What to do when tenants abandon their pets.
Category Archives: The End Game
Hungry, Scared and Potentially Lethal: What To Do When Tenants Abandon Their Pets
Behavorial Economics: The Science of Paying Rent
Retailers and businesses know that allowing consumers to delay payment can dramatically increase their willingness to buy. National retailers such as Best Buy even have their own in-house credit card to entice users to buy their products now and pay at a later time. So why isn’t this principle applied to the multifamily industry?
Comparing the [...]
Fair Housing “Zero-Tolerance Policy” Netting Huge Awards Against Landlords: Learn From These Mistakes
Second Largest Settlement on Record
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has just announced settling a rental housing discrimination suit that it is touting as the second largest monetary payment ever obtained in a fair housing case.
A Kansas City, Kansas landlord will pay a $2.13 million settlement over allegations it engaged in a pattern [...]
10 Ways to Spot Deadbeats Before You Rent to Them
With vacancies high, you may not get the chance to sift through a pile of qualified applicants to pick the cherry tenant.  That makes it even more important to spot the ones who are more likely to cause damage or leave you with unpaid rent to collect.
While there is no sure-fire formula for predicting who [...]
The 7 Deadly Lease Sins
Landlords who have gone to court will tell you – there seems to be a bias against them when it comes to lease enforcement.
Sure, it’s not fair, but there is a basis for it: You were the one who provided the lease in the first place. You had the opportunity to get it right.
That’s why [...]
Nine Hundred Dollar Lease Mistake
A landlord recently shared a story about a court case for unpaid rent and damages against his tenant who ran out early. Among other things, this tenant chiseled his initials into the stone fireplace.
The landlord owned only the one property and he cared for it with great pride. So, he felt motivated to pursue this [...]
Disaster Prevention – Now, It’s the Law!
Headache, nausea, fatigue — symptoms of the flu, right? Could be. Or, it may be something even deadlier.
Carbon monoxide poisoning mimics the flu. Many victims crawl into bed, and fall [...]
New Law Will Stick It To Landlords
So much for property rights in Maryland.
A councilman in Prince George’s County, Maryland, has come up with a way to stick it to landlords, by making them responsible for law enforcement against their tenants.
The proposed law is part of the county’s new crime reduction program. Under the rules, landlords, not police, are responsible for dispensing [...]
Landlords Should Consider Settling Tenant Debt
Some of my most uncomfortable moments have come when talking to landlords about considering settlement offers. Often, the landlord is so emotional about the debt he or she is owed that settling is not an option.
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After 12 years of reviewing tenant debt accounts, I can tell you with certainty that landlords who seriously consider settlement [...]
Wait Before You Hand Over Keys to a New Tenant
Often after a tenant signs the lease, the landlord immediately hands over the keys. At this point, many landlords miss a critical opportunity to gain profit and minimize the risk that the tenant will eventually leave owing money.
In 30-40% of the tenant debt files I review, either the move-in inspection was done poorly, or not [...]