The Landlord TImes - Metro - September 2013

METRO

September 2013

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MONTHLY CIRCULATION TO MORE THAN 20,000 IN PORTLAND/VANCOUVER APARTMENT OWNERS, PROPERTY MANAGERS, ON-SITE & MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL Published in association with: METRO Multifamily Housing Association; Rental Housing Association of Oregon; IREM & Clark County Rental Association

20th Annual Spectrum Property Mangement Industry Educational Conference & Tradeshow www.facebook.com/SpectrumTradeShow

20th Annual Property Management Industry Educational Conference & Tradeshow

S

pectrum is the largest rental housing educational conference and trade show in Oregon. It will be held September 19th at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Spectrum is the premier annual educational conference for rental housing ownership, management and maintenance. This year’s show features a bustling trade show floor of both local and national exhibitors.

The event draws over 1,000 attendees and offers 30 unique education workshops. Everyone looks forward to Spectrum addressing the needs and issues of our region’s rental property owners, on-site leasing agents, portfolio managers and maintenance professionals.

Continued on page 4 Page 3

GET READY FOR SPECTRUM Page 6

September 19th, 2013 Oregon Convention Center PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Note: To get the most out of our classes, please do not bring cell phones, pagers, or children into the classrooms.

Page 10 Chapter 29

This year, Spectrum continues to support the locally-based, non-profit organization Called to Rescue, whose mission is to rescue children from sex trafficking, violence and abuse, raise awareness about the problem in the local community and teach children and parents about prevention.

Professional Publishing, Inc PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97294-3327

Current Resident or

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460

See You at Spectrum September 19, 2013

Institute of Real Estate Management

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Page 8

Clark County Rental Association

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

MULTIFAMILY NW President • Paul Hoevet Past President • Jeff Denson Vice President • Pam McKenna Secretary • Kirsten Bailey Treasurer • Chris Hermanski

PAUL HOEVET

16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road, Suite 105, Tigard, OR 97224 503-213-1281, 503-213-1288 Fax www.multifamilynw.org

Multifamily NW President

Get Ready for Spectrum The 2013 Spectrum Educational Conference & Trade Show is coming quickly. On September 19, 2013, the Oregon Convention Center will host the can’t-miss event for residential property owners, managers, leasing agents and maintenance professionals. Each year gets better and better, and this year should be truly magical. As our economy continues to recover, the industry needs Spectrum NOW MORE THAN EVER! The Spectrum trade show floor is an energetic gathering of the industry’s best suppliers. Be sure to take the opportunity to view their quality

Oregon Continuing Education Credit Hours for licensees How they work at the 2013 Spectrum Conference & Trade Show

products and services and get to know them as partners in your organization and residential communities’ ongoing success. Each Spectrum exhibitor supports the rental industry and is anxious to help you. Take time to visit each booth during the class breaks and lunch.

We are particularly proud of our expanded education workshops offered this year, incorporating four sessions that offer attendees significant and timely topics affecting today’s rental housing industry. Look for dedicated education tracks tailored to particular interests such as

Attending the Spectrum Educational Conference & Trade Show can earn you up to four (4) CEUs. To receive your credits, submit your completed Spectrum Education Passport (available at registration) to the Multifamily NW booth by 4:00pm. Passports must be submitted at the show to be awarded credits. Questions? Stop by the Multifamily NW booth or look for the STAFF badges.

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

The Continuing Education Credit hours provided by Metro Multifamily Housing Association

Managing Your Assets, Leasing, Legal, Workshops, Single Family Rentals and Maintenance. Feel free to attend any of our outstanding classes – it’s your choice! Additionally, most of the Spectrum classes qualify for continuing education credit toward a Property Manager or Broker’s license.

Thanks, Paul Hoevet President of Multifamily NW

mmhA 2013 events: mArk your cAlendAr! September 19, 2013 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 2013 Spectrum Educational Conference & Trade Show September 27, 2013 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM ELEVATE: Mold Awareness Portland, OR September 30, 2013 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM ELEVATE: Preventative Maintenance Portland, OR

October 1, 2013 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM ELEVATE: LARRC - Portland, OR October 8, 2013 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ELEVATE: The Anatomy of Multifamily Roofs October 9, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM October Landlord Study Hall - Property Maintenance: A Schedule to Safeguard and Winterize your Property

visit www.multifamilynw.org for more dates

3

20th Annual ...continued from front page The 2013 Spectrum curriculum focuses on the current market with several sessions dedicated to timely issues such as: fair housing consistency, collections, asset management, maintenance and legal topics.

In addition, Spectrum classes target the leasing of rentals units with programs such as: “Make your Critics Disappear,” “Preventative Maintenance Savings,” “The Power to Impact: Leadership & Communication” and many more!

This year, Spectrum offers several outstanding management work-

shops, including: “Fire, Flood or Blood: Preparing for the Worst,” “A Mock FED Trial – Everything and the Kitchen Sink” and “Bottoms Up: A Revenue Management Refresher”— and many more! For rental property owners, Spectrum has many outstanding workshops, including: “A Landlord’s Guide to Fair Housing” and “Screening Do’s & Don’ts for Single Family Rentals.” Spectrum’s maintenance offerings include: “Mastering the 72-Hour Turn” and “Don’t Paint Yourself Into a Corner.”

As part of Multifamily NW’s commitment to giving back to our communities, Spectrum is sponsoring a local charity for the fifth year in a row. For the second time, that charity is Called to Rescue, whose mission is to rescue children from sex trafficking, violence and abuse. The charity is accepting individual contributions and there will be an exciting raffle during the event for attendees to participate in.

Don’t miss this exciting day! See the full list of classes and register for the 2013 Spectrum show at www.

multifamilynw.org. Admission to Spectrum includes lunch, workshops and access to the amazing trade show floor. Attendance is $100 for members and $150 for non-members.

Most Spectrum classes qualify for Continuing Education Credit for Oregon Broker’s and Property Manager Licenses.

SPECTRUM is brought to you by Multifamily NW.

Multifamily NW says THANK YOU to our generous Spectrum Sponsors!

Program Advertisers J.R. Johnson, Inc. Squires Electric Titanium Legal Services, Inc. Portland Housing Bureau Conservice Fresh Aire Air Fresheners Elite Resurfacing Recology Vendor Spotlights Titanium Legal Services, Inc. I&E Construction Conservice Recology First Advantage

Water Sponsors Ferguson Facilities Supply The Pool & Spa House Coffee Sponsor Edge Networks Cookie Sponsor Myhre Group Architects Recology Classroom Sponsors First Advantage National Credit Systems J.R. Johnson, Inc. Recology Jeffery S. Bennett Portland Lighting

Ferguson Facilities Supply Step & Repeat Sponsors Empire Painting & Construction CriterionBrock On-Site Apartment Finder Registration Sponsor Portland Construction Solutions Lanyard Sponsor Kennedy Restoration

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www.carportsofwashington.com The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Oregon Partial Rent Payment Receipt – M009 About the Form: Accepting a partial rent amount without proper documentation is a great disadvantage to the landlord. Firstly, a landlord is not required to accept partial payments of rent. If a landlord elects to do so, it is critical that the partial payment is immediately accompanied by the Oregon Partial Payment Receipt form to retain landlord’s rights to a swift termination. The form details the full rent due, partial payment received, current rent balance, and applicable late fees. It directs the tenant to adhere to additional due dates to complete the full rent payment. Should the tenant fail to fulfill the payment schedule outlined in the form, there is language that ensures the landlord’s ability to issue a 72-Hour or 144-Hour Termination Notice for Non-payment of Rent.

2013 Spectrum Conference & Trade Show Committee Chair: Renee Larson, Apartment Finder

Brandy Guthery, Guardian Management

Co-Chair: Erik Aldridge, HD Supply

Laura Rosales, Apartment Guide

Brian Ermshar, Alpha Impressions

Sabrina Paulson, For Rent Media Solutions

Beth Stogsdill, Rent Collect Global

OREGON

PARTIAL RENT PAYMENT RECEIPT DATE __________________________________________ PROPERTY NAME / NUMBER ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RESIDENT NAME(S) ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Ed Winkler, Fresh Aire Air Fresheners

and all others.

UNIT NUMBER ___________________________________ STREET ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Resident understands that Owner/Agent is not required to accept late or partial payments of rent. Resident has asked Owner/Agent to accept a partial payment along with Resident’s agreement to pay the balance due. Owner/Agent is willing to do so as an accommodation to Resident. Resident understands that accepting the partial payment and the payment agreement does not waive any of Owner/Agent’s rights to terminate Resident’s tenancy if payments are not made as agreed.

Rent amount due: Partial payment received:

$_______________________________ ($_______________________________)

Rent balance due:

$_______________________________

Late fees:

$_______________________________

Other:____________________________________________________

$_______________________________

Balance due:

$_______________________________

Resident agrees to pay the balance due as follows:

DUE DATE

AMOUNT

______________________________________

$_______________________________

______________________________________

$_______________________________

______________________________________

$_______________________________

All payments must be received by Owner/Agent by 5:00 p.m. on each due date, time being of the essence. All payments must be made by money order or cashier’s check.

If Owner/Agent has not yet served a 72-hour or 144-hour termination notice for non-payment of the current rent due, acceptance of the partial payment does not waive Owner/Agent's right to issue such notice on or after the date allowed by statute for the balance of the rent due. If payment is not made by the later of the termination date on such notice or the payment date agreed above, Owner/Agent may terminate the tenancy and commence an eviction action.

If Owner/Agent has previously issued a 72-hour or 144-hour termination notice for non-payment of the current rent due, acceptance of this partial payment does not waive Owner/Agent’s right to terminate based on that notice if Resident fails to make any payment required above by the due date. No new 72-hour or 144-hour notice need be given if Resident fails to make any payment due hereunder.

The signature of any one Resident to this agreement binds all Residents of the unit.

X

_____________________________________________________________________________________

X

RESIDENT

_____________________________________________________________________________________

X

RESIDENT

_____________________________________________________________________________________

X

RESIDENT

_____________________________________________________________________________________

RESIDENT

X

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DATE

DATE

DATE

ON SITE

RESIDENT

METRO

PORTLAND & VANCOUVER

STAFF Publisher Will Johnson • will@propubinc.com

Editor Andrea Coulter • andrea@propubinc.com

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Form M009 OR Copyright © 2013 Multifamily NW.™ NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. Revised 3/9/2013.

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Serving the Portland/Vancouver Multifamily Housing Industry More than 21,000 Distributed Monthly www.

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

5

RENTAL HOUSING ASSOCIATION OF GREATER PORTLAND

President • Elizabeth Carpenter Past President • Phil Owen Vice President • Robin Lashbaugh Secretary • Lynne Whitney Treasurer • Jon Moon Office Manager • Alita Dougherty Member Services • Cari Pierce Bookkeeper • Pam Van Loon

10520 NE Weidler Portland, OR 97220 (503) 254-4723 • fax (503) 254-4821 info@rhagp.org http://www.rhagp.org

Driving back from the coast with my family I was looking at the trees changing to fall colors and thinking about the kids going back to school, it made me realize that it is time for some schooling myself. With upcoming changes in the law for landlords and as a refresher on some of the nuances of landlording, I am thankful the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland holds several classes each month. From landlord law classes, and property manage-

President' s Message ment focused classes, to property maintenance classes, I am sure to sign up for several. Landlording 101is October 12th and covers a broad range of law, property management and “how to” information on forms. Landlording 102, with dates in both September and October covers coming changes to the Oregon Landlord/Tenant Act, a retrospective look at the past two years and new cases. Both classes are instructed by landlord attorneys and offer a

wealth of information. John Sage RHA’s education committee chair is lining up some excellent classes for the remainder of this year.

For now the legislators have gone home and will return next year for their long session of 2015, however this does not mean RHAGP has stopped working for the landlords.

Our legislative committee, from the state level to city level, are continuing to work on the laws and changes to benefit the landlords of Oregon.

Our commitment is to assist, educate and stand up for landlords rights.

Cindy Robert, our lobbyist is working on a few projects and will

ELIZABETH CARPENTER RHAGP President

be updating us in the near future, so keep an eye out in the Update.

Fall also brings the thought to mind on preparing for the long rainy season and what needs to be done.

Time to button down the hatches.

As you know the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland is a nonprofit organization. The board always welcomes and is open to members. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month.

Since 1927 the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland has held the standard in community participation for landlords providing affordable housing in Oregon.

rentAl housing AssociAtion oF greAter portlAnd 2013 cAlendAr SEPTEMBER 19 EVICTIONS – 6:30 PM PRESENTER: SAM JOHNSON, LANDLORD SOLUTIONS SEPTEMBER 24 LANDLORDING 102 - 6:30 TO 8:00 PM PRESENTER: JEFF BENNET STANDARD TV & APPLIANCE

SEPTEMBER 26 MEMBER INFO/MENTOR SESSION 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM RHAGP CONFERENCE ROOM NO CHARGE OCTOBER 10 LANDLORDING 102 - 6:30 TO 8:00 PM PRESENTER: JEFF BENNET RHAGP CONFERENCE ROOM

CALL RHAGP FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS 503 254-4723 OR WWW.RHAGP.ORG/CALENDAR-EVENT

6

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Visit These Spectrum 2013 Exhibitors 21st Century Towing .................. 137 ABC Window Cleaners & Building Maintenance ........ 63 All Aspects Renovations ..... 126/127 Alliance Flooring ......................... 121 Alpha Ecological ......................... 128 Alpha Impressions ........................ 61 American Leak Detection .............. 25 AMSI - Basic Business Systems .. 21 Apartment Advantage Staffing Services .......................... 133 Apartment Finder ........................ 124 Apartment Guide ............................ 83 Apartments.com ........................... 102 Apollo Drain & Rooter ................. 56 Appliance Warehouse .................... 30 Background Investigations .......... 73 Bath Fitter ................................ 85/98 Bemrose Consulting ..................... 110 Bugaboo Pest Control ................... 52 Bureau of Development Services Neighborhood Inspections ............ 57 Buy-Rite Carpet Wholesaler ...... 117 Cascade Enforcement Agency, Inc. ............................ 135/136 CenturyLink ................................... 71 CertaPro Painters .......................... 36 Coin Meter .................................... 131 Compaction & Recycling Equipment, Inc. ............................... 65 Conservice ....................................... 95 Cornerstone Disaster Repair, Inc. .................................... 115 CORT Furniture ............................. 58 CriterionBrock ................................ 79 E-Cycle Washington ..................... 26

Eden Advanced Pest Technologies ................................... 89 Edge Networks ............................ 125 Elite Resurfacing ........................... 74 Empire Painting & Construction ................................... 60 Energy Trust of Oregon ............... 138 Executive Coatings & Contracting ................................. 96 Exercise Equipment NW ............... 55 Ferguson Facilities Supply .......... 66 Fikes .............................................. 130 First Advantage ............................. 40 For Rent Media Solutions .......... 114 Fresh Aire Air Fresheners, Inc. .... 93 G&C Distributing ........................ 145 Grow Construction ........................ 90 HD Supply ...................................... 91 Home Forward ................................ 49 Horizon Restoration & ServiceMaster by Horizon .......... 104 I & E Construction ....................... 101 Interstate Roofing, Inc. ................. 99 J.R. Johnson, Inc. ...................... 86/97 JC Carpet Cleaning ....................... 37 JD Fulwiler & Co. Insurance ....... 72 Junk A-Way Hauling .................... 92 Kennedy Restoration .................... 67 Landlord Solutions ..................... 129 Lorentz Bruun Restoration .......... 75 Lovett Inc. ..................................... 153 Mac-Gray Services ........................ 43 Miller Paint Company ................. 78 Mohawk Industries ....................... 34 Myhre Group Architects ............. 120 National Credit Systems ............ 118

Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides ..................................... 147 NW Mold Removal ....................... 51 NW Pest Control ......................... 109 NW Playground Equipment ....... 148 NW Process Service, LLC ............. 28 NW Tree Specialists ..................... 113 NWP Services Corporation ....... 134 OHI Construction ......................... 45 One Call Now .............................. 122 On-Site.com ................................... 94 Orcas Development, Inc. .............. 24 Pacific Breeze ................................ 53 Pacific Screening ........................... 88 Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Portland .................... 112 Paul Davis Restoration of Portland/SW WA ........................ 106 Perfect Surface NW ....................... 31 PG Long Floorcovering ........... 68/69 Pioneer Pest Management ........... 41 Portland Construction Solutions ........................................ 80 Portland General Electric .......... 119 Portland Housing Bureau and Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs ............................ 57 Pro Drain & Rooter Service ... 35/46 Professional Credit Service ......... 50 Prograss Landscape Care & Design ......................................... 42 RealPage, Inc. .............................. 111 Recology .......................................... 47 Recycle at Home ............................ 54 Regional Water Providers Consortium .................................. 140

Rent.com ....................................... 144 Rental Housing Maintenance Services ......................................... 143 Retriever Towing .......................... 76 SA.GE General Contracting ....... 123 Safe Sidewalks, LLC ..................... 59 Scent Air Technologies ............... 146 ServiceMaster of Portland ........... 70 Sherwin-Williams .................... 81/82 Snug's Pro Wash, Inc. ................. 108 Social & Reputation Made Easy ............................................... 116 Specialty Heating & Cooling .... 168 Sprague Pest Solutions .............. 107 Squires Electric ............................ 105 Submeter Solutions, Inc. .............. 39 Tenant Technologies ..................... 77 TerraFirma Foundation Systems, Inc. ................................ 103 The Detail Difference .................... 62 The Landlord Times ...................... 38 The Pool & Spa House ............... 139 Titanium Legal Services, Inc. ...... 87 Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue .. 142 Waste Management .................... 100 Waste Recovery Systems ............. 84 Western States Fire Protection ... 64 Willamette/Bend Rental Guide ... 44 Wilmar Industries ........................... 5 Yardi ............................................. 132

LANDLORDING 101 Effective Property Management Mark Passannante, Instructor

• Minimize the frustration • Improve profitability • From application through termination • ALL the essentials of property management covered • Through a framework of court-tested forms geared for Oregon law.

This class is an excellent training foundation for beginners and serves as an exceptional review of current laws and management for experienced landlords.

From advertising your vacant unit through problems during occupancy to ending the tenancy this class will help with stepby-step information.

Taught by Mark Passannante, Attorney at Law, Former President of RHAGP, Property Owner.

Learn valuable and successful management methods. ~ Six Continuing Education credits are available with this seminar ~ ALL DAY Class on Saturday, October 12, 2013 TIME: 9am – 4pm (Includes lunch) PLACE: Holiday Inn Wilsonville 25425 SW 95th Ave, Wilsonville, OR 97070 COST: $120 Members OR $170 Non-member Register by Monday October 7, 2013 and receive an early registration discount of $20 NOTE: Non-member payment must accompany registration.

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

7

CLARK COUNTY RENTAL ASSOCIATION President • Lyn Ayers Vice President • Blain Cowley Secretary • Patty Silver Contact • Lyn Ayers • Phone (360) 693-0025 • info@ccrawa.org

Treasurer • Janine Ayers

Membership Committee • Roger Silver

5620 Gher Rd., Suite H Vancouver, WA 98662-6166 (360) 693-CCRA www.clarkcountyrentalassociation.org

Travel and Tourism Workers Struggle to Cover Housing Costs in Many U.S. Metros

In

While serving summer vacationers across the country, many workers find housing unaffordable

the midst of a housing and economic recovery, many workers key to Americans’ summer vacation plans struggle to afford housing in metro areas across the country.

In the latest edition of Paycheck to Paycheck, Center for Housing Policy (CHP) researchers draw on the latest data from the first quarter of 2013 to reveal the gap between wages and the costs of housing, both rental and owned, in 207 U.S. metro areas for workers in occupations central to the summer vacations Americans hope to PGE_SpectrumAd_BW_5.pdf 1 8/30/2013 9:46:48 AM squeeze in before school starts.

“One of the most overlooked aspects of this recovery is that for many workers, incomes are not rebounding in step with local housing markets,” explained CHP Senior Research Associate Maya Brennan, a co-author of a report released with the new data.

“Even in a strong sector like travel and tourism, wages have not kept pace with the rising costs of renting or homeownership.”

The accompanying report, Paycheck to Paycheck 2013: A Snapshot of Metropolitan Housing Affordability for Travel and Tourism Workers,

explores trends in housing affordability for mid-career workers in five common jobs related to travel and tourism: housekeepers, wait staff, auto mechanics, front desk managers and flight attendants. Of these professions, only one—flight attendants— has an average wage high enough to afford the mortgage on a medianpriced home in the U.S., and workers in two of the jobs—housekeepers and wait staff—cannot afford the typical rent on either a one- or two-bedroom apartment in any metro area.

“The data show that working hard

is not enough to make ends meet,” said report co-author Janet Viveiros, a research associate at CHP. “Americans are spending more on vacations, but many of the workers fixing their cars before a long road trip, cleaning their hotel rooms or serving their meals are struggling to afford basic expenses like housing.”

Incomes for housekeepers and wait staff were not enough to afford the fairmarket rent for a two-bedroom apartment in any of the 207 metro areas studied. The slow housing recovery in some markets made homeownership more affordable than renting – as long as workers had enough savings for a downpayment and could obtain a mortgage. In only eight of the metro areas could a housekeeper afford the mortgage on a median-priced home, and wait staff could afford to buy a typical home in just ten metro areas.

Lagging home prices, however, were not universal across the study. In the 25 most expensive markets covered, which includes many popular vacation destinations, even relatively high-

Continued on page 9

8 #

Apartment • October 2013 2008 TheMetro Landlord Times - Manager Metro • September

Travel ...continued from page 8 earning flight attendants could not afford to own a median-priced home.

CHP Director and National Housing Conference Vice President for Research Lisa Sturtevant, who joins NHC and CHP this week, notes that while a housing recovery is a relief to those who already own property, rising prices and rents have meant that many working individuals and families struggle to find affordable housing in their communities.

“The continued improvement in housing markets across the country is good news for current homeowners who saw the values of their homes plummet during the downturn.

However, the turnaround in housing prices—driven by investors in many markets—along with the still-tight mortgage market, has kept it very difficult for moderate-income families to afford to a buy a home. The demand for rental housing has increased substantially in some markets, putting upward pressure on rents. And as prices and rents are rising, wages have been steady at best, and many working families remain priced out of many markets.”

“There is a fundamental tension between a housing recovery and housing affordability,” Sturtevant continued.

“The solutions are higher wages or greater access to affordable housing.” key Findings • In a substantial portion of the U.S., buying a typical home is unaffordable for four out of five travel work-

ers studied. In nearly 40 percent of 207 metro areas studied, front desk managers and auto mechanics could not afford the monthly mortgage payments for a median-priced home. Low-income travel workers, such as housekeepers and wait staff, could afford a median-priced home in less than 5 percent of the study's metro areas. On the other end of the spectrum, just 12 percent of the metro areas were unaffordable to flight attendants. Even when home prices were affordable, amassing a sufficient down payment or getting access to credit pose additional barriers.

• Lower-income travel workers also face rents that are unaffordable at typical wages. The fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment was unaffordable for housekeepers and wait staff in all 207 metro areas.

Even a one-bedroom apartment was unaffordable for housekeepers and wait staff in the vast majority of metro areas • Housing affordability challenges for travel workers were concentrated in major vacation destinations. Unaffordable metro areas included Suffolk-Nassau, New York (home of the Hamptons); Barnstable, Massachusetts (home of Hyannis and the rest of Cape Cod); and Ocean City, New Jersey (home of Cape May and other southern New Jersey shore towns). In these metros, fair market rents and median-priced homes were unaffordable for housekeepers,

wait staff, front desk managers, and auto mechanics. Flight attendants could afford to rent a typical twobedroom unit in every metro area studied, but they could not afford to buy a home in 25 destination communities, including the metro areas of Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, and New York.

• More metro areas were affordable for travel workers looking to buy a home in 2013 than in 2012; however, affordability declined in areas with rebounding home prices. Overall, more metro areas become affordable for potential homebuyers than became unaffordable over the past year, but still the gains were modest.

For example, auto mechanics could afford to buy a home in twelve areas that had not been affordable last year, yet five other metro areas saw median home prices rise out of auto mechanics’ price range.

Blake Warenik Communications Manager National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy 1900 M Street, N.W., Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036 202-466-2121 ext. 240 bwarenik@nhc.org

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Metro Apartment 2008 The Landlord TimesManager - Metro • October September 2013

9

INSTITUTE OF REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT

President • Christina DuCote’, CPM, RPA President Elect • Cammie Allie, CPM, ARM Vice President-Member Services • Kimberly Fuhrer, CPM Vice President-Communications • Jocelyn Burmester, CPMC Vice President Education • Kathi Pearce, CPM Vice President-Finance • Stephanie MacPherson, CPMC IREM Chapter #29 11575 SW Pacific Hwy Suite 210 Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 228-0002 (503) 406-2003 fax

New Income and Expense Data on Federally Assisted Apartments Reported in Just-Released IREM® Benchmarking Study Survey Includes Utility and Maintenance Costs and Other Operating Data ties as well as those in the Section 236 and Section 8 Family categories either were up (within a range of $0.30 to $2.28 per square foot) or down (within a range of $0.12 to $1.22 per square foot).

These are among the key findings reported in the 2013 edition of the Income/Expense Analysis®: Federally Assisted Apartments, a new benchmarking study published by the In-

Operating expenses in 2012 vs.

2011 were up within a range of $.47 to $1.26 per square foot of rentable area for all types of Section 221(d)3 federally subsidized properties. In contrast, Section 8 Elderly/Handicapped housing experienced operating expense declines ranging from $0.14 to $0.99 per square foot. Depending upon building type, operating expenses for Section 202 proper-

stitute of Real Estate Management (IREM®). Conducted by IREM® since 1986, this annual study analyzes the previous year’s operating data for more than 1,012 high-rise (elevator buildings), low-rise and garden-style properties nationwide – containing 88,099 units – that receive one of six types of federal assistance: HUD Sections 202, 221(d)3, 236, Section 8 Elderly/Handicap and Section 8 Family and Rural Development Section 515. It is designed as a benchmarking and planning tool to help owners and managers of subsidized housing make detailed, accurate comparisons of the performance of properties in their portfolios. It also can be used as a resource for developing appraisals, acquisition or sales proposals, feasibility studies and loan requests. net income exAmined In terms of net income by subsidy type, Section 202 building categories

in 2012 ranged from $3.79 to $7.40 per square foot; Section 221(d) 3 buildings ranged from $4.74 to $6.56 per square foot; Section 236 buildings ranged from $2.94 to $4.14 per square foot; Section 8 Elderly/Handicapped buildings ranged from $4.84 to $7.25 per square foot; and Section 8 Family buildings ranged from $4.41 to $5.88 per square foot. other study highlights Utility costs for federally subsidized multifamily buildings were both up and down in 2012 from the year earlier. Increases ranged anywhere from $0.02 to $0.70 per square foot whereas decreases ranged from $0.02 to $0.39 per square foot.

Section 8 Elderly/Handicapped garden buildings reported the lowest utility costs at $0.78 per square foot.

Section 202 elevator buildings reported the highest such costs at $2.63 per square foot. ...continued from page 11

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New Income ...continued from page 10 Maintenance costs (costs include security and grounds maintenance, but excluding general maintenance payroll) for all building and subsidiary types, decreased last year from the prior year. Section 221(d)3 garden buildings reported the lowest maintenance costs at $0.33 per square foot. Section 202 low-rise buildings reported the highest maintenance costs at $0.99 per square foot.

Elevator buildings reported median net operating income ranging from $4.14 to $7.40 per square foot; low-rise buildings ranging from $2.94 to $4.84 per square foot; and garden buildings ranging from $3.82 to $7.25 per square foot.

With regard to turnover ratio during 2012, federally assisted properties reported the number of new tenants moving into their building to be 14 percent of total apartments in an elevator building, 27 percent in a low-rise building, and 24 percent in a garden-type property. Conventionally financed apartments experienced a turnover rate ranging from 40 to 52 percent.

In terms of operating ratios (the total of all expenses divided by total actual collections and expressed as a percentage) those for all Section 202 buildings increased. The highest operating ratio, 75 percent, was reported for low-rise Section 202 buildings; the lowest operating ratio, 41 percent, was reported for garden Section 8 Elderly/Handicapped buildings.

more study speciFics The IREM® Income/Expense Analysis® research study breaks down operating figures into several categories, such as building type, subsidy type, property size and property age. Regional and city reports are also included. compAnion product trAcks dAtA over 10-plus yeArs A new state-of-the-art product called the Income/Expense Analysis Online Lab is available as a companion product for the research study.

The Lab is an interactive website with 24/7 access that enables purchasers to download over 10 years of historical federally assisted apartment data – including over 100 customizable line-item variables – and compare it to the operating data in their individual portfolios. pricing The 224-page Income/Expense Analysis®: Federally Assisted Apartments report is available to IREM® Members and non-members for $212.95 and $424.95, respectively, plus shipping and applicable state sales tax. Internet users can order the study in soft cover or in a downloadable format by accessing the Publications section (click on Income/ Expense Analysis® Reports on the drop-down menu) of the IREM® web site at www.irem.org. As a special incentive, purchasers of the print re-

port also can receive it in downloadable Excel file and PDF format for just $99.99, with the data completely customizable in Excel.

The companion Online Lab is priced at $292.95 for IREM® Members and $584.95 for non-members.

For information on corporate discounts available for multiple users of the product in a given firm, contact Matthew O’Hara at mohara@irem. org, or phone 1-800-837-0706, ext.

6025. ordering inFormAtion To order any of the Income/Expense Analysis®: Federally Assisted Apartments’ products, contact the IREM® Customer Service Department at 430 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-4090 or call toll-free to (800) 837-0706, ext. 4650. Credit card orders (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express) can be faxed toll-free to (800) 338-4736 or e-mailed to custserv@irem.org.

Four other 2013 i/e AnAlysis studies And compAnion lAbs AvAilAble IREM also has just published new 2013 editions of four other annual Income/Expense Analysis® studies, each of which has a companion Lab. The categories covered: Office Buildings; Conventional Apartments; Shopping Centers; Condominiums, Cooperatives & Planned Unit Developments. Pricing and other information is available in the Publications

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20th Annual Property Management Industry Educational Conference & Tradeshow

September 19th, 2013 Oregon Convention Center

speakers, topics and bios

Note: To get the most out of our classes, please do not bring cell phones, pagers, or children into the classrooms.

education session 1 9:10 am-10:00 am Forms: the good, the bAd & the ugly (1 ceu) The Oregon Rental Forms are meant to serve and protect you and your property. Maximize your knowledge and ensure you are operating with the full weight of landlord/tenant law on YOUR side. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly covers critical move-in forms, the most-used termination forms and others that are essential to the operation of the tenancy.

Monica Skee, Income Property Management Forms: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Monica began her career with the US Army before becoming a Leasing Agent for CTL Management. She received CTL’s Gold Medal Manager award three years in a row. In 2002, she moved to Guardian management, beginning as a site manager of

the second-largest community in the company’s portfolio. Soon, she was working with the Acquisitions Department where she managed newly purchased properties at their onset and assisted with several others. Monica joined HNN Associates in 2005. She assisted in the creation of a new company, and was also responsible for the management of a tax-credit lease up. In 2007, Monica moved to Princeton Property Management and into portfolio management, overseeing the management of conventional properties. In 2012, Monica joined the IPM team, where she expanded her portfolio management experience from conventional properties to condominium HOA management.

FAir housing: pitbulls & other hAiry topics (1 ceu) In April, 2013, HUD issued a notice regarding service and assistance animals. Learn how this notice provides your guide to handling pit-

bull scenarios, reasonable accommodations, and other hairy situations.

Jeffrey S. Bennett, Warren Allen, LLP Fair Housing: Pitbulls & Other Hairy Topics Jeffrey S. Bennett is a partner in the Portland law firm of Warren Allen LLP. A member of the Oregon, Washington and Idaho state bars, Mr. Bennett is the head of his firm’s Landlord law department, a municipal judge for Maywood Park, and a Hearings Examiner for the Clackamas County Housing Authority. He has specialized in residential and commercial landlord/tenant law for the past two decades, and is also a business and real estate attorney. Mr. Bennett’s articles have appeared in The Business Journal, Apartments Northwest, and in other media, and he is a frequent lecturer at regional seminars. His business and real estate practice involves entity formations, contract negotiations, commercial litigation, real estate transactions and other civil litigation.

“mold” your mind (1 ceu) Do you know the do’s and don’ts for handling mold issues? Let Clint teach you how to check for mold in your units and what to do when you find it!

Clint Arp, J. R. Johnson, Inc. “Mold” Your Mind Clint brings more than 25 years of emergency response project management and estimating experience to J.R. Johnson, Inc. His education, training and certifications in the restoration industry include specialized rescue training, hazardous materials technician training, Applied Structural Drying, Fire / Smoke Restoration, and Odor Control. Clint also holds a Fire Science degree, Firefighter Level 2 Certification, Applied Microbial Remediation Specialist Certification, Hazardous Materials Technician Certification, and is certified as an Xactimate Level 3 Estimator. With experience, education, and dedication to his clients, Continued on page 13

See You at Spectrum 2013!

Spectrum Educational Conference and Tradeshow 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd., Hall E Portland, Oregon 97232 Thursday, September 19, 2013 • 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Stop by and chat with the City of Portland’s Multifamily Waste Reduction staff. We’ll be at Metro’s Recycle at Home booth #54 to answer questions about: Recycling do’s and don’ts Reducing waste with reuse Recycling at move-out Other steps to keep your properties green and sustainable Free technical assistance and educational materials

Multifamily Resource Line: 503-823-7224 Online: www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/multifamily Email: multifamily@portlandoregon.gov 12

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Speakers ...continued from page 12 Clint has helped to put J.R. Johnson on the map as a leading restoration contractor in the Pacific Northwest.

ApArtment Fires?

WAnt to reduce them? come get the tools!

(1 ceu) Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) personnel present their International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) award-winning Fire Reduction Program for Multi-Family Housing. Landlords, property managers and staff play a pivotal role in emphasizing fire and life safety in the communities they manage and own, and this partnership is based on TVF&R’s research and experience in a multi-family setting. The program considers tenant/landlord communication barriers, provides research-based smoke alarm education, code information, and human behavior. Retired Fire Chief Jeff Johnson states, “Here and across the nation the largest percentage of lifeloss to fire occurs in multi-family occupancies. These fires not only threaten tenants, but also responding firefighters.” TVF&R’s researchbased program educates and empowers landlords and provides them with the tools to help make their complex safer. Johnson adds, “I believe that this concept of partnering with the community is a road map for TVF&R, as well as the fire

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

service. While I am honored that TVF&R was recognized by the IAFC, I am more excited about the potential for this program to be shared, in hopes that lives will be saved.”

Joanne Hatch, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Fire, Food or Blood: Preparing for the Worst coming FAce-to-FAcebook With sociAl mediA (1 ceu) Social media has become a necessary part of any robust marketing campaign, but what is the best way to utilize it? This moderated Q&A session will allow you access to 3 highly experienced multifamily marketing professionals. Find out how they have capitalized on the various social media offerings and how you can bring that back to your community or portfolio of communities.

They'll cover common mistakes and the best ways to find success in your social media campaigns as well as address attendee questions. Have a question for the panel? Email us at info@multifamilynw.org, post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ multifamilynw #Spectrum2013 or tweet us @multifamnw #Spect rum2013

Meghan Hill, Guardian Management Coming Face-to-Facebook with Social Media Meghan joined Guardian Real Estate Services in 2010 as the Director of Marketing. She leads marketing programs for the company’s corporate initiatives as well as the 15,500 residential units under management throughout the western region.

Meghan brings over 8 years of real estate and multifamily marketing experience that includes work with new construction lease ups as well as conventional, affordable, and senior housing. She is responsible for the development and implementation of multi-faceted marketing programs that include branding and positioning, print and digital marketing, social media, SEO, advertising, client services and public relations. She serves on Guardian’s leadership team and plays a key role in business development.

Mary Daggett, Mdaggett Creative Coming Face-to-Facebook with Social Media Mary Daggett has worked in the property management industry since 2001. In 2010, she created MDaggett Creative to help small businesses and non-profit organizations utilize social media to get in touch with clients and members, spread the word

to new audiences, and build their communities. She believes social media mixes an organization’s public relations, marketing, and customer relations efforts into an effective and beneficial conversation.

In addition to her responsibilities at MDaggett Creative, Mary has volunteered with Multifamily NW working on the ACE Awards, Spectrum, and Marketing Committees. She served on the Board from 2009-2011. She is currently the chair of the Marketing Committee and introduced Multifamily NW to the wonderful world of social media.

Angela Flick, Riverstone Residential Coming Face-to-Facebook with Social Media Angela Flick manages strategic marketing planning and execution for the West Division (approximately 450 apartment communities, 80,000 units), and works closely with the marketing team on the ground in each region to seek out opportunities for marketing excellence. Angela is experienced in developing marketing campaigns that incorporate technological advancements, reflect industry trends, and remain within budget guidelines. Angela began her marketing career in 1999 in commercial property management, where ...continued from page 14

13

Speakers ...continued from page 13 she oversaw marketing efforts for shopping centers. She made the transition to multifamily property management in 2005. Before joining Riverstone, Angela worked on developing marketing campaigns and strategies at Simpson Property Group and ConAm Management.

Accentuate the positive: Feature & benefit selling (1 ceu) Structured in a unique role-play setting, this class will entail all of the real-life property management sales, customer service and retention techniques. Guaranteed to provide refreshers, new ideas and motivation to remain positive.

Korah Young, GSL Properties Accentuate the Positive: Feature & Benefit Selling Korah Young's 20+ years in property management contribute to her down-to-earth, but professional style of training that can be applied to real life sales/leasing situations.

Currently, Korah is the District Property Supervisor for GSL Properties, Inc. and oversees 1800+units.

renting A-Z: A singleFAmily perspective (1 ceu) A fast-paced class designed to offer the single-family home property manager’s perspective. This class will include tips for marketing, management agreements, rental agreements and addenda, inspections and office staffing. There will be a Q&A segment at the end of the presentation.

Chris Hermanski, Mainlander Property Management Renting A-Z: A Single-Family Perspective Chris Hermanski, President and Owner of Mainlander, has been managing residential and commercial properties in and around Portland since coming to town in 1981. Chris was born and raised in Southern California and has a degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University. As both an owner/ investor and fee manager, Chris has held the Master Property Manager designation since 1997. He also holds an Oregon Brokers License, and is a founding member of the local chapter of the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) and served as its president in 1997 and again from 2005 to 2008. In addition to his local leadership, Chris was National President

of NARPM in 2003 and served on the national board from 1998 to 2004. don’t pAint yourselF into A corner (1 ceu) Spend time with experienced General Contractors and veteran Maintenance Supervisors and learn how to maximize your dollars when working with a contractor. This openforum class will cover effective use of Request For Proposals (RFPs) and how to avoid common mistakes in requesting multiple bids for repairs or capital projects. Everything from minor repairs to large scale remodels will be covered with a focus on making sure you get the best results for the right cost and minimal headache.

Shawn Aldridge, SA.GE General Contracting Don’t Paint Yourself Into a Corner Shawn Aldridge started SA.GE General Contracting in 2006 with the desire to build a company known for its great customer service. After many years running large exterior paint jobs in and around the Portland area, he earned his general contracting license. His customers appreciate the attention to detail and the personal touch that comes from working with a smaller company. SA.GE has been very active in the Multifamily NW association with participation

on several committees including Spectrum, Service and the Maintenance Fair committee.

David Larsen, SA.GE General Contracting Don’t Paint Yourself Into a Corner David is a Project Manager for SA.GE General Contracting, exclusively serving the multi-family industry. He previously held positions with Riverstone and Alliance Residential as a Maintenance Supervisor for mixed-use apartment communities. Prior to entering the Multi-Family housing field, David owned and operated a general contracting company offering services to single-family home owners, multifamily units and commercial buildings. He has over 12 years combined experience in maintenance, construction and management. David participates in Metro Multifamily Housing's Service Committee as a House Captain and committee organizer for the annual project Rebuilding Together Portland.

Wes White, Riverstone Residential Don’t Paint Yourself Into a Corner Wesley White’s 14-year career with Riverstone Residential Group started as a groundskeeper. After 18 Continued on page 15

From rental applications to pet agreements, Multifamily NW has all the forms you need for managing residential rental properties.

With over 20 years of experience behind our rental forms, our forms continue to offer the highest degree of reliability and the best value in the region. Our goal is to provide the simplest, most accurate and most useful forms on the market. View the forms at multifamilynw.org.

14

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Speakers ...continued from page 14 months, his skills were quickly recognized and he was moved into an Assistant Maintenance Manager position on 400 units. About 2 years later he was promoted to Maintenance Manager, where he successfully worked side-by-side with TCR in the coordination and completion of a $3 million capital improvement project.

He now oversees the Deveraux Glen project as a Senior Maintenance Manager on a 506-unit site. He also currently oversees a property called Monterey Springs. He has also been an ACE Trainer for the Oregon portfolio for the past 3 years.

education session 2 10:30 am-11:20 am tAx credit primer (1 ceu) Have you been thinking about owning and/or managing a low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) property but don’t know much about the LIHTC program? Then this session is for you! There will be a small presentation covering the background of the LIHTC program, the players, the qualified allocation plan and the basic LIHTC rental rules for keeping a property in compliance with the program. There will be Q&A throughout the entire session.

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Kimberly Taylor, Housing Development Center Tax Credit Primer Kimberly Taylor joined Housing Development Center as an Asset Management Project Manager in August, 2010. She has worked in the affordable housing industry since 1999, with a focus on asset management and compliance.

WAshington lAndlord/ tenAnt lAW This course creates an interactive environment in which attendees can get specific questions answered on real-world situations that they encounter. The class begins where all tenancies begin—with the rental application. Then, by chronological succession, it takes you through rental agreements, various addendums, and special circumstances. Finally, it covers end-of-tenancy scenarios with the corresponding termination notice to serve, and explains refunding deposits and abandoned property rules.

estate property development company that purchased commercial/ mixed-use buildings in Portland.

Aaron worked directly with sellers, financial institutions, Portland Development Commission, leasing agents and others to redevelop the buildings, from asbestos-ridden blight to beautiful income-generating assets. Aaron’s hands-on experience has been instrumental in his practice of consulting with clients on a wide range of landlord/tenant law issues.

bottoms up: A revenue mAnAgement reFresher (1 ceu) This class will help you understand your budget and provide insight on how to create a strategic income and expense plan that will positively impact your financial statements. The keys to a successful budget and bottom line include: Planning, Directing, Monitoring, Organizing and Controlling. Topics will range from entry level to supervisory level. This will be a fast paced course with lots of give-aways!

Continued on page 16

Aaron Matusick, Bittner & Hahs, P.C. Washington Landlord/Tenant Law Aaron Matusick spent the first several years of practice developing practical, hands-on skills that help owners of business and real estate property succeed. Immediately out of law school, Aaron formed a real

15

Speakers ...continued from page 15 Greg Knakal, Princeton Property Management Bottoms Up: A Revenue Management Refresher Greg Knakal (prounced Ka-nockall) has been in the Property Management industry for the last 19 years. He was the 2009 President of Multifamily NW (formerly MMHA) and has been a member of the board for the last six years. For the last 11 years, Greg has worked for Princeton Property Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager. In 2008, Multifamily NW named one of Greg’s properties, Bull Mountain Heights, the ACE Property of the Year. Greg is responsible for supervising approximately 20 properties and over 1,000 units. In the past, Greg was an instructor for the National Apartment Association, worked for a national property management company, and also played a role as a Principal Real Estate Broker for a national real estate company. In addition, Greg owns and manages his own investment properties. the poWer to impAct: leAdership & communicAtion (1 ceu) Effective communication skills are a powerful tool essential to every leader. Famous entrepreneurs are known for their skilled communication with employees, vendors, investors and clients. It is one of the most vital traits they must have. In this

class we will review what successful business people and world leaders have mastered with tips and techniques to improve your power to impact as a leader.

Pam McKenna, Riverstone Residential The Power to Impact: Leadership & Communication Pam McKenna is responsible for a Riverstone Residential Group portfolio consisting of 10 communities with over 2,000 apartment homes in the Inland Northwest. She supervises a district manager with a complex portfolio comprised of 28 entities.

She holds experience with lease ups, dispositions, senior housing, and downtown high-rise and conventional garden-style communities. She also has expertise in areas including marketing, leasing, repositioning, executing rehabilitation plans, achieving rapid and sustained leasing success and strong operating performance, and recruiting top talent.

Active in the multifamily industry since 1997, Pam has successfully transitioned 41 properties in three states, and has been an active board member for Multifamily NW for over 12 years, currently serving as vice president of the executive committee.

it’s not mAgic: hoW to close (1 ceu) Discover the secrets of expert closers! Understand how to uncover hidden objections and overcome them with confidence. Know what your customers really want to hear, and more! This course will provide you the techniques needed to increase your closing ratio and get more leases!

Heather Mallette, Riverstone Residential It’s Not Magic: How to Close Heather currently develops and presents leadership, sales and service oriented education solutions on the West Coast. She first joined Riverstone Residential Group in 2003 as a Property Manager in New York, where she also co-chaired the Education Committee for the Greater Hudson Valley Apartment Association. She has 15 years of experience in the multifamily industry, including onsite positions such as Tax Credit Manager, Leasing Manager, and Property Manager.

Her expertise includes associate recruiting and development, curriculum development, associate and resident retention and the impartation and implementation of the skills needed to increase profit for clients.

In addition, Heather is a certified John Maxwell Team coach, trainer and speaker and is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course.

mAintenAnce tips For the oFFice teAm (1 ceu) As a property manager, you want ensure that your office team and maintenance team work effectively together. What would your maintenance team ask of you, the property manager? How can you help the maintenance department and your residents by helping your office team understand a maintenance person’s day?

Ryan Ridgeway, Prometheus Real Estate Group Maintenance Tips for the Office Team Ryan Ridgeway started in the apartment industry in 1998 as a porter/groundskeeper. He currently oversees maintenance, housekeeping and capital improvements for Prometheus’s Portland portfolio. His goal is to provide the highest level of service in the maintenance field that’s achievable in the industry. Ryan has the Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician credential and teaches plumbing, electrical and other maintenance classes. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and his specialties include: EPA, CPO, crime free, 5 star certification and natural gas certification.

Continued on page 17

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Speakers ...continued from page 16

blockbuster ideAs For single-FAmily rentAls (1 ceu) Are you managing your rental properties or are they managing you?

This class offers many techniques to assist you in marketing your properties, avoiding scams, and drawing the right tenants, as well as caring for your property and tenants in the process. You will walk away with a refreshed outlook and tools to owning or managing your single-family residence.

Jamie Chimpky, Williamette & Bend Rental Guides Blockbuster Ideas for Single-Family Rentals Jamie Chimpky has been a Certified Residential Manager, and is the Founder of the Willamette & Bend Rental Guides™ has serviced over 10 years in the property management industry, and over 8 years’ experience in advertising sales and marketing to multi-family & single family homes.

Future leAders: motivAting your mAintenAnce teAm (1 ceu) Leadership and motivation: this class will present goals, techniques and discussion points for achieving your team’s potential. With changing technology and generational inter-

ests, the challenge of leadership is always evolving. We will address common and uncommon mistakes, successes and proven methods for motivating your team. There will be a specialized focus on individual and generational responses to stress, monotony, pressure and expectations.

Will Hays, CTL Management, Inc. Future Leaders: Motivating Your Maintenance Team Will Hays is the Maintenance Training Coordinator for CTL Management, Inc. He is the Maintenance Manager for 330 units in Eugene, OR. Will has been in the property management and maintenance industry for 23 years and has presented classes at Spectrum, Trends and more.

reAsonAble AccommodAtions: WhAt to knoW beFore you hAve to Write the check!

(1 ceu) Don’t be caught off guard when a resident or applicant requests an exception to a policy or asks for a modification to the rental unit. This class will detail the steps a landlord or property manager must take for

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Serving Oregon and SW Washington Since 1997 The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Jo Becker, Fair Housing Council of Oregon Reasonable Accommodations: What to know before you have to write the check!

As a former Realtor(R), Jo Becker was involved with her local Realtor(R) association's Equal Opportunity/ Cultural Diversity Committee for eight years, serving as a long-time member and former chair. She also served on the association's Board of Directors. It was here that Jo first met the folks at the Fair Housing Council (FHCO) and learned about the Continued on page 18

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the reasonable accommodation process and the verification that guides a final decision. Landlords that breeze through this process without proper documentation or allow their gut instinct or whim to dictate their decision are frankly fast-tracked to the misery or defending a fair housing complaint. The inconvenience of having to allow a policy exception pales in comparison to writing a bankrupting fair housing lawsuit check.

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Speakers ...continued from page 17 important work they do. Jo is proud to have served the FHCO since 2005 and pleased to have the opportunity to further her interests in assuring fair and equitable housing for all. As a former licensee, she brings a unique perspective to the organization and truly appreciates the housing providers' perspective.

Leah Sykes, Bittner & Hahs, P.C. Reasonable Accommodations: What to know before you have to write the check!

Leah Sykes was born and raised in Canada. Before coming to the United States for law school, she received the British Columbia Entrance Scholarship to her undergraduate Simon Fraser University. She also received a scholarship to attend Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, where she received her law degree. Her areas of practice in the tri-county area place emphasis on landlord/tenant law, employment law and civil litigation.

First AppeArAnces: “you thought this WAs gonnA be eAsy?” (1 ceu) This course re-creates the life of an eviction filing, focusing on the “First Appearance.” Attendees will learn the ins and outs of the different local court rules and how to successfully navigate the process. We will focus

on how to file an eviction, what to expect at the First Appearance and where to go from that point in the process.

Aaron Matusick, Bittner & Hahs, P.C. First Appearances: “You Thought This Was Gonna Be Easy?” mock Fed triAl: everything And the kitchen sink (1 ceu) FED trials can be challenging, wild, and even entertaining. Watch Jeffrey S. Bennett preside over his team of attorneys as they duke it out in this "based on real events" collection of courtroom scenarios.

Everything in this FED mock trial has happened before, from the technicalities to the absurdities. Watch, enjoy, and learn how to improve your odds of winning FEDs. Jeffrey S. Bennett, Warren Allen, LLP Mock FED Trial: Everything and the Kitchen Sink mAke your critics disAppeAr: customer service tips & tricks (1 ceu) In this session, Lisa Rose gives tips to provide excellent customer service to everyone you come into contact with in your career. Providing cus-

NEW LISTINGS! Westbrook Apts The WestbrookThe Apartments

tomer service right the first time will make your career easier and reduce unsatisfied residents and unnecessary turnover. Ray Kroc said, “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.”

Lisa Rose, Riverstone Residential Make Your Critics Disappear: Customer Service Tips & Tricks Lisa Rose oversees a Riverstone Residential Group portfolio consisting of over 18,000 units in Oregon and SW Washington. As an operational vice president, she has extensive experience working with regional managers to maximize operating performance, achieving revenue goals through calculated rent positioning, and adhering to strict internal cost control measures to minimize property expenses. During her 15-year tenure at Riverstone, Lisa has held positions including regional manager, district manager, senior property manager, property manager, regional Yardi trainer, leasing manager, and leasing associate. She has been active in the property management industry since 1996. Lisa is currently a trainer with Multifamily NW, and has served on several of its committees as well as its board of directors.

leAsing buckAroo & rodeo round-up (1 ceu) Cowboy up! This leasing class is sure to rope you in, covering real-life leasing skills and resources, marketing, training, customer service, Fair Housing and more!

Korah Young, GSL Properties Leasing Buckaroo & Rodeo Round-Up reAd betWeen the lines: decoding the truth behind common obJections (1 ceu) A sales objection can be a frustrating thing for any sales professional.

One thing that a proactive sales professional needs to learn is that a “no” is not the end of the sales process.

With some helpful tips on overcoming obstacles, any sales associate can examine the customer’s statements and turn an objection into a sales opportunity. By being proactive and attempting to work with the prospect to overcome his or her objections, you can create a great foundation for a long-term relationship based on meeting the prospect's needs. In this class we will focus on listening closely, asking the right questions and product knowledge.

Bring your iPhone or Android for a fun, interactive class.

Continued on page 19

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Speakers ...continued from page 18 Jennifer Hughes, Commerce Properties Read Between the Lines: Decoding the Truth Behind Common Objections Jennifer joined Commerce Properties in April, 2012 as a Portfolio Manager. She is currently responsible for day-to-day operations of a portfolio consisting of four luxury properties and two commercial retail centers.

Jennifer ’s experience includes working for Affinity Property Management and Guardian Management as a Portfolio Manager specializing in conventional, affordable and tax-credit projects. Jennifer enjoys spending her free time with her adorable four year old daughter.

Tavia Moynihan, Riverstone Residential Read Between the Lines: Decoding the Truth Behind Common Objections Tavia Moynihan is a veteran of the multifamily industry, having started her career in 1998. She has a unique approach in creating strong relationships within the industry through her marketing and sales experience.

She manages close to 250 properties in the Pacific Northwest for Riverstone Residential, creating and executing new marketing strategies and campaigns. She works closely with the operation teams and clients providing a supportive and consul-

The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

tative approach for all marketing efforts and initiatives, accelerating the marketing technology and methodology into practice.

Tavia began her career as a property manager and made her transition to marketing and sales in 2005 when she joined Primedia in the Apartment Guide and Rental Homes division, where she was responsible for driving advertising lead growth through print publication and internet advertising products.

A lAndlord’s guide to FAir housing (1 ceu) Overview of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988.

• Current enforcement activities • The misunderstandings about reasonable accommodation and assistance animals • The need for serious and reasonable rental criteria that needs to be in writing and made available to applicants; proper application process • New litigation on Disparate Impact for protected groups under Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

David Halseth, Background Investigations A Landlord’s Guide to Fair Housing David Halseth is currently the Chairman of the BI Group, which includes Background Investigations, Inc., Oregon Credit Systems, Inc. and Onecreditsource.com, LLC. Involved the multifamily industry for 28 years, his experience includes positions as property manager and rental property owner. He is currently serving on or has served on the board of directors for the Multifamily Housing Council of Oregon, Multifamily NW, Multifamily Charity Golf

Tournament, Inc., Secretary for the Portland Citizens Disability Advisory Committee, State of Oregon Energy Advisory Committee, State of Oregon Governors Re-entry Housing Program, and the Fair Housing Council of Oregon. Mr. Halseth is also managing partner of commercial real estate companies Tjahjadi and Halseth Development, LLC and Bolton Commercial Center, LLC, which provide tenant and employment screening and collections services as well as fair housing training for landlords.

Continued on page 20

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Speakers ...continued from page 19 mAstering the 72-hour turn (1 ceu) Many people say that 72-hour turnover is the industry standard or goal. Others say it is impossible. So who is right? Should we lower our standards or really dig in and see what it takes to actually perform 72-hour turns in reality? We say DIG IN. This class will take you minute by minute through the secret steps that top turnover performers use when approaching vacant units, and the pitfalls of those who can’t make it happen. Come see how it is done, so that your staff can start hitting those 72-hour turn goals. This class is not about how to perform turns—it’s about how to excel at them. It will be like no other turnover class you have seen.

Institute, and is a Community Education Faculty Member at Portland Community College. He also trains and consults locally with Multifamily NW (formerly MMHA), AHMA, RHA and NARPM, and is the Chair of the NW Maintenance Coalition.

education session 4 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm

Kimberly Taylor, Housing Development Center Tax Credit Pro

Andy Hahs, Bittner & Hahs, P.C. Oregon Landlord/Tenant Law Andy Hahs is a partner at the law firm of Bittner & Hahs, based in Portland, and sits on Multifamily NW’s Board of Directors. Mr. Hahs has focused his practice on Oregon and Washington Landlord-Tenant law and has conducted educational sessions about it throughout the area.

He has been instrumental in the creation of Multifamily NW’s forms and has successfully guided property managers through the intricacies of Oregon’s and Washington’s Landlord and Tenant Act for years.

oregon lAndlord/tenAnt lAW (1 ceu) These courses create an interactive environment in which attendees can get specific questions answered on real-world situations that they encounter. This course is an abbreviated version of our regular 2-part course. It will begin where all tenan-

WAys to impAct resident retention (1 ceu) Does your property provide a community where residents want to stay and are 100% satisfied? During this session learn how to provide excellent customer service, hold resident events, build social media, use resident surveys. By increasing resi-

tAx credit pro (1 ceu) Building on our discussion from the morning session, “Tax Credit Primer,” this presentation will cover what financing a low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) deal looks like, how to calculate LIHTCs, a sample project timeline and the trouble with layering LIHTCs with other affordable housing programs. There will be Q&A throughout the entire session.

Zach Howell, Cascade Management, Inc. Mastering the 72-hour Turn Zach is Director of Maintenance Operations for Cascade Management, Inc. He is a nationally Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician carrying more than a decade of experience within the multifamily housing and construction industries, and is a valued advocate for the Apartment Maintenance trade. He currently serves as Subject Matter Expert for the National Apartment Association and Training Director for the Apartment Maintenance

cies begin—with the rental application. Then, by chronological succession, the class takes you through rental agreements, various addendums, and special circumstances.

Finally it will cover end-of-tenancy scenarios with the corresponding termination notices to serve, and explains refunding deposits and abandoned property rules.

dent retention the results are amazing, satisfied residents, a community where residents care about the exterior and interior of the property, reduced turnover and increase resident referrals.

Pam McKenna, Riverstone Residential Resident Retention: Don’t Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em Lisa Rose, Riverstone Residential Resident Retention: Don’t Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em Heather Mallette, Riverstone Residential Resident Retention: Don’t Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em humAn resources & the executive leAder (1 ceu) Learn how improving your leadership abilities, using emotional intelligence (“EQ”) and being aware of your own management style can elevate the effectiveness of the human resource component embedded in the responsibilities of most real estate managers.

• Collect the ingredients needed for leadership excellence; • Help ensure successful one-on-one and group collaboration; • Remove the apprehension of directContinued on page 21

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Speakers ...continued from page 20 report evaluations & discipline, and ultimately; • Watch your leadership abilities rise to the next level.

Julie Muir, IREM Human Resources & the Executive Leader Julie L. Muir, CPM® is a Senior Real Estate Manager with CBRE, the world's premier, full-service real estate services company. Ms. Muir entered the real estate management and brokerage community in 1983.

Prior to joining CBRE, Ms. Muir managed mixed use, conventional and low-income/tax credit residential communities and most recently, retail shopping centers, medical office, industrial assets in 7 states for 10 years. Passionately involved in IREM® both locally and nationally, Ms. Muir earned her Certified Property Manager (“CPM®”) designation in 1999. Ms. Muir is also an IREM® Instructor, teaching Ethics, Human Resources and Marketing.

She was awarded “Certified Property Manager of the Year” in 2001 by the local chapter, and was awarded IREM® Past President of the Year in 2008, 2011 and 2012. Ms. Muir was a featured presenter at the 2011 IREM® Forecast Breakfast in Portland, Oregon, is a trainer and motivational speaker and has spoken at numerous other functions in both local and national arenas. mind your mAnners: emAil etiquette For the leAsing oFFice (1 ceu) eLeasing explores the ever-changing Internet resources and leasing tools available to maximize leads in an expanding, competitive marketplace.

Laura Lunsford, Princeton Property Management Mind Your Manners: Email Etiquette for the Leasing Office Laura Lunsford has been in the property management industry for 28 years, the last 13 with Princeton Property Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager. She is responsible for the performance of 22 multifamily properties throughout the greater Portland area. During her tenure she

has conducted extensive training in all aspects of property management with a special focus on marketing.

Laura enjoys sharing her knowledge of the industry with new associates.

FAir housing consistency in your leAsing strAtegy (1 ceu) This class will include: • Federal and local Fair Housing laws • Discussion of laws regarding Fair Housing • Federal protected categories • Differences between federal, state & local law • Examples of legal & illegal discrimination • Common errors regarding the leasing process • Common errors during the application process • Conducting Fair Housing friendly tours Sharon Jackman, SIG Services, LLC Fair Housing Consistency in Your Leasing Strategy Ms. Jackman is a NAHMA Certified Fair Housing trainer and brings over 25 years’ experience in training. She is certified in Fair Housing, Occupancy and Housing Credit Management. She serves as a speaker and resource for housing associations and government taskforce meetings as well as offers training in Fair Housing, HUD Occupancy and Effective Tenant Interviews. screening do’s & don’ts For single-FAmily rentAls (1 ceu) Do you know the ins and outs for screening applicants for single-family rentals? Come get an introduction (or refresher!) into Fair Housing, protected classes, rental criteria and tenant screening processes.

Sylvia Walker, A&E Landlord Services, LLC Screening Do’s & Don’ts for Single-Family Rentals Sylvia Walker has been in the Property Management industry for the last 13 years. In 2010, Sylvia started a leasing company, A&E Landlord Services, LLC. She assists residential landlords in the Portland Metro area with their leasing needs (i.e. advertising, screening process, collection of rents and deposits, and signing of all legal paperwork). She has been a member of Multifamily NW since 2010. Sylvia currently works at Princeton Property Management as a part-time Portfolio Manager. She is responsible for supervising approximately seven properties in the Portland Metro area. She has an Oregon Property Management License and also owns and manages her own investment properties. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Western Oregon University.

Kristi Martin, Background Investigations Screening Do’s & Don’ts for Single-Family Rentals Kristi Martin heads the Sales & Account Management team at Background Investigations, Inc., a company that specializes in comprehensive Tenant and Employment

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Screening. After obtaining a degree from Central Washington University in 1994, Kristi moved to Portland to hone her professional background in sales and corporate operations. Since joining Background Investigations in 2007, Kristi specializes in developing and maintaining client partnerships and identifying and implementing the best screening solutions for their needs, including criteria consultation and market analysis. She is also an active member in local industry housing associations serving on several committees and providing educational presentations to on-site and corporate housing staff. it’s All About the money: sAve With preventAtive mAintenAnce (1 ceu) It is always less expensive to repair items today than next year. Find out how to save with a proper preventative maintenance program, how to set one up using the most current practices, and how to use these preventative maintenance checklists and reports to forecast future expenses and capital repairs.

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ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT PAULA CONWAY, PGE Energy Expert

Q:

High-Efficiency Clothes Washers Offer a Fast ROI

Do high-efficiency clothes washers pencil out for common-area laundry rooms?

A: Yes, high-efficiency, frontloading commercial washers are an excellent investment because they can significantly reduce your property’s water, sewer and energy costs.

In addition, for each qualifying model that you purchase, you could receive a cash incentive of up to $300 per washer. High-efficiency washers offer such a quick return on investment that you may want to consider early retirement of any washers that are five years old or older.

Compared to standard, top-loading commercial models, high-efficiency commercial washers deliver the following benefits: lower operating costs, longer life • Up to 50 percent savings on energy costs • 30 percent reduction in water use, saving an average of 10 gallons of water per cycle (That’s about

10,000 gallons saved annually per commercial washer.)

• Five-to-10 year longer life expectancy • 300 percent reduction in soap use, saving residents money and reducing overall environmental impact larger capacity, superior cleaning, greater convenience • Wash up to 20 pounds of laundry or more per load compared to 10 to 15 pounds for a standard toploader (This allows residents to do fewer loads and offers you the opportunity to charge a higher vend price and increase vend revenue.)

• Remove more moisture, reducing both drying energy and time and improving the flow of traffic in the laundry room • Get clothes cleaner clothes with gentler action, resulting in less wear and tear • Some high-efficiency washers have web-linking technologies with notification abilities, so residents know exactly when a washer is free or their load is done

how to select a high-efficiency model The energy efficiency of a clothes washer is indicated by the Modified Energy Factor, which accounts for water heating energy and dryer energy associated with the washer’s use, and the Water Factor, which identifies the number of gallons needed for each cubic foot of laundry. The higher the MEF and lower the WF, the more efficient the clothes washer.

Read more below about what qualifies for cash incentives.

or lower. This information is readily available from manufacturers.

Energy Trust makes the process easy. You can purchase and install your new qualified equipment and submit paperwork later. Even leased machines qualify for incentives if the lease agreement is a minimum of seven years. Some installations may be subject to inspection. To learn more, sign up for a quick consultation with the PGE Energy Experts online at PortlandGeneral.com/Consult or by calling 800-822-1077.

cash incentives for commercial clothes washers Energy Trust of Oregon offers cash incentives to help you purchase qualified high-efficiency commercial clothes washers for multifamily properties. Cash incentives for qualifying commercial models include: • $300 per washer if the property has electric hot water heating* • $200 per washer if the property has natural gas hot water heating* To qualify for Energy Trust incentives, clothes washers must have an MEF of 2.0 or greater and a WF of 6.0

* Energy Trust cash incentives are available to Oregon customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas. Incentives are subject to change.

If you have questions you’d like to have answered in future columns, please e-mail Sarah.Pagliasotti@pgn.com.

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

In

strong rental markets, many leasing employees are faced with the wonderful challenge of being 100% leased. Some apartments are being rented “sight unseen,” and perhaps there are only a few days in any given month where vacant apartments are available to look at before the new residents move in. For communities that have rented and done away with their model apartments, many leasing consultants are now in situations where they have nothing to show, even if they have unrented notices.

The following question expresses this dilemma and the leasing consultant’s frustration:

been pretty insistent about wanting to come by even when I don’t have an apartment they can see. Should I really be trying to set appointments when all I can do is hand out a floor plan and give a property tour?

A: This is a challenge, and yet a

unique and incredible opportunity for you to highlight and sell many other aspects of your community that you might not normally focus on during an apartment tour. EVERY caller should be extended an invitation to visit your community, whether you have an apartment to show or not. While a web site is just one of many “sales tools” at your disposal, it is not the only tool you have. What q: Our property consistently about your property and the many stays full and we typically rent our community benefits you have to offer? EvenMETRO, if you workARIZONA at a smaller notices almost as soon as they come VALLEY, in. When people call to inquire about community, you still have numerous an apartment and I don’t have any- benefits to sell. Perhaps it’s the locathing available to show, I will usually tion of your building and the many refer them to our web site or recom- area conveniences, which no one will mend that they call back at a later truly appreciate unless they make a date. I don’t want to waste their time visit and drive through the neighborFeb, Apr,available.

Jun, Aug, hood.Oct, MaybeDec you have an outstandif I don’t have anything However, lately some callers have ing maintenance staff that is highly

visible that a prospective resident would observe hard at work when visiting your community. What about your friendly residents who are out and about? The ones who smile and cheerfully say “Hello” to everyone they meet. Have you ever considered your existing residents as a “sales tool?” Then, last, but certainly not least, there is YOU!! No web site or other form of “inanimate” advertising can take the place of a warm, friendly and VERY enthusiastic person who is excited about their community and enjoys working there!

Of course it’s much “easier” to just refer someone to a web site or encourage them to check back with you when you have no apartments to show. After all, it does “appear” that you are trying to be “helpful.”

What NEWS if you extended an invitation APT. to visit instead? You would definitely have to expend some extra time and energy and get creative to sell your product in a new and creative way without a “visual.” Perhaps your enthusiastic personality could describe and demonstrate with such animation that you create your own “visual?”

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Of course you want to be honest about your apartment availability and not get your prospective renters so “worked up” that you sell them on renting an apartment that is not available for their time frame. On the other hand, maybe there is some flexibility with their move date.

Remember: Part of your job as a sales person is to convince the customer that what you have to offer is worth waiting for. . .

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Occupancy Standards 101 for Housing Providers

By Jo Becker, Fair Housing Council Serving Oregon and SW Washington Following is an article by King County Office of Civil Rights. While written with Washington state laws in mind, it is none-the-less relevant and instructive for housing providers across our service area of Oregon and SW Washington.

Occupancy standards are common in rental housing and are particularly applicable for private and professional landlords. However, we also, on occasion, see occupancy standards in condo and homeowners’ associations, as well as in manufactured home park settings making the following germane to all kinds of housing providers.

If you have a question about your rights or responsibilities under federal, state, or local fair housing laws, please visit us at www.FHCO.org or call our free Hotline at 800/424-3247 Ext. 2.

Have you heard that it's okay to limit occupancy to two persons per bedroom? Think again!

The ubiquitous two-per-bedroom occupancy standard is a very general guideline provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – IT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE! Fair housing enforcement agencies review a number of factors to determine whether an occupancy standard is overly restric-

tive. Establishing a two-per-bedroom standard without making a determination of its reasonableness for the specific unit may not protect you from a finding that the standard is overly restrictive. <In fact, we here at the FHCO have seen a growing body of case law across the country where housing providers with simplistic, across the board two-per-bedroom policies are losing disparate impact cases.> When a housing provider limits the number of occupants in a unit, it impacts families with children more severely than families without children. <It is illegal to deny housing to families with children simply because of the presence of children under 18 in the household under the Fair Housing Act and a occupancy policy that specifies the number of children verses people is a violation of the law. Restrictive occupancy standards can also have a disproportionate impact on some ethnic groups that, culturally and statistically have larger households. This may be due to more children than the current US norm or because of multigenerational families sharing the same living space. Therefore, two-per-bedroom policies may have an illegal, disparate impact on these

households too, based on the basis of race, color, national origin, or religion.> Under fair housing laws, housing providers can set reasonable occupancy standards that are based on business needs; however, the adverse effect of these standards on various protected classes requires that the housing provider justify the use of such standards. Each situation presents a unique set of facts.

HUD utilizes guidance from the "Keating Memo" (available at www.

FHCO.org/occupancy.htm), which considers a variety of factors, including the size and design of the bedrooms and the unit, the unit configuration, other physical limitations of the housing, the age of the children, and other relevant factors.

HUD's guidance notes that if a dwelling is governed by State or local governmental occupancy requirements, and the housing provider ’s occupancy policies reflect those requirements, HUD considers the governmental requirements as a special circumstance tending to indicate that the housing provider ’s occupancy policies are reasonable.

As a housing provider, knowledge of occupancy standards can assist you in making reasonable

business decisions in compliance with the fair housing laws. Here's what to do if you choose to establish an occupancy standard: 1) Measure! Get out the measuring tape and measure the rooms in your units – specifically the dimensions for each bedroom, living room, extra room, library, den, home office, or other room that may be used as a "sleeping space." It helps to develop a floorplan that clearly illustrates the size and configuration of the unit.

2) Find the applicable code! Find out which local zoning or building occupancy limitations (if any) apply to your unit, house, apartment complex or community. Apply this occupancy guideline to your units based on each unit's specific size and configuration determined in #1 above – the resulting number of occupants the applicable guideline allows is the basis for your occupancy standard!

3) Be prepared to substantiate business-related factors! If there are issues such as the age or condition of your dwelling and its accompanying systems (sewer, septic, electric, water, etc.) which require a more restrictive occupancy standard, be prepared to establish a clear relaContinued on page 25

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The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Occupancy ...continued from page 24 tionship between the businessrelated factor and the occupancy standard. For example, if a septic system has a limited capacity, be prepared to substantiate that factor by a statement from someone capable of making that determination.

Also, be prepared to show whether you looked at other ways to address a limited septic system that do not require a restrictive occupancy standard such as installing water-saving devices or more frequent pumping of the system.

Additional factors could be relevant in evaluating an occupancy standard case. For example, the enforcement agency may need to determine whether the occupancy standard is applied to the number of people or the number of children occupying a unit. <The latter is specifically illegal. Any occupancy standard you may have should indicate the number of people allowed; never the number of children allowed.> The enforcement agency may also look at whether there is a history of "adults only" rules, segregation of families, or rules directed only at children. Overall, the fair housing agency will determine whether there is any other information that supports or refutes the allegation that the occupancy standard is being used to bar or limit children <or other protected class, such as ethnicity> from occupancy.

Civil rights enforcement agencies work to protect the civil rights of all

regardless of protected class status.

They also have a responsibility to assist housing providers to make reasonable business decisions that are in compliance with fair housing laws. Each case presents a unique set of facts and is determined on a case-by-case basis; however, housing providers who establish occupancy standards based on the above criteria will have a head start.

For many years we at the FHCO have suggested a more conservative 2+1 recommendation (two-peopleper-bedroom plus one extra person for the unit). We have not seen housing providers get in trouble for a 2+1 policy. Given the growing body of case law around simplistic two-per-bedroom policies, we recommend this standard all the more strongly. Better yet, as the article above details, an occupancy policy should be unique to each unit or style of floorplan and be born out of a robust analysis of all the factors hinted at in the Keating Memo.

Additional case law suggests that including young children (under two years of age) as a person for the total body count of occupants is also problematic and we do not recommend it.

We suggest that housing providers think about the individual size of the dwelling and not adopt a blanket standard for all units. If the unit or the bedrooms are particularly large, you should consider even more liberal occupancy standards than you would otherwise.

A further word of caution: while the Keating Memo references the age of children, housing providers should use the utmost of caution and seek legal council before setting an occupancy policy that focuses on the age, beyond the recommendation to not count children under two years of age. In addition, it is not the purview of housing providers to predetermine who shall sleep in which rooms or with whom within an unit. These considerations are up to each individual family; not something that may be dictated by housing providers.

For more information, including a second article on the subject and additional resources, visit www.

FHCO.org/occupancy.htm. If you still have questions please call our Fair Housing Hotline at 800/4243247 Ext. 2.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a nonprofit serving the state of Oregon and SW Washington.

All rights reserved © 2013. Write jbecker@FHCO.org to reprint articles or inquire about ongoing content for your own publication.

To learn more…

Learn more about fair housing and / or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at www.FHCO.org.

Qs about this article? ‘Interested in articles for your company or trade association?

Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@FHCO. org or 800/424-3247 Ext. 150 Want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions?

Visit www.FHCO.org/pdfs/classlist. pdf.

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Don’t Tell The Truth Obey The Law How do, you as a property manager, respond when a potential applicant asks you for information about the racial, ethnic, religious or family composition of an available unit, neighborhood or complex? Think of your response carefully.

Such questions don’t necessarily mean that the questioner has the intent to discriminate, so we need to think seriously about how to handle these situations. Some landlords take the stance that such questions should be answered by “telling the truth”.

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That approach has downsides.

First, what is the truth? Hearsay is not truth. Something that may have been true at one time may no longer be true now, and there is always our individual disputed version of “the truth”. This version is based on our own life experiences and is rarely exactly the same as other people. In sports, we have independent authority figures, referees, which use their experience in the sport and knowledge of rules to decide what actually happens. However, in a landlord/ tenant interaction, when a prospective applicant asks about the composition of the population in a neighborhood, chances are that neither other versions of “the truth”, nor a referee, are usually present.

Next, even with what may seem to be a “truthful” answer, if the result is discrimination, then you have violated the fair housing laws. Intention is not the problem -- what happens is. If you accidently break fair housing laws, you are still likely to cause unintentional pain and suffering. The bottom line is breaking the law is breaking the law, no matter intent.

The most cautious approach to these kinds of questions is to explain what’s required of you under the law and the potential effects they may have on both you and the prospec-

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26

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Katie Poole – Hussa is a Licensed Property Manager, Continuing Education Provider and Principal at Smart Property Management in Portland, OR. She can be reached with questions or comments at Katie@SmartPM.co.

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tive tenant. By simply stating the state and federal laws you may be able to appease the questioner. You may also let them know that you do not have the information to give them, nor will you be gathering that information, because it has no bearing on renting the property.

What if you are the agent for the property owner and your client suggests that you should avoid renting the property to someone in a protected class? It is our fiduciary responsibility as their property manager to protect them. Explain to your client that making decisions based on discriminatory practices may violate fair housing laws and could subject them to substantial penalties. The have hired you to do a job, so make sure you’re doing it properly and within the laws to protect yourself and the client, regardless of whether they like it or not.

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503-221-1260 The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

Dear Maintenance Men:

By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez Dear Maintenance Men: We are taking out the old wood closet doors and putting in the mirrored sliding doors. What product would you use to fill where the door hinges were? I need something that dries quickly and won't bleed through the new paint.

Kim Dear Kim: We would use a product called Wood Filler by Bondo, then prime the repair followed by two coats of paint. Most two part wood fillers can be applied and be ready for sanding within fifteen minutes and ready for paint in twenty-five minutes. Use a disposable plastic putty knife to apply the filler and begin sanding as the filler starts to harden. If there are any remaining imperfections, apply a second thin skim coat of filler. After rough sanding the high points, use a block or electric sander to smooth and feather the edges.

If you cannot find the brand name Bondo, use any two-part wood filler product found at most hardware and home improvement stores.

TIP: It is better to fill in a deep repair with multiple layers verses one big layer.

Dear Maintenance Men: I have been hearing a lot about tankless water heaters lately. Are they better than the traditional water heater? Can I use one in my apartment building? Any information will be helpful.

Deanna Dear Deanna, That is a good question. A tankless water heater would sure free up some real estate in the laundry room of most apartment buildings. After getting your question, we did a bit of research on the subject. We have all heard the radio advertisements for various tankless water heaters saving a ton of money each month.

That might be true if you don’t consider the cost of the tank less heater & installation. The savings would also depend on the amount of use the heater gets. The tankless heater operates on demand, which means it only uses gas when someone opens a hot water faucet. On its face, that sounds great, but getting ambient temperature water to rise to 110 or 120 degrees in an instant takes a tremendous amount of energy. In theory a tankless water heater should supply hot water for as long as you needed it. If you exceed the heater’s flow rate and use more hot water than it can produce, there will be fluctuations in water temperature. A typical home tankless water heater flow rate is up to 5 gallons a minute. In a single shower setting that should be adequate. But, consider if a second valve is opened such as a dishwasher, laundry machine or even another shower. The flow rate will quickly exceed the heating capability of the heater. A commercial rated tankless heater’s flow rate is close to 10 gallons a minute. To meet the demands of a four-plex, you would need at least two commercially rated tankless heaters connected in a series. The tankless water heater cost & installation for an average home use system is between $2,500 and $4,500 depending on intended use or compatibility with existing plumbing. A commercial system for a small apartment building will average between $5,000 to over $8,000 at minimum. The chances are you will pay off The Landlord Times - Metro • September 2013

your 30-year mortgage before recouping the savings of the tankless water heater.

Another issue is service and parts availability. Tankless water heaters are far more sophisticated than a standard tank water heater; therefore the cost of parts and repair will be higher.

Bottom line is, we like the tankless water heaters for saving space, but we will still buy a standard tank water heater because of the cost and abundance of hot water available.

and rain may make them heavy causing the door to close or fall unexpectedly.

Check all property lighting and timers.

Remember: Preventive Maintenance is cheaper than Emergency Maintenance!

QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? We need more Maintenance Questions!!!

To see your maintenance question in the “Dear Maintenance Men:” column, please send submission to: Questions@BuffaloMaintenance.com Please “Like” us on Facebook.com/ BuffaloMaintenance

Dear Apartment Owners: Remember, the holiday season starts with Halloween and the demand on your properties only increases from there.

Check each stove and oven for proper operation, many residents only turn on their ovens at this time of year, and the problem may be as simple as a blown out pilot light. With the holidays comes heavier than normal use of the plumbing; it may be a good idea to snake out or hydro jet your main plumbing lines. In addition, send out a note to each resident explaining the proper use of the garbage disposal including what they should and should not put down the disposal unit. A few items to include on this “Do Not” list are: banana peels, potato skins, coffee grounds and any stringy food. Also, make sure they turn on the water before using the disposer and put down small amounts of food at a time. Using the disposer as a trash can and turning it on when full, will lead to a clog.

Christmas and other holidays also mean more people than usual walking on your property. Is your property safe?

What are some of the liabilities to worry about? Check trip and fall hazards. Do you have sprinkler heads sticking up above the grass near walkways? Use pop-up heads to solve this problem. Look for sidewalks that have been pushed up by tree roots. This can be solved with a concrete grinder or replacement of the concrete section and removal of the tree root. Cut any low hanging tree branches and look for branches that may break in heavy winter wind, rain or snow. Check your decking for cracks or damage and inspect the exterior stairways for wear and tear. Inspect all your garage door springs, winter wind

Call Gary at 503-490-1993 for more information.

27

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