Legal Liability

The way a tenant lives in the property may also be a serious problem. No tenant ever tells you they intend to abuse the property. Experience has proven that a certain number, although small, will violate important terms of the lease. One example we found was an illegal child care center (eight children per day under the age of six) at one of the properties. The lease prohibited such activity. To make matters worse, the tenant was not licensed and carried no insurance as required by Colorado law. The legal liability to our firm and the client was a frightening thought.

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

Potential Problem

Tenants will generally call for repairs when something is so broken it causes a direct, annoying problem. However, if the repair does not rise to that level, you may only hear about it after it has become a major problem. The best example is grouting around ceramic tile in the bathtub. A $60 minor repair job could prevent extensive damage and possible replacement of the drywall behind the tile, thus saving major dollars. The Maintenance Survey will spot this type of potential problem.

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

Why Planned Surveys?

Why have planned maintenance/condition survey programs? The reasons fall into two categories. The first, preventative or proactive maintenance  may save your clients significant dollars as well as protecting the safety and health of the tenants. The second, ascertaining the tenant living conditions in the unit, may prevent illegal activity or high make-ready costs for a new occupant.

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

Prevent Loss of Control

As your business grows larger, it becomes harder to know the physical interior/exterior conditions of properties. As your knowledge of the units decreases, your problems most certainly will increase.

In order to prevent a loss of control over properties, you should consider a planned maintenance/condition survey. I say "survey" as opposed to "inspection" because there is a difference. An inspection is an examination in an official capacity ( i.e., licensed building contractor or a Certified Safety Inspector) versus a survey which is an examination with reference to condition.

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

Maintenance Surveys

Maintenance surveys are the second area of developed maintenance procedures. Maintenance surveys help stop the surprises. How many times have you (a) had the tenant notify you that all the ceramic tile has "suddenly" fallen into the tub or (b) found the unit a disaster at the end of the lease? These and other horror stories may occur infrequently when the number of units you manage is small and you have sufficient  time to occasionally check the units.

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

Ready To Go

If the unit needs minor preparation, then have all necessary maintenance people ready to go. Sometimes the current tenant will move out a few days early, thus giving you much needed time. The cleaning service, locksmith and other vendors usually have a very short time frame in which to complete their work. Be certain to plan for all necessary work as far in advance as necessary.

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

Properly Prepared

Sometimes it will be necessary to allow the unit to go vacant after the tenant moves out and then make necessary repairs. Let your client know well in advance that a vacancy is going to occur so that the unit may be properly prepared.

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