The Landlord Times - Valley - March 2013 by Professional Publishing, Inc

VALLEY

Professional Publishing, Inc www.TheLandlordTimes.com

Vol. 17 Issue 3

March 2013

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

MONTHLY CIRCULATION TO MORE THAN 5,000 APARTMENT OWNERS, PROPERTY MANAGERS, ON-SITE & MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL Published in association with: METRO Multifamily Housing Association & Rental Owners Association

Multifamily Market Eugene By Anita Risberg, CCIM Senior Broker, HFO Investment Real Estate, Apartment Specialist The information selected is from the City of Eugene planning department, Multifamily NW (formerly Metro Multifamily Housing Association) 2012 statistics, sales comps and pending sale information. If you need greater details, additional information or have questions feel free to email me at anita@ hfore.com or call my direct number in our Portland office, 971-717-6336. It would be my pleasure to answer any questions you might have. Development for Apartments Due to escalating demand for apartments, in part fueled by an increase in student enrollment, Eugene has a large number of apartment properties planned and proposed for this coming year. Continued on page 3

6 Questions with Katie Poole-Hussa The Landlord Times recently caught up with Portland Oregon based property manager, landlord educator and Smart Property Management partner Katie PooleHussa. See what she has to say about motivation, inspiration and fundamentals in her life as a property management professionals. The Landlord Times: What’s your story? What is your background and how did you get into the property management industry? Katie Poole-Hussa: I had been a receptionist in the lumber industry for 6 years., and was attending college classes, as I was able, in an attempt to discover what I wanted to be when I grew up. Through the mandatory “Career And Life Planning” class that the college required of me, I was forced to explore my professional strengths & weaknesses. Test, after test, after test

Professional Publishing, Inc PO Box 30327 Portland, OR 972943327

repeatedly concluded that property management was where I was supposed to be. So, I listened. Right away I haphazardly submitted my two weeks notice, applied to every property management company that was hiring in the area, and crossed my fingers that the phone would ring. Thankfully it did. The local rental housing association president, and instructor of the property management certification program quickly hired me. What luck! I currently am a licensed property manager in the state of Oregon, an eviction specialist in the Portland area, and a continuing education provider for other licensees. I feel very appreciative that I discovered my niche so early on in life. I made the leap of faith seven years ago and I’ve never looked back. TLT: What is it about this industry that has kept you motivated and interested? KPH: My motivation to continue managing properties, providing evic-

Current Resident or

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460

tion services, and educating other landlords is to help landlords be better landlords. Education is key in this industry. Most often, the mistakes that I see landlords make are simply because they don’t know the laws. Well unfortunately that is not a legally recognized defense. Teaching other property managers and rental owners about laws and common business practices is thrilling to me and I don’t see an end to it anytime soon. As landlords, we must realize that we’re in an ever changing industry. Landlords should approach managing their rentals just like any other business. Do your research, attend workshops, join landlord associations, etc. The opportunities are out there if landlords are willing to make the time and spend a little money. It’s my opinion that you can’t afford not to. TLT: Who was the most influential person/mentor in the early part of your career? What did you learn from them? KPH: The most influential person in the early part of my career was actually a tenant. We’ll call her Nikki. Nikki was a tenant who came to our company just like all others, and it wasn’t until I moved her into the simple 1 bedroom downtown apartment was I even influenced by her. We met at the unit to complete the rental agreement. After collecting the proContinued on page 7

Dryer Vents: Inspection and Cleaning Submitted by Portland Chimney & Masonry, Inc. The vents of dryers serve the same purpose as the chimney of a fireplace: a way for exhaust to be allowed to get out of the building. Usually these vents are vented through the roof or out the side of your buildings. Either way, there must be a clear passage for the exhaust to get out. Structural: Under no circumstances should these vents be allowed to vent anywhere inside the building, such as an attic or the like. This is simply allowing the exhaust and flammable lint to be vented into an enclosed, often unattended area. This is a fire waiting to happen. Cleaning: The lint that is built up in these vents is highly flammable and must be cleaned out on a regular basis, as should the chimneys for fireplaces. If this lint were to catch on fire, it could cause severe damage to your property. According to the USFA (U.S. Fire Administration) “An estimated 2,900 clothes dryer fires in residential buildings are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. “Clothes dryer fire incidence in residential buildings was higher in Continued on page 8 Page 2

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Page 4

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT …

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

President's Message

MMHA President

Hello everyone. 2013 is proving to be an exciting year for you and your association. The Salem, Eugene, and Bend Councils continue to gain momentum, and we are seeing our membership grow throughout the region. We entered the year with a new name, and now Multifamily NW has a new, refreshed logo.

The new logo will represent us well as we continue to strive to be the

Association Promoting Quality Rental Housing. Most recently, we have extended our team of external allies by re-affiliating with the National Apartment Association. By doing so, we have increased our reach as an organization and at the same time greatly extended the level of benefits and value we offer to our members. As Multifamily NW continues to invest in its members, I believe now is a good time to step back and look at what makes an association strong. A solid name helps, as does a clear and concise mission. An attractive logo is

a plus, as is a solid group of members that are vested in our cause. But none of this holds any weight compared to the dedication and passion of Multifamily NW’s volunteers. The number-one challenge for any association is consistent recruitment of volunteers. As Multifamily NW continues to grow, so must the pool of members that donate their time to the association’s causes. The time commitment can be as little as one hour per month on a committee. Volunteering opens a huge networking opportunity, increases one’s ex-

Multifamily NW 2013 Events: MARK YOUR CALENDAR! March 18, 2013 • 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM ELEVATE: New Hire Class - Portland, OR March 18, 2013 • 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Fifty Shades of Fair Housing - Using Fair Housing Ting and Complaint Data to Improve your Business Processes (Portland, OR) March 19, 2013 • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ELEVATE: Fair Housing for Leasing Agents - Hillsboro, OR 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Seminar: Energy and Water

Portland, OR March 20, 2013 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Webinar: Saving with Appliances 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Webinar: Saving with Appliances March 21, 2013 • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM ELEVATE: Mold Awareness Portland, OR 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Seminar: Irrigation Trends & Technologies 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - SWV Education: Landlord / Tenant Law Part 2 ONLY - Eugene, OR

March 22, 2013 • 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM ELEVATE: LARRC - Portland, OR March 25, 2013 • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ELEVATE: Fair Housing for Leasing Agents - N. Portland March 27, 2013 • 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM ELEVATE: HVAC - Portland, OR 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM - PDX Monthly Luncheon: Investment Strategies and Energy Benchmarking March 28, 2013 • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ELEVATE: Managing the Bottom Line Portland, OR

visit www.multifamilynw.org for more dates

posure to industry issues and trends, and is – above all – Fun! Who doesn’t feel good after donating their time? Your association has made some large changes recently. And while these changes are important to the long term strength and viability of Multifamily NW, you are what can truly make this organization the strongest. For volunteer opportunities, please contact Kristen Davies at 503-213-1281.

Advertise in the Landlord Times Metro Circulated to over 20,000 Apartment owners, On-site, and Maintenance personnel monthly. Call 503-221-1260 for more information.

M111XX Maintenance Doorhanger

About the Form: This is a very useful form to be used in conjunction with the 24-hour Notice of Inspection/Maintenance. The Maintenance Doorhanger is a courtesy form conveying either that maintenance is currently working in the dwelling or that Maintenance had or had not entered and space to explain details and work performed.

c A.M.

c P.M.

UNIT #

MAINTENANCE

IN YOUR UNIT NOW

TIME

c SOMEONE HAS BEEN IN YOUR UNIT REASON: c MAINTENANCE______________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

c EMERGENCY_________________________________________

DEPARTMENT IS WORKING

DATE

___________________________________________________________________

WHO ENTERED___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

ACTION TAKEN____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

FUTURE ACTION REQUIRED_______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

c WE COULD NOT ENTER BECAUSE: c

ENTRY REFUSED

UNRESTRAINED PET(S)

RESIDENT REQUESTED TO BE PRESENT BUT DID NOT ANSWER THE DOOR

OTHER__________________________________________________________

The LandlordTimes - Valley • March 2013

VALLEY Multifamily ...continued from front page factor of 3.75% with rents increasing across the board. Average rents last fall were a reported $0.99 per square foot. Of the properties surveyed at that time, 67.1% were smoke-free. The report indicated that apartments were vacant an average of 37 days and that only about three percent of owners were offering any incentives.

Some of the large projects that have submitted plans recently include: Project Name Location Number of DwellingUnits Out of State 15th and Walnut 2050 E 15th 65 Capstone N. of 13th and Olive 544 X Goodpasture Island Apts. Alexander Loop 583 Evergreen Housing 60 Hatton Lane 216

As of the date this article was written, there are five confirmed apartment sales in Eugene for 2012 with two sales currently listed as pending in 2013. Sold Transaction 2012 380-393 Adams St/August 2012/$650,000.00/unavailable 17-35 Lawrence St/July 2012/$640,000.00/Units 7 945 E 19th Ave/April 2012/ $760,000.00/Units 14 1247 W 8th Ave/January 2012/$685,000.00/Units 13 945-955 Patterson St/January 2012/$2,995,000.00/Units 8 (student housing) Pending Transactions 3450 McKenna Dr, McKenna Estates/ Units 144/Asking Price $12,750,000.00 1711-1765 Cleveland Pl, Cleveland Place/Units 8/Asking Price $539,800.00

Proposed projects we may see in the next several months or longer include: 12th and Patterson 75 The Patterson SE corner of 13th and Patterson 102 15th and Patterson 52 5 story Apts 712 E. 14th 29 Moon Mountain Mounmountain Dr. S of I-5 150 X Lakeview Apts 2502 Lakeview 52 The Hub – 12 stories NE corner of E. Broadway +Ferry 82 X -Likely delayed at least a year Oakleigh Co-housing Oakleigh Lane 28 Onyx St Apts Onyx and 18th 40 Bailey Hill Apartments Bailey Hill and 14th 252 18th and University Apts 1801 University (SE corner) 20 The Multifamily NW (formerly Metro Multifamily Housing) Fall 2012 Apartment Report- reported a Eugene/Springfield overall vacancy

The apartment market in Eugene continues to be very strong.

Developers have great optimism for the near future of the area. Rental demand is high and properties near campus are most in demand. It’s no surprise that campus-area land and properties have high appeal for developers in their quest to complete assemblages and increase density when and where permitted. Student

apartments are also experiencing high occupancies with modest increases in rents. Please call or email me with any additional questions! Anita Risberg, CCIM, Senior Broker Associate at HFO Investment Real Estate. E-mail anita@hfore.com, phone 971-717-6336.

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DESCRIPTION OF PET(S)Blinds/Drapes

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TV Antenna/Cable

1) The pet(s) shall be on a leash or otherwise under tenant’s control when it is outside the Blinds/Drapes Windows tenant’s dwelling Fireplace unit. Blinds/Drapes 2) Tenant(s) shall promptly pick up all pet waste from the premises promptly. Cleanliness 3) Tenant(s) are responsible for the conduct of their pet(s) at all times. Rods 4) Tenant(s) are liable for all damages caused by their pet(s). Floor 5) Tenant(s) shall pay the additional security deposit listed above and/or their rental BEDROOM agreement as a condition to keeping the pet(s) listed above. 1 Carpet/Vinyl/Woo BEDROOM 2 d 6) Tenant(s) shall not allow their pets to cause any sort of disturbance or injury to the Walls Light Fixtures Walls other tenants, guests, landlord or any other persons lawfully on the premises. Windows report to landlord any type of damage or injury 7) Tenant(s) shall immediately caused by Windows Doors/Woodwork their pet. Blinds/Drapes Locks 8) This agreement is incorporated into and shall become part of Blinds/Drapes the rental agreement exe -cuted between the parties. Failure by tenant to comply with any part ofCeilings this agreement Rods shall constitute a material breach of the rental agreement. Rods Floor

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The LandlordTimes - Valley • March 2013 Rods

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written permission.

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IN Out TENANT INFORMATION LIVING AREAS TENANT(S): ____________________________________________________ DATE:________ KITCHEN ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________ UNIT: _________ Walls Walls CITY: _________________________________________ STATE: __________ ZIP: _________ Windows

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RENTAL OWNERS ASSOCIATION

205 W. 10th Avenue, Eugene OR 97401 (541) 485-7368 (541) 284-4052 info@ laneroa.com

President • Jim Straub Vice President • Michael Steffen Secretary • Scott Smith Treasurer • Pat Costello Board Members: Dennis Casady, Dennis Chappa, Robei Ellis, Devin Gates, Eric Hall, Tia Politi

A Message from Your President … As you’ll see in our fair housing article this month, “What Landlords Don’t Know About Lead” (see pages 6-8), many landlords still have questions about pre-1978 housing and landlord disclosure obligations required by HUD/EPA. In fact, as recently as June of 2012, a Klamath Falls landlord was fined $24,000 for failing to notify tenants of lead hazards. Please note that the disclosure form (ORHA #51 – Lead-Paint Disclosure) and pamphlet, “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” are available for purchase in the ROA office. If you are planning on renovating pre-1978 housing, please note that the office also stocks the “Renovate Right” pamphlet. Callers to the Helpline often ask the question, “Can I just go in my rental unit? It looks like my tenants are gone.” My Helpline Tip of the Month covers this topic and explains why it’s not a good idea (or legal) to just go and peek in the window.

In an effort to improve the usability of ORHA forms, a number of forms have recently been revised and are now available in the ROA office (please see our forms list on pages 27-28). You’ll also find an article by ORHA President, Michael Steffen, “Updated Forms Released” (see page 15 in our newsletter) that details those forms and reasons for revision. Please note that the forms were not revised because of law changes and you may still use the prior edition of each of these forms. Please call the Helpline at 541-2422850 if you have any questions. Members attending the January general meeting had the opportunity to gain valuable tax preparation advice from our featured speaker, Marcie Hale, CPA of McElhany, Shotola and Hale, CPAs. Many thanks to Marcie and her staff for taking the time out of their busy schedules to guide us through the tax reporting process. Thank you

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also to our Affiliate Spotlight presenters, Barbara and Gary Westfall of Simply Kitchens and Baths for their entertaining presentation and very generous raffle item. With interest rates at record lows, have you thought about buying more property or refinancing the ones you currently own? We are pleased to offer a workshop on this topic this month, “Financing and Refinancing Your Rental Property” (see page 5 in our newsletter). This workshop will be led by Pat Costello, a long-time ROA board member and current ROA Treasurer. Pat is Vice President and Business Loan Officer at SELCO Community Credit Union. During this workshop, he’ll present the types of available loans and walk through the loan qualification process. Also on the March calendar is “Marketing Your Rental Unit.” Remember: You must pre-register for workshops (see page 5 in our newsletter for details). I’m sad to report that long-time ROA member Bill Lewis passed away at home on February 6, 2013. After purchasing his first rental property in 1976, Bill became active in the Rental Owners Association of Lane County and the Oregon Rental Housing Association, serving on the state board for several years and vol-

unteering countless hours to the association. Bill is survived by his wife, Anita, three daughters, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Please join us on Thursday, March 28th for our next general meeting. Our featured speaker will be an EWEB Energy Management Specialist as EWEB presents, “Step by Step Energy Efficiency for Your Rentals.” Our Affiliate Spotlight speaker will be David Horton of Action Construction and Painting. We’ll see you on March 28th! Jim Straub, President HOW MUCH OF MY 2012 DUES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE?88.9% of your dues paid to the ROA are tax deductible.Because our organization participates in lobbying on your behalf through the Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA), a small portion of your dues are not tax deductible.

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The LandlordTimes - Valley • March 2013

veryone in the property management business knows certain times of the month are exceptionally busy. Even managers and leasing people who are experts at scheduling will occasionally get “double booked” or swamped with “drop in” visitors. Being able to handle more than one thing at a time and to do so graciously, is just part of the job description in this industry. Here is a question that came up at a leasing seminar:

Advertise in the Landlord Times - Valley Circulated to over 5,000 Apartment owners, Onsite, and Maintenance personnel monthly. Call 503-221-1260 for more information.

Q: When I am really busy at the room of a hospital. Stay calm, confi- with two or more parties, you must

end of the month I occasionally have two or three people show up at the same time to see an apartment. If no one called ahead to make an appointment, is it okay to give them all a group tour?

A: This is a dilemma that everyone will eventually face if they are in the business of renting apartments. However, keep in mind that it’s a positive thing when people are “flocking in” to see your apartments. It means your telephone skills, advertising and/or curb appeal are all working to draw prospective renters into your community. On the other hand, assisting more than one person at a time presents a special challenge, as no two people have the same needs. Also, there will be times when your prospects are moving for reasons they wish to keep private. These and other factors like “who arrived first” and “who needs to move the soonest,” must be taken into account before deciding if a group tour is in order. I would encourage you to imagine that your busy office is the emergency

dent and in control as you do “triage” to assess the basic needs of your prospects and establish priority. Remember: Not everyone is in a “life threatening” situation, and some people can wait. Hold onto your sense of humor as you explain that you want to assist everyone, but there is only one of you and three of them so you will need their help. Ask each party to fill out a guest card with their contact information, along with the size apartment they need and desired move date. Collect the cards and quickly determine which prospect(s) can and cannot wait. For example, if one of your visitors does not need an apartment for two months, then you can encourage that person to join in on a group tour or make an appointment to come back at a later date. If another prospect needs an apartment size that you do not have available, you can phone a sister community and then direct that individual to one of your colleagues who can offer immediate assistance. If you do find yourself on a tour

be courteous and give each person or group “equal time,” even if one seems more interested or more desirable as a prospective resident. Think of yourself as the “host” of a party: Your goal is to make sure each one of your guests feels welcome and special so they will want to come back; or in this case rent. Oh, and one last thing: Remember to introduce your “guests” to each other. - This shows that you have good manners! If you have a question or concern that you would like to see addressed next month or if you would like to inquire about leasing training, please ASK THE SECRET SHOPPER by making contact via e-mail or fax. Your questions, comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome! ASK THE SECRET SHOPPER Provided by: SHOPTALK SERVICE EVALUATIONS Phone: 425-424-8870 E-mail: joyce@shoptalkservice.com Web site: www.shoptalkservice.com Copyright © Shoptalk Service Evaluations

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Serving the Eugene, Salem, Albany, and Corvallis Multifamily Housing Industry More than 6,000 Distributed Monthly www. TheLandlordTimes.com The statements and representations made in advertising and news articles contained in this publication are those of the advertiser and authors and as such do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Professional Publishing, Inc. The inclusion of advertising in this publications does not, in any way, omport an endorsement of or support for the products or services offered. The LandlordTimes - Valley is produced monthly and is published by Professional Publishing Inc. An Oregon Corporation. PO Box 30327 Portland, OR 97294-3327. (503) 221-1260 • (800) 398-6751

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The LandlordTimes - Valley • March 2013

DZ &

VALLEY

What Were You Thinking Moments! By Dana Brown and Zach Howell

DANA BROWN AND ZACH HOWELL

Hello property management teams in the best industry ever! We’ve seen a lot in this industry, does this story sound familiar?

abandoned property notice is about a $1.50 compared to a possible lawsuit for the $25,000 heirloom. Suzy Leasing – Could the tenant file a lawsuit?

Suzy Leasing – Last week I walked a move-out that skipped out on rent. The apartment was a disaster to say the least, I had fleas jumping on me and stepping over garbage. I got out of the apartment and instructed the maintenance team to toss everything.

D - Well, that depends on the attorney and judge, however, you will be going to court without an abandoned notice form and telling the judge that all of the contents in the apartment were junk and you tossed it. Suzy, one persons junk is another’s treasure. Even if you feel D – Suzy, I hope that you filled that the contents of the apartment out an abandoned property notice to are under $1,000, do yourself a favor, protect you from the resident com- protect yourself and fill out the ing back to claim that there was abandoned property notice. Renters something of importance in the VALLEY, are savvy and by not properly filling METRO, ARIZONA apartment. out the abandoned property notice form, the tenant can come back and Suzy Leasing – We’ll it just so claim damages on an item they say happens that the resident did come was in the apartment. Once the form back and said that they had left a is filled out and you have waited the family heirloom in the apartment appropriate amount of days and worth $25,000 and they wanted it depending on delivery method, then Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec back. it is time to give a shout out to maintenance. D – Suzy, This is a “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING” moment! An Z – As a maintenance tech, my

first question would be what is supposed to be kept (as valuable) and what can be tossed. This can be tricky determining what is garbage and what is valuable. As D mentioned above, one person’s trash is another person's treasure. My basic rule of thumb is to start with what is on the floor. Likely, if it’s on the floor and covered in paper and garbage, it’s not valuable to the resident. If it is hanging on the wall or on a shelf or in a dresser then it probably means something to the former resident, and should be stored temporarily until the abandoned property process has reached its statute of limitation. Next, the question is how do I get APT. NEWS this unit ready to work on for turnover. As mentioned above. get the floors generally cleaned up -- usually with trash bags, rubber gloves, and a scoop shovel. If you find something in the garbage that may be valuable, stick it on the shelf to be addressed later. Next I would take many pictures of the remaining items left just for documentation. In the case of a skip or a hoarder, I would hire a vendor to do the pack out and moving of the remaining items. This not only frees up the maintenance staff, it also passes some liability of items being damaged or missing to a neutral party. If you have a storage space on site then have the vendor move the items into the storage area. I recommend not co-mingling the belongings of different residents, so only store one unit per storage area. If

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you don’t have a storage area then you will have to find a local storage facility, and the vendor will have to load the items and deliver them there. All of these costs can be charged to the resident and taken out of the security deposit. Once the unit is ready for turnover work, and we have all valuable items stored and ready for pick up by resident, we simply wait. Lets be honest, most folks who skip will not be coming back for their items. That said, you never know when they may be setting us up for a lawsuit, so follow the same procedure with all residents. That’s why they call it “best practice”. If we ever do find ourselves in front of a judge we have a set process, pictures, invoices, third party vendors, the former residents junk, and a solid case. Dana Brown and Zach Howell have been working and training Managers and Maintenance staff in the property management industry for 20 + years. They are excited to give back and share the crazy stories that can only happen in our industry. We would love it if you would share your stories and “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING” moments with us as well as questions that you need answers to. Dana can be reached at: dana@multifamilynw.org. Zach can be reached at: zach@aminstitute.net.

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6 Questions ...continued from front page rated rent, confirming the transfer of utilities, and completing the inspection report, it was time I hand over the keys. This simple gesture immediately sent Nikki into what I could equate to an emotional breakdown; she threw her arms around me for a hug, bawled her eyes out with joy, and we sat for the next 20 minutes talking about her rough life history. She was expressing to me the sincere thanks and appreciation she felt towards me for giving her a chance at housing when no one else had. This would be her first apartment since residing at a shelter for battered women. This brief, yet influential, experience with Nikki early on in my career showed me that property management isn’t about just filling and maintaining rental units. My job from that point forward became providing quality housing to real people who want to be heard, respected, and given a chance. Since Nikki, I’ve had many opportunities to fulfill this same dream for others and I am thankful that she changed the way I approach my “job”. TLT: We’re often reminded about the importance of fundamentals in the things we do. What do you consider the fundamentals for success in this business to be? Why are they so important? KPH: Honesty, integrity, attention to detail, forward thinking, and respect just a few of the fundamentals that I think are key to being a successful

property manager. As a property manager, not only do you most likely have a boss to answer to, but you also have to answer to your clients, and to your tenants. All parties involved must be treated with respect and honesty. To me, this is a given. Attention to detail and forward thinking go hand-inhand. During turnover for example, items such as confirming move out dates & rent amounts with tenants, advertising upcoming vacancy, notifying your client of the vacancy, coordinating cleaning, painting, and carpet cleaning, all while continuing to show the rental to prospects, answer ad calls, and processing applications… whew! Managing time, coordinating the order of events and some “handholding” requires managers to be thorough, detailed, and forward thinking because time is money. TLT: Generally speaking, what 2 or 3 pieces of advice would you give to a room full of property managers? KPH: First, and most importantly, using the proper forms. The rental forms you use should be state specific, written by a lawyer, and easy to complete. Rental forms should have minimal blanks or areas to be completed by the landlord so that the risk of error is far less than if a landlord either creates their own forms or uses a template from the internet. Second to forms is the importance of tenant application screening. I cannot think of an easier, more inexpensive way to potentially steer clear of a major disaster. Invest a

small amount of time, make the phone calls and check for any discrepancies within the information the applicant provides. Similar to educating oneself in the business of managing rentals, you cannot afford not to thoroughly screen. Lastly, I find the job easiest when all sides (management, tenants, and client) are in constant communication with one another. Just as landlords have to know the laws, I’m all for tenants knowing what their rights and responsibilities are too. Landlords should send copies of the rental agreement and addendums to tenant after completion. We should summarize phone conversations in writing to tenants to help ensure clear expectations. Eyes should be on the property constantly through the help of neighbors, regular interior and exterior inspections by management, and maintenance personnel should be of the understanding that while they’re at the property to make minor repairs, be observant of what they see, smell, hear, etc. The worst thing a landlord can do is to hand over possession to a unit and then never communicate with the tenants until it’s time for them to vacate. Be present and communicate your ideas, intentions, and expectations quickly yet thoroughly. TLT: How has the use of technology changed our industry? KPH: I remember vividly the days when a call to my classifieds rep at the local paper would take over an hour

on the telephone to update all of the vacancy ads for that upcoming weekend’s distribution. Besides the huge amount of time involved in newspaper advertisement, the cost that I had to forward on to my clients was outrageous. Luckily, new technologies have been introduced and landlords now have several media’s in which they can advertise their vacant units for free with just a few clicks of a mouse. Pinterest, Facebook, and Craigslist are just a few of the free social media sites that I utilize in my business. These popular sites are excellent ways to promote your properties. The key aspects for a successful advertising account include being professional, being relevant, having flattering property pictures, and focusing on great products, fun communities. Linking people from these social medias directly to your website is also an effective and free method of creating interest in your available rentals. The technological combination that these sites offer of free and widely reachable has trumped the daily “pulp” we once relied on. Katie Poole-Hussa, a principle at Smart Property Management, LLC, is a dedicated to professional property management and education. Look for her column "LandLady Katie" debuting in The Landlord Times this Spring. Reach her at katie@smartpm. co. VIsit Smart Property Management at smartpm.com.

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VALLEY Dryer ...continued from front page the fall and winter months, peaking in January at 11 percent.”*

Dyer not connected Damaged dryer.

Clogs: Plus, the more these vents clog, the more time is needed to dry the clothes in the dryers. This can waste a great deal of money on electricity and is also why these vents should be cleaned out on a regular basis. Extremely clogged vents are harder to clean and may require extensive measures to gain access to the clog, which can be costly.

A Certified Dryer Vent Technician should inspect the air flow to determine the air flow, as noted above, as part of the annual maintenance of the dryer vents. So protect your property, protect your tenants. Ensure your dryer vents are properly vented and cleaned for maximum safety and efficiency. You can always call a Chimney Professional to inspect the venting and to clean the vents when needed.

Inspection: It is vital as the first step of servicing the dryer vents to inspect the air flow. If there is no air flow or low air flow it is an indicator of: Damaged dryer Clog in vent system Pinched transition (accordion style vent that connects the dryer to the rigid venting in the wall).

Portland Chimney & Masonry Inc. Reference: *www.usfa.fema.gov/ media/press/2012releases/080712.shtm Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential buildings (2008-2010) is part of the Topical Fire Report Series. Clothes Dryer Fires in Homes/ 8/7/12 Press Release

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Advertise in The Landlord Times - Valley Circulated to over 5,000 Apartment owners, On-site, and Maintenance personnel monthly. Call 503-221-1260 for more information.

The LandlordTimes - Valley • March 2013