US Census Bureau Statistics on Housing Regarding Renters
According to the 2009 American Housing Survey the median amount of rent is $808 vs the medial housing cost for property owners is $1000. This means it is still cheaper to rent than it is to own which is good for our industry. However, the bad news is that the renters devote 31% of household income to housing costs vs 20 % for property owners.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Are Your Available Rentals Reaching the Masses?
Here are a couple of important statistics in regards to how prospective renters find available properties:
90% of people researching rental information use the Internet as a resource.
84% use more than one site.
Here's why renters prefer the Internet:
78% say it is the most useful source for information regarding the property
77% say it is the easiest to use
74% say it offers information not available elsewhere
63% say it has the most up-to-date listings.
In our market I feel we have pioneered the use of Internet for available rentals. We were the first to use it extensively and currently have the widest marketing distribution across many sites. The last time I checked we were advertising on over 30 different rental web sites. And also the last time I checked we leased about 20% of all rentals on the MLS.
The key to getting properties rented in a timely fashion to quality residents is to price according to the market (This takes constant research), and then to get it out to the widest distribution possible so that anyone who is searching for rentals will come across your property listing. Usually we can get over 100 detailed clicks per week. You would be surprised to know how many available rentals languish vacant on the market month after month. It is actually a majority of available properties. It is always our goal to have a property rented in 30 days.
90% of people researching rental information use the Internet as a resource.
84% use more than one site.
Here's why renters prefer the Internet:
78% say it is the most useful source for information regarding the property
77% say it is the easiest to use
74% say it offers information not available elsewhere
63% say it has the most up-to-date listings.
In our market I feel we have pioneered the use of Internet for available rentals. We were the first to use it extensively and currently have the widest marketing distribution across many sites. The last time I checked we were advertising on over 30 different rental web sites. And also the last time I checked we leased about 20% of all rentals on the MLS.
The key to getting properties rented in a timely fashion to quality residents is to price according to the market (This takes constant research), and then to get it out to the widest distribution possible so that anyone who is searching for rentals will come across your property listing. Usually we can get over 100 detailed clicks per week. You would be surprised to know how many available rentals languish vacant on the market month after month. It is actually a majority of available properties. It is always our goal to have a property rented in 30 days.
Monday, August 16, 2010
What is OPD?
I was just reminded over the weekend (my wife and I were cleaning one of our properties) of the concept of OPD. I first coined this phrase early on in my property management career and having a good understanding of this concept is key to starting out a new residency on a good footing.
OPD - Other Peoples Dirt. It goes like this: No one is more picky about cleanliness than someone moving into a new home. At first I was puzzled after experiencing extra picky tenants at move in who I later discovered were not the greatest house keepers themselves. It comes down to who's dirt it is. At first I thought they were just hypocritical and difficult people. However, the more I thought about it, I think this is a natural characteristic of all of us. If its other peoples dirt we don't know what it is and our minds go to the worst extreme. We are often repulsed. Even people who are immaculate housekeepers have an even higher disdain for OPD.
That helps explain why one speaker I heard who's topic was "The Top 10 Rules of Property Management" stated that one of the worst things you can do is turn over a property to a tenant at move in which is not well cleaned (professionally). The reason for this is we now have an angry new tenant. Not a good way to start out a relationship. Worse yet, we have now established in the mind of the resident that we do not have very high standards and our credibility is shot. Now try to lecture them on anything having to do with the maintenance of the property and it will always get thrown back in your face.
Many homes can look clean at first glance, but once a dirty corner in the floor is discovered by a new resident (or a potential new resident), now the white gloves and magnifying glass come out and you are busted. On the contrary, if someone views a property and it smells clean and genuinely is clean you have earned their respect and often times this will be the main reason why you have just found a good clean renter.
This may seem obvious to a landlord from afar, but in practice it brings up a few challenges: If we turn over a property to a tenant which is professionally clean, do we have a right to the same expectation of cleanliness when they move out? Of course landlords do not want to pay to have a property cleaned if the tenant is responsible. Also, if a property was clean, but has sat for 3 weeks waiting for a move in (enough time for some bugs to accumulate, or have workers in and out), should they expect to pay for a second cleaning?
Our lease requires residents to surrender the property in "Good, clean condition. Normal wear and tear excepted." In all likelihood it will not be clean enough. We frequently make claims against security deposit for cleaning. This can cause arguments if the tenant felt it was cleaned, and often they will feel insulted that we would consider their level of cleanliness sub par. Angry tenants mean potential legal challenges. (At this point we had better hope it was clean when they moved in). If in the rare chance it is left in professionally clean condition, then it will probably need at least a wipe down prior to the next move in.
The point of all this: As a landlord, you can expect to pay for at least some minor cleaning between tenants even if you have the best property manager in town (like us).
OPD - Other Peoples Dirt. It goes like this: No one is more picky about cleanliness than someone moving into a new home. At first I was puzzled after experiencing extra picky tenants at move in who I later discovered were not the greatest house keepers themselves. It comes down to who's dirt it is. At first I thought they were just hypocritical and difficult people. However, the more I thought about it, I think this is a natural characteristic of all of us. If its other peoples dirt we don't know what it is and our minds go to the worst extreme. We are often repulsed. Even people who are immaculate housekeepers have an even higher disdain for OPD.
That helps explain why one speaker I heard who's topic was "The Top 10 Rules of Property Management" stated that one of the worst things you can do is turn over a property to a tenant at move in which is not well cleaned (professionally). The reason for this is we now have an angry new tenant. Not a good way to start out a relationship. Worse yet, we have now established in the mind of the resident that we do not have very high standards and our credibility is shot. Now try to lecture them on anything having to do with the maintenance of the property and it will always get thrown back in your face.
Many homes can look clean at first glance, but once a dirty corner in the floor is discovered by a new resident (or a potential new resident), now the white gloves and magnifying glass come out and you are busted. On the contrary, if someone views a property and it smells clean and genuinely is clean you have earned their respect and often times this will be the main reason why you have just found a good clean renter.
This may seem obvious to a landlord from afar, but in practice it brings up a few challenges: If we turn over a property to a tenant which is professionally clean, do we have a right to the same expectation of cleanliness when they move out? Of course landlords do not want to pay to have a property cleaned if the tenant is responsible. Also, if a property was clean, but has sat for 3 weeks waiting for a move in (enough time for some bugs to accumulate, or have workers in and out), should they expect to pay for a second cleaning?
Our lease requires residents to surrender the property in "Good, clean condition. Normal wear and tear excepted." In all likelihood it will not be clean enough. We frequently make claims against security deposit for cleaning. This can cause arguments if the tenant felt it was cleaned, and often they will feel insulted that we would consider their level of cleanliness sub par. Angry tenants mean potential legal challenges. (At this point we had better hope it was clean when they moved in). If in the rare chance it is left in professionally clean condition, then it will probably need at least a wipe down prior to the next move in.
The point of all this: As a landlord, you can expect to pay for at least some minor cleaning between tenants even if you have the best property manager in town (like us).
Friday, August 6, 2010
What is Normal Wear and Tear
This question is bound to come up at the end of most rentals. How much should the tenant be held responsible for and how much should the owner accept as a cost of doing business?
Is it reasonable to expect a tenant to leave the property in rentable condition? The law says no. Florida law allows the tenant the leeway of "Normal Wear & Tear". Any damage which is considered Beyond normal wear and tear can be charged against the tenants security deposit (hopefully there is one) (and presuming you know the law well enough to follow it to the letter in claiming a deposit).
Sounds pretty cut and dried, huh? (Right). So this leaves us a lot of arguing room (the bane of a property managers existence). The owner wants tenants to take responsibility for something they caused and the tenant wants their deposit back. That is the reality so how can we address it?
Well, lets begin by trying to put a definition to Normal Wear & Tear. It has to be reasonable in case we get before a judge and it we define it at the beginning of a tenancy, then no one can claim surprise at the end. Here is a definition which comes not from statutes, but case law seems to support:
So there we go. Pretty simple actually, but by applying this definition and laying out expectations at the beginning can go a long way towards eliminating aggravation at the end.
Is it reasonable to expect a tenant to leave the property in rentable condition? The law says no. Florida law allows the tenant the leeway of "Normal Wear & Tear". Any damage which is considered Beyond normal wear and tear can be charged against the tenants security deposit (hopefully there is one) (and presuming you know the law well enough to follow it to the letter in claiming a deposit).
Sounds pretty cut and dried, huh? (Right). So this leaves us a lot of arguing room (the bane of a property managers existence). The owner wants tenants to take responsibility for something they caused and the tenant wants their deposit back. That is the reality so how can we address it?
Well, lets begin by trying to put a definition to Normal Wear & Tear. It has to be reasonable in case we get before a judge and it we define it at the beginning of a tenancy, then no one can claim surprise at the end. Here is a definition which comes not from statutes, but case law seems to support:
Definition of Normal Wear & Tear:
Anything that can be covered with one coat of paint is normal wear & tear
Any carpet stains that come out with a standard steam cleaning are normal wear & tear
Any dirt that can be removed with a standard maid service cleaning is normal wear & tear
So there we go. Pretty simple actually, but by applying this definition and laying out expectations at the beginning can go a long way towards eliminating aggravation at the end.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
New Lead Paint Requirements
I hope by now everyone is aware of the new EPA Certification requirements regarding Lead Paint. Boring? Yes, but heavy fines are more excitement than I can handle. Since I have been managing rental properties (20 years now) lead paint disclosures had to be used to warn tenants in houses built prior to 1978 not to let their kids eat the paint.
Apparently, that warning has not been enough to satisfy the govt. Now they have created a whole new burocracy to protect paint eating children. (Despite my obvious sarcasm, please don't think that I am insensative to lead poisoning in children. I have 5 of my own). However, I am not aware that this is a huge problem requiring a bunch of new laws, expensive requirements and heavy fines, training and certification of painters, hiring new inspectors to enforce etc. Sounds a lot like federal job creation and revenue enhancement at our expense.
In case you are not familier with the new requirements, here is a summary:
"The Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (RRP) is a federal regulatory program affecting contractors, property managers and construction trades who disturb painted surfaces. Failure to comply could cost you up to $37,500 in fines per day.
The EPA requires that anyone who performs renovations, repairs & painting on child-occupied homes, child care facilities, and schools built prior to 1978 that disturb lead-based paint shall be Certified by EPA and that they are or used certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training profiders to follow lead-safe work practices, YOU MUST be certified by October 1, 2010"
So if you own a rental property built prior to 1978 you had better hope that your Property Manager complies with this requirement by makeing sure all painters and repair persons have are certified. (Yes, ours is).
Apparently, that warning has not been enough to satisfy the govt. Now they have created a whole new burocracy to protect paint eating children. (Despite my obvious sarcasm, please don't think that I am insensative to lead poisoning in children. I have 5 of my own). However, I am not aware that this is a huge problem requiring a bunch of new laws, expensive requirements and heavy fines, training and certification of painters, hiring new inspectors to enforce etc. Sounds a lot like federal job creation and revenue enhancement at our expense.
In case you are not familier with the new requirements, here is a summary:
"The Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (RRP) is a federal regulatory program affecting contractors, property managers and construction trades who disturb painted surfaces. Failure to comply could cost you up to $37,500 in fines per day.
The EPA requires that anyone who performs renovations, repairs & painting on child-occupied homes, child care facilities, and schools built prior to 1978 that disturb lead-based paint shall be Certified by EPA and that they are or used certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training profiders to follow lead-safe work practices, YOU MUST be certified by October 1, 2010"
So if you own a rental property built prior to 1978 you had better hope that your Property Manager complies with this requirement by makeing sure all painters and repair persons have are certified. (Yes, ours is).
Monday, July 19, 2010
Awesome! We made it. Boy, creating a new web site can be a very involved undertaking, but 6 months later we are here. Some of the advantages of the new site include better results in organic search engine results which will help prospective tenants locate our available property listings better and faster. We are already the most intensive vacancy marketing property management company in Southwest FL, but this will help us even more.
Currently, our vacancy marketing reach involves more than 20 different web sites including Rentals.com, Rentalhomesplus.com, Yahoo, Google, Hotpads, local.com, Rentalhomepros, rentalhouses.com,twitter,lycos, Craigslist and many more! If someone is looking for rentals in Southwest FL, we want them to find our houses.
How important is internet marketing of vacancys? According to recent research, 90% of people looking for rental information use the internet. This only makes sense. How many people enjoy circling the classifieds and waiting for call backs on properties they may have an interest in, verses sitting in comfort at their computer while checking map locations, pictures of the home and seeing how updated it is. There's no comparrison. Futher more, 84% of web searchers use more than one online source. We want to be there front and center no matter where they are looking. This leads to shorter vacancies and better selection of renters to choose from.
I hope you like the new look and feel of our new site, Please let us know your comments!
Currently, our vacancy marketing reach involves more than 20 different web sites including Rentals.com, Rentalhomesplus.com, Yahoo, Google, Hotpads, local.com, Rentalhomepros, rentalhouses.com,twitter,lycos, Craigslist and many more! If someone is looking for rentals in Southwest FL, we want them to find our houses.
How important is internet marketing of vacancys? According to recent research, 90% of people looking for rental information use the internet. This only makes sense. How many people enjoy circling the classifieds and waiting for call backs on properties they may have an interest in, verses sitting in comfort at their computer while checking map locations, pictures of the home and seeing how updated it is. There's no comparrison. Futher more, 84% of web searchers use more than one online source. We want to be there front and center no matter where they are looking. This leads to shorter vacancies and better selection of renters to choose from.
I hope you like the new look and feel of our new site, Please let us know your comments!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Welcome to our new Web Site!
We are getting ready to go live with our new web site for Sarasota Management & Leasing. This new site is an exciting upgrade to our old site in many ways. In addition to a new fresh look we will have easier access to online documents for our owners, regular market updates with charts and graphs which will reveal the current state of the rental market for Southwest Florida as well as average days on market, average rents etc.
New search engine tools will help draw more tenants to our site to increase exposure to our listings as well as offer tenants new tools to request maintenance, view their statements and communicate with our property managers.
Stay tuned for the new upgrade!
New search engine tools will help draw more tenants to our site to increase exposure to our listings as well as offer tenants new tools to request maintenance, view their statements and communicate with our property managers.
Stay tuned for the new upgrade!
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