We own a 2 bedroom 1 bath condominium in a working class class neighborhood. Sometimes, there are security issues, such as burglary, vandalism, and car theft. Therefore, when we screen tenants, we look for tenants who don’t scare easily. When we rented to the previous tenant in 2015, the rent was $1150. Now, we are […]
Posts with the landlord tag
The Downside of Being a #Landlord … #landlords #propertybrothers #realestatetips
There are numerous financial benefits to investing in real estate and becoming a landlord, however there is a downside to managing your own rental properties. The key to being a successful landlord is to: Pick good tenants Have the personality and interpersonal skills to manage tenants All is well when tenants are paying their rent […]
Chasing Squirrels in the Attic! #propertymanagement
We have a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath townhome that is currently rented by a family. We received a note from them regarding “scratching” noises in the attic at night. This sounds familiar to a call we received a few years ago from a different tenant. Wierd sounds in the attic or ceiling usually mean squirrels […]
When Prospective #Tenant Wants to Move In Quickly … #tenantscreening
We have a one bedroom condominium for rent. The current tenant gave notice about 3 weeks ago. We always require 60 days notice so that we can minimize loss of rent when we have tenant turnover. We advertise using Zillow and Craigslist. It is extremely important to thoroughly screen prospective tenants! Your tenant evaluation criteria […]
Ground Floor Condo Plumbing Backup & Leak! #waterdamage #propertybrothers
The disadvantage of owning a ground floor condominium is that “everything flows downhill …” Whenever there is a backup or stoppage, it occurs at the ground level due to gravity. We have owned this particular condo for 27 years, and have never had any major problems with it. Our tenant is perfect because she pays […]
#Plumbing #Leak Damages Ceiling & Walls! #propertybrothers
We own a 2 bedroom condominium that we purchased last year. The unit above ours was foreclosed around the same time, and a new owner purchased the above unit about 6 months ago. We were able to take a peak at the above unit while it was vacant and it needed lots of work. A […]
4 Lessons Learned – #Section8 #TenantScreening
Let me preface this post by saying that we are not casting aspersions on the Section 8 program. We can only speak from our personal experiences. During the past 2 -3 years, when we advertise a property for rent, we get many inquiries from prospective tenants who have “housing vouchers.” The “housing vouchers” go by […]
When #Tenant Borrows Security Deposit … #tenantscreening
We posted a 2 bedroom condominium for rent. The condo is located in a lower middle class area, so it was taking longer than usual to find an acceptable tenant. A 41 year old man submitted a rental application. His initials are DA. DA had fair credit, an acceptable salary, and a good landlord reference. […]
Raise #Rents Regularly! #realestate #landlord
When we began investing in real estate 25 years ago, we didn’t raise rents on a regular basis. We were afraid that raising the rent would cause the tenants to move. We now realize that was a mistake. For example, we have a tenant who has rented a townhouse from us for the past 20 […]
What are Pros & Cons of Becoming a #Landlord? #landlordlife
We can attest to the fact that it is not easy being a landlord, but we believe it is worth the time and effort. No one will take care of your property like you do. Therefore, we believe it’s advantageous to manage your own rental properties instead of employing a professional property management company. For […]