All Forum Posts by: Anna Sagatelova

Patricia, I hope you find the right fit, but we are all people in this industry and everyone is doing the best they can in the face of danger and uncertainty. At the end of the day, you got a lot of feedback all saying that you need to reevaluate your position, but you choose to ignore that - good luck to you, and especially to your PM!

Any PMs willing to share what software they are using for virtual showings? Or are your agents using personal phones to FaceTime/video chat the interested leads?

Patricia, I just want to be very clear that having a property management agreement in place does not equal to you having hired someone to contract or spread a deadly disease while you shelter. That is not at all what you are paying them for, now or ever.

If you are worried about exposing yourself to show a unit, surely you can understand that the PM is worried about the exact same for their own agents as well as the overall bigger issue of spreading the virus unknowingly/asymptomatically through the community. Person to person contact is not the only way the virus spreads; most people pick up the virus off objects and surfaces, like counters, doorknobs, light switches. And simply saying "wipe them down" ignores the fact that there are nationwide shortages on cleaning supplies, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.

I can tell you that every single PM is making very difficult choices right now. Self showing technology and even FaceTime/video showings leave room for exposure and spread.

Are you paying your PM for that unit while it's vacant? Most PMs don't get paid during vacancy. PMs are taking a financial hit in this situation too.

Hi all, Cleveland-area PM here. Hoping our community can come together in this time.

I foresee a lot of tenants will be financially impacted by the closures necessitated by COVID-19; many are hourly employees who are out of work for the foreseeable future.

I think it's wise to get ahead of the problem many will face paying rent in the coming month or two (we all know how hard it is for tenants to catch up once they fall behind) and encourage them to reach out to appropriate organizations for assistance. The problem is, I am not aware of a lot of programs available to them.

Can we start a running list of local/state-wide assistance and resources available to tenants? I am thinking organizations that will help them pay rent, utilities, etc.

One that I am aware of is Catholic Charities: https://ccdocle.org/program/emergency-assistance-services

Please add to this thread as you see fit; we can all benefit from this information being shared with our tenants to reduce the impact on our clients.


If there is already a thread about this in another forum (current events, landlord forum, etc) that I didn't notice, please let me know/link it here.

Thank you!

Hey Jared, I don't think this needs to be awkward at all, just keep it to the facts. It's such a common issue.

Make sure your lease has a clause stating they are responsible for all costs associated with such blockages.

I agree that prospects who are trying to rush you through your own process are a red flag. However, some renters/applicants may say they can move in very fast so that you will pick them to minimize your vacancy; they are afraid of losing out on a good property if they tell you they can move in next week and another qualified applicant says they can move in sooner.

Take your time and screen both sets of applicants according to your criteria, which hopefully includes past landlord screening.

@Nathan Broschinsky, what market are you investing in, and is that market local to you?

Are you able to properly screen a tenant and qualify them on Fair Housing compliant criteria on your own?

Are you able to effectively market your property on your own?

Personally, I believe you can be successful either way. Know yourself, know how much time you have to commit to this, and remember that your side-gig is someone else's home. 

I think you should interview PMs in your area to at least get a sense of how they operate, their pricing, etc. At the very least, you will have an idea of who you like and you can have them as a backup plan if self-managing doesn't go well for you. Many PMs will also do leasing only services.

Good luck with your first investment!

@Nathan Gesner I guess we will agree to disagree. Being a landlord is not the time or place to enforce your personal worldview that tenants/people are too soft in our modern society. Laws take care of the standards a landlord has to provide a tenant, and those laws vary by state and municipality, but nowhere in the United States is that standard "she will survive." Your personal choice to enlist and serve in the military and the personal sacrifices you made for our country, while noble, are not relevant to the landlord-tenant relationship.

Sure, the laws also prescribe a process for tenants to resolve grievances against their landlord, but in my experience (in Northeast Ohio) it is point-blank untrue that a city would ignore a single mother with a toddler who came to them saying she hasn't had proper working heat, gas is shut off to the property, there are gas leaks and no hot water, she can't bathe or cook for her child, etc.

I certainly would not tell a judge that the tenant could have cleaned her toddler in a public restroom while there was no gas or hot water in the property I'm leasing her for 3+ days. Sure, it could be reasonably expected that if this issue lasted a day or two, she could hopefully rely on friends/family, but if she can't, she can't, and that's not the landlord's business. Maybe the landlord could suggest some ideas, but certainly can't force them on the tenant.

Whether the prorated rent would equal the cost of alternative accommodations is not the issue or the test anywhere as far as I am concerned.

Like I said, my response is based on my own property management experience, in my market.

What I would do is communicate with my tenant, see what her asks are, and negotiate from there. We have had to put up tenants in hotels when there was no gas/no hot water. We have also been able to negotiate other terms.

Respectfully disagree with @Nathan Gesner

The standard of care a landlord owes a tenant is not to be conflated with the standard of care a mortgage company owes a borrower. There are clear landlord-tenant laws that control the situation at hand.

The fact that people lived for thousands of years without modern amenities is irrelevant and also not in line with modern landlord-tenant laws.

Also Nathan makes big assumptions about the rental value at $2000/month and that the stove is electric rather than gas.

With all that said: I don't think you need to rush to calling attorneys, I do think that if the situation is resolved in a day or two from when she lost gas, it's ok to just prorate her rent. However, going 3+ days without gas or hot water with a toddler is not ok, and if she has the mind to take you to the city or court about this, anyone will side with her.

Yes, it's unfortunate that these things happen but that's the cost of business when your business is providing people and their children a roof over their head.

Not legal advice, but advice based on my own property management experience.