As with many property management decisions, it can depend upon market conditions, market rents, the property itself, the amenities already provided, and the tenant in question. Offering an incentive for lease renewal can be cost-effective for a landlord saving the costs of vacancy while helping a good tenant save the costs and stress of moving. […]

If your rental units have become a revolving door of move-ins and move-outs, minimizing tenant turnover should be a top priority of your property management. Tenants move for a variety of reasons and stay for a variety of reasons, most of them personal to the tenant. If good tenants are moving for reasons that you […]

The following discussion is an abbreviated version of an article I once wrote for the Web site. Cosigners or guarantors are sometimes of importance when rental market conditions result in no applicants who meet a landlord’s qualifying criteria. They are also particularly useful when the location of the rental property means that most applicants are […]

Applicants need not disclose income of any type which he/she does not wish to include in showing their financial qualification for the rental unit. However, applicants should provide information about every source of cash flow that they wish the landlord to consider when evaluating their financial qualification. This should include both items that are income […]

First, the existing lease agreement is valid and enforceable until its expiration date and the lease binds the buyer if sold before the date of its expiration or as otherwise terminated. Second, most lease agreements and the laws of many states require tenants to cooperate with any agents of the owner including real estate agents, […]

The fact that an applicant looks good on the submitted application form does not guarantee you’ve found a good tenant. Being in a hurry to offer tenancy without conducting all necessary tenant screenings can prove foolish. The value of a comprehensive tenant screening process should not be underestimated. Without adequate tenant screenings a landlord places […]

It might be, depending upon the circumstances and your willingness to take a risk. Keep in mind that the tenant’s financial condition could change over time. Being “judgment proof” is not necessarily a permanent condition. To collect a money judgment, a judgment creditor must be able to successfully reach the debtor’s assets. If a debtor […]

Yes. By law each state is required to give full faith and credit to the official acts and judgments of every other state. Accordingly judgments obtained in one state are entitled to full faith and credit in any other state. However before pursuing collection of the judgment in another state, you should first determine if […]

If you completed an eviction action through the court system whereby the judge terminated the tenancy, in most courts of jurisdiction you should have been able to include a money judgment for unpaid rent and damages along with the judgment for eviction. If your eviction judgment included a money judgment, you can go ahead with […]

Noise Complaints Noise can be a nuisance. Noise is frequently cited by tenants as one of the biggest issues in multi-family properties. A tenant’s noisy behaviors can be disruptive to his neighboring tenants which in turn can cause problems for the landlord. Noise complaints from tenants should not be ignored by landlords. Any complaint should […]