Property Management Archives - Gulf Coast Property Managment

The best vacation rental management companies becoming more selective

You are an investor and you are looking for a property management company to manage your vacation rental property. Finding a good local manager is becoming more difficult. Vacation rentals have proliferated to the point very few short-term rentals are profitable. A rental management company makes money when guests pay for a stay. Fewer stays, lower income for the rental manager and of course the owner. Worse yet, foreclosures on short-term rentals are on the rise. This puts the rental property manager in a bind because when guests book in advance and the property is no longer available, it’s difficult to place them. The local rental management companies suffer both a financial and reputation blow.

Internet property managers are starting up it seems every day. A few people, computers in an office space in San Francisco, and there you go, instant short-term rental property management. I have written about this type of management in other articles.

This is now what an investor needs. They need “boots” on the ground, someone who will look after their property with real eyes. Anyone can operate a booking system with a computer. The real work of property management is local. Let’s get to the real point of this article.

Local vacation rental property management

The property management company that I am an investor in is a local company. We manage rentals that are within a short drive of our office and managers’ homes. Why? When something goes wrong, a real live person must be there. It depends upon how much you value your real estate investment. Do you want a long-distance manager or a local manager?

The real problem now is that real local property managers need to make a living. Many of the internet start-ups are expending capital that belongs to someone else. Some of these companies are not profitable and will eventually succumb to the financial pressures of too many vacation rentals and not enough guests.

Local companies are experiencing the same issue, too many properties, each with far fewer guests than just two years ago. The consequence of this changing environment is that all property managers are earning less income. As I mentioned above, what is worse is when their rental properties are sold either from a posted sale or through foreclosure.

Property managers deal with stress

If the property managers do not have a location to move their booked guests, they will suffer the fallout. It’s also the stress to deal with the situation and the disappointed guests.

Worse than the above, is what happens to property owners. Many people bought vacation rental properties after reading social media stories about getting rich quickly. Estimates of rental income are much inflated and those inflated amounts are going around the internet and in social media.

I spoke to a prospective buyer recently who was ready to buy a property that frankly would have probably been a good vacation rental. He told me that he was financing it with 10% down. I told him he would not be profitable since the purchase was intended to be a profit maker for him.

The property for sale made $50,000

My prospective buyer said that he read on the listing that the property had made $50,000 in the past year. I do not doubt that the real estate agent was quoting fact but the data was old and as we were 8 months into the year, he failed to ask for year-to-date numbers which would have shown very low income.

At best that property would have generated about $20,000 in 2023. His fully loaded costs were about $23,000. With a high-interest rate, his equity payments would be nil. Values are slipping so buying it strictly for appreciation is out of the question at least for the short term.

Without a doubt, if he had bought that house, I would be putting it back on the market for him within six months. He would have lost the $20,000 he invested in furnishings, the purchase costs, and the selling costs. If my property management company had taken this property on as a client and guests had booked, they would have to be moved.

Rental owners become stressed

You may think that going through all of this as a buyer is stressful and costly. The guest experience would have been terrible and one more thing that most people are unaware of is the problems caused by property managers. I am not talking about guest reviews or the management fee, I am talking about how the rental owners become stressed and make it difficult for rental companies to conduct business.

Desperation is a terrible thing. When owner statements are reviewed and there is little or zero income shown, the previously good property manager is suddenly not doing their job. Market conditions may have changed or they were already bad when the property was purchased. First-time investors come to us full of excitement about their new property.

This is completely natural. They have heard that investing in real estate is a good way to build wealth and they would be correct in that assumption. Unfortunately, the source of their information is usually not current. And, many are not performing adequate due diligence before signing a contract to buy.

Jumping into a short-term rental property

This phenomenon of jumping into buying a short-term rental property where I work on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is particularly pronounced. Someone living in a 40-year-old house located in Southern California, a Chicago suburb, or elsewhere that is worth nearly one million dollars looks at a $250,000 house here and their eyes widen.

They can’t believe their good fortune in finding this area where you can buy a home within walking distance of the beach for less than $300,000. The next thing they do is call a real estate agent and make an offer. Sometimes the offers are increased if there are more buyers interested.

Quite a few buy without looking at the house and the surroundings. The last thing they seem to do is contact a property management team before they start spending money on furnishings. We often meet people who have purchased the wrong locks, lights, and other items. They may buy a small steel fire pit which will waste away in a short time instead of one made of stone that we recommend. I have noticed that some love the prospect of decorating their vacation house, it’s a project that keeps them busy and it’s fun.

There is too much to know

I wish that I could have learned they were looking for a vacation rental house before they bought it. There is so much to know before you invest the first dollar that only professional property managers with years of experience know. Regardless, our property management company is willing to work with investors to manage their short-term rentals. What has changed is that we no longer work with just anyone.

Our policy has changed to the point where we will not manage property for investors unless they have no mortgage or they can tell us that they are financially secure enough to cover all costs without any income. That means zero rental income.

This is a major change for our business. Working with investors who are constantly stressed about their income and expenses is not fun. These investors constantly request things, try to get involved in pricing, and everything in between in the vain hope that something will improve. They then begin to think that our company is not doing well for them, that they could do better on their own (saving the fee we charge) or another company could do better.

Local vacation rental property managers make real effort

Many local property management companies put a great deal of time and effort into helping investors with their property. This goes well beyond greeting guests, managing the calendar, disbursing finds, cleaning the property, and working with contractors. It means a call at 10:00 PM for new batteries in the remote control. A leaking sink on Sunday going through their list of contractors until they find one who will go out.

Going by properties before a large storm ensures the lawn furniture does not blow away. Making small repairs that they do not charge for. And the hours required to set up the property and meet with owners both in person and via telephone.

clock — Property managers wait for cable, furniture, and other deliveries. Time is money.

Two or three hours waiting for cable

How about the two or three hours of waiting for the cable guy or pest control or maintenance people to get their work done? Much of what a good property manager does is not compensated for in the fees earned from rentals unless the business is booming.

Now when weeks go by without any revenue, property managers are still responsible for the property. Vacation rental management becomes more difficult when the managers have to manage the owners with anxiety.

We have had a couple of clients who were with us for a few months. One property was renting nicely with about a 40% occupancy rate and a 5-star review. The problem is the “what have you done for me lately” concept that appeared when they looked out on the calendar and saw months with little or no activity. Guess what? Correct, they were in debt up to their eyebrows on the property.

We have decided to go in a different direction

Many of the activities mentioned above started to develop. Finally, they called and said, “We have decided to go in a different direction”. During this very short time, we helped with the furnished house, went shopping, assembled furniture, and much more. Our company charges for this service and we decided to delay charging them because they were trying to get started.

When I talked with them about leaving us, I mentioned all of the work that we had done without a charge. I explained that we expected to recover over a long-term relationship. The answer is you should have billed us. Immediately I knew they were so desperate that we would no longer be able to work with them.

I found their property listed and they were the host. That commission was the deal breaker. Unfortunately for them, we had three bookings in the future which we moved to other properties. I recently looked and after several months, they had only one guest for a total of three nights in 90 days. I fully expect the property to be offered for sale soon.

checklist client interview — The client interview

Future clients will be interviewed

It was this situation and a couple of others that sent a message to us that we have to interview future clients. Fortunately, the last several that have come our way are people who fit into our new policy as follows:

Zero mortgage or
A mortgage but it and expenses are affordable and/or
The property is a true vacation home they will use and extra income is just that extra
They agree to keep the property well-maintained per our request.
Agree that the calendar, pricing, and other aspects of the property are at the discretion of the property management company
Get involved in the marketing strategy using their social media to recommend friends to rent their property

The difference between clients who agree to the above and someone who just purchased a vacation rental property with a mortgage and usually without an adequate analysis is night and day. The last thing any professional property manager needs is to take on the stress of an over-extended owner. Believe me, there is sufficient stress in the property management effort on its own. What do you do with a family when the AC goes out? How about the roof leaks?

There is a water line break? We like other full-service property management companies feel the pain of the guests. And you should know nothing stops working during regular business hours. It’s always at night on a weekend.

Vacation rental managers spend time and money

We spend a lot of time making sure that the property’s condition is suitable for our guests. When the hot tub stops working, we need to get it fixed. I hope that you can see the point that I am trying to make which is this: The vacation property management business is changing. Some local vacation rental property managers are not earning enough money to remain in business and it’s worse when they have to expend fuel driving back and forth to a property to manage contractors. In good times things tend to work out well. The industry is no longer in the good times. We may have a long way to go before the situation improves and many short-term rentals are sold as permanent residences.

Other local companies are starting to refer people to us because they can no longer manage a large portfolio of underperforming properties. Even the time to drive by dozens of properties is time-consuming and costly when there are no guests. My company is not in the same position, we have decided to keep the number of properties that we manage to a small number and they are all located in clusters on or near the beach.

By implementing the new policy of interviewing prospective clients and only taking those who pass our six-point test above, we will be able to remain in business and continue to provide great customer service. At some point, those internet companies will also fail because you need income even when you are using investors’ capital.

Internet property managers take anyone

They will start picking up owners that good local vacation property managers do not want. A few months later they will lose them because when the people who jump around find that the “grass is not greener over the hill”, they will give up.

I have written about what property owners can do if they are in a situation where they are not earning enough to cover their operating costs. Sell or rent long term. The market as of this writing was still good for the sale of properties and the long-term rental market rates are still higher than a few years ago.

The problem is that some drag it along without deciding to “see if things get better”. Unfortunately, they probably will not get better any time soon. Selling before foreclosure is always the best thing to do if you are not going to rent your property.

Over saturation of vacation rental properties

This situation with an over saturation of vacation rental properties is a problem throughout the United States. There are simply more vacation rental homes than there are vacationers. The vacation rental property business is changing.

Some communities see the overabundance of short-term rentals that are vacant as a reason why there are not sufficient housing options. Rules are being considered to limit vacation rentals.

Soon, only people with financial resources and the need for a true second home will be the primary market for a rental property management company or real estate agent working with investors.

It’s always a good time to rent homes if you buy right. Your investment property is still a valid way to invest capital and again if you buy right.

I recommend to prospective investors to acquire vacation rental properties when a current owner has offered it for sale fully furnished at a bargain price. Then and only then, run your analysis. The most important thing is the evaluation of prospective guests, days booked, and the price per day. This information is hard to find but there is a free source most people ignore until after they have already made the purchase.

A local vacation property manager knows all. For peace of mind, contact a local short-term rental property manager and get the lay of the land. They in fact may have a client who wants to sell.

Buy a distressed vacation rental property

A great way to help ensure profitability is to buy a property that has been managed by a professional local property manager. The owner can make introductions or better yet, you can find this vacation rental property through a local property manager. If you stay with the local property manager after the purchase, your property retains its history.

Instantly you have 50 stays at your new vacation rental property. This is how you skip to the head of the line. Potential guests want to stay where someone else has stayed. If you buy a property and start from scratch, you will find that it takes a long time to build a good history. As I always say “the more you rent it, the more it will get rented”.

In conclusion, don’t be surprised if a local vacation rental property manager interviews you about your intentions and decides not to accept your property into their program. Not all local vacation property managers have reached the same conclusions that we have so it may be possible to squeeze in as a client before they change their policies. Of course, you can always go with that San Francisco company that drives across the country to change a light bulb at midnight.

Please visit our short-term rentals/vacation website. Read additional articles there. If you are visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast, check out our properties for short-term rent. The website may have some that are for sale.

Vacation rental slow? you need a property manager now!

No doubt about it, vacation (short-term) rental bookings are slowing. It’s time to hire a property manager now. Why? because no one is watching over your property when it’s empty. What happens when your insurance company wants to know about vacancies and who is managing the empty property?

Bad people know that the vacation rental market is undergoing a major change. They can enter your vacation rental and wipe you out. The pipes can freeze and flood your property. A storm or hurricane can pass through, how would you know the chairs are not down the street?

It’s always a good time to hire a property manager but it’s more important when there are no guests there. Short-term rentals should have a rental property manager in the local area. Property owners who have been managing their property from three states away are risking everything.

It’s one thing when the occupancy rate is high enough to rely on the cleaner to report issues to you but no rental income means no cleaner.

Tech based property managers

It seems that there is no end to free money. Investors are pitched by a start-up that can manage vacation rentals from 10 states away. There is no replacement for an onsight, local property manager, and many who have tried these services change.

How can a person working from home or an office tower spot a water leak in your house outside? How about when the police are called to settle guest issues? Not to mention that many communities are moving to a requirement for local property managers. Read this article on our ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.com site about this topic.

Take some steps if your property is not producing enough income

Short-term rentals are not producing enough income for many these days and that means taking some steps to protect your investment. A property management company can rent your property on a long or short-term basis. Vacation homes are good properties for people who will be staying longer, perhaps on a full-year lease.

Long-term rentals are still in demand in many areas with lots of short-term rental properties. As a real estate broker, I am seeing many short-term rental properties coming to the market for sale as fully furnished. Many people bought a second home during COVID and then turned it into a vacation rental to cover the cost.

You need to hire a property rental management company if you want peace of mind that your property is being taken care of and maintenance issues are addressed, Gulf Coast Property Management including Christie’s Gulf Beach Rentals is accepting more properties to manage due to the slowing rental business. during the slow season and more often when properties are booked. Rental management companies should be visiting the properties at least once each month

Odors tend to accumulate

Odors tend to accumulate when a property is not rented for a long time. The property needs to be aired out and in some cases, the hot water flushed to avoid that sulfur smell. The local property manager can make sure that before a storm anything that can fly away is tied down, chairs are stored, etc. After a storm, they will visit and be sure there is no damage.

A good case in point was during the last hurricane on the Mississippi Gulf Coast a couple of years ago. Gulf Coast Property managers visited all rental properties and assessed damages. Several properties required some work to repair minor damage. This work was ordered by the managers and supervised. The owners were out of state.

odors tend to accumulate vacation rental slow — Odors can accumulate

Your property is susceptible to things

Vacation rental properties are susceptible to many things including but not limited to the:

Insect infestation includes wasps, roaches, ants,, etc.
Water leaks and damage from frozen pipes
Wind damage from strong winds or hurricanes
Theft, break-ins
Landscaping, mowing the lawn cutting weeds
Insurance inspections
Damage from other properties
Flooding
Homeless moving in
Utility company disconnecting due to unpaid bills
Trees or branches falling on the house

The above is just a start and the longer that property goes without guests the more potential issues can be found. Your property management team can help to prevent some of the above and mitigate for other items. Generally, rental property management fees for short-term rentals are a percent of the total revenue. What happens when a property management company is responsible and they are not earning any income?

Agreements usually require owners to pay a minimum fee in any month where there is no revenue. Christies charges $50 for such months. Fortunately, there are not many and they are usually in the off-season.

Management fees are a small price to pay

It’s a small price to pay rental companies to put eyes on your property on a frequent basis when you are several states away. The short-term rental industry is in transition as I mentioned above. If you own vacation rental property it’s time to understand that vacancy rates of 2020 and 2021 are not likely to return in the near future.

If that monthly rent income was critical to your ability to retain the property and you are not getting enough, it’s time to do something else.

There is no question that the vacation rental industry will correct itself as people settle into higher inflation and arrange finances to take vacations. Market demand will increase and the number of rental owners will decrease. Short-term vacation rentals are suffering from an oversupply of properties and a reduced number of potential guests.

Fully furnished vacation rental for sale — Vacation rentals are being sold fully furnished

More rental properties are being sold

There are of course two ways to correct the situation. More rental homes must come to the for-sale market as single-family primary homes and the economy must improve to stimulate more demand.

Owners who have been reducing their nightly rates are not seeing a pick-up in rentals. As I mentioned, it’s not the cost per-se since the vacation properties represent a portion of a vacation budget.

Lowering the price does not fix the issue. You can improve your advertising which may bring more to your property and do a few other things to improve the guest experience. In the end, you will probably not see that extra income you need. The bottom line is that it will take time to right the situation.

Real estate investors need the assistance of a vacation property manager to make sure that among other things property maintenance is occurring as needed. Don’t get excited when you see a sizable increase for spring break or during the high season.

A good short vacation rental season does not mean a turnaround

This does not mean that the economy and situation are making a turnaround. Similar properties will experience the same activity at the same time. A good example is Mardi Gras on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With a fairly dead winter in 2022-2023, all of Christies properties are fully booked for Mardi Gras in mid-February. In fact, friends of mine who own many properties are trying to find accommodations for people who are overbooked. Every property seems to be filled at the same time.

This is not a sign of a turnaround. I fully expect that there will be some big blips on the radar where you may think things have turned around. They will absolutely but this is not the time yet.

Vacation rental properties that are doing the best are ones that have been on the market for several years and have lots of direct bookings. Repeat guests accumulate after years of experience and contribute to keeping income higher. A property with 20+ good ratings will more than likely be rented before one with two or three particularly now when there are so many choices.

A great way to improve the situation for your property is to hire a property manager who has their own website. Their websites help to advertise what a great vacation rental property you have. Their sites can offer additional revenue services that are not available on the third-party sites such rental of bicycles etc.

Using social media can help

Christies Gulf Beach Rentals for example uses its website to advertise free vacation rental insurance when booking direct on the website. Properties are also pushed out to Facebook and other social media.

There is a small benefit from lower occupancy. You will have time to make repairs and upgrades without trying to squeeze them into the calendar during a busy season. Slower seasons are when you can do this work.

Consider that many people who have been working on vacation rental properties need work due to the number that has been sold as permanent residences. A good independent contractor can be found more easily now than during the previous year when bookings were stronger.

Maintenance when it is slow

Your property manager can help find people to work on your property. The best time to complete work is before peak season. Your rental manager may cost a few dollars but protecting your property and insure the right person is watching over your passive income investment is the correct thing to do.

In Mississippi where Christies is located, the state requires that property management companies have a connection with a licensed real estate broker. This requirement helps to ensure good customer service as people can complain to the real estate commission if there are unresolved issues.

Full-service vacation rental management

As an example of the services that a full-service investment property manager can do for you, the following is offered by ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.com:

Full-service vacation rental management including cleaning managing guest communication
Schedule and hire contractors for repairs and maintenance
Meet with the city and obtain a permit when required
Respond if there is an incident e.g. party
Make sure the trash is taken out and brought back in
Provide a full guest book loaded with tips and rules
Set up a new vacation rental from ordering furniture to decorating
Removal of furniture for storage
Offer a short-term rental for a long-term rental including finding a tenant
Coordinate with Logan-Anderson Gulf Coastal Realtors to sell your property
Locate through LAGCR a suitable vacation rental property
Communicate with prospective renters through drip emails
Offer a full-service booking site (website) for booking and looking up restaurants etc.
More

Of course, some of the items listed above are offered for fees that vary with the request. Typically Christies charges a 15% fee (of the gross revenue after the cleaning fee) to manage the property. The cleaning fee goes to Christies to cover the cleaning expenses which are paid directly by the guests.

As you can see, Christies does it all. If your property is located in different states, the property manager you locate should be able to do much of what is listed above.

You have options for your vacation rental

You do have options regarding your property. If you can afford to maintain your mortgage payment, utilities, and the property management fee during the slow time, by all means, retain your property for rental purposes and visit on occasion.

The value of your property will increase over time compensating you in part for a shortfall in rental revenue. A word of advice. Don’t let relatives and friends use your property without charge. There is a cost to maintain your property including the following:

Mortgage Payment
Property taxes
Property insurance
Flood Insurance
Electric utility
Gas utility
Water Utility
Landscaping
Wear and tear on everything from flooring to sheets
Cleaning cost
Maintenance
Use of funds to acquire e.g. downpayment
Property management fee
Loss of income if someone else could have rented it

Christies encourages friends to rent

If a friend or relative wants to use your property and we strongly encourage this. Have them contact the property manager to make reservations. The way Christies handles this is to provide the property owner with a discount code and the friend goes to the website to book.

The discount code may be for any percent of the gross but does not apply to the cleaning fee which must be paid. This way if your cousin wants to use it at a 50% discount they can. As I mentioned above, it’s a great idea to put your property on Facebook and other social media so that people who know you will rent it. Even offer them a 10% discount.

Check back at ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.com and GulfCoastPM.Com for more articles on this topic. If you own property on the Mississippi Gulf Coast please contact us, we would love to work with you. Thanks for coming to our website.

You need a property manager for your rental properties!

Managing property requires skill. If every tenant paid on time and took good care of an investor’s property, there are still reasons why a professional manager should engage to help ensure that an investor realizes the maximum profit from their properties. You need a property manager for your rental properties.

Professional property managers know what to look for in a tenant and starting with a good tenant is just the beginning. Things do happen such as water leaks, broken appliances, etc. Some of the issues require fast action to prevent more damage. Others are considered preventative maintenance and require action to be taken before they become a problem.

Passive investors in particular who may or may not be located near the investment property will require a professional property manager who can react to issues. Some tenants require “encouragement” to pay their lease payment or reduce the noise level. A diligent property manager can spot a property where the tenant is sub-letting or allowing others to live there in violation of the lease. Upon discovery, the manager will confront the tenant.

Not everyone who invests in property has the temperament to work with tenants particularly when they have to be evicted for non-payment of rent. This may be the most compelling reason to have a disinterested third party serve and ensure eviction should it come to that.

Property managers ensure a constant flow of rental dollars into the investor’s bank account. When problems occur they are fixed. Investors can continue pursuing their careers without worrying about a leaking toilet.

Yes, there is a fee for the services provided by a professional property manager but the value is there when all things are considered. The effort to find a quality tenant may necessitate showing the property many times and following up with the many calls from individuals who do not qualify. Professional property managers understand the laws surrounding protected classes and other local, state, and federal requirements. In today’s climate, saying the wrong thing could spark a complaint with a host of local, state, and government agencies claiming a variety of things.

Investing in residential rental property can be very profitable. Just include the cost of a property manager and in the long run, your investment will be well served.

Basic Tenant Rules

We want our tenants to be comfortable in the propeties that we lease. Leasing is a partnership between the property management company and the one tenant. Both parties help each other to keep the property in good condition so that the expectation at the signing of the least continues.

There are rules and there are rules. Tenants are required to agree to certain rules when they sign the lease. The list of rules generally contains details about parking, maintenance and other communal living arrangements particularly for multi-family homes. Rules for single family homes are different and detail obligations such as landscaping.

In this blog, I want to talk about the “other” rules, those things that most of us learned from our parents while we were growing up. Some times theses rules get lost in the effort of just daily living. This blog will review the old rules and refresh them for todays living. Please review this blog as it will help improve the quality of life at our properties for everyone.

NEIGHBORS

Meeting your neighbors can help you in many ways. If you need help with a dead battery, they are playing loud music etc., you will feel comfortable talking with them rather than calling the police. You can help each other in many ways. For example, you are going out of town for a few days, ask your neighbor to keep watch on your unit.

Even if your age difference is large e.g. you are 25 and your neighbor is 65, ou can learn from your more experienced neighbor and your more experienced neighbor can enjoy your company. So for many reasons, including security, it’s good to know your neighbors even if you do not become best friends.

NOISE

You may be tolerant of a high volume level for listing to music or talking for example. As people get older however, their tolerance for loud music and other noise grows in part because it is difficult for them to hear with the background noise around them.

Out of courtesy you should keep your noise volume to a lower what most people would believe is reasonable. If you have to yell over the noise it’s probably too loud. If you live in a multi-family property, ask the neighbor if the sound is bothering them. That’s a great idea as this will help you in your relationship with your neighbors as mentioned above.

INSECTS

We all live with insects, some are beneficial like bees and some are simply “gross” like roaches. You can help yourself keep unwanted insects from your home by following good housekeeping principals as discussed below.

Keep food off the floor and counter tops. Clean up as soon after eating as possible. Clear plates, rinses them and place them into the dishwasher if you have one, if not clean the dishes soon after the meal. Roaches and ants are the worst pests regarding food. They only come around if there are sources of food.

Ants on Cat food place, example of food lett

If you have children, be sure to clean up around where they eat. Restrict their eating to areas that are easy to clean such as hard floors. Refrain from having food in bedrooms with carpets.
Close your doors after entering. Turn off lights on the porch before opening doors at night.
Let the property manager know if you damage a screen as insects will enter that way.
Close your trash continuers in the house and outside. You should invest in self closing interior trash containers with bags. This will prevent insects from going into your kitchen trash. It’s very important that you place any food and food containing trash into your bin and be sure it is closed.
Spray your outside trash bin with flying insect spray if it has been opened and there are flies around. Clean the surface around the bin. Food can leak through the holes at the bottom inviting ants and flies.
Keep vegetation away from the house through property gardening maintenance. If you are responsible for outdoor gardening keep up with it. Insects live in tall grass and in areas with decomposing vegitations. Call the manager if you live in a multi-family home and find the gutters clogged or the gardening was not done properly.
Do not leave beer and soft drink containers around your house or yard, they will almost certainly attract files or at worst ants and roaches. Disposes of them after they are empty. If for some reason you are saving bottles or cans that contained beer or sugar soft drinks, rinse them before storing.
Our properties are inspected for insects before they are rented and treated if we find them. There is no reason for an infestation of ants or roaches in a property if the units are kept clean as mentioned above. You may be charged for insect removal if we determine it’s your fault.

PARKING

All of our properties have sufficient parking for residents and some have parking for a few guests. Please do not park in spots designated for your neighbors without their permission. Inform your guests of the same. The last thing we want to do is to tow a car.

Do not park on the lawn or sidewalk. If you must park in the street be careful that you are not blocking a neighbors drive way. Be aware of school bus restrictions on street parking.

GUESTS

Almost everyone has guests from time to time and that’s perfectly fine. It’s your home. Be sure that your guests follow the rules both the written ones and the ones on this list. Remember, a guest is someone who comes for a short time and leaves. Your lease does not permit long term stays by individuals not on the lease. It also prohibits you from receiving payment for “guests” to stay at your home.

If you have a close relative who will be staying with you for a short time but stretching the definition of “short” such as a month, contact the property manager. Depending upon the situation and the property this may or may not be permitted. If you give a key to a guest and that guest causes damage or theft of property, you are fully responsible. If you require a lock change you will be charged for it.

INTERIOR CARE

VACUUM

Do not attempt to spot clean the carpet or hard surface with bleach or any harsh product that will itself leave a stain or wear the carpet. Contact the property manager if you need assistance selecting the property chemicals.

You are responsible for caring for the property that was leased to you. This means you are expected to vacuum the carpet at least once per month. You should vacuum once each week. For some reason, I find that many tenants fail to vacuum and as a result they lose their deposit. If you spill something on the carpet, go to a hardware store and rent a carpet cleaning machine and clean the carpet.

BATH ROOM

Bath tubs and showers require frequent cleaning. The grout will grow mould if it is not cleaned regularly. Contact the property manager for the correct products to use when cleaning showers and bath tubs.

FLOORS

Tile floors with grout require cleaning and sealing. You should mop tile floors on a regular basis and be sure to get into the grout. Often sugar drinks will lodge in the grout and this requires work to remove.

OVEN

Follow instructions for cleaning your electric oven. Some of the ovens are “self cleaning”. This does not mean that they will not need some cleaning. If you run the “self cleaning” cycle, you will still have to remove the residual carbon. Be sure to lift out the burners and clean under them to prevent insects. If you have a glass top simply wipe down the top with soap and water while the range is turned off.

REFRIGERATOR

Your refrigerator can build up mould on the gaskets on the doors. You need to wipe down the door moulding at least one per month. Keep the shelves clean as well. Remove old food the morning of trash collection day or perhaps the night before and throw it into the bin with the lid closed.

AIR CONDITIONING/MOULD

In a humid climate something must be done to prohibit materials that the property was constructed of from absorbing too much moisture and developing mould. You can prevent this by keeping surfaces clean and by running air conditioning.

You can set the thermostat at 80 degrees inside the home when you are not there during the summer. You can run the fan only during other times of the year even in the summer but the AC is better.

A de-humidifier works well for second floor homes. Humid air rises to the second floor where it can be captured by a dehumidifier. Buy one that has a hose that can be placed into a tub, toilet or sink to prevent the tank from being filled and shutting off. If you have a de-humdifier be absolutely sure that it has a working shut off valve or you can flood your unit.

If mould developes, treat it immediately with a very diluted amount of bleach and warm water. If you have never done this before, contact the preopty manager for instructions or watch this video: MOULD REMOVAL

MODIFICATIONS TO UNIT

Generally tenants are prohibited from modifying a unit. Hanging photos and art are usually permitted. This helps you personalize your home. The 3M company now makes hooks that can be put on a wall without nails and you can take them with you when you leave.

You can find the COMMAND hooks at Lowes and other hardware stores. Check out their website: COMMAND HOOKS

If you want to paint your unit, you must contact the property manager for approval. The color of paint you use must be compatible with the property if approved. You will be responsible for any over spray or spilling on to floors, base boards, counters etc.

CABLE TV/INTERNET/SATELLITE

Everyone needs access to the web. Most now use the internet to access TV. Regardless, to obtain a connection your unit must have a wired connection to a router at minimum. Most units already have connections in the unit.

You are not permitted to install any satellite dishes, cables or wires without the permission of the property manager. This is very important as the installers could damage the property and you would be responsible. Reasonable accommodation will be made but in no event will wires be exposed outside or inside of the building.

You are not permitted to punch holes into the wall to extend cables. You should obtain wireless devices that will run from your router eliminating the need for interior wires.

EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

Your property was in good condition when you leased it. The entrance, yard and other outside areas were well maintained. It is important that you keep up the maintenance if you are living in a single family home. Individuals living in multi-family homes are also required to keep the area around the property clear of debris.

This means no cigarette buts or cigarette burns on the property. Keep trash away from the entrance such as beverage bottles and food wrappers. In addition to the insect issues described above, it degrades the athletics of the property. Most people like properties that are clean and neat.

Keep trash cans where they are supposed to be away from the street and public view as you were instructed when the lease was signed. This is an area where not everyone is in agreement. You can drive around some neighborhoods and see trash all around. Old cars and appliances in the yard.

The point is not to make a value judgement on others, it is to tell you that our properties are offered based upon our standards of cleanliness and orderliness. You have agreed to follow our standards.

SMOKING

Smoking is not permitted inside our homes. Aside from the medical issues which are not our concern per se, cigarette can and do leave odors which only repainting and an expensive cleaning can remove. Even window treatments absorb the tar from smoking. Smoking can cause fires and the insurance on the property may require the property owner to lease only to individuals who will not smoke inside the property.

If you are a smoker, smoke outside in an area where the smoke and tar will not affect the property or neighbors. Do not discard cigarette buts. Do not throw buts into the trash can until you know absolutely they are cold.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY

The properties that we manage are residential. Tenants are not permitted to use them for business purposes. There are however exceptions when the tenant is an at home professional that has meetings off site. Real estate agents, internet businesses and some others are acceptable. What is not acceptable is a business that requires storage of inventory at the home with unacceptable truck traffic delivering and picking up packages.

If you have any doubt, please contact the property manager before you engage in a business run from our property.

COMMUNICATION

Keep in touch with the property manager. We love suggestions and recommendations. Let us know how we can improve our property and add to your enjoyment of the property. Any issues with neighbors, crime, trash etc. please contact the property manager.