How To Pick The Right Tenant

May 22nd, 2013

Phoenix property managementNo landlord wants to deal with late payments and destructive tenants. To prevent future issues, you need to carefully screen each person that will be renting from you. You can do this yourself or hire a property management company to take over.  Real Property Management Phoenix Metro, has decades of experience uses proven methods to help select the best possible tenants for your property.

Background checks.
Checking criminal history is a good idea, but is something that not all landlords do. You should be able to get this information fairly easily, but it’s important to know what the laws are in your state regarding your rights as a landlord.

Income verification / Employment History.
Yes, it is a no brainier, however just asking someone to provide proof of work isn’t always enough to determine if they will be able to pay rent on a long term basis. Have they had multiple employers in a short period of time?  Is the type of work that they do something that could remain stable even in an turbulent economy?

Check references.
Don’t just look to see if references are included on the application, take the time to call them. Have some questions to ask, such as how long the tenant rented from the person or worked for them. This will give you a better idea of whether or not you want to have the person around.

Past insurance claims.
Renter’s insurance is something you should insist on, and ask if the potential tenant has had any past insurance claims.

Rental History.
You can also improve your chances of getting a good tenant by always checking to see how many rent payments were late or missed.

While it might not be fun to say no to a potential tenant, it is often necessary. You want to be sure than anyone you rent to is going to be easy to deal with and pay on time. It’s often easiest to hire a property management company, particularly if you rent out more than one property. The peace of mind that comes from letting pros screen potential tenants is well worth the investment.

Contact Us For  A Free Quote:  602.368.5730

Top 5 Upgrades For Your Rental Property

May 22nd, 2013

Designer with a color paletteIncreasing your revenue can be very simple. With the right upgrades to your Phoenix or Scottsdale area property, you instantly boost the value of the space. This makes it easier to find tenants, as well as keep them.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint Can Do Wonders.
A simple coat of paint can take an ordinary room from worn and dingy to sparkling and new. Stick to neutral colors that will go with any furniture that the tenants might have for the best results. Paint can be one of the cheapest ways to spruce up a property.  Painting the exterior is another good way to go, or you can simply power wash if you have vinyl siding. This removes the dirt and moss that tends to grow and can give the place a whole new look.

Lots Of Storage Space Is A Common Request
One of the more common complaints in rental homes is that there is not enough space for putting things. Closets, built-in bookshelves and even a storage shed out back can drastically increase the value of the home. Renters will be more likely to say yes when they see that they can put everything away and you are less likely to find piles of junk when they move out.

Modern Kitchen Appliances Can Put Your Rental Ahead Of The Competition.
If the appliances in your rental have been around for a few decades, it might be time for an upgrade. New appliances are more energy efficient, and give the kitchen that professional look that anyone who loves to cook will appreciate.

Nothing Turns Away A Potential Tenant Faster Than Worn Out Flooring.
When a potential tenant sees grimy worn out carpet, it is an instant turn off.  Laminate hardwood flooring is extremely durable, looks fantastic, and is easy to clean.   Alternatively, replace worn out or stained carpet with new carpet. It can give a home a fresh look, and that new home smell.

New Siding Can Make An Old Home Look Brand New.
Remodeler magazine rated fiber cement siding as the home improvement upgrade that yields the highest ROI of all other upgrades.  Fiber cement siding not only transforms a home and makes it look brand new, but it is more energy efficient, and offers high levels of fire, rot, and insect resistance.  Fiber cement siding is also recommended because it required very little maintenance.

Each of these upgrades will add value to the property, and when potential tenants see these upgrades, your property will be at the top of their list.

When Tenants Won’t Pay

May 8th, 2013

A business emptying his pocketsNo landlord likes to deal with non-paying tenants, but it happens more often than you might like to think. This is one of the main reasons people hire property management companies in Phoenix. It is far easier to let someone else handle the main issues for you, however, here are some tips for those property investors who are acting as their own landlord.

Getting non-paying tenants to pay up or move out can be difficult. Most, if not all, will have a sob story to tell and ask for a free month, or special payment arrangments. In some extreme cases, that might be the right thing to do, but remember that this is your business and they have signed a contract to honor their payment obligations.

The first step is to remind the tenant that they are late with the rent. This can be done verbally the first time, but the next warnings should be in writing, with copies kept on file. In fact, record keeping is essential in this situation. Make sure you always have everything on hand to answer questions about payments.

Ideally, your lease contract will include a clause that allows you to charge a late payment fee. This might be 5-10% of the rent amount or a specific dollar figure. Be sure to include this when you are billing the tenant to cover the extra costs associated with dealing with the late payment.

Do not give the tenant a chance to say that they didn’t realize you were contacting them. Deliver the letter to them yourself or make sure that it is in their hand. You can also call to let the person know that you are expecting payment shortly. Ask when they will be catching up on the rent so that they can give you the exact date. Then follow up on that.

If the tenant still hasn’t paid on the agreed upon date (which should be in writing) you will have to take things further and threaten legal action. Bringing in a lawyer is a last ditch effort, but one that may be necessary.

Exceptions to the Rules
Not every situation requires a harsh hand. You should evaluate the situation on its own and consider who the tenant is and whether they have been decent renters or not. Those who have an excellent reputation and have always paid on time might be allowed a little leniency. Someone who repeatedly pays late or skips the late fees might have to go.

If you would prefer not to deal with this rather unpleasant side of being a landlord, consider hiring one of the several property management companies in Phoenix. You can enjoy the income from the properties without the hassles of non-paying clients. That will be taken care of for you by the actual rental company.

Contact Real Property Management Phoenix Metro For A Free Quote – 602.368.5730

When Renters Complain: Tips For Handling Complaints

May 8th, 2013

Man yelling at cellphone.Facing complaints from renters is never fun, which is why many investors choose to use a property management service. You can let the property management professionals handle the complaints so you can focus on more profitable areas of your business. Hiring a professional property manager is useful whether you have one or ten properties to manage.  If the need should arise, here are some tips on how to handle renter complaints.

Find The Right Kind Of Tenant.
Before you rent a home or space out to someone, take the time to do a proper background check, including talking to personal references and prior landlords.   Many times you can get an idea of the tenant will be a difficult person do deal with.

Have A Rock Solid Contract
Make sure that responsibility is spelled out in the contract. It should list who is responsible for the various types of things that go wrong. Check with your local rental board to find out what you are definitely responsible for and what is optional. For example, noisy neighbors are not your responsibility, while a leaky faucet is.

Take Steps To Properly Maintain Your Properties
Have a checklist of common issues that can generate complaints
Look for:
- Leaking pipes, faucets, toilets, and showers
- Broken hinges on doors and cupboards
- Non-functioning appliances
- Mold or rot
Eliminating these problems before anyone moves in should reduce the number of complaints you get.

Have A Complaint / Customer Service Process
You should have a plan to handle any problems that come in. Assign each issue a priority level. For example, an overflowing toilet or broken hot water heater is a high priority, while fixing a hole in the wall is not as urgent. Some will not be your responsibility at all.

Stay Calm, and Don’t Lose Your Temper.
When an emotional renter calls with a complaint, things can go from bad to worse in a hurry if you lose your cool.  Stay calm throughout the conversation. Even if the renter is angry or unhappy and tries to take it out on you, it’s best to handle the situation without returning the anger. If you’re not able to do this, then a property manager can be a great buffer.

Dealing with an unhappy renter is rarely fun, but it is part of being a landlord. Hiring a property manager can remove most of the stress that comes from dealing with the daily issues facing landlords. It’s often worth paying a little extra to enjoy peace of mind.

Please Contact Us For A Free Quote!  602.368.5730

Property Management in Scottsdale Arizona

March 25th, 2013

scottsdale-property-management2Managing multiple real estate properties can be quite hectic, especially when such properties are in different geographic locations or when the proper manager has to attend to some other businesses, too. Instead of juggling work and landlord duties at the same time, a property owner should hire a professional to manage property in Scottsdale Arizona. By doing so, the property owner would be able to enjoy the following benefits:

Tenant Screening

While attracting tenants to a rental property may be easy, ensuring that they also pay their rent on time every month may not be so easy. As such, property management companies normally can screen potential clients to weed out people who are likely to renege on their rent obligations. The screening process typically involves a comprehensive audit of a prospective tenant’s employment record, criminal record, as well as credit report. Screening tenants goes a long way to ensure that a property manager would not have to deal with uncooperative tenants.

Improved Tenant Retention

A professional who can manage property in Scottsdale Arizona is likely to work hard to increase tenant retention because a high tenant turnover rate can easily put off new tenants and generally increases the cost of maintaining a property. To expound on the latter point, after tenants leave, a property manager normally has to clean a house thoroughly, apply a new coat of paint, and change the locks. Other repairs that the manager might have to undertake include electrical wiring and plumbing repairs. This can be quite expensive over time.

Timely Rent Collection

The rent collection process can make the difference between success and failure for a property investor. Inconsistent rent collection is likely to affect cash flow negatively and consequently make the whole business enterprise unsustainable. The work of a property manager is to ensure tenants understand that defaulting on rent payments is not acceptable. Fortunately, experienced professional managers know how to handle tenants to avoid lengthy and expensive eviction processes and lawsuits.

Lower Maintenance Costs

When you get tenants who pay on time and do not vandalize your property, your property maintenance costs will definitely be low. In addition, the majority of property management companies provide maintenance services. This includes trash collection and disposal, lawn and flowerbed maintenance, as well as cleaning the compound. It is hard for a property owner to take care of all these issues and still attend to personal or family matters at the same time.

Property management involves more than just finding tenants to occupy vacant buildings. This is why many real estate investors hire property management companies. Some of the services offered by these companies include tenant screening, timely rent collection, and keeping the property well maintained. This gives you the freedom to focus on building your property portfolio.

Winning At Real Estate Investing With A Property Mangement Company

March 25th, 2013

Experienced real estate investors can make good money regardless of the market being up or down. For new investors, however, now might be a good time to consider making a smart buy.  The deeply hurt Phoenix housing market is showing signs of improvement, and if Arizona follows national trends, the supply of foreclosures could continue to shrink.   According to recent studies, Phoenix metro area home values have increased by more than 35 percent since November 2012, and foreclosures and short sales continue drying up.  If you have ever thought about the potential of becoming a rental property owner, now may be the time to grab a income property while you still can.

Being a rental property owner can be a great way to earn some additional income, but it does not come easy.  Rent collection, property maintenance, property inspections, tenant screening, being on call 24/7 are all part of the package. Not everyone is cut out to handle the property management side of real estate investing.   That is why choosing a reputable property management company can mean the difference between winning and losing in real estate investing.  With the right property management team on your side, you get to reap the benefits, with none of the hassles.

Here at RPM Phoenix Metro, we offer the following property management services to our property owners to help them achieve successful returns on their property investments:

  • Comprehensive Marketing & Advertising Programs That Offer Proven Results
  • In-depth Credit, Income, and Criminal Screening
  • Routine Property Inspections
  • Online Accounting and Financial Reporting
  • Professional Property Maintenance
  • Rent Collection
  • Complete Eviction and Possession Services
  • Eviction Protection Plans

When you use our full-service property management firm, you will see positive results.  We offer the most comprehensive and cost effective management solution in the industry for residential property management!

Contact us today for a free quote.

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Winning Strategies To Retain Good Tenants You Can Apply Right Now

January 23rd, 2013

Phoenix Property ManagementIn order to come up with simple and cheap strategies to retain good tenants you have think about their desires and expectations as tenants. If they paid the rent in time and never caused trouble they surely liked what you have done so far and whatever change or action you engage in doing must not disturb the environment you created so far.
One simple and winning strategy is to act when a tenant announces he wants to leave.
What you must do in this case is ask what is the reason for the decision. Oftentimes it can be an apparently minor thing that you can solve with a discussion or a few hundred bucks. Repairing a facility or talking to the neighbors usually solves most of the reasons for discontent.

Make it cheaper for them to stay than to move.
Offer a discount for an advance payment or for a few months. Some tenants move simply because they are crossing a hard time when their income is temporarily lower than usual and they think they cannot negotiate with the landlord, you. Making a small discount will probably be cheaper than the loss you will suffer if the apartment remains vacant and the costs related to finding a new tenant.

Tenants want to feel that it is their home.
You must respect their privacy at all times and, unless there is an emergency, only show up if you announced your visit even if it is on short notice. The best practice is to call in advance and set up a meeting. You wouldn`t like it either to have someone you barely know show up in the middle of your living room unexpectedly.

Always be responsive. When a tenant brings an issue to your attention offer a solution and a response. Even if the problem cannot be fixed or if it will take some time to fix your willingness to find a solution and help them will seem like a sign of good faith. Sometimes the problem will go away by its own, but the tenant will feel that you had something to do with it. Apply this winning strategies to retain good tenants, honor the contract and find ways to please them and they will stay with you for a long time.

Should Phoenix Property Owners Go Green?

January 22nd, 2013

Phoenix Property ManagementThousands of Phoenix homeowners have upgraded or build their homes to include increased energy efficiency features.  It is now commonplace to see homes equipped with solar or wind power, and water saving or collection devices.   The issue of going green has been going strong for many years, but how does it apply to rental property owners?  Is there an increased demand for green homes?  Do green or energy efficient homes generate higher rental income potential?  Let’s look at some of the pros and cons:

Pro’s and Con’s Of Increasing The Energy Efficiency Of Your Rental Property.

  1. Pro:  Your Property Will Stand Out.   Phoenix has a highly competitive rental home market.  A qualified tenant will most definitely recognize the benefits to renting a more energy efficient property.  Lower utility costs, and being environmental friendly are appealing characteristics.  It could be enough to give your property the edge over other competing rental properties.
  2. Pro: Tax Benefits.  Although it can vary from year to year, there are almost always tax advantages to upgrading to or maintaining the energy efficient features of a property.
  3. Pro: Higher Rent?   There isn’t much data available to say for certain if a green home will generate higher rental income.  However there is no doubt that energy efficiency or “going green” is important for many people.  A rental property that offers significantly lower energy costs will be very desirable.
  1. Con:  Costs To Upgrade.  When someone mentions “going green”, for property owners, it might bring thoughts of price tags and induce sticker shock.   Indeed upgrading the energy efficiency of a home can be very costly.  Solar panel prices have been dropping over the past few years, but may still be cost prohibitive, or not worth any potential ROI.  However there are some energy saving techniques that are affordable yet can still make a significant difference in energy consumption.  For example, for just a few hundred dollars, window tinting has been shown to significantly reduce home cooling costs.
    Upgrading does not have to be done all at once.   Plan just one energy efficient project per year, and if/when an appliance fails, replace it with an energy efficient model.

It’s up to each individual property owner or investor to answer this question based upon his or her unique and individual properties, but as a Phoenix property management company, there is no ignoring the fact that there is a demand for energy efficient rentals, and with rising energy costs, that demand will only grow.

Ethical Practices Of Property Management

January 22nd, 2013

property management PhoenixProperty management is more than just providing a service for money.   Certain ethical practices of property management should be present in order to offer high standards of professionalism across the industry.

Here are 4 important ethical practices of a property manager:

  • No Discrimination based on race, color, sex, or religion.   It is perfectly acceptable to have a strict tenant qualification process, but no one should be turned away because of the color of their skin or ethnicity. Phoenix is a wonderful place to live, and provides opportunities for people from all walks of life. A good Phoenix property management company will work to provide a win win for both property owners and tenants without discriminating against anyone.
  • Honest marketing techniques is another way good property management companies stand apart.  Bait and switch, hidden fees, fine print, are all tactics that although may not necessarily be illegal, can certainly be unethical. Be wary of a property management company that uses derogatory statements about other companies or people as their main marketing message.
  • Health and safety should be a priority.  A property manager can do a lot to make sure property conditions are safe, which will benefit both homeowner and tenant.   A big part of this is just being available and reachable for general questions, information, and perhaps the most important – available after hours for emergency situations.
  • Respecting privacy is not only ethical, but highly appreciated by most tenants.   Surprise visits may be necessary at times, but generally it is only fair to offer some notice before a visit or inspection.  Some common courtesy and respect can go a long way to make successful and long term relationships.

Ethical property management practices build successful relationships with both owners and tenants.   If you or someone you know is in need of property management services in Phoenix, please call 602-368-5730 or request a free quote online.

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Why Hire Phoenix Property Management Help

December 12th, 2012

Phoenix property management helpAlthough the collapse in the real estate market in Arizona has hurt many homeowners, it has also created an opportunity for many new investors to enter the market as owners of rental properties such as homes and apartments. The fallout in the value of Phoenix area real estate allowed some people to obtain excellent rental properties at very attractive prices.

Owning rental property has been the road to riches for many people in America, and even in the current tough economic climate, there have been some who have created the foundation of future wealth and success by investing in rental property. Unfortunately, some of these owners of Phoenix rental properties have discovered that actually taking care of the tenants requires much more time than they have available. It can be very time consuming to keep all rental units filled with good tenants. Collecting rents can be an exercise in frustration since it can mean coming back to the tenants time and time again. Inevitably, plumbing and electrical repairs will have to be done. Having to evict tenants can be a big headache as well.

It can be especially difficult to look after rental properties effectively if the owner already has a full time job or lives in a different location. Property owners may find that much of their time is taken up responding to tenant complaints and finding workers to repair broken fixtures.

There are Phoenix property management services that can take over these duties from a property owner who does not have the time to carry them out. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find a reputable company that will do the work efficiently and effectively at a good price. Finding a good management service that will not charge too high of a fee can be a challenge for many property owners. Some owners find that management companies will charge between 10-20% of the rent amount as their fee for managing the building. In some cases, this will wipe out any profit the landlord is making and it can put the landlord into a negative cash situation.

One of the ways a good Phoenix property management service can help a landlord is by knowing what rents are being charged for similar units in the city. If the rent for the unit is too high, tenants will not move in, while if the rents are too low, the landlord will lose money. A professional service will take over the task of advertising vacancies and carefully screening potential tenants. The staff will ensure that all rents are paid on time and the company will take care of any repairs in a timely fashion. If an emergency repair is required in the middle of the night, the management service will be able to take care of it without ever bothering the property owner. Now that is owner peace of mind.