All Forum Posts by: Julie Hartman

I'm really surprised that Denver is not on that list as well. RE has been insane for the past several years now. So many folks from CA moving here. 

The way we do it is to treat each unit separately since they are rented out individually; input the number of bd/ba for each unit on their own.  

I appreciate the clarification on this! Something I love about this business is that there is a constant opportunity to learn and grow.  

If you plan to sell the property after the renovations, send them a notice of non-renewal with the notice time line outlined in the lease agreement. I would call them and have a conversation about it first so they aren't blind-sided by the notice. This is especially true if they have been good tenants, you don't want them to think it's anything they did wrong. However, sending proper paper or electronic notice is very important so you are in compliance with state law. Good luck!

It all depends upon what your lease agreement and the laws of your state say you can do. I am a PM in CO and we cannot simply keep a deposit because the tenant broke the lease. We are still bound by the laws of the state with regard to security deposits. Here, CO law says the deposit belongs to the tenant and you have to account for every penny that you keep from them. Typically there is a re-letting fee (possibly equal to 1 month of rent) in addition, they may be liable for the rent unit you find a replacement and/or the difference in rent if you have to take less with a new tenant. Good luck!

The problem is that as PM's sometimes our hands are tied by the tenant-friendly laws in each state. If the tenant says it's a "mixed breed" then there might not be anything the PM can do. Judges are very sympathetic to tenants especially during COVID. In many cases, PM's have very limited power when it comes to the law. 

When we get an HOA violation letter for our managed properties, we send a copy via email to the tenants (with owner address redacted), and tell them it needs to be rectified immediately. If there is a fine, it will be passed on to them. We do this by email so there is a written record. Good luck!

I would be careful with this. They may try to say it's an ESA and skirt around it and good luck getting them to provide any authentic documentation for it. What does your pet addendum say about breeds or rules for the pet on premises? If they are in violation of the pet addendum then you may be able to issue lease violations to them. Some municipalities have bans on Pitt Bulls so it would be worth checking in the area where the property is located to find out. If they are leaving it tied to a tree on an extra short chain, that is animal abuse and I would call animal control to report it. Your only recourse may be to wait until the lease is up for renewal and get them out.  

Some of it depends what your lease agreement says. You'll also want to do a rent analysis for your area to see what the area rents are running. If you haven't increased the rent in 5 years, chances are it would be significant. Would that price your current tenant out? If so, you may want to do it in increments, assuming you want them to stay - say $75-$100 now and more next year. Taxes, insurance and possibly HOA fees increase every year so it's reasonable to pass those on to your tenants. I would still send them a 30 day notice even if you are doing a new agreement. This gives them a heads up that an increase is forthcoming even though it will be stated on your new agreement.

I am a PM myself and we've had this issue come up several times. You cannot change a lease that is already in play. When this issue comes up, we consult with our attorneys and they tell us that unless you can PROVE these extra people are actually living there full time, there is nothing you can do. Proving something like that is very difficult. Tenants will tell you that these people are just visiting or staying a short time. If we know different, we simply wait for the lease to expire and get a new tenant in there. Good luck!