All Forum Posts by: Steven Barks

Hello Jorge,

I'm with Worth Clark Realty. It is true that we don't manage every property that comes across our plate, and the biggest reason is the condition of the property. We manage a lot of properties in South City, but we won't manage properties that are in dire need of repair and/or we have a property owner that is refusing to spend money to get the property fixed. For example, we are currently dealing with an owner in south city that has an obvious sewer later problem, and sewage is in the basement. However, the owner is really dragging their feet on approvals to replace the line through the yard. Yes, it's expensive, but there is sewage in the basement of a home that is occupied by a living, breathing human being, and it needs to get fixed. The old clay pipes in the city do cause a lot of problems for a lot of owners, but that's one of the risks in owning property in South City. 

Sometimes, our management fee pricing model doesn't work out for everyone, either. But it depends on the rents and how much the property owner is willing (or can) pay for management. We also provide free tenant warranties and eviction protection. Feel free to give us a call or email (not allowed to post contact information in these posts) and we can at least assess the building and situation to see if we're able to help you out. You'll want to talk to Brandon or Emily. You can simply Google us and find us with just a click. Thanks!

PS - Thanks for the shout out, Anuj.

Hi everyone,

I can't ever get a clear answer, from anyone, on this specific question. The city of St. Louis passed a few ordinances last year that made it easier for owners to participate in the section 8 program. One of the ordinances also pretty much says that an owner cannot refuse to rent a property to a tenant just because they have a section 8 voucher. The ordinance made a section 8 voucher holder a protected class. However, no one will really answer the question: Can an owner be forced into accepting section 8, even when the owner does not want to participate in the program? The problem with this ordinance is section 8 'market rent' is less than the actual market rent 99% of the time. I can't imagine ever having an owner forced into taking less money than they want/could get for the property. If anyone has real insight into this issue here in St. Louis, I'd like to hear you out.

Thanks everyone.

I'm 29 years old, very much into technology, and I've never texted my tenants. I personally look at texting as unprofessional, but more importantly, I like a solid trail of evidence, aka email. If the situation warrants a phone call, I'll call them, and then follow up with an email. 

I've also been in property management for about 7 years and I have never once texted an owner of ours, or a tenant we're managing. It goes back to being professional.

Lastly, any legal notices need to be in compliance with your state's specific statutes. This means you'll probably be sending letters/notices via certified mail, and/or posting this letters on the front door of the property.

Gordon is semi right about a possible negative for St. Louis. St. Louis County passed an ordinance that only applies to unincorporated St. Louis County. Whereas a landlord must apply for a rental license, and one license covers all of his rental properties. But, the landlord could be on the hook for a tenant's actions, most notably serious criminal offenses. If a tenant commits certain criminal offenses that are included under the ordinance, a landlord might be forced to evict the tenant in certain situations, or be fined $1000 a day, and/or have their rental license suspended or revoked. So a bad tenant at one property could cause the landlord to lose his rental license for ALL of his properties. The good news is that it only pertains to unincorporated St. Louis County and St. Louis City is NOT part of the county, so the city is not affected. Just screen your tenants and you won't have to worry.