All Forum Posts by: William Sing

Congrats! Good luck! 

Hi Gabby, congrats on your first rental—exciting step!

For reviewing your lease and making sure you're protected, I'd highly recommend Shawn Morgan, a Portland-based real estate attorney. He’s super knowledgeable on Oregon landlord-tenant law and really easy to work with. You can reach him here:

https://www.morganlawpdx.com/

Also, for updated lease forms and ongoing support, these local landlord associations are great resources:

• Multifamily NW – https://www.multifamilynw.org

• Portland Area Rental Owners Association (PAROA) – https://www.portlandarearoa.com

Each of them provides legally compliant lease templates, training, and legal updates tailored to Oregon landlords.

Hope that helps! Feel free to reach out if you need tips on tenant screening or getting your rental setup dialed in.

What level of projects are you looking to do? Also what level of finish?

Hey Alicia — big congrats on the new multifamily! That’s an awesome step, and it sounds like you’re already diving into the right stuff early on.

For rent collection, I’d recommend checking out Innago or another user-friendly property management platform. They're free to use on the landlord side and let you set up online payments, track leases, handle maintenance requests—the whole deal. It keeps things way more organized than juggling checks or Venmo.

As for the transition, here are a few quick things that helped me early on:

• Introduce Yourself: If you haven't already, a simple intro letter or email goes a long way. Just let the tenants know who you are, how to reach you, and where rent should go moving forward. Keep it warm and professional—this sets the tone for the relationship.

• Lease Review: Grab copies of all leases, security deposit info, and any outstanding repairs from the previous owner. You’ll want to review those closely—especially for anything about rules around mid-lease changes. This should of already been done through the transaction, but if it hasn't you can follow up with your agent/escrow to get these details. 

• Heads Up: Unless the lease specifically prohibits changes during the term (like payment methods or where rent is sent), you usually can make adjustments, as long as you’re not altering lease terms like rent amount or ending dates. Just give folks a heads-up and keep communication clear and respectful.

Also—Massachusetts has pretty specific rules for landlords (especially around deposits and notice periods), so it’s worth reading up on the local landlord tenant laws. Usually there is a landlord association you can potentially get some guidance from as well. 

And since they’re in place through the end of the year, now’s a great time to build some trust. Even a small check-in like, “Anything not working well?” can go a long way before renewal season rolls around.

Anyway—welcome to the landlord club! You got this. And if you ever want to swap notes on systems or tenant communication, happy to share what’s worked (and what definitely hasn’t 😂).

Cheers,
Will

Hey @Julie M. 👋

You're smart to pause and think this through—it’s definitely one of those gray areas.

With repair estimates between $2,600 and $3,500 and a $2,000 deductible, you’d only be getting $600 to $1,500 back. Not a huge win, and insurance companies can raise your premium even for smaller claims. Some also track claim frequency, which can impact your ability to get good coverage later on.

That said, the leak is worth paying close attention to. If it’s related to the storm damage and has the potential to cause bigger issues (like water damage or mold), filing might make more sense. I’d have someone check it out ASAP and document everything.

Also—if you haven’t already—talk to an insurance broker, not the claims department. A good broker can give you an honest take on how a claim might impact your future rates or insurability based on your specific policy.

If the damage ends up being minor and won’t cause bigger problems, you might be better off paying out-of-pocket and keeping your claim history clean.

Hope that helps—keep us posted on what you decide!

Hey, congrats on your first multifamily! 🎉 Managing it yourself at first is a great way to learn the ropes.

For rent payments, I’d highly recommend using a property management platform like Innago—they let tenants pay online, track payments automatically, and keep everything organized for you. Plus, they usually allow ACH payments for free, so you and your tenants avoid extra fees.

Definitely set up a separate bank account for the property. It'll make bookkeeping and taxes way easier down the line. Also, consider requiring all tenants to use the same payment method—it’ll cut down on headaches when tracking who’s paid.

Other things to think about:

• Late Fees & Lease Terms – Be clear upfront about when rent is due and any grace periods.
• Automate Reminders – Some platforms send tenants reminders so you don’t have to chase payments.
• Backup Payment Option – If a tenant has an issue, having a secondary method like Zelle or Venmo (with clear labeling) can be a good backup.

Hope that helps! You'll figure out what works best as you go, but having a system in place from the start will save you a ton of time.

Hey Isaiah! Highly recommend looking at househacking. It requires a lot less down and also tends to be a bit more forgiving over time. You can check out the BP books on househacking and I'd also look at out of state investing as well to get a better grasp on the key people you need!

I'd check your local landlord associations to see what forms they have to get. You may to buy them but getting a state/city specific lease that is reviewed by a lawyer is worth the cost. If you feel like you need to add any more protections or things like a general expense sheet for replacement you can add those addendums and usually they have a blank addendum. 

As for the apps to use, Innago has been pretty great for me. No matter what you will or the tenant will need to pay a fee of some sort but I have found innago as the best option that is the lowest cost.

That is a lot of sqft for only a 2 bed. The sunroom is a bit of waste for the sqft but could turn into a reading nook or something if needed. The easiest spot would probably be the dining room and change the office to more of a smaller dining area. 

Moving walls usually requires figuring out what is or isn't load bearing and likely putting a large and usually expensive header. It is usually much easier to seal a existing door way then it is to move walls in my experience. 

Hi @Shan Randall,

Welcome to BP and congrats on stepping back into the landlord game! I totally get where you're coming from—finding deals that pencil here in the Portland/Beaverton area is tough, especially with the high cost of living and interest rates.

One approach that's been working for some investors locally is exploring opportunities with mid-term rentals (MTRs) or hybrid MTR/STR setups. These can sometimes offer better cash flow, especially if you're in a family-friendly area with unique features like extra square footage, an ADU, or flexible layouts. House hacking can also be a solid way to offset expenses early on.

It sounds like you're diving in with a great mindset and skill set—being handy and managing yourself puts you ahead of the game. 

Cheers to your new venture!

- Will