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A Third of Property Managers are Offering Rent Concessions

By
John Triplett
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More property managers offered rent concessions in July as rent growth has slowed in some parts of the country

More property managers offered rent concessions in July as rent growth has slowed in some parts of the country, new data from Zillow shows.

“The share of rental listings on Zillow offering a concession — a sweetener such as free weeks of rent or free parking offered as an incentive to rent — climbed to 33.2% in July. That’s up slightly from 33% in June and 25.4% a year earlier,” Zillow said in the release.

“Builders have stepped up and built an incredible number of homes in response to soaring rents during the pandemic, and renters are now seeing the benefits,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow chief economist, in the release.

“Now is a great time for renters to find a deal, with more new apartments hitting the market than at any time in the past several decades.

“Rents are still growing, but it’s a far cry from the steep rent hikes of two or three years ago, and renters will find sweeteners being offered by more than half of rentals in some places. A slowing job market and lower mortgage rates could mean falling rents if the current trends hold,” Olsen said.

In six major metro areas, more than half of the rental listings on Zillow are offering a concession: Raleigh (53.3%), Charlotte (53%), Atlanta (52.2%), Salt Lake City (50.9%), Nashville (50.8%) and Austin (50.5%). Four major metros have a smaller share of listings with a concession than last year, indicating a more competitive rental market. Those are San Jose (-9.7 percentage points), Baltimore (-5.6), Milwaukee (-1.8) and Pittsburgh (-0.2).

One reason for the rental-market cooldown is a multifamily construction frenzy that is opening up new options for renters and rebalancing the supply and demand seesaw. Almost 60,000 multifamily units were completed nationwide in June — the latest data available — which is more than in any month in half a century.

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Ensuring Equal Access: Translation Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Property Management

By
John Triplett
-
Are you and your property management providing reasonable accommodations for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate effectively?

Are you and your property management providing reasonable accommodations for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate effectively?

By The Fair Housing Institute

In the field of property management, effective communication is not just a courtesy—it’s a mandate under fair housing laws.

Ensuring that every individual, regardless of hearing ability, has equal access to housing information is not only ethical but also legally required.

This commitment to accessibility includes providing reasonable accommodations for the deaf and hard of hearing, a demographic that often faces significant barriers in accessing housing services. Are you and your team ensuring equal access?

How do I stay fair housing compliant?

Fair housing regulations stipulate that property managers must be equipped to communicate effectively with all prospects and residents. This inclusivity explicitly extends to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. When a deaf or hard-of-hearing resident requests an interpreter, this is considered a reasonable accommodation.

Interestingly, unlike other accommodation requests that require a more extensive review process, the need for an interpreter is often so apparent that it bypasses the usual procedural requirements. This streamlined approach underscores the importance of immediate and unimpeded communication.

But what if I can’t get an interpreter right away?

Despite the clear mandates, the practicalities of providing on-the-spot interpreter services can be challenging. It’s generally unrealistic to secure a sign language interpreter without prior notice. However, property managers are still obliged to facilitate communication as per fair housing standards.

Creative solutions become essential in these scenarios. Utilizing readily available tools such as whiteboards for written communication or exchanging SMS text messages can provide interim solutions that uphold the standards of accessibility and ensure that critical information is conveyed effectively and promptly.

How do I prepare for the best-case scenario?

To truly embody the spirit of fair housing, property management teams should proactively prepare to meet the needs of deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. This preparation involves more than just recognizing the need for accommodation; it requires active and ongoing training of staff. Role-playing scenarios can be an effective method for training, helping staff practice and prepare for real-life interactions.

Additionally, investing in services such as online, on-demand interpreters can significantly enhance a property management company’s ability to provide immediate and effective communication solutions. These investments not only comply with legal requirements but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity.

Are you ensuring equal access?

The provision of translation services for the deaf and hard of hearing is a clear example of how property management can and should function under the guiding principles of fair housing.

Property management professionals can ensure that all residents receive the high standard of service they deserve by understanding the legal imperatives, embracing creative problem-solving, and investing in thorough preparation. Ultimately, these efforts reflect a broader commitment to equality and accessibility, pillars upon which the integrity of the property management industry rests.

About the author:

In 2005, The Fair Housing Institute was founded as a company with one goal: to provide educational and entertaining fair-housing compliance training at an affordable price at the click of a button.

The Use Of Marijuana – A Fair Housing Challenge

How Do I Get a Tenant to Remove Backyard Trampoline?

By
Hank Rossi
-
Tenants with a kiddie pool or a backyard trampoline can present liability issues for landlords so that is the question for Landlord Hank.

Tenants with a kiddie pool or a backyard trampoline can present liability issues for landlords. In this week’s Ask Landlord Hank question he discusses the issue of what to do about tenant with a backyard trampoline in his rental. Remember Hank is not an attorney and cannot offer legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out the form below.

Dear Landlord Hank:

We have a long-term renter who has a trampoline in the backyard.

Ever since we first saw it, we have asked him to get rid of it because of liability issues. He has a truck in which he could haul it away.

Our rental is in a different city about 3 1/2 hours away.  I don’t want to be stuck with it when he moves.

Thanks for your advice.

-Pat

Dear Landlord Pat,

Trampolines are a big liability issue, and sometimes an insurer will cancel your policy due to that risk.

Do you know or have any contact with your neighbor of this property?

I would tell this tenant to immediately remove the trampoline from the premises, that he is in violation of the lease and that he must prove with photographic evidence that it has been removed.

Then I would contact your neighbor to verify. Good luck.

Sincerely,

Hank Rossi

Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal.    https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/

Can I adjust the rent if a new tenant is added to the lease is the question from a landlord this week for Landlord Hank.
Landlord Hank says, “Trampolines are a big liability issue, and sometimes an insurer will cancel your policy due to that risk.”

Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal.    https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/

 

Ask Landlord Hank Your Question

Ask veteran landlord and property manager Hank Rossi your questions from tenant screening to leases to pets and more! He provides answers each week to landlords.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta. “ Visit Hank’s website here.

In 2024, Most Single-Family Landlords are Cautious

By
John Triplett
-
A new survey has found that most single-family rental landlords are cautious in 2024 – neither bullish or bearish

A new survey has found that most single-family rental landlords are cautious in 2024 – neither bullish or bearish about investment, according to the data analytics company Resiclub.

The survey of landlords who own at least one investment rental property between June 25 and July 18, 2024, showed the following:

  • 60% of single-family landlords say they’ll likely buy at least one investment property over the next 12 months.
  • 39% of single-family landlords say they’ll likely sell at least one investment property over the next 12 months.
  • 76% of single-family landlords expect to raise their rents over the next 12 months—including 35% who say the increase will be over 4.0%.
  • 2% of single-family landlords expect to decrease their rents over the next 12 months.
  • 72% of single-family landlords expect home prices to increase in their core housing market over the next 12 months. But only 31% expect an increase of over 4.0%.
  • 86% of single-family landlords expect interest rates to fall over the next 12 months. However, just 10% of those landlords expect a decline of more than 1 percentage point.
  • 50% of single-family landlords say home insurance was the expense that increased the most over the past 12 months.

A new survey has found that most single-family rental landlords are cautious in 2024 – neither bullish or bearish

The survey says rapidly rising insurance rates for rental properties are a big concern among the group. According to the results, most single-family landlords “aren’t super bullish or bearish; instead, they are cautiously optimistic, expecting a balanced single-family rental market over the next 12 months.”

The survey says many plan to buy properties, raise rents, and anticipate rising home prices and falling interest rates. However, they only expect a mild increase in rents and home prices, as well as just a slight drop in interest rates.

The survey was done by Resiclub and Lending One.

“The survey result generally aligns with what we have heard and thought over the last 12 months and how we see this shaking out,” said LendingOne CEO Matthew Neisser in a release.

“We saw apartment rents starting to stall months ago; apartment rents were already leveling out in most markets and becoming more competitive with concessions. So, on the single-family side, it’s a function of affordability. And people can afford only so much at certain price points. So, it seemed obvious there’s only so much more to run on rents, within reason.”

Read the full survey results here.

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Rent Growth Continues in Secondary Markets

Can I Adjust the Rent if A New Tenant Is Added To The Lease?

By
Hank Rossi
-
Can I adjust the rent if a new tenant is added to the lease is the question from a landlord this week for Landlord Hank.

Adding a new tenant to a lease is a question that comes up from time to time. In this week’s Ask Landlord Hank question he discusses the issue or adjusting the rent and the new tenant. Remember Hank is not an attorney and cannot offer legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out the form below.

Dear Landlord Hank:

I have a tenant who wants to add another tenant to the lease.

Does this constitute an opportunity to adjust the rent?

All utilities are included in the rent.

Also, they are in the first year of tenancy. The cost of utilities has skyrocketed, and adding tenants will add costs to maintain.

-Terri

HI Landlady Terri,

I would talk to your current tenant and tell them what you just wrote to me: That if the tenant passes background screening, they could be added to the lease BUT the costs you pay for utilities would increase and you’d be passing that along to this unit.

Make sure you are generous with yourself about the utility-cost increase, and let tenant know.

Make sure you do screening of the new tenant to make sure you get a good one and not a problem. The rental term remains the same. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Hank Rossi

Can I adjust the rent if a new tenant is added to the lease is the question from a landlord this week for Landlord Hank.
Landlord Hank says, “Make sure you are generous with yourself about the utility-cost increase, and let tenant know.”

Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal.    https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/

Editors note: Be sure to check your local and state regulations on leases and rents as it varies across the country.

 

Ask Landlord Hank Your Question

Ask veteran landlord and property manager Hank Rossi your questions from tenant screening to leases to pets and more! He provides answers each week to landlords.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta. “ Visit Hank’s website here.

Editor’s note: Always check to see if there are any local or state regulations in your area that may vary with Hank’s answer.

Engaging User Generated Content and Influencers to Attract Tenants

By
By The Editors
-
Many property owners and property managers are unaware of the power of social media such as user generated content and influencers to attract tenants.

Many property owners and property managers are unaware of the power of social media such as user generated content and influencers to attract tenants so here are some best practices.

By Alexis Krisay

The rental housing market is becoming more competitive every day as the number of available units continues to grow.

With this in mind, property managers and owners need to think of creative ways to attract the right tenants.

Many owners are still unaware of the true power of social media and have failed to allocate the appropriate budgets to these channels, which are at the forefront of marketing practices today. Growing in popularity is User-Generated Content (UGC) and influencer marketing, which involves outsourcing online creators to provide content in different ways.

Specifically, user generated content (UGC) is a form of media created by content creators for a brand or company to post that showcases a relatable perspective tailored for the target audience. Influencer marketing differs from user generated content because instead of the content living on the company or brand’s profile, the influencer shares it to their respective audience. Both strategies are effective tools to boost brand awareness and simultaneously build trust with your targeted audience.

Here are a few best practices for property managers and owners to follow if employing either UGC or influencers to attract new tenants and increase renewal rates.

Develop incentive programs to encourage tenants to create content on your behalf

If there is a lack of budget allocation across social media channels, we encourage property managers and owners to get creative with their strategies.

UGC through rental incentives is a perfect way to generate authentic social media exposure while also being cost-effective. Organizing a campaign of this nature involves various moving parts, all of which should be thoughtfully executed to ensure the program’s maximum potential:

  • Building a brand around a UGC incentive program: Brainstorm and design various elements of digital marketing materials, including a campaign deck, social media posts and potentially a website landing page to announce and detail the specifics of the campaign. The incentive program’s brand should be an extension of the company or property, reflecting the various branding elements that already exist.
  • Make sure the deliverables and objectives are clear: When building the brand around the UGC program, it’s important to effectively communicate guidelines and expected deliverables. Specify the type of content you’re looking for, provide a mood board or examples, include keywords or elements to highlight, and provide clear deadlines.
  • Be creative: Today there are many new and innovative ways to engage with consumers. To get creative, our agency thought out of the box and engaged with Point in Time Studios, a virtual-reality and augmented-reality development company to create virtual-reality tours for prospective tenants to tour properties. We’ve had a lot of success for our clients with this method. Using new technologies and tools may also entice a content creator to promote your property to its followers.
  • Develop a hashtag reflective of the campaign: Though hashtags have become less popular in current social media marketing, creating a unique tagline or phrase for users to include in their posts not only increases brand awareness but also organizes a space for the content to live, making it easier to track and quantify posts – and this all comes at no additional cost to you. When developing the hashtag, make sure it is original, brief and easy to understand.
  • Incentivize content creation: Without exceeding a budget, it can be possible to incentivize tenants to participate in a campaign by offering rent discounts or gift cards. However, it is important to remember that content creators today are getting paid from hundreds to thousands of dollars. That said, the campaign should be worthwhile for both parties.
  • Keep the community exciting and lively with planned events and happenings: Organize fun community events that showcase your amenities and the sense of community at your property. Whether it’s a pool party, a paint-and-sip night, or as simple as catered meals in the lobby, events like these give tenants alternative ways to create content that highlights your property in a positive way.

Overall, UGC can be a great way to attract new tenants and retain existing ones while keeping costs to a minimum, so long as the campaign is executed well.

Finding the Right Local Influencers That Post Content that Aligns with Your Brand

Alternatively, engaging influencers requires a bit more research on your end and likely a more sizable budget.

Much as a UGC campaign requires, influencer marketing also requires creative direction on your part. Creating the campaign begins with branding the program and detailing specifics about the required deliverables and objectives. This involves deciding the type of content that best showcases your property, including day-in-the-life experiences, vlogs, virtual tours or tenant interviews. Additionally, you have to consider the key messages you want the influencer to convey in their content. It is important to remember that the influencer’s only job is executing the guidelines that you put in place. That said, the better the campaign structure, the higher probability of success for both parties.

Similar to user generated content, it is imperative that the campaign offer some sort of incentive for influencers to participate. With the rise in influencer marketing, it is likely that influencers will expect financial compensation for their efforts. However, it is important that you provide an offer that is unique to the influencer to properly track the return on investment (ROI). In doing so, don’t forget to put this offer or unique marketing source in your rental customer relationship management (CRM) tool to generate the appropriate leasing reports!

Once the campaign is complete, you will be able to pull the traffic and leasing reports to identify the true ROI of the campaign. Influencers are great for brand awareness, so make sure your team is able to track the increase in likes, comments, shares and other engagement metrics following the campaign.

To generate true ROI with influencers in the rental industry you’ll need to have a thought-out strategy. If your team decides to use influencer marketing for your community, make sure you think about the following before you choose your influencer:

  • Identify their niche: Look for influencers who are relevant to the rental market or your target demographic. For example, lifestyle bloggers, local celebrities, or real estate influencers might have a more significant impact. Make sure to carefully analyze their content and ensure that their focus aligns with your goals, your brand’s aesthetic and standards.
  • Review their content: Assess the quality of the influencer’s content, including their photography, writing and video-production skills. This can also include their past partnerships, which can accurately gauge the type of content they are capable of producing. Additionally, showing interest in their former collaborations can form a strong, trusting relationship.
  • Analyze their metrics: Look into their analytics on social channels. Track their engagement including likes, comments, shares and other metrics after the campaign. It’s important to not be phased by follower count – sometimes, influencers with smaller but highly engaged audiences (micro-influencers) can be more effective than those with a larger, less engaged following.
  • Make sure their audience aligns with yours: When selecting the right influencer, their audience should largely correlate to your target tenants. The content they are creating should directly relate to the group you are aiming to reach.

Both of these tactics can lead to increased occupancy if done correctly and consistently. Like any tactic, repetition and analysis is key to the success of the campaign.

About the author:

Property owners and property managers can use the power of social media such as user generated content and influencers to attract tenants.

 

Alexis Krisay is a partner and president of marketing at Serendipit Consulting. She has an extensive background in online and offline strategic marketing operations. With more than 15 years’ experience she has a deep understanding of the rental housing industry and what makes these people, brands and organizations tick.

5 Essential Marketing Strategies to Boost Occupancy Rates

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Keeping Your Communications Compliant with Fair Housing

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illustration credit Guzaliia Filimonova via istockimages

More Than 500,000 Rental Units To Be Completed In 2024

By
John Triplett
-
More than 500,000 rental units will be completed in 2024 as the U.S. sets a record in new apartment construction, RentCafe reports.

More than 500,000 rental units will be completed in 2024 as the U.S. sets a record in new apartment construction, RentCafe says in a new report.

This is the first year in history the construction of new units has passed the 500,000 mark.

Leading the new construction charge along with New York are the Dallas and Austin metros. The Texas cities will account for roughly 10 percent of all the new construction by the end of the year.

Supply wave of new rentals meets high demand

Even with record new construction of rental units, demand for rentals continues to outstrip the supply, the report says.

“The supply wave has brought 50-year high deliveries to certain metros … but the increased competition is slowing rent growth, especially in booming Sun Belt markets,” Doug Ressler, senior analyst and manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix, said in the report. And despite falling rents in the Sun Belt, demand for apartments has remained strong.

Most of the apartments built in the last five years, as well as those under construction, are high-end and cater mainly to upper-middle- and high-income renters. This focus on high-end apartments — combined with the concentration of new units in the largest U.S. metros — means that renters in smaller markets may continue to have limited affordable options, the report says.

New apartment construction locations vary across the country

Nearly 60% of the new apartments expected to open in 2024 “are clustered in the top 20 metros in our ranking,” RentCafe says in the report.

More than 500,000 rental units will be completed in 2024 as the U.S. sets a record in new apartment construction, RentCafe reports.

“The overall impact on the number of developers might vary by region. In places like Texas, for instance, the demand for apartments remains robust due to factors like corporate migration and high home prices. On the other hand, some markets are seeing a slowdown in new construction starts due to the economic environment,” Ressler said in the report.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the apartment construction landscape is shaping up slightly differently. “Most markets won’t see the impact of rapidly falling starts translating to lower completion levels until the second half of 2025, and more likely in 2026,” Ressler explained. “All said, this massive drawdown in starts across all regions sets the stage for a very different industry trajectory come 2026 and 2027.”

Read the full report here.

8 Reasons To Manage Rental Maintenance Requests With Software

By
By The Editors
-
Here are 8 reasons to use property management software for maintenance requests to improve communication between landlords and tenants.

Here are 8 reasons to manage rental maintenance requests with property management software to improve communication between landlords and tenants.

By Eli Secor

One of the most stressful parts of being a landlord is getting a midnight call or text about a repair that’s needed. Even when it isn’t urgent, there’s still the burden of carrying the knowledge that a problem needs to be solved.

Managing rental-maintenance requests using property management software creates one portal where tenants and landlords alike can communicate and coordinate property repairs and upkeep, whether they be routine or an urgent problem.

With the right property management tool, rental-property maintenance can become far more efficient for landlords. You can keep all documents and records of rental-maintenance requests in one place, which makes progress-tracking and communication easy.

Here are some of the reasons you should use property management software to manage rental-maintenance requests:

1. 24/7 Maintenance Coordination

Some property management tools such as Hemlane give you access to a 24/7 repair coordinator that can handle your middle-of-the-night emergencies. The coordinator is responsible for diagnosing and troubleshooting rental-maintenance requests, scheduling dispatch, and coordinating with your service professionals and renters.

2. Cost Efficiency

Property management software makes it unnecessary for many landlords to hire a property manager because it makes tasks such as advertising, screening, rent collection, and maintenance management efficient and easy. Whether you want to use these tools to make your life easier, or pick one that takes most duties off your shoulders, property management software offers you huge savings over hiring a traditional property manager.

3. Communication

A property management platform makes it easier to communicate with all necessary parties. It puts all the messages between you and your tenant together in one place, where it is easy to reference. Often you can loop in your chosen service provider (such as a plumber, repair person or electrician) so that you can share information and schedule visits without a lot of back and forth. Some tools also have a mobile app so you, your tenants, and your vendors can track progress on the go.

4. Photos and Videos

When it comes to communicating about repairs, every bit of information you have helps you sort out the problem most effectively. Many property management software tools allow users to share photos and/or videos related to the repair job, making it easy for everyone to know the problem and track the progress of repair work.

5. Calendar

Property management software allows you to keep track of important tasks, monitor progress, and store related notes and documents. Landlords can set reminders for routine maintenance and even schedule time-insensitive repairs. With TenantCloud, for instance, you can document priority levels, due dates, and more, and share them with the appropriate parties.

6. Rental Maintenance Request Dashboard

Many tools have an intuitive maintenance dashboard that helps managers track outstanding and completed work. For example, in RentRedi, landlords can view a timeline of activity on all rental-maintenance requests in the maintenance-request dashboard. They can view the status of each maintenance request.

Renters also receive status updates automatically via email and text. They can add more detail about the maintenance issue and provide their availability.

7. Accounting

Tax season can be challenging, especially if you have to scramble around trying to find paper receipts and piece together all rental incomes. With a property management tool, you can easily upload invoices and receipts for individual maintenance tasks.

Landlords and property managers can create work orders and track expenses associated with a repair. Many property management tools allow you to assign expenses to individual units and/or renters. Some platforms can also pull together repair bills, other expenses, and online rent payments that you receive.

8. Vendor Integration

Along with landlords and renters, vendors or service providers also participate in the rental-property maintenance process. With a property management software tool, you can bring your service providers into the system. This speeds up communication and streamlines maintenance tasks. Many of these tools allow landlords to create work orders, receive bids, and pay vendors all from within the platform.

Managing Rental Maintenance Requests: Takeaways

Using a property management software platform makes managing maintenance on rental property easy, fast, and cost-effective. These software products offer tools that help tenants send rental maintenance requests to their landlords. All communication can happen on the platform, including the exchange of photos and videos.

In some cases, you can also include the service providers that do the repair work. This makes coordination easy and quick. Many tools allow you to attach receipts and bills. They associate all records with individual tenants and their rental units, making record-keeping and evaluating both tenant and unit easy.

About the author:

Eli Secor started LandlordGurus.com with longtime friend and fellow landlord Chris Lee. After many a discussion about how to manage various tricky rental-property issues, they decided to share their experiences and expertise with other independent landlords.  Along the way they are finding new answers and new tools, which they also share.

Can Smoking Turn A Furnace Filter In My Rental Yellow?

By
Hank Rossi
-
Getting tenants to change filters is a challenge in itself but what happens to the furnace filter when tenants are smoking?

Getting tenants to change filters is a challenge in itself but what happens to the furnace filter when tenants are smoking? In this week’s Ask Landlord Hank question he deals with the furnace filter issue and offers some advice. Remember Hank is not an attorney and cannot offer legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out the form below.

Dear Landlord Hank:

How long does it take for a furnace filter to turn yellow from smoking cigarettes every day? -Gabriele

HI Gabriele,

HVAC filters don’t filter cigarette smoke very well, so the discoloration of the filter would depend upon the volume of smoke going through the system and how much time the system is running and pulling air through the air handler.

(If the air filter is discolored, imagine what the lungs look like of the smoker – not  good.)

All my rentals are nonsmoking. It is better for your rental, your neighbors and your tenants.

Sincerely,

Getting tenants to change filters is a challenge in itself but what happens to the furnace filter when tenants are smoking?
Landlord Hank says, “the discoloration of the furnace filter would depend upon the volume of smoke going through the system.”

Hank Rossi

Ask Landlord Hank Your Question

Ask veteran landlord and property manager Hank Rossi your questions from tenant screening to leases to pets and more! He provides answers each week to landlords.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta. “ Visit Hank’s website here.

Arizona AG Sues Big Apartment Complex Over Air Conditioning

By
John Triplett
-
Arizona AG Kris Mayes has sued a 400-unit apartment complex in Phoenix for failing to provide adequate air conditioning during the heat wave
"“My office is committed to protecting Arizonans from unscrupulous landlords who neglect their legal responsibilities and put lives at risk," Mayes said.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has sued a 400-unit apartment complex in Phoenix for failing to provide adequate air conditioning during the summer heat wave, according to a release.

Mayes filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court against Buenas Communities LLC, the corporate landlord operating the apartment complex known as “Buenas on 32nd,” for willfully neglecting to provide habitable living conditions for its residents, according to the release.

“All Arizona residents who enter into rental agreements deserve living conditions that meet minimal standards of habitability,” Mayes said in the release. “The ongoing neglect and deplorable conditions at Buenas Communities’ properties have put residents’ lives at serious risk, especially during the record-breaking heat this summer.

“My office is committed to protecting Arizonans from unscrupulous landlords who neglect their legal responsibilities and put lives at risk. Every Arizona renter, no matter their income level, deserves fairness and honesty from their landlord. I will not stand by while vulnerable residents are subjected to such deplorable conditions,” she said in the release.

Lack of adequate air conditioning and other issues

The complaint alleges that the complex has pervasive issues including broken windows, faulty plumbing, bed bug infestations, and crumbling infrastructure. The swimming pool is filled with putrid green water. Mattresses, due to alleged bed bug infestation, have been strewn around the complex and litter trash areas. Also, loose stairs and wobbly railings show lack of maintenance.

After a demand letter from Mayes in July, Buenas Communities LLC subsequently installed a portable chiller. However, temporary fixes, such as previously installed window units and the portable chiller, have not proven adequate for all tenants.

Mayes said in the release, “These conditions are not disclosed to potential tenants, potentially violating the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Additionally, residents who voiced complaints faced threats of eviction and other forms of retaliation from the complex management.

Mayes is seeking a permanent injunction requiring Buenas Communities LLC to make necessary repairs and comply with Arizona laws, as well as a permanent injunction barring the defendant from renting to Arizona consumers in the future. The complaint also asks for restitution and civil penalties for the harm caused to residents.

Arizona AG Sues RealPage and Landlords For Price-Fixing

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