to get up and running. 

There are a number of different tenant screening options available. I like a service sponsored by TransUnion called MySmartMove.com for a few reasons.

• They provide a report that includes credit, criminal AND eviction history. It is very important to have all three.
• They “evaluate” the credit report and provide a “Resident Score” for each tenant based on risk. This is helpful if you aren’t experienced or comfortable analyzing credit reports. Here’s why “resident score” is better than a credit score.
• The tenant logs in and completes the application process online. This ensures you aren’t receiving sensitive personal information like social security numbers. You also don’t have to take your time decipher handwriting and enter all of the information.
• The tenant pays for the screening themselves. You don’t want to have to deal with processing payments and collecting application fees.

I haven't received a "check in the mail" for years. Two options, if your tenants have access to online banking, they can pay you online via account transfer or e-check. If your bank has a lot of local branches, you can also ask your tenant to direct deposit their rent at the bank in your account. Cozy.co processes payments as well, but I think they may charge a fee. 

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, I am happy to help!