20 Easy, Affordable Maintenance Projects To Update Your Rental Property

March 13, 2019

Easy affordable maintenance projects that improve the look and feel of a rental property can make it feel welcoming and really help when it comes to landing that next tenant, the maintenance checkup from Keepe this week.

This week’s post will list easy affordable maintenance projects to update every room. These small improvements and investments really go a long way.

Easy affordable maintenance projects to improve the front and outdoor

1. Repainting the front door – a fresh and crisp coat of paint does wonders for a property’s exteriors, especially when opting for bright or bold colors. Due to its exposure, the front door can be prone to discoloration and chipping, and a new coat of paint can completely transform it into a cheerful and appealing detail.

2. Replacing the property’s numbers – Over time, those number sets can rust and look worn. Replacing the existing set with a new one is inexpensive and makes the exteriors look neat.

3. Sanding and refinishing railings – Harsh weather and temperatures can take a toll on metal fences and railings. Rust, oxidation and discoloration are unappealing, but can be easily taken care of by sanding, repainting and sealing.

4. Resealing and treating wooden fences – Wood fences and gates are prone to rotting, discoloration and moss growth. Regularly sealing and treating the wood not only prolongs its life by protecting it from moisture and the elements, but also restores the beauty of a uniform and natural-looking finish.

5. Repainting or replacing mailboxes – Tenants will notice and appreciate the look of their updated mailbox, and will be even more excited about having newer models installed, as those offer include safe features for protecting your tenants mail.

5 easy affordable maintenance projects for the kitchen

1. Installing a fun and modern backsplash – a tiled backsplash protects the exposed walls from moisture and staining from food spills and splashes, while also making the space look more appealing. Most hardware and home improvement stores offer a great variety of tiling combinations for backsplashes, which are generally rather inexpensive while also being highly customizable and adaptable to the existing color schemes and features of a kitchen.

2. Updating cabinet and drawer handles – Swapping handles with newer and slightly more elaborate ones is a very easy and inexpensive hack that makes the space look more appealing and curated.

3. Turning recessed lighting into accent lighting – A maintenance professional can modify existing recessed lighting into hanging lighting, which can completely transform the space by adding a distinguishing accent with a touch of color.

4. Sleek-ifying and modernizing appliances with a coat of liquid stainless-steel – Having a painting expert recoat your appliances with a kitchen-safe liquid stainless steel paint makes outdated or discolored appliances look modern and sleek.

5. Adding molding on top of cabinets – Molding makes the space look polished by giving cabinets a custom, built-in look. Different styles of molding exist to match different decors.

5 bathroom maintenance projects

1. Restoring grouts – Over time, tiling can look worn and dirty as the grout becomes stained and collects dirt over time. A tiling professional can easily scrape off old grout and regrout the space, which makes it look clean and neat.

2. Restoring caulking – Just like grout, caulking in sinks, tubs and showers can stain and start looking worn or even moldy over time. Recaulking resolves this issue while updating the overall look of the bathroom.

3. Sealing cracks – Cracks are not a pleasant sight on tiling and fixtures, making them look worn and damaged. They can be concealed by being filled in with sealant.

4. Upgrading showerheads and faucets – Installing a new showerhead and faucet set modernizes and updates the space while also treating your tenants to the enjoyable features of newer showerheads models, such as improved water pressure settings and even integrated lighting.

5. Covering exposed bulbs – Exposed light bulbs aren’t particularly appealing, actually making space look rather unpolished. Plenty of inexpensive lighting fixtures are available for purchase, and can be installed over exposed bulbs to improve the look of the space.

5 ideas for living rooms, bedrooms and home offices

1. Upgrading or replacing baseboards – Like molding for cabinets, baseboards polish and add a finishing touch to the interior of your rental property. They can be a helpful addition as they protect walls in high-traffic areas from abrasions and contact, but can easily start looking worn if left unmaintained for long periods of time. Repainting, repairing or replacing older baseboards completely uplifts the spaces where they are installed.

2. Repainting the interior walls – Spring and Summer are the ideal time for scheduling major painting projects, as the weather and temperatures are typically paint-friendly. Refreshing the walls with a new coat of paint or opting for a new color is one of the most immediate ways to update the look and feel of the unit, especially considering that some walls can be prone to staining and discoloration over time.

3. Deep-cleaning carpet and sealing hardwood – Both procedures will restore flooring to a like-new condition, which will make the unit feel and look clean and cared-for.

4. Replacing outlets – Swapping older outlets with newer, multi-outlet and usb-friendly models modernizes the unit and lets your tenants to enjoy their practicality and efficiency.

5. Considering smart gadgets – Smart home systems with integrated high-tech gadgets offer a variety of innovative ways to make units more efficient and comfortable. Some of the more popular systems include voice-controlled task assistants, user-friendly energy-use monitors, intelligent thermostats and interactive lighting.

Easy affordable maintenance projects summary:

Prioritizing functional maintenance jobs such as gutter cleanings, plumbing and HVAC checkups, emergency repairs, preventative inspections is fundamental maintenance. However, minor maintenance projects for the improvement of its aesthetic qualities should not be underestimated or forgotten.

Often times, investing in easy affordable maintenance projects that tackle the aesthetics of a rental property seems superfluous because they are not repairing or improving the actual amenities, which are the distinguishing factor attributing value to a property. While it’s definitely smart to prioritize functional maintenance jobs, home improvement projects can also add some serious value to a property.

Improving the look and feel of rental property space not only makes the overall unit look more appealing, but it can help with making up for those elements that might be lacking or slightly outdated. Aesthetic improvements showcase attention to detail and make tenants feel good about living in a place that looks well-kept and welcoming.

About Keepe:

Keepe is available in the Greater Seattle area, Greater Phoenix area, San Francisco Bay area, Portland, San Diego and is coming soon to an area near you. Learn more about Keepe at https://www.keepe.com.

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Seattle Rents Increase Moderately Over The Past Month

By The Editors

March 12, 2019

Seattle Rents Increase Moderately Over The Past Month

Seattle rents have increased 0.3% over the past month, and have increased marginally by 0.6% in comparison to the same time last year, according to a new report from Apartment List.

Currently, median rents in Seattle stand at $1,330 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,650 for a two-bedroom.

This is the second straight month that the city has seen rent increases after a decline in December of last year. Seattle’s year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 1.1%, as well as the national average of 0.9%.

Rents rising across the Seattle Metro

Throughout the past year, rent increases have been occurring not just in the city of Seattle, but across the entire metro. Of the largest 10 cities that we have data for in the Seattle metro, 9 of them have seen prices rise. Here’s a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro.

Lakewood has the least expensive rents in the Seattle metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,450; the city has also experienced the fastest rent growth in the metro, with a year-over-year increase of 3.9%.
Over the past year, Marysville is the only city in the metro that has seen rents fall, with a decline of 3.5%. Median two-bedrooms there cost $1,640, while one-bedrooms go for $1,320.

Other large cities nationwide show more affordable rents compared to Seattle

As rents have increased marginally in Seattle, a few similar cities nationwide have also seen rents grow modestly. Compared to most other large cities across the country, Seattle is less affordable for renters.

Rents increased slightly in other cities across the state, with Washington as a whole logging rent growth of 1.1% over the past year. For example, rents have grown by 1.7% in Vancouver and 0.7% in Spokane.
Seattle’s median two-bedroom rent of $1,650 is above the national average of $1,170. Nationwide, rents have grown by 0.9% over the past year compared to the 0.6% increase in Seattle.
While Seattle’s rents rose marginally over the past year, many cities nationwide also saw increases, including Phoenix (+3.6%), Austin (+3.1%), and Denver (+2.4%).
Renters will generally find more expensive prices in Seattle than most similar cities. For example, Spokane has a median 2BR rent of $890, where Seattle is more than one-and-a-half times that price.

Leasing Consultants In Demand In Latest Apartment Jobs Report

By The Editors

March 12, 2019

More than 8,000 jobs were available across the country during February, according to the latest apartment jobs report from the National Apartment Association (NAA).

Apartment jobs represented 36.8 percent of all the real estate sector jobs, just under last month’s figure, according to the NAA report from the NAA Education Institute.

Denver placed in the top 5 markets for the third month in a row, slightly edged out by Indianapolis.

Leasing consultant apartment jobs in high demand

Leasing consultants were in high demand in the latest report. And the greatest concentration of demand for leasing consultants was in Austin.

For leasing consultants, median market salaries were below $28,000 per year, but most employers would consider candidates with less than two years of experience, yet another sign of a tight labor market.

Maintenance-tech skill set still highly sought as titles change

The change in the proportion of job titles over the past five years is not only reflective of demand, i.e. the highly sought-after maintenance tech, but of recruiters providing more focused and appealing titles, the NAA Education Institute report says.

The generic “apartment manager” has given way to “community manager,” while the surge of assistant property managers and maintenance supervisors reveals a clear career path within those sectors.

The greatest increases in skills desired for all types of positions included both specialized skills such as Yardi Matrix software, and soft skills, particularly writing and collaboration.

National apartment association jobs report background

The jobs report focuses on jobs that are being advertised in the apartment industry as being available, according to Paula Munger, Director, Industry Research and Analysis, for the National Apartment Association’s Education Institute.

“Our education institute is a credentialing body for the apartment industry. They hear often that one of the biggest problems keeping our industry leaders up at night is the difficulty in finding talent, attracting talent and retaining talent,” Munger said. “Labor-market issues are happening in a lot of industries, certainly with the tight labor market we have.”

NAA partnered with Burning Glass Technologies. “They have a labor-job posting database that is proprietary,” she said, and they can “layer on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). We looked at that and thought we could do something that is really going to help the industry and help benchmark job titles and trends as we go forward,” Munger said.

Last month’s apartment jobs report

Apartment Maintenance Technician Jobs In High Demand In Portland And Seattle

Portland Rents Increased Significantly Over the Past Month

By The Editors

March 11, 2019

Portland Rents Increased Significantly Over the Past Month

Portland rents have increased 0.4% over the past month, but are down slightly by 0.3% in comparison to the same time last year, according to a new report from Apartment List.

Currently, median rents in Portland stand at $1,120 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,330 for a two-bedroom.

Second straight month of increases in Portland rents

This is the second straight month that the city has seen rent increases after a decline in December of last year. Portland’s year-over-year rent growth leads the state average of -1.3%, but trails the national average of 0.9%.

Rents rising across cities in the Portland Metro

While rent decreases have been occurring in the city of Portland over the past year, cities in the rest of the metro are seeing the opposite trend.

Rents have risen in 9 of the largest 10 cities in the Portland metro for which Apartment List has data. Oregon as a whole logged rent growth of -1.3% over the past year.

Here’s a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro.

Hillsboro is the most expensive of all Portland metro’s major cities, with a median two-bedroom rent of $2,030; of the 10 largest Oregon metro cities that the company has data for, 9 have seen rents rise year-over-year, with Springfield experiencing the fastest growth (+2.7%).
Beaverton, Vancouver, and Eugene have all experienced year-over-year growth above the state average (2.0%, 1.7%, and 1.3%, respectively).

Portland rents more affordable than many similar cities nationwide

As rents have fallen slightly in Portland, many comparable cities nationwide have seen prices increase, in some cases substantially. Portland is also more affordable than most other large cities across the country.

Portland’s median two-bedroom rent of $1,330 is above the national average of $1,170. Nationwide, rents have grown by 0.9% over the past year compared to the 0.3% decline in Portland.

While rents in Portland fell slightly over the past year, many cities nationwide saw increases, including Phoenix (+3.6%), Austin (+3.1%), and Las Vegas (+3.1%).

Renters will find more reasonable prices in Portland than most similar cities. For example, San Francisco has a median 2BR rent of $3,100, which is more than twice the price in Portland.

Methodology

Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew towards luxury apartments, introducing sample bias. In order to address these limitations and provide the most accurate rent estimates available, we now start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate forward based on our own rental listing data, using a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, which compares only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.

Apartment List

Apartment List is a growing online apartment rental marketplace on a mission to make finding a home an easy and delightful process.

Which Cooktop Is Best For Your Rental Property?

By The Editors

March 6, 2019

The pros and cons of which cooktop is best for your rental property – gas, electric, smoothtop or induction – is the maintenance checkup from Keepe this week.

Cooktops are easily the most important component of a rental property’s kitchen and one of the most frequently used appliances.

As a rental property owner or manager, you want to consider installation and repair. Plus, you want a cooktop that will last without needing major repairs over the years and provide safe and efficient heating performance for your tenants.

Different manufacturers produce many models with different special features at vastly different price points. Here are the pros and cons of different models of cooktops:

Gas cooktops

Gas cooktops use an electric or standing pilot starter igniting the gas to produce a steady flame for cooking. Cooktops featuring a standing pilot system have a small and continuously burning gas flame under the cooktop. It ignites the gas as it flows out when the stove is turned on. This makes this system completely independent from outside power sources. Electric ignition cooktops rely on electric sparks to ignite the gas, which results in the familiar “clicking” noise.

6 pros of gas cooktops

1. Lower emissions – air is not able to enter and cool, thus making gas cooktops able to retain heat without needing to consume extra energy to reach and/or maintain desired temperatures.

2. Lower operating costs – relying on gas instead of electricity makes gas stoves significantly cheaper to power and use.

3. Immediate heat – having access to a burning flame allows for instant heat, making it possible to start cooking without needing to worry about the stove’s components needing to warm-up.

4. Immediate control – lowering or raising the temperature is easy by turning the control knobs. Cooking professionals really appreciate this quality as it makes it possible to precisely set desired temperatures throughout the cooking process.

5. Visual control – being able to see the actual flame’s size makes it possible to quickly gauge whether the temperature is set to low, medium or high.

6. Cookware-friendly – gas stoves can be used to cook with all cookware types, including cast iron, stainless steel and wok-style pans.

4 cons of gas cooktops

1. Flammability – Gas is highly flammable. A gas leak can expose tenants to serious risks of accidental fires. For this reason, it’s essential to inform tenants about how to safely operate the appliance and to have it regularly checked by a professional who can ensure that it operates properly and is not allowing gas leaks.

2. Toxicity – The combustion of gas produces toxic fumes such as nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, which makes it necessary to install an efficient and safe ventilation hood. This is a further expense, and the ventilation hood itself should be regularly maintained by a professional. Tenants should be instructed about how to safely cook with a gas appliance to avoid being exposed to harmful fumes.

3. Cleanup – Gas cooking appliances are the most demanding when it comes to cleaning. They require regular and thorough cleaning, both of the exterior grills and surfaces and of the interior parts that make up the burners themselves. This is due to the fact that allowing grease and cooking spills to build up can result in blockages that inhibit the proper workings of the appliance and accidental fires. Regular cleanups of a gas appliance will require taking apart the burners and carefully cleaning under them.

4. Installation costs – Not every property has a gas line running through the kitchen. Adding a gas line can be expensive.

Electric (or Coil) cooktop

Photo credit: freefoodphotos.com

Electric cooktops rely on electricity to heat an internal metal coil, which becomes the heat source for cooking and heating food. In most electric cooktops, the metal coils are exposed and meant to be in direct contact with cookware.

4 pros of an electric cooktop

1. Affordability – Electric appliances are cheap to both purchase and install. Completely replacing an electric appliance is also cheap, with cheaper models less than $300.

2. Maintenance – If a coil is defective or broken, it is possible to simply swap the individual coil with a new one and not have to replace the entire appliance. Similarly, repairing other broken components is easy as electric stoves are very common and parts are easy to find.

3. Practicality – Operating electric stoves is simple and straightforward. Setting low, medium or high heat is done by simply turning a knob. Due to the fact that no direct combustion happens, tenants do not need to worry about fumes or accidental fires.

4. Cookware-friendly – gas stoves can be used to cook with all cookware types.

4 cons of an electric cooktop

1. Slow temperature control – The metal coils need time to both heat up and reach the desired temperature and also to change to different temperatures as one cooks. This makes it difficult to have optimal control over temperatures.

2. Uneven cooking – Often times, the coils are not perfectly leveled and thus unable to evenly distribute heat to the cookware being utilized. This can make it difficult to properly cook food.

3. Design – The coils themselves and the openings housing them easily trap food, spills and grease. Heating trapped leftover spills can cause serious smoke and even fires. Tenants must be informed about the importance of regularly cleaning the cooktop.

Since the coils are mounted onto the cooktop, it is not so easy to thoroughly clean the appliance.

4. Performance – Electric cooktops will not reach the high temperatures that a gas flame can reach. This makes it unlikely to be able to enjoy cooking or charring certain foods that require higher temperatures.

Electric Smoothtop

Smooth Tops incorporate the metal coils under a flat surface made of tempered ceramic-glass. Newer models substitute the metal coils with halogen lamps as the main heat source.

3 pros of an electric smoothtop

1. More efficient – the smoothtop surface allows for heat to be spread upward more directly and without dispersing.

2. Safer – ceramic-glass surfaces are able to cool faster than the exposed metal coils, while still allowing for no fumes, leaks or fires.

3. Easier to clean – the flat surface makes it immensely easier to wipe off spills instead of worrying about the cleaning up leftover food out of the complex design of coil cooktops.

3 cons of a smoothtop

1. Slow temperature control – Smoothtop cooktops still need time to both heat up and reach the desired temperature and also to change to different temperatures as one cooks.

2. Fragility – the temperate ceramic-glass surface can scratch and crack/break easily. Tenants should be instructed to be very careful when cleaning the surface (no abrasive sponges or cleaners) and mindful of its fragility.

3. Conductivity – the flat surface makes it so that optimal heat distribution can only be achieved with heavier cookware.

Induction cooktop

Induction cooktops are incredibly innovative. Thanks to electromagnetism, they generate heat in the cookware itself, not in an internal heating component that heats the food indirectly. A series of magnets that are powered by electricity lie under the temperate glass surface, exciting the iron particles in pots and pans and thus generating heat from within. While they are not so common in the United States, European countries have been widely adopting this cleaner and more practical cooking solution.

6 pros of an induction cooktop

1. Efficiency – Induction cooktops waste virtually no energy. Through electromagnetism, over 80 percent of the energy is transferred directly to the food in the pan. In comparison, appliances utilizing a heating element to indirectly heat food generally result in over half of the energy needed for heating being lost. Powering and using induction cooktops is cheap.

2. Temperature control – Induction cooktops heat up quickly and allow for temperature changes to happen immediately. This makes it possible to have direct and precise control over cooking temperatures.

3. High heat – On the “high heat” setting, Induction cooktops allow for food to reach temperatures nearing 660°F, which is 200°F higher than the maximum average reached by the burning flame of gas stoves. This allows for a considerably shorter wait when it comes to boiling or heating for deep frying – and of course, cooking itself.

4. Safety – the surface of induction cooktops is always cool. The heating stations can actually be safely touched when they are turned on, as the heating happens within the cookware being utilized (so no touching of pots and pans!).

5. Cleanup – As surfaces are flat, nonporous, and always cool it is possible to clean up spills with unprecedented ease, with food never being “cooked” or melted onto the surface.

6. Practicality – Induction cooktops are simple and easy to use. Setting low, medium or high heat is done by simply turning a knob. No direct combustion means no fumes or accidental fires.

4 cons of an induction cooktop

1. Cost – Due to their technology, induction cooktops tend to be pricier than most other cooktops, with certain models costing up to $2,700.

2. Maintenance – Faulty cooktops will likely require a more invasive inspection, as the magnetic coils are found underneath the surface. Higher repair costs are to be expected as individual parts will be pricey.

2. Fragility – induction cooktops utilize the same temperate ceramic-glass surface as electric smoothtop appliances, which is vulnerable to scratches and cracks. Again, tenants should not use abrasive sponges or cleaners and be mindful of its fragility.

4. Cookware restrictions – For the technology to function and actually heat pots and pans, it requires to be exposed to cookware containing iron. For this reason, cookware made with all other materials – such as clay or copper – will not be suitable for this cooktop.

Other recent rental property maintenance Keepe posts you may have missed:

7 Tech Gadgets For A Safer And More Efficient Rental Property

5 Maintenance Tips For Long-Lasting Rental Carpet Flooring

Is The Water Heater At Your Rental Property Ready For The Big One?

7 Types Of Kitchen Countertops For Your Apartments

About Keepe:

Keepe is an on-demand maintenance solution for property managers and independent landlords. The company makes hundreds of independent contractors and handymen available for maintenance projects at rental properties. Keepe is available in the Greater Seattle area,

Landlord To Pay $9,000 To Settle With HUD Over Emotional Support Animal

By The Editors

March 6, 2019

Landlord To Pay $9,000 To Settle With HUD Over Emotional Support Animal

A landlord and agent who refused to rent to a tenant with disabilities because he had an emotional-support animal have settled with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through a conciliation agreement, according to a release.

The case in San Francisco came to HUD’s attention when an individual with disabilities filed a complaint alleging that he was denied the opportunity to rent an apartment because he had an emotional-support animal.

HUD’s investigation found the landlord and agent were explicitly informed that the prospective tenant’s animal is prescribed by a doctor and allowed under fair housing laws, but they still refused to consider his tenancy because of the animal.

Landlord to pay $9,000

Under the terms of the agreement, the owner will pay the complainant $9,000 and both respondents will attend fair housing training, according to the release.

“Assistance animals provide persons with disabilities with the support they need to not only enjoy their home, but to function in life,” said Anna María Farías, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, in the release. This “agreement reflects HUD’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that housing providers abide by our nation’s fair housing laws.”

The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing providers from denying housing to persons with disabilities and from refusing to make reasonable accommodations in policies or practices, which includes denying assistance-animal requests.

Renters Over 60 Grew By 43 Percent Over The Past Decade

By The Editors

March 5, 2019

Renters Over 60 Grew By 43 Percent Over The Past Decade

Renters over 60 now represent the third largest group of renter households at 22 percent, according to new research from RentCafé.

And the trend is expected to increase. as renters over 60 are the fastest-growing group of renters among all age groups in the last 10 years. With a 43 percent increase, senior renters have outpaced even their fellow homeowners.

Driven by a decline in home ownership, RentCafé researchers’ estimate that by 2035, seniors will make up 31% of the total number of renters, outnumbering Gen Z renters.

Past studies conducted show that the older population is no longer enthusiastic about homeownership, with many seniors starting to downsize and move into rentals. As their children move out, they find themselves alone, often in a big house that costs a lot to maintain. All these factors cause them to rethink their housing choices.

Key findings about renters over 60

With a 43% increase, renter households over 60 drove the past decade’s surge in renters, greatly outpacing younger age groups.
When looking at the largest gains, renters over 60 are still in the lead, with 2.81 million households added over the last 10 years.
Zooming in, at a city level, Austin boasts the highest increase in the share of 60+ renters, 113%, followed by Phoenix (112%) and Fort Worth (95%).
Think New York City is known only for young and hip millennials? Well, think again. Out of the top 30 largest U.S. cities, the Big Apple has the largest share of senior-renter households, 27%. Thanks to a 10-year growth rate of 20%, this age group managed to outrun even those under 34.
Projections based on the trend witnessed between 2007 and 2017 predict that the year 2035 will mark a major demographic shift. The share of seniors will cover about one third of the U.S. rental market and will become the second largest group of renter households.

Austin boasts the highest 10-year percentage change in the share of older-renter households

Out of the 30 most populous cities in the United States, 16 experienced an increase of over 40% in the 60+ renter household share between 2007 and 2017.

Austin takes the first place as the city with the highest percentage change in the share of 60+ renter households, increasing by 113% in the 10-year period. Phoenix is also present in this top with the second highest increase of 112%; it’s followed by Fort Worth, with 95%.

The oldest U.S. cities by median age are popular retirement spots

The top 30 oldest cities in the study all have a median age over 39.6 and are mostly retirement cities in Florida, California, or Arizona.

In fact, Florida is home to 12 of the oldest cities, with Cape Coral, first, with a median age of 47.9, followed by Hialeah, with 46.5. In Arizona, sunny Scottsdale is third, with a median age of 46, proving once more its high popularity among retirees in search of warm days and entertainment.

Summary

This growing share of older Americans is bound to have an impact on the U.S. real estate market.

This is a cohort of people that witnessed firsthand the impact of the 2007 housing crisis and the re-shaping of the economy, forcing many of them to give up their homeowner status and move into rental properties.

It’s important for developers to acknowledge the particular housing needs of older renters and make sure that they are being met, says RentCafé.

Methodology

This report was compiled by RentCafe.com, a nationwide apartment search website. Tenure of occupied housing units by age was obtained from Census ACS 1-year estimates for 2001-2017 at national and city level. Median age by population at U.S and city level was obtained from the same sources. In order to compare data, 3 age groups were created, aggregated from existing age groups and compared resulting data from 2007 & 2017. For this research, more than 300 cities with a population of over 100,000 were analyzed. For the 2035 projection, data was used from Census – American Community Survey 1-year estimates: 2007 to 2017, Households by tenure and Age estimates. The projection on historical trends y-o-y from 2007 & 2017 was done and kept the homeownership rate at 2017 level for each age group. While the future growth in older households is confirmed by other sources, the results should be considered rough estimates and are subjected to change.

How to Choose the Right Baseboards For Your Rental Property

By The Editors

March 4, 2019

How to Choose the Right Baseboards for Your Rental Property

A good way to impress tenants and perhaps get a nice rent increase is to upgrade the baseboards for your rental property to give it a nicer look and that is the maintenance checkup this week provided by Keepe.

Baseboards for your rental property are a great way to update a room or put a finishing touch on a remodeled unit.

Base molding – the small trim that goes along the lowest and highest parts of interior wall of a room – can elevate the space of a unit and offer a stylish transition from wall to floor.

To find the best molding trim, select a baseboard that coordinates with your property’s style while staying within your budget.

Types of Baseboard Styles

Old-fashioned: Old-fashioned baseboards are often made out of pine or fir wood. This style can add a dramatic Victorian or colonial style to your building, but the project can end up being very pricey. For example, a colonial-style trim shows a vintage and elegant style, often found in colonial-inspired living and dining rooms. This style brings a unique character to a room. If your property is old-fashioned, try incorporating a similar style for the molding, or contrast the building style with a modern baseboard trim.
Modern: A modern molding is suitable for relaxed spaces, perfect for contemporary multifamily buildings. Subtle molding such as thin-base moldings are a great way to streamline the interior of a property, giving a modern, minimalistic look to any interior. Flat baseboard trims are optimal for an apartment. Extra-tall baseboards give a higher-end finish quality to any property.

Types of Baseboard Material

Medium-Density Fiberboard: MDF is comprised of wood fibers, resin and other products. MDF is easy to shape into various designs due to its material. MDF is also easy to paint or stain, and costs less compared to the majority of other materials. MDF baseboards are flexible and are one of the most popular types in the market. This material is a great option for property managers who want to repaint their baseboards during a rental turn.
Wood: Oak is the most popular wood-trim type, especially since it’s able to match any wood in your house. Wood can be vulnerable to warping, so double-check your trim before purchasing. Wood offers a high-end look to any property and you can find a wide range of price options, depending on what kind you buy. Hardwood also fits in easily with existing molding, making installation cheap and easy. You can have a classic neutral look with a painted-wood baseboard or rustic look by leaving it unpainted.
Plastic: Plastic baseboards can easily be styled and colored, but not as easily as wood. Plastic baseboards are less expensive than vinyl or wood. On the other hand, the material is not very flexible, so it can easily be damaged.
Vinyl: Vinyl-trim molding is a great option for a ceiling that meets the stairs for an upper floor. The flexible material is great for a unit that has a vintage or classic style throughout the property. Vinyl baseboards also suit bathrooms well, since they can put up with dampness. Vinyl is durable, easy to install and replace, and is less expensive than hardwood. The negatives: vinyl baseboard tends to attract mildew, and the material can’t be painted.

Did You Know Hoarding Is A Disability Protected By Fair Housing?

By The Editors

March 4, 2019

Ask Landlord Hank: What Should We Do About A Hoarder?

Hoarding is a disability protected by Fair Housing Laws so the Grace Hill training tip this week focuses on this issue to help landlords who encounter this problem with tenants.

By Ellen Clark

People with a hoarding disability are protected by Fair Housing laws and are entitled to reasonable accommodations.

People with disabilities face particular challenges when it comes to housing and have special protections under fair housing law. Disabilities include both physical and mental impairments. It may not always be obvious that someone has a disability, which can make complying with fair housing law in this area a little tricky.

In order for people with disabilities to fully enjoy their homes in your community, it may be necessary for you to make changes to community rules, policies, procedures, services, or physical structures. These changes are called reasonable accommodations and modifications.

Hoarding is a mental disability

Hoarding is a mental disability you may encounter as you work on a property. People who suffer from hoarding are protected under fair housing law and are entitled to reasonable accommodations in the same way people with other mental or physical disabilities are https://livingwellnessmedicalcenter.com/ativan-lorazepam/.

In general, you should not initiate conversations with residents with disabilities about what accommodations they may need. Instead, you should wait for them to make a request. Hoarding is a little different because it is a case where you may need to initiate discussions with the resident because the situation is dangerous or unsanitary and must be addressed.

Here are some tips to help you work with people with hoarding disabilities in a way that complies with fair housing law.

Make sure you and all employees understand that hoarding is a disability

Do not immediately begin the eviction process. People with a hoarding disability are protected by fair housing laws and are entitled to the same care and consideration you would give people with other types of disabilities.

The most common accommodation, for a person with hoarding disorder, is the written plan of action.

Document the condition of the hoarder’s home. Using a standard assessment such as those provided by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization or the International OCD Foundation can help you do an objective evaluation. Make sure to note specific lease and code violations. Use caution and be aware of potential threats to health and safety.
Involve your legal counsel. You will need to understand what state and local laws apply to your specific situation, and how to apply them appropriately. Do not overlook the importance of getting good legal guidance when working with hoarding situations.

Give the resident a chance to rectify the situation. If the resident agrees to clean their home and/or seek help,develop a written plan of action. For a person with hoarding disorder, the most common accommodation is the written plan of action, which gives the resident a chance to rectify the situation at a pace that is conducive with long-term success.

Depending on state and local laws, you may be able to proceed with an eviction if the resident is hoarding animals, explosives, blocking emergency exits, or directly damaging the apartment home. Again, be sure to consult your legal counsel before proceeding with an eviction, as this can be a complicated issue to navigate with residents.

Hoarding is a mental health problem

Mental health experts say that about 15 million Americans suffer from the mental health problem of hoarding. Some interesting facts about hoarders:

They make up 2-5% of the population;
Anyone can be a hoarder – men, women, and even children as young as 13;
Elderly women are the most likely hoarders;
Hoarders are not lazy, nasty or defiant;
The behavior usually has occurred for a long time and there is no quick fix;
Hoarders are usually very intelligent;
Hoarders may have a mental disability and must be given the opportunity for a reasonable accommodation, even if they do not specifically request one;
- The accommodation may be in the form of more time to bring the dwelling unit up to code before termination of the lease agreement;
- Early intervention is the best plan; and
- Trying to solve the problem without the individual’s cooperation will usually make the problem worse.

Recent Grace Hill training tips you may have missed:

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About the author:

Ellen Clark is the Director of Assessment at Grace Hill. Her work has spanned the entire learner lifecycle, from elementary school through professional education. She spent more than 10 years working with K12 Inc.’s network of online charter schools – measuring learning, developing learning improvement plans using evidence-based strategies, and conducting learning studies. Later, at Kaplan Inc., she worked in the vocational education and job-training divisions, improving online, blended and face-to-face training programs, and working directly with business leadership and trainers to improve learner outcomes and job performance. Ellen lives and works in Maryland, where she was born and raised.

About Grace Hill

For nearly two decades, Grace Hill has been developing best-in-class online training courseware and administration solely for the Property Management Industry, designed to help people, teams and companies improve performance and reduce risk. Contact Grace Hill at 866.472.2344 to hear more.

Apartment Water Conservation Focuses On Toilets For These Brothers

John Triplett

March 1, 2019

Apartment water conservation – which provides a quick return on investment for apartment owners and property managers – is the passion of two brothers who have become the toilet “property brothers” of the multifamily industry.

By John Triplett

The story of two brothers’ latest project, at the Silverbrook Apartments in Grand Prairie, Texas, is a winner.

It will save the property 36 million gallons of water and more than $365,000 annually, representing a 65% savings in water usage and cost, and an eight-month return on their investment.

Above, Lawrence Lamondin, left in blue shirt, and brother Richard.

And It will save the tenants money on their bills, too.

Eco S ystems, owned by brothers Lawrence and Richard Lamondin – who are becoming the toilet “property brothers” of the multifamily industry – designs and implements water conservation programs for apartment complexes. They partner with BH Management Services LLC, a division of BH Companies that acquires, improves and manages apartment communities.

936 toilets replaced to achieve apartment water conservation

The conservation efforts at the apartment complex included 936 bathroom upgrades, ridding Silverbrook of old and wasteful toilets, showerheads and aerators. The installation was done over 22 days, about a month’s worth of work.

The efficient solution turns a quick return on investment (ROI) for property owners, typically saving 30 to 50 percent on water and sewer bills, and seeing returns in less than 18 months. In this case, the savings achieved the largest ROI to date.

In an interview, Lawrence Lamondin talked about both the impact these projects have on the environment in terms of water savings and the savings to tenants and property managers.

Property managers can provide feedback to owners on water-saving needs

“Any good owner is going to listen to what the troops they put in place, such as their property managers, tell them,” Lamondin said. In fact, the Silverbrook project came from the property-manager level, he said.

“The first time I walked into that office, the manager – and even in her initial email to me when she first got the bills – really didn’t quite grasp how much money and how much water a program like this could save.

“I think it’s really important at a property-manager level. They are the ones that are collecting the bills. They’re the ones that are fielding the residents’ complaints when it comes to their water costs monthly. I think it’s really important to take that into consideration,” he said.

An Ecosystems crew member putting old toilets in dumpster.

Tenants’ rising water bills can cause turnover

“Basically, what the manager had told me is that these residents were paying somewhere around $70 dollars per month for water and it was causing turnover at their property. With water rates rising 7 percent a year nationally on average, this is something that is only going to become more prominent in the future.

“So from a property management standpoint, they are the best representation of your tenant base. They are the best representation in terms of who is going to stay on top of the budgets. They are in charge of making sure the property is profitable. So that’s really where they come from and where they come into the picture.”

Leaking toilets can be a hidden apartment water conservation issue

Silverbrook had a combination of 1.6-gallon-per-flush and 3.5-gallon-per-flush toilets. “Most likely in the early 2000s, they began turning units and upgrading those fixtures,” he said.

“With that said, the flappers start leaking after just a few years. So we see properties that had replaced their toilets just a few years ago with problems. You walk those properties, do the tests, and you find that toilets are still leaking.

“They are not always visual. They’re not always audible.”

“Sometimes you have to either test them with blue dye or you find out as you go and find a handle that might get stuck and it stays up. Really, after a couple of years of that you could start seeing faulty product in your toilet,” Lamondin said.

Maintenance personnel aren’t focused on apartment water conservation

“In my experience, the maintenance personnel are generalists. They are good at everything but a master at not really anything, for the most part,” he said.

“Maintenance in general in this industry has a lot of turnover. Most of our clients realize that even though they have these techs on site and they are up keeping the property, their focus is not water conservation.”

“I think what could be done is training of both existing and new maintenance staff as they are onboarded. They need to be trained in what to look for and what could be done. They don’t realize that a running flapper in Atlanta could cost you $200 dollars a month. That goes for a lot of Texas cities as well. I think it’s really a matter of education and training on the maintenance standpoint.”

When tenants pay vs. when management pays

Lamondin said motivation for change is sometimes higher when tenants are billed individually for water instead of management using a system of paying the bills for everyone based on a utility billing ratio.

“We find that when you’re billing residents on a ratio, they still kind of have that communal effect. They don’t really take it as if they are paying for the water.”

“But when you have a meter you find that a water bill, with even no conservation efforts by the ownership, drops about 20 percent, just because they start reporting toilet flappers. They start reporting drips in the tub.”

“On that same token, there’s only so much that you can do with old products, and really where the savings come into play is when you start retrofitting,” he said.

The Ecosystems crew outside a job site in Texas.

Apartment water conservation summary

“When we started this company in 2012, it was a big educational push for us. A lot of water was about 50 percent less expensive then than it is now.”

“We spend a lot of time educating our clients,” he said. There are an increasing number of apartment owners and property managers who now recognize the need. And, that need and recognition is mostly “driven by increasing water bills and a push by their residents,” he said.

“Going green is no longer a buzzword. It’s not something that should be optional in a business plan. It’s something that is absolutely necessary if they want to stay competitive. It not only helps them from their budgeting standpoint but it helps the residents. It also ultimately, and most importantly, helps the environment.”

“That’s generally our message as a company that we push to clients. I think it’s important that people really start paying attention to what effects water conservation can have now and in the future – and it’s not that far in the future.”

Resources:

Michigan State Study Affordable Water In The U.S. – A Burgeoning Crisis

A Nationwide Assessment of the Geography of Water Affordability in the United States

The great Denver toilet payback

Eco S ystems

BH Management Services

Freddie Mac Multifamily Green Advantage

Four ways Miami startups are trying to save the planet

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About the author:

936 toilets replaced to achieve apartment water conservation

Property managers can provide feedback to owners on water-saving needs

An Ecosystems crew member putting old toilets in dumpster.

Tenants’ rising water bills can cause turnover

Leaking toilets can be a hidden apartment water conservation issue

Maintenance personnel aren’t focused on apartment water conservation

When tenants pay vs. when management pays

The Ecosystems crew outside a job site in Texas.

Apartment water conservation summary

Resources: