All Forum Posts by: Phillip Austin

@Bob Foglia I sent you a DM!

@Irvin Nguyen To answer your question about fees, check your property management agreement and there should be a provision for Termination and most likely a section pertaining to Early Termination. If you want to terminate early, most professional companies will charge you an early termination fee.

@Cade Mayer Great website! Love the 'About Us' with Matthew McConaughey

For your number of properties, I would recommend Buildium. Although I haven't used it personally, I've heard great things from other companies I trust. One of those companies actually switched from Rent-Redi to Buildium; they had ~500 doors. I don't believe they have a minimum either. 

AppFolio, on the other hand, has a 50 door minimum but they're one of the best in the business. A little pricier than most but, if you plan to scale, I highly recommend their product. It's essentially accounting software but they also have great maintenance and leasing features.

Oh my gosh?! What...

@Hien T Pham If you have an unauthorized person living at the property who is not on the lease, CALL THE POLICE. You have someone trespassing on property.

Next, partner with an attorney immediately so they can review your lease agreement and advise you on how to get rid of the actual tenant. 

@Champaign Garcia What exactly do you mean when you say, "section 8 paid out?" 

If you're saying the housing authority paid January's rent in full, I would just let it be if possible. At this point, it's already January 20th so spending time sending back the funds plus time trying to get the tenant out sounds like a headache and a waste of brain power.

Your real concern should be if your tenant actually decides to vacate by the end of January. I would be all over this tenant with almost daily communication ensuring she's on track to move out. Also, contact her caseworker and explain the situation so they can provide additional pressure.

@Al Smith If she hasn't paid in full within the 7 days, she has not cured the demand so you can file with the court. You need to do this asap. The court will set a date for both of you to appear. In my experience, the majority of tenants skip out on the court date.

However, before proceeding, please consider contacting a local eviction attorney so they can assist. They're not as expensive as you might think! Besides, all they'll be doing is filing an uncured demand for nonpayment of rent. Unless the tenants fights it in court (which is highly unlikely based off the info you provided), you're looking at ~$500 to involve the eviction attorney.

Without an eviction attorney, you run the risk of mishandling the process in a variety of ways which could result in you having to start the eviction proceeding all over. 

@Seth Nowak WOW! Good for you. You're more generous than most!

A reasonable tenant would accept immediately. Best of luck!

@Alexandra Isenhour I'm assuming their 2% renewal clause is in effect for their current lease which expires in August and you're wondering if you can increase their rent on a brand new lease starting in September? If that' the case, then yes, you can offer a higher rate starting in September.

NARPM is one of the best resources when searching for professional PM.

@V.G Jason Create a thread and share your experience with your new PM! I'd love to hear your feedback, specifically their strengths and weaknesses.

Finding a real estate agent was my first thought.

Another creative solution is to incentivize the tenant in such a way that SHE finds her own place. For example, "if you find a new rental and sign a new lease with x move-in date, I will give you x off last months rent."