Property Manager | Spotting Fake Landlord References (Auben Realty)

Property Manager | Spotting Fake Landlord References

As a
property manager
, one application process you are in charge of is checking references for previous landlords. Checking these references is one task you never want to skip because references tell you vital information about your prospective tenant that may not show up on the background or credit check. If previous landlords didn’t report to the credit bureau or sue the tenant, you might not ever know if they paid rent on time or if they damaged the property. Many tenants who have had problems with landlords or a property manager in the past will ask their friends or family to provide false references, pretending to be a previous landlord. You can easily spot these fakers by following these tips:

Don’t tell them who you are. If you call asking for Joe Smith and they ask who you are, don’t say that you’re a property manager calling about a reference. You want to catch the imposter off guard by pretending to be a renter yourself. Inquire about available homes for rent, and if the landlord begins to humble over their words or suddenly hangs up, you know you’ve got a false reference.

When you ask questions about the tenant, the landlord should be able to give you details about that person including how long they lived at the address provided if they paid on time, and other details. If the “landlord” is vague or tells you, they can’t remember, these can be red flags for false references.

Search for the “landlord” online. If this person is a legitimate landlord, you should be able to find their name and phone number linked to rental properties or a property management company. You can also search the name on social media and see if they seem to be linked to the tenant such as being Facebook friends or listing each other as family. These are huge red flags for false references.

Taking the time to go through dozens of references every time you have a new property for rent can be tedious and exhausting. Consider hiring a
property manager from Auben Realty
to help you manage your rental home efficiently and with great return on investment. Call us today .

Property Manager | Why A Property Manager Should Accept Online Rent Payments (Auben Realty)

Property Manager | Why A Property Manager Should Accept Online Rent Payments

Property Manager |
Tenants have hundreds of excuses for why they can’t pay rent or can only make a partial payment. When you only accept cash, check, or money order for rent payments tenants find it easy to try to haggle their way into an extension on rent. When you accept online rent payments from tenants, they start to run out of excuses for why they can’t pay rent on time. There are certain excuses that online portals help to squash.

1. Money Related Excuses-
Tenants will tell you dozens of different stories about why they didn’t have the money for rent. From other bills being too high to a child or family member falling ill, or the government being late on payments, a tenant that doesn’t have the money will want you to empathize. Online portals help tenants to manage their money better because they can make small payments throughout the month to try to get ahead after their rent is paid and they can track their rent through their online account.

2. Transportation-Related Excuses-
The check got lost in the mail. The money order got wet in the mailbox. My car broke down, and I couldn’t make it into the office. It’s snowing outside, and the roads are bad. Tenants who rely on someone physically taking their rent payment to another location can always use transportation as an excuse. Online rent payments make it easy for tenants to pay from the comfort of their home or even from their phone while on the go.

3. Confusion on Due Dates-
Some tenants will tell a property manager that the reason they are late on rent is that they were confused on the due dates, rent amount, or any other fees that they owe. This is a common excuse for new tenants especially. Online rental portals can send reminders to tenants about when rent is due and how much the tenant owes. Paying rent online and having a tenant account eliminates confusion on the details of rent.

If you are ready to take your rental property business to a new level with a property manager that can manage rentals
contact Auben Realty.

Property Manager | 25 Most Commonly Asked Questions by Prospective Tenants (Auben Realty)

Property Manager | 25 Most Commonly Asked Questions by Prospective Tenants

When a
property manager
is showing homes, they need to be prepared to answer common questions that prospective tenants will have regarding the property and the property manager business. When you can’t answer common questions, tenants have their trust in your property management company drops. Before you show another rental home make sure you can answer the following questions:

1. What is the rent, deposit, pet deposit, and application fees?

2. What lease terms do you offer? Can I get a discount for signing a longer lease?

3. What is your pet policy?

4. What do you look for on the application? How are tenants screened?

5. When is the soonest available move in date?

6. How many other applications do you have for this home?

7. What is your subleasing policy? What happens if I have to move for my job?

8. Can I list my home on Air BNB when I am not staying there?

9. What happens if we need to break our lease?

10. After my lease do I renew or go month to month?

11. Do you give notice before entering the home after I move in?

12. Is off-street parking available? What are the parking arrangements?

13. What is the crime rate in the area? Has a crime ever been committed in this home?

14. Can I paint, put up shelves or hang artwork inside the home?

15. Are any utilities included?

16. Who is responsible for lawn care and snow removal?

17. How much notice do we need to give if we do not want to renew our lease?

18. Can I plant a garden or do landscaping?

19. Can we put a pool in the backyard?

20. How do we pay rent?

21. Do we get our deposit back after we move out? How long does it take?

22. Are we required to purchase renter’s insurance?

23. What is the late fee and grace period for paying rent?

24. What school district does this home fall into?

25. What are the nearby churches/grocery stores/ department stores/ gas stations etc.

A great property manager will be able to answer all of these questions and be prepared for odd or unusual ones as well. If you are interested in learning more about Auben Realty,
contact us Here.

Property Management|How Property Management Companies Can Boost Your Profits

Thinking that a property management company can actually help your profits while a percentage of the rental income is paid to them in fees every month. While a property management company, at first, will cost you money out of pocket, there are many ways that hiring property management can actually increase the profits overall.

Property management companies have the resources and expertise to rent your property quickly and efficiently. Think about how long a home may sit empty between tenants. The amount of time it takes for you to turn the home yourself, market, and then lease the unit. The property could sit empty for weeks or even months, creating no income and only debt for the owner. A property management company is able to market your property in the latest and most effective ways, employs people to do the turn, and is up to date on all regulations regarding the leasing process and fair housing. Property management companies make it possible to have little empty time between leases.

Property management companies also save you time and everyone knows that time is money. Rather than the homeowner having to field calls, show the home, do the paperwork, and provide maintenance, a property management company handles all the tasks associated with home rentals. A property management company will also employ maintenance staff that is reliable and knowledgeable, so you never have to make a guess at what may be wrong with the central air, dishwasher, or furnace. This is another way a property management company can increase your profits. You don’t have to waste money or time on guesswork. Maintenance issues get fixed right the first time when you have professionals managing your rental home.

Auben Realty is a property management company that wants to make sure that your experience as a rental homeowner is the best it can be.
Contact us today
to discuss our property management services!

Property Manager | Would You Make A Great Property Manager?

Property managers have fun jobs. You get to help people find a home to rent that they can call their own. Being a property manager allows you to meet new people, do some traveling, and market your properties in the community. This career is one that requires you to be in front of people and tech savvy, organized but also flexible, and someone who can keep tenants and property owners happy.

Have you been considering a career as a property manager? Are you thinking about renting out your home or flipping houses to rent? There are a lot of ways people get into a property manager role, but there are a few skills you will need if you want to be great at your job.

You must be friendly and relatable. One of the most important personality traits of someone who is a property manager is to be friendly and relatable. You must be able to talk to people openly and be outgoing when trying to lease a property. You must also be approachable to renters and relatable to make them want to keep renting the home.

You must be organized. A property manager sometimes manages multiple units or homes. You have to stay on top of move-in dates, move out dates, inspections, cleanings, maintenance, showings for leasing, marketing appointments and more. You also may be responsible for paying other people who work for you and creating a schedule. If you aren’t organized a property manager job may not be best for you.

You have to be flexible. As much as you need to be organized, you have to be able to change your plans and reorganize in the moment. You may have someone walk into your office or call you wanting to see a home right away. A tenant may have an emergency, a natural disaster could create problems at multiple properties. Being flexible is a must for an extraordinary property manager.

Being a property manager is a rewarding career for the right type of person. If you are looking for a property manager that possesses the above traits,
Contact Auben Realty today
!

Difference Between Renting from Property Management Companies and Private Landlords

Many renters are not sure whether they are renting from a property management firm or a private landlord. Some renters prefer one over the other, but commonly, large apartment communities are managed by property management companies, and single homes are often private landlords. However, increasingly homeowners are turning to property management companies to rent their single-family units.

One of the major benefits of a property management firm rental is that the property is usually managed in a more professional way. These managers full-time jobs are to manage properties and work for and with tenants. They know the rental laws backwards and forwards, are always knowledgeable on competitive market rent, and they usually utilize the latest technology and property management software to keep organized, keep accounting straight, and allow for more modern conveniences such as paying rent online, and submitting maintenance requests online.

Private landlords have the benefit of being more lenient in their leases. Many private landlords are easier to negotiate with when it comes to late rent or having pets. Private landlords may also be more likely to let you out of your lease early or make special concessions for you because they do not have to worry about treating hundreds of tenants equally.

Private landlords are more likely to make decisions emotionally while property management firms are always business minded and try to keep their professional image in mind at all times. A negative to property management firms are that they are sticklers for the rules. You will be paying that $50 late fee every month and you won’t get away with having a cat in your apartment or a move out inspection done.

In the end, property management companies are the best way to protect the tenants and property owner’s rights and ensure that all handlings are legal and professional.
Auben Realty
is the perfect property management company to handle your rental needs!