View our archives of daily tips germane to landlords and professionals who serve them.
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Responding to illegal activity
When tenants pose a foreseeable risk to public health and safety, landlords need to take proactive action to address it and build evidence of the nefarious conduct being alleged.
Handling porch pirates
As more consumers order online, there are more thefts of packages in rental units, requiring owners to take preventative action and remove bad actors.
Being aware of protected tenants
Certain groups of vulnerable tenants enjoy additional protections and limit the owner’s ability to use their property as they please, making it imperative to know their status and make decisions accordingly.
Keeping an open mind when negotiating commercial lease terms
Unlike residential tenancies that could be re-rented easily to a new tenant, finding businesses to rent space may be harder to come by.
Offering money up-front in a tenant buyout agreement
When negotiating a tenant buyout to effectuate a voluntary vacancy, our strong preference is compliance, not enforcement
Handling squatting in rental units
The term "squatter" doesn't tell us anything. We need to ascertain the legal status of the unwanted occupant and respond accordingly.
Creating a culture of compliance with fair housing laws
Hopefully, our followers are acquainted with fair housing laws, but everyone in the organization must be on the same page to avoid liability.
Stipulating that all repair requests be made in writing
To avoid any claims that the landlord failed to maintain the rental unit in habitable condition, we want to create a paper trail to demonstrate responsiveness.
When landlords do not have keys to access the rental unit
There are times when property owners for whatever reason that property owners do not have keys to a tenant-occupied unit, but this isn't an insurmountable barrier.
Right-sizing rents to fill vacancies and optimizing cash flow
Setting rents can be tricky. We want to fill a vacancy quickly while optimizing cash flow. This is partly an art and partly a science, and let's get it right taking into account many factors.
Removing attorneys from tenant buyout discussions
Unless the landlords and tenants cannot have a constructive dialogue, we'd rather remain behind the scenes so that the tenant does not hire their own attorney who will likely come back with an unreasonable offer.
Keeping tenants off of roofs
Residents have been known to linger on rooftops to party or store personal belongings, and this invites colossal liability for the owner. Roofs should only be used for emergency egress and this covenant can be enforced.