Deals During Covid-19

Christmas Safety Tips for Landlords and Their Tenants by Sharon Vornholt

Landlords are always concerned about safety issues in their investment property. But there is no better time than during the holidays, to remind your tenants of some basic steps they can take to keep themselves and the property they live in safe. Holiday decorations present many “opportunities” for landlords to encounter additional liability.

Indoor Christmas Lights

Indoor Christmas lights should be replaced every three to four years for safety however most of us tend to keep them a lot longer than that. Those tiny wires can be easily damaged from normal use. Before you put any lights on the tree, they should be inspected for broken and cracked sockets, frayed, bare or damaged wires and loose connections. Never use more than three strings of lights per extension cord as this presents a definite fire hazard. Christmas lights are relatively inexpensive so go ahead and change them out every few years for fire safety reasons. Be sure to remind your tenants to always turn off the Christmas lights when they leave.

Exterior Christmas Lights

Tenants that decorate their homes with exterior lights can expose their landlord to some serious liability. Many people are injured from roof falls and shocks every year when they get up on the roof to decorate. Just walking on the roof in very cold conditions can damage the shingles on the roof. When using exterior Christmas lights, always be sure that the lights and any extension cords are certified for exterior use and that they are plugged into GFCI protected outlets.

Chimneys and Fireplaces

As a landlord, if you have a property with a wood burning fireplace, be sure to have the flue cleaned annually. Creosote occurs naturally from burning wood. If it gets to be a quarter inch thick or thicker inside the chimney, it’s a fire hazard as it can ignite and cause a chimney fire. Be sure to caution your tenants not to throw wrapping paper in the fireplace. Those materials tend to get very hot as they burn and they can cause flash fires.

Candles

People love candles, but candles pose a serious fire risk if they are not handled properly. Most fires started by candles are a result of them being forgotten or being placed too close to something that is flammable. With a little caution, most all fires started by candles could be prevented.

Facts and Figures The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has some sobering statistics I would like to pass onto everyone that has rental property.

Christmas trees are responsible for 300 fires annually which result in 30 injuries, 10 deaths and $10,000,000 in property damage. There are 12,500 injuries every year from roof falls and shocks associated with the installation of exterior Christmas lights. Candles start about 11,600 fires annually which result in 1200 injuries, 150 deaths and $173,000,000 in property loss.

No one wants to get “that call”; the one telling you that someone has been injured on your property or that the house has sustained serious damage from a fire. Take a few minutes this busy holiday season to give your tenants a little reminder of these simple but important safety tips. Sharon Vornholt is with Innovative Property Solutions, LLC – author of LouisvilleGalsRealEstateBlog. Reprinted with permission of the Apartment Owners Association of California, Inc. http://www.aoausa. com

FIND EVICTIONS FIND EVICTIONS STRESSFUL?STRESSFUL?

Full FED Service First Appearances 503-‐242-‐2312 Small Claims evict@landlord-‐solutions.com

Winter Maintenance Checklist In winter, your tenants can enjoy energy-efficient warmth and the fruits of your maintenance labors while you take a few precautionary measures on the outside.

Outdoor Tasks:TWalk around the property’s exterior and make sure the foundationTProtect the central air conditioning unit with a cover. Remove andTWinterize sprinkler systems.TRake last of leaves and remove storm debris as needed.TCheck gutters and downspouts and clean them out if needed.TSend freezing weather reminders to tenants.TInsulate or wrap all exposed plumbing pipes. vents store are closed or covered. window air conditioners.

Katie O’Neal is a Licensed Property Manager, Continuing Education Provider, Chair of the Education Committee for the RHA Oregon, and a Property Manager at Acorn Property Management in Portland, OR. She can be reached with questions or comments at Katie@AcornPM.net

The Silly Season

By: Marcia Gohman, CEO at National Tenant Network

Trying to rent your place any time between Thanksgiving and the New Year? Be very careful! This is the time of year that we call, “The Silly Season”. If you think about it, who would want to move this close to Christmas? Nobody in their right mind! That’s who! Many of us already have Christmas Decorations up; we have purchased a tree or lights and other assorted decor for our homes, front porches and lawns.

So why would someone be moving this time of year? Because they HAVE to.

Typically the applications we see from December to January 1st have the most inventive information and the most interesting Criminal reports we see all year.

On one application under “Why are you moving” “Just got out of the Canadian Navy”.. Canada has a Navy, but he was just released from prison in Washington. That’s close, right?

On another application the applicant listed her name, then we noticed a different last name in her email address and that she signed it with a slightly different name..

The applicant warned the landlord that there was “This one little thing” on her criminal report. Two Pages of little things. They apparently all blend together.

So what do we do? We take things very slowly. Pay more attention to how the application is filled out, check picture ID more carefully, and ask for a recent pay stub. If the applicant is in a BIG Hurry, you tell them it will take you five days to complete your verification process. And no matter how tempting, remember that almost everyone who offers to pay you six months’ rent in advance is a recreational pharmaceutical salesperson. (Drug Dealer) (continued on page 11)

Silly Season

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Verify all telephone numbers. Just today I have found that one phone number was a family member, and one was to a friend who runs a storage facility. The applicant listed that she lived in #6. How did I find that? Google Earth. It’s is a great tool for landlords! Plug in the address and see what comes up!

Does it appear to be an apartment community? A house? Or is it a strip mall or office complex?

Portlandmaps.com is also a wonderful instrument for digging if your applicant is from that area.

If you are given what appears to be a single-family residence address, you can find the county tax assessor and get the owner’s name and address. Many counties have a Tax Assessor web site where you can enter the address and find the owner. You still have to find the phone number; use Whitepage.com or Truepeoplesearch.com which might be even better, and I’m considering using them more than the other options.

You can also just Google the phone number.

If the applicant gives you a number for his/her employer, you can internet search it and see if the number belongs to the company or is a friend’s cell phone number. After searching up the company info I call them directly rather than the number provided. Many employers also have an email for HR on their web site.

One of my favorite tricks, when I know I’m going to talk to a friend or family member, is to call and ask about the rental I heard they have. The family member automatically says, “What?!? We don’t have rentals!”, and bingo. You have verified a fib on the application.

I know, I know. This sounds like a LOT of extra work. But it will pay off in the end. You don’t want to start out your New Year looking for lawyers, or stuck with a bad tenant, because you didn’t verify that “One little Thing”..

There are good people moving, so don’t lose hope. The fires this fall displaced a lot of people and they are looking for their new homes. Just be careful and take things slowly.

Once we get to January the company transfers go out and the better applicants re-appear. Until then, just remember. ‘Tis the Season!!

BOARD NOMINATIONS

Installation of Officers & Directors will take place December 16, 2020 via zoom General Membership Meeting

Officers- Ron Garcia, President Melinda McClelland, President Elect Phil Owen, Vice President Sandra Landis, Treasurer Lynne Whitney, Secretary Ken Schriver, Past President

Nominations for Directors ~ Two Year TermJerad Goughnour Jim Herman Katie O’Neal Doug Moe Jake Ramirez Violet Anderson John Sage

Directors Continuing to Serve~ One Year Term RemainingTamara Collins Charles Kovas Diana Lindemann Rod Akroush Sebastian Sanchez Mark Passannante-Executive Member at Large