All Forum Posts by: Rachel H.

Thank you again, Cathy! Would you be willing to share a bit more of what you include in your screening criteria with the Landlord's Choice option? 

Thank you! What do you mean by “landlord’s choice”? 

Hi all. I'm wondering if any landlords in Portland, OR can share the screening criteria they currently use. In particular, since the FAIR ordinance went into effect. My screening criteria are out of date, and the laws have changed quite a bit since I last used them, but I'm also curious to learn what others include. I'd prefer my screening criteria to be as tight as possible while still complying with all laws. Thanks in advance for any insights! 

I have a potential tenant who has an emotional supporting animal, and a letter from her psychologist saying the ESA is for a mental disability. I have a no pets policy for my rental, a one bedroom apartment that is an ADU on the bottom floor of a larger house that is a separate rental above, because there is less insulation between the walls, and the noise carries and barking could disrupt the other tenants. I'm trying to determine whether I am exempt from the FHA policy regarding ESAs because it's a single-family house with a potential for greater noise disruption, or because of the fact that I own only two single-family rentals in the state of Oregon. I've read that both may be possible, but I'm having a hard time finding sources that confirm exactly. Does anyone know? Thanks so much, and I understand this is not professional legal advice.

Hi everyone. I'm considering building on a vacant lot in Portland (a single family with ADU or possibly a duplex). Would anyone who has been through it here be willing to share your experience? Any and all feedback, stories, good/bad/ugly welcome. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone. I've just received my first application via Apartments.com after the migration from Cozy.co. I don't like it as much, sadly, and it's not as user-friendly, but I have this application to figure out now and I see no information under the Criminal Report section and cannot tell whether this means they found no criminal record of any kind or the report itself didn't run. Does anyone know how this works? Does the tenant/applicant receive the option to run the background check when they apply (my applicant isn't sure how it works either), or does that need to be run separately? Ugh, I really miss Cozy. Appreciate any help! 

Thanks, Nathan. Yes, I think that's the issue. That it is technically a lease violation. Assuming for the moment I were okay with it being a technical violation, is there any other reason why I should be concerned? If he's a great tenant and takes good care of the place and will be responsible for all damage anyway? I guess I'm wondering if there are legal or other reasons - other than the technicality - that having another person and dog on site should be a concern, if she (and the dog) are not called out in the lease. Thanks for your ongoing help!

Hi everyone. I have a great tenant. He's responsible, responsive, takes good care of the place, pays on time, etc. I've recently noticed, though, that his girlfriend stays over several times a week. She also has a small dog who stays as well, from what I can tell (my tenant has a larger approved dog; it's a pet friendly house, but I only have one dog deposit and one approved). She is not on the lease. Should she be? When does it become an issue? If, say, I'm not worried about him damaging the place and I'm not too worried about the little dog doing damage that the big dog wouldn't do (and I'm not particularly worried about the big dog), should I even make an issue of it? First time dealing with a situation like this, so wondering what folks recommend. Thanks for any advice and guidance!

Thanks, everyone. These comments are very helpful! 

Hi everyone. I'm doing my first tenant turnover soon, and I'm wondering how best to handle the walkthrough when they move out. It's a brand new house, they're the first tenants, and I've been through recently and didn't spot any damage or issues, but I want to be really thorough before signing off, of course. How do folks typically handle this part? Do you walkthrough with the tenants on their last day and just go point by point down the walk-in checklist? Do you go through on your own, instead, so you can slowly and carefully look over everything? How do you test appliances, etc. to ensure everything is working as it should? Thanks for any tips! I appreciate it!