Setting the right amount of rent isn’t necessarily easy. It can be trial and error to find the right rent for your properties for your market. For comparison purposes at least three properties similar in size, features, and amenities in your local area should be used to determine a market rate. Setting the rent much […]

The decision to retain a tenant or to allow lease expiration is not always an easy decision particularly when the current tenant has been a good tenant. If you have analyzed market rents, you must have a rent amount in mind that you find acceptable for your business operations and are fairly confident that your […]

The most common rental scams are identity theft and fictitious identities. Identity theft is fraud that occurs when an individual’s personal information is used without their knowledge by another individual to commit a criminal act. An applicant may use bits and pieces of the identity theft victim’s personal information, such as the victim’s true name, […]

A landlord has the right to set rules and regulations for his rental property. The landlord’s rules and regulations, often referred to as the “house rules”, are in addition to the lease agreement terms and conditions. The house rules and regulations may be incorporated into the lease agreement or provided as a separate lease addendum. […]

There is difference between an application deposit and an application fee. While the terms seem similar, they cover different issues. .An application fee is almost always charged for application processing but an application deposit is collected only in specific circumstances. If a landlord collects an application deposit to hold a rental unit for an applicant, […]

No, an applicant by signing the rental application does not create a binding agreement between himself and the landlord offering a rental unit. While an application is required by a landlord to begin the screening process, an application is not a legal document and therefore is not a contract between landlord and applicant. An applicant […]

A rental application allows a landlord to collect and organize applicant supplied information relevant to qualifying the applicant for rental housing.  A landlord can request any business related information that would objectively point to the applicant’s ability to pay timely rent and comply with lease terms and conditions. The format of a rental application is […]

Qualifying a rental prospect begins at the first point of contact between the landlord and a potential tenant. That initial contact could be as soon as the posting of a rental listing advertising a vacancy. When posting the notice of vacancy, a landlord hopes to create interest in his rental unit that can be soon […]

It isn’t only seniors that suffer from hoarding disorders. Studies have projected that one out of twenty Americans suffer from hoarding disabilities. The exact number of hoarders is difficult to determine since hoarding behaviors can remain undetected for months or years. It is often only discovered when a complaint is received from a neighboring tenant […]

If you are considering marketing your property as senior living, age-restricted housing, usually referred to as 55+ living or a 62 + community, there are several issues to consider. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulates senior communities to ensure their compliance with the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 (HOPA). […]