Todays Rental News

in a few hand selected articles each day

Aug 08

Housing Bust Opens New Doors for Subsidized Tenants

Filling Vacancies, Housing Stats, Section 8 No Comments »

When Shawnetta Newburn left her drug-infested St. Louis neighborhood in search of a better life for her family in Las Vegas, she didn’t expect to live in a house with frills worthy of a McMansion.

But Paradise awaited.

That’s the name of the gated community where Ms. Newburn, a single mother who makes $10.50 an hour as a pawn-shop cashier, rents a three-bedroom townhouse with soaring ceilings, a gas-fueled fireplace and an oversize walk-in closet in the largest bedroom. The master bath even includes an enclosed toilet room, a feature popular in mini-mansions.

via WSJ.com.

Aug 07

Always, Always, Always Get a Deposit!

Filling Vacancies No Comments »

I have a client that is very green in the rental business. He signed a lease with a tenant for 6 months. The tenant moved in but hasn’t paid him a dime. No month in advance, deposit, rent etc. What can be done to get this person out?

via Investment Property Blog.

Jul 21

Renting to Friends

Filling Vacancies, Landlord Tenant Laws, Landlording No Comments »

Here are some tips to making sure that you as the landlord (not as the friend) is protected if this friendship goes south and your “friend” becomes the bane of your existence!

via Investment Property Blog.

Jul 19

Landlord-tenant hell: reference checks

Filling Vacancies, Screening No Comments »

My former tenants frequently use me as a reference when they switch apartments. I think it is because I am both a landlord and a real estate broker; they think I can talk the talk.

Well I can, but a lot of the landlords and agents who call me can’t.

Here are the two worst types of reference check calls I get:

via Boston.com.

Jul 18

Landlord-tenant hell: too close for comfort

Filling Vacancies, Landlording No Comments »

My clients are generally sensitive to conflicts of interest. Recently one of them had this dilemma:

He wanted to rent his condo for one year, for a tax advantage, and then sell it. Should he rent my condo to someone he supervises at work?

via Boston.com.

Jul 16

Tenants Doubling Up

Filling Vacancies, Housing Stats, Investing 1 Comment »

So, if renters aren’t all rushing to buy homes, where are they going? More families wound up in shelters, the report said. But many others are moving back in with family or shacking up with friends to save on rent, the report suggests.

via StarTribune.com.

Apr 24

Protect Yourself from Bad Tenants

Filling Vacancies, Screening No Comments »

Years ago, it was common to use the Sunday newspaper to advertise one’s rental properties. However, due to rising ad costs and a generation that uses the Internet instead of the newspaper, the best way to get large responses to a rental ad has now become Craig’s List.

via The Tycoon Report – Ethan Roberts

Apr 12