All Forum Posts by: Phil Earley

Rentals.com, rentlist.com, and rentalhouses.com.  I'm not the marketing person in our company but I know our leasing agents rely heavily on what we do with these sites.   I think they are all tied together.  

We use you tube links for much of our maintenance requests we receive.   You would be amazed and what some of us don't know or overlook, me included.  They work great for garbage disposals, clogged toilets, tripped GFCi outlets, pilot lights, and even loading a dishwasher correctly.  We also try to use a good sense of humor.  

We let the tenant know that we are more than happy to send someone out but if our findings are that it is not a true maintenance issue, the cost of the visit will be their responsibility.    At the end of the day, we all need to help each other out. 

I've worked for three firms since 1996 and it wasn't until I joined Keller Williams in 2003ish that my business really took off.    If you follow Gary Keller's model, it will fuel your entrepreneurial spirit.   This company and its agents share their knowledge.  Nothing is a secret.  The fire for my company was lit by what I learned and the people I met at Keller Williams.   

I came across this guide put out by Fannie Mae a few years ago that has lots of great information for all of us landlords and property managers.   Whether you self manage, use a management company, are a first timer, or have 1000 units, it is a quick easy read to help get your ducks in row.  

You can google "Becoming a Landlord by Fannie Mae" or hit this link to our site for a copy. 

  http://www.platinumrentalproperty.com/pdf/landlord...

National Association of Residential Property Managers is a good place to start.

narpm.org 

A good place to find Property Management Companies is the National Association of Property Managers.  narpm.org   You can search by zip code.   They will also be able to help with approved vendors.  

The link below will give you some questions to help with the interview process.     

http://www.platinumrentalproperty.com/pdf/Top-Ques...

Difficult tenants tend to seek out self managed properties.  Especially when the landlord is over 1000 miles away.  

First-I would suggest hiring an attorney to wrap up this tenancy.  

Second-hire a reputable property management company that will protect you and your property.  They will also find a great tenant.  

Most of the problems mentioned up top could have been avoided.   

You can go to narpm.org to start the process.

Good luck!

If you have been a great landlord and the unit is a great home,  you will not have any push back on a 5% increase.  A short and sweet notice suggested by @Nathan Genser followed up by a phone call will do the trick.  The cost for a tenant to move from a great landlord and home is significantly higher than the 5% so they will stay and probably say thanks.

If the previous year had some drama at the home the tenant wasn't responsible for such as a flooded basement, leaky roof, rodent infestation, noisy neighbors, etc.... you may get some push back on the increase and the excuse they need to move.  If they do move out, the cost of the rent readiness, vacancy, marketing, etc, is most likely a bigger cost to you.     

Knowing the court system in your state is extremely important.  If you accept partial rent in Georgia, you cannot file for an eviction.   If you find that this is also true in North Carolina, you may have a savoy tenant who knows the system so be careful.    

Credit scores under 550 are automatic denials for us.   If your home shows nicely and is priced right, the Atlanta market will bring you a better qualified family in no time.