All Forum Posts by: Sam Leon

I have a few question about listing rentals on Zillow.

(1) To list a property for a week it's $9.99.  However it seems to auto renew on day 5.  Let's say you listed a place on a Wednesday, Zillow seems to auto renew the listing by charging your credit card on the next Monday.  There seems to be no way to have the listing run the entire 7 days before it expires correct?  In other words, if by Sunday I have already received two applications and I would need to deactivate the listing right then to avoid the auto renewal charge on Monday, but what if I want to let it run till Wednesday, to still get some leads?  I tell the applicants I have a pending application, can still show the house if they want to see it in case the applicant do not check out credit wise, criminal history wise or can't afford the deposits last minute?  Why must it be a premature deactivation?  Granted $9.99 is not enough money to worry about, but I have done the "let it auto renew for an extra week" enough times I want to know if there is an option I can't seem to find that is "do not renew just let it expire"?

(2) I do not show my real phone number, too much hassle and too many inquiries and spam from people looking for a 3 BR when I clearly advertised a one BR etc...so I prescreen by email.  But Zillow displays a totally different phone number on the syndicated listing sites.  On my edit listing page it says:

"The phone number displayed to renters is (123) 456-7690.
This allows us to better protect your identity and reduce spam."

I think they call it a relay phone number.  What is it used for and wouldn't that be confusing to renters?

(3) Now this last one is not Zillow specific, but may be it's my wording or ad.  I would get overwhelmed with messages once I post a listing, however, I would say 70% of them do not read the ad at all.  They would ask to view the property, and I would reply back to ask them specific questions to make sure there is a good fit before a viewing can be scheduled".  I ask him their the projected occupancy date, how many rooms, how many vehicles, do they have any animals, do they have this or that...when all of that information was already listed in my ad.  I listed a 1 BR apartment and half of the ones asking to see were looking for a house or a 2 BR.  I stated in my ad only 1 parking space for the 1 BR, I get people applying who has three vehicles, such a waste of time, but I have to because many want to see a place listed when they haven't even bothered to read the listing.  Last week I listed an apartment that has no private backyard, I stated that very clearly in my ad, and I had someone who wanted to see it and the Reason of leaving the current residence was "because my current apartment does not have a private outdoor area to relax".  Hello?  LOL!

This is happening to another owner in the same building, and I thought I would post it here to get some thoughts.

This is an eight unit, two story building, each apartment is individually owned with an HOA.

The exterior wood door heel and door frame jamb are rotted from the rain over the years, so when it rains (which happens quite a bit in South Florida), some rain will seep in due to the rotted door and deteriorated weather seal at the bottom of the door.  Tenant complained about it and the owner eventually replaced the entire exterior door.

The lease will be up on May 30, and landlord sent a notice of non-renewal.  Tenant wants to renew but landlord didn't want to.

Suddenly tenant complained about smelling mold inside the apartment, and not feeling well because of it, tenant got a mold remediation company into the apartment, who provided tenant with an estimate of $15000 to have a crew come in with hazmat gear and remove sheetrock, floor tiles, baseboards etc...from the rain coming under the door before the door was replaced.

Landlord refuse the hire the remediation company, tenant decided to move into a friends place for a few days claiming not feeling well due to the mold, yet no mold test was done.  While staying with a friend, tenant called the health department to complain about the unit and caused the health department to open up an active case for investigation.

Now this is what I was told from the landord's side, I do not know and haven't spoken with tenant, so I don't know the other side of the story.

Would appreciate some thoughts on what the landlord should/could do at this point.  I assume the landlord should lawyer up at some point?

I am an officer of the HOA so even though this has nothing to do with me, I am concerned if this escalates to the HOA level.

Interesting.

This may be a regional preference.

I am in South Florida and all my tenants want and expect ceiling fans.

it gets hot and humid down here and while air conditioning is a must, ceiling fans help move the air around.  Just from showing the rentals I can tell this is a must have features for most looking to rent in my area.

Garbage disposal is another one.  I know many landlords remove them because it's another nuisance.  I have tenants who wouldn't rent if there isn't a garbage disposal.  I have in my lease that the cost of unclogging a disposal is on them (yes I have tenants jam artichoke hearts and corn husks down the disposer) and after two incidents I will remove the disposer and charge them to do so.

Yet not everyone wants or needs a disposer but ceiling fan in every room seems to be a deal breaker for many.

I don't think an email two weeks after moving in to check in making sure all is ok, then week 3 with another email with rent payment instructions is too excessive.  The following text message and voice call were made because there was no email replies so I wasn't sure if my emails went to the spam folder so I wanted to try a different channel of communication.

He did pay the rent for April, so he did receive my email just didn't respond.

Now it's time for my scheduled monthly maintenance visit.  I visit all my property every 45 days to change AC filters, bleach out the AC condensate line, test the water heater T&P valves, test smoke alarms, exercise stop valves etc...a quick 10 minute visit which was explained and agreed to on the lease agreement.

Sent an email two days ago to schedule it for next Friday at 10am, no reply no acknowledgement.  This is a total departure from the behavior before move in.  Before move in were constant communication with the application, showing, second showing, lease review etc...by email by text without any issue.

I have never ran into this before.  Communication is important for both parties, if I don't hear back from him I will have to post a note to enter 48 hours prior right?

I have a strange one.

A tenant hasn't communicated ever since moving in on March 1, 2021.

Prior to move in, communication was good, during the application process, during the lease signing, communicated by phone, by text, by email, no issue.  Met up three times, first for the showing, next for the lease agreement and finally for the move in key release.

After move in, my repeat attempts to communicate has met with no response or even acknowledgement.

After a week after move in a courtesy email asking if everything went well, if there is any issue or concern that needs to be addressed, nothing.

Another week gone by I sent by email electronic rent payment instructions for April 1, also no reply or acknowledgement.

Another few days after that a text message was sent to ask if the emails were received, no reply.

A phone call the next day went straight to voice mail, left a voice message to call me back or reply to my email/text.  No reply to that either.

I own several properties on the block, and I am doing some work on one of them so I can see his car come and go every day, so I know it's not a case someone being sick or out of town with no phone service type situation.

I have never encounter this issue before.  Yes I can wait till he comes home then go over to knock on the door but that seems a bit over reacting and intrusive.

Curious if anyone had ever encountered this before?  May be it's something I haven't yet considered?  Rent is due tomorrow (with 3 days of grace period) and I don't know if the rent payment instructions have been received.

Interesting, so your listing actually have a full list of charges you consider show stoppers?

I do have a process in place, the process hasn't even started yet.  My quick Google search does not replace the background screening that comes later.  It only compliment it sometimes.

For example, one applicant passed all the screening I had in place, but on my quick search I found out he was a private chef.  In my conversations this was brought up and I realized he was planning on moving in 4 commercial refrigerators (one for fish, one for meat, two for something else) and a large freezer into the apartment, he was thinking of lining them all along one wall, they draw at least 10amps each, there is no way the two 15A circuits along those walls can work, he needs multiple dedicated circuits.

No criminals are not a protected class YET. But HUD has stated that because those with criminal records are dis-proportionally African Americans, to reject someone based on having criminal records alone is a problem. I don't know what the latest interpretation is, may be someone can point me to the threads with the latest on this topic.

I am sorry if I wasn't more clear.

I have a background check and screening process AFTER they viewed the property and want to apply.

I am not screening applicants by Google.

This is right at the first point of contact.  They want to take a look at the property, I just do a quick Google of their names and inmate records show up.  I probably should have worded the title as "pre-screening".

On my end I don't want to waste any more time, on the other hand I don't want to get into trouble using criminal records as the only basis.

I don't know about other landlords, but I do a quick Google of those who requested a viewing, and I ask them to fill out a quick questionairre before I even schedule a viewing, things like how many parking spaces do you need, do you intend to smoke or vape on the premises, your move in date etc...

When I do Google their names sometimes I see criminal records listed.  For example recently I had two and these are their charges:

PERSON A

• AGG ASSAULTW/ DEADLY WEAPON WITHOUT INTENT TO KILL
• TOUCH OR STRIKE/BATTERY/DATING VIOL

PERSON B

• CORRUPT BY THREAT PUBLIC SERVANT OR FAMILY
• DUI ALCOHOL OR DRUGS 1ST OFFENSE
• RESIST OFFICER-OBSTRUCT WITHOUT VIOLENCE

This is before viewing the apartment, before actual application.  I feel like not wasting my time and just say no, because these are recent (less than 2 years) and these are not jaywalking or parking at expired meters.  These look pretty serious to me.

But can I just say no, not even showing the place, and move on?  I understand we can no longer just reject someone based on having criminal records, will I get into trouble by doing this?

I am about to repaint the exterior of a 4 unit apartment building.  Single story, concrete block stucco exterior.

Trying to decide what color to use.

Being in south Florida, we get lots of sun, rain and wind.  Once a coat of paint goes on, within 2-3 years the color changes.  The higher walls shaded by the eaves remain the same color, while the lower walls that gets the sun gets lighter and lighter.  The north side fades differently then the south side, so in a few years you can no longer match the color because you end up with eight different shades of colors.

I am not sure if this can be avoided by using a very light color like white or almond, but it is one consideration.

What color will wear the best, and the most abuse resistant?  If there is such a thing.

I wonder what caused the toilet seat cover to have scars like this.  Heat?  Tenant said it's bad quality plastic.