Deadbeat Partial Payments

The Landlord Protection Agency®presents John Reno, Esq.,a highly experienced Landlord – Tenant attorney based on Long Island, NY.

Q:  Dear Mr. Reno:

My father passed away and left a rental house to my brother and I . The person living in the house has been there around 15 years. On the agreement that was signed by my parents and the attendant was for a one year lease and that the rent would be 100.00 a week. This home is in Tuscaloosa , Alabama.

1. The attendant is thousands of dollars behind in his rent. Over the years my parent let him slide. The attendant always had some problem to prevent him from paying, my question is can we have him evicted for not paying rent if there was never a renewal of the lease or anything that we can find that state he can live there regardless?

2.. We have received around 400.00 for the last 6 months. Question is : he was told that if he didn’t pay is rent for the month of June we were going to evict him. We received a check for 100.00 at end of June and just received a check for 350.00. Can we cash these.? Been told if we did take even partial payment that it would mass up getting out of the house. Is this true or can we cash the checks.?

Thank you or your help

Brittney, Tuscaloosa , Alabama

A: 1. Take the $. 2. Serve Notice of Default; let him know what you think he owes. 3. Start eviction for non-payment. Good luck.

Legal Disclaimer
The Landlord Protection Agency’s “Ask the Attorney” column is for informational purposes only. The questions answered by Mr. Reno on this site do not constitute an attorney – client relationship and are not to be considered legal advice. Not all questions will be answered and some may appear in the LPA Q&A Forum.
The Landlord Protection Agency recommends that you seek legal advice before using any of the material offered on this web site, and makes no guarantee on the effectiveness, compliance with local laws or success of any of the material offered on this web site. The Landlord Protection Agency is not engaged in rendering legal advice.

The Best Leasing and Property Management Firm in Wake County.

Finding the best property management company for your home can be a complex task. Our busy real estate market presents dozens of management companies that you can choose from, and they might seem very similar at first glance. How do you determine which property management company will provide you with the best service? If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of a professional property management company and what we can do for your home, contact Bev Roberts Rentals, the Triangle’s leading property management company. (919) 306-5665

What’s on the Property Manager’s Mind

I recently read an interesting blog post by Infolio director, Lauren Staley titled “the average life span of a property manager” according to this post the average time a property manager will stay in a job is 9 months! As a property manager, I found this post interesting. I agree with Lauren that property management can be a thankless job, as she said they are often stuck in the middle and despite their best efforts any problems tend to be blamed on the property manager. Landlord refuses to repair something? “You are the worst property manager ever!” Tenants three days late with rent despite calls and reminders? “You are the worst property manager ever!” And the list goes on. It certainly takes a certain type of person to be a successful property manager. So why don’t we feel like this at Bev Roberts Rentals? I think it comes down to feeling incredibly lucky to work together as a family. We are a family owned and operated business that share a love of leasing and property management. We believe that working together as a family gives us an advantage over our competitors and has been the key to our success.

#TheAverageLifeSpanOfAPropertyManager#PropertyManagement #BevRobertsRentals#FamilyOwnedBusiness #LoveOfFamily

Landlords: Are Your Contractors Licensed?

Maintenance contractors are important members of every landlord’s team. It’s imperative to hire a professional for issues that could harm the integrity of the rental or the safety of its tenant occupants. It’s also important to verify the contractor is licensed, has liability insurance and provides worker’s compensation coverage for its employees. Why? Insurance covers workers that are injured on the job. You might be telling yourself as a landlord, “That’s not my problem, that’s the contractor’s problem.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. If an uninsured contractor gets hurt on a landlord’s property, the landlord could be held responsible for all medical bills and other financial hardships realized by the injured contractor. Most state licensing agencies require proof of both insurances for licensed contractors in order to remain licensed. Using an unlicensed contractor won’t save a landlord money in the long term. Proper licensing is important for a landlord to avoid liability and litigation.

Today, one of our brokers snapped this photo of two contractors working on the exterior of a townhome across the street from one of our managed properties. We certainly hope this landlord and their property manager hired a licensed and insured contractor.

Smart Landlord Policies for Pet-Friendly Property Rentals

Want a surefire way to increase tenant demand for your rental? Take down the No-Pets Allowed sign.

The decision about whether to allow pets is a tough one for many owners, and there are no right or wrong answers. But some surveys show that nearly 75 percent of renters own pets. That’s a huge pool of potential tenants to turn away.

Tenants who find a welcoming home for Fluffy are also more likely to stay longer, which can reduce vacancy time. For owners renting their property as an investment, being pet-friendly makes good business sense.

But allowing pets isn’t always the right answer for owners renting out a home they plan to return to. For owners who have pets themselves, allowing renters to keep a cat, dog or goldfish will likely make leasing the home faster and easier. For those who haven’t had pets, keeping the rental pet-free is a reasonable choice.

According to a recent survey by Apartments.com, 9 out of 10 renters said deciding where to live hinged on the landlord’s pet policies. Seventy-two percent of renters said they owned pets.

Protecting Your Property When Allowing Pets

How can you avoid the dog that barks day and night and chews the cabinets, or the kitty that favors the closet floor over a litter box? Finding responsible pet owners is key to protecting your property and neighbors’ sanity.

The Humane Society suggests that landlords check references on both the tenant and their animal, including calling prior landlords, the veterinarian and neighbors to ensure the animal behaves and won’t cause serious damage.

The organization suggests owners limit the number of pets allowed in each unit and approve pets on a case-by-case basis, rather that create limits based on size or breed. The Humane Society recommends creating a pet policy that outlines acceptable pet behavior and requires that all pets be licensed, up-to-date on vaccinations and spayed or neutered.

Deposits and Fees

Beyond policies, landlords often charge extra deposits, fees or pet rent to limit risk and cover the cost of additional cleaning or wear and tear animals can cause to the unit, building and grounds. In the Apartments.com survey, nearly 80 percent of renters said they had to pay a fee or deposit for pets, with more than half paying $200 or more per year.

Be aware of what’s customary in your neighborhood plus local laws when deciding how much of a fee or deposit to charge.

D.C. law does not require that you rent to tenants who have pets. Service animals for people with disabilities are an exception. Under Fair Housing laws, landlords must allow service animals, even if a property is pet-free, and may not charge extra fees or deposits.

Whether you decide to allow pets or not, advertising your policy and targeting tenants most likely to appreciate your decision will help you find the perfect tenant faster.

Source: hillnow.com

Tenants are like a box of chocolates…

Unfortunately, many landlords do not perform the easiest part of the landlording process: properly screening tenants. They take in subpar tenants whom put undue strain on the property while rent collections suffer. Choosing tenants is a landlord’s most important (and most risky) decision.

At Bev Roberts Rentals, we have a thorough and legal application process. We search for tenants who meet the landlord’s criteria, and not just the financially responsible one. Not every red flag is a deal breaker, but we have the experience to know which ones are. Want to learn more? Give us a call at (919) 306-5665.

We will look for you and find you a perfect tenant

Don’t let leasing become an “Action Thriller”. Call Bev Roberts Rentals! Like Liam Neeson, I will look for you, and I will find you… THE PERFECT TENANT!
#WatchingTaken #BevRobertsRentals#PerfectTenant #TriangleNorthCarolina

The Residential Rental Market is ON FIRE!

The peak rental season is upon us and rental homes are high in demand! This happens specifically in May to August. Landlords, now is the time to take advantage of peak rental season to save time, money, and stress. Here are the reasons to list in the peak rental season:
1. Landlords can be selective with a larger number of tenant leads.
2. Landlords avoid rental vacancies when they list when demand is high.
3. Landlords can charge a higher rent price, because demand is higher.
4. Landlords increase the chances of finding quality tenants who pay rent on time and take care of the property.
#PeakRentalSeason #HighDemand #LandlordTips #BevRobertsRentals

I wish I would have contacted Bev Roberts Rentals!

At Bev Roberts Rentals, we are committed to helping landlords manage their properties in a professional and profitable manner. Part of this commitment involves reducing vacancy rates by keeping high quality tenants in properties for longer periods of time. We do this through careful tenant screening, responsive service, and meticulous attention to detail. We also have more resources than a homeowner that make the process much faster and efficient. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us today! (919)306-5665#LandlordTips #FRBO #Apex #Cary #Raleigh#WakeCountyNC #TriangleAreaNC #ForRent#PropertyManagement

Why most renters don’t want to buy homes right now

Even though they’re becoming more optimistic about their financial situations, more people who rent their homes are foregoing buying a house.

One in five renters now say they have no interest in ever owning a home, up from 13% in January 2016, according to a report released this week by Freddie Mac. And nearly 60% of current renters expect to rent their next property when they make their next move, up from 55% in September.

This shift toward renting versus buying is occurring despite a relative improvement in the financial situations for many renters: 41% of them say they have enough funds to go beyond each payday, as opposed to living paycheck to paycheck or not having enough money for basic necessities, the highest level since October 2015, Freddie Mac found. Harris Poll surveyed more than 4,000 adults on Freddie Mac’s behalf, of which 1,282 were renters, to help produce the report.

And yet a sizable chunk of people are unhappy with renting. Nearly 40% of people Freddie Mac surveyed were dissatisfied to some extent with their rental experience, with young and urban renters — who are likely to be living in smaller, more expensive spaces — more likely to be displeased.

So why are they not buying? People’s attitudes toward affordability, which cut across generations, is a big factor. “Although their finances are better, renters are comfortable with continuing to rent with many believing renting will be more affordable or stay the same for them in the next 12 months,” Freddie Mac noted.

In particular, rising home values have hurt many would-be homebuyers. A recent report from real-estate website Zillow found that more than two-thirds of renters cite the down payment as the biggest obstacle to owning a home. Indeed, it can take more than a typical year’s salary in some markets to be able to afford one.

At the same time, rental markets have stabilized recently. “Rents have been relatively flat over the last year and we don’t expect them to rise much in the next year in most areas,” Svenja Gudell, chief economist at Zillow, said. “That urgency that once existed is not there anymore.”

Affordability is just one factor though — the availability of homes also plays a role. “Even if you were to go out and try to buy a home, inventory is so constrained you’ll have trouble to find one,” Gudell said. “If there’s not much advantage to owning a home versus renting, people will feel comfortable in the decision to continue to rent.”

Source: marketwatch.com