Movin' Out or How Come the Tenants Left it in Such a Mess?

Most landlords spend a great deal of time on the front end of leasing the residential unit. Little time is spent explaining what is expected of the tenant at the end of the lease term when they are moving. By spending some time at the beginning of the lease, you may well have a better result at the end of the lease. We'll discuss this information over the course of the next few blogs.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

No Choice

Roofs, sewer lines and electrical updates may not be an immediate health risk. Owners are sometimes reluctant to spend the larger amount of dollars needed to resolve these problems. However, there really is no choice if you want to properly fulfill your obligation as a property manager. If you have trained your clients to maintain their rental unit, they will send the necessary dollars to resolve these important physical plant items.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Major Repairs

In maintaining the physical structure major repairs include such items as: furnaces, roofs, sewer lines, electrical updates, etc. Having the furnaces serviced by a licensed contractor every other year is critical to tenant safety. If carbon monoxide is found, it may be imperative that the tenants vacate the property until the furnace is completely safe. This may mean the installation of a new furnace. Usually, the occupants are thankful that you have found the problem and are moving immediately to resolve it. Tenants find places to stay with family or friends while the new furnace is installed. Generally, we give them a credit on the following months rent for the number of days they could not safely be in the house.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Necessary Service Call

If, in fact, a service call is necessary, take all the relevant information. Have the tenant tell you as much as possible about the problem: when did it start, is it ongoing, is it causing damage to the property? Prepare a work order, which can be directly emailed to your vendor. The work order gives the tenant name and address, phone numbers and the nature of the problem. A weekly report from your vendors will keep you alert to the status of any open repair orders.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Handling Repair Orders

It is a given that repairs will be necessary, sooner or later, on every property. How you handle these repair orders may determine if the tenant decides to renew the lease. In my office, tenants may submit repair requests in writing or by phone. I prefer talking directly with the tenant. Some "problems" can be resolved with a brief conversation. These might include such things as: (1) pushing the reset button on the garbage disposal, (2) resetting the electrical breaker or (3) discussing how the timed oven features work. Service calls run $50 to $85 and the owner will not want to pay to educate the tenant. Save yourself unnecessary grief, see if the problem is simple tenant error.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Maintaining the Physical Structure

Keep in mind that the managing agent for the rental property has the obligation to maintain the physical structure. That is not to say that he/she must pay for the repairs to the property. It is the responsibility of being the eyes and ears of the owner and reporting any serious maintenance/repair issues. The balance of these next blogs will discuss handling  (1) routine service work (2) major repairs and (3) emergency repairs.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Improving Control Over Properties

As previously discussed, every four weeks yards should be checked. Watering and mowing are obvious items to look for. What about shrubs, trees, derelict vehicles, peeling paint or oil stains on the driveway? Taking a picture on each visit helps in a number of ways. First, you can send it to the owner, thus letting him/her know of your continuing observation of the property. Second, you can verify that your checker has actually gone to the property.

Have these procedures eliminated all of the problems? No. They have, however, improved control over the properties, thus improving protection for the property manager and his/her clients.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com