7 Secret Thoughts Landlords Have About Renters—Revealed

By  | Aug 17, 2017

Whenever you hand over your rent check late (again), do you wonder what your landlord is really thinking? Well, we’re here to help you find out! This is important intel for all sorts of reasons. For instance, landlords can choose to raise your rent once your lease is up, or hold it steady. They can jump on repairs right when you need them at 3 a.m., or wait until morning. So here’s a peek at some of landlords’ secret thoughts—along with some eye-opening lessons on how to stay on their good side.

‘Why did you sign your lease without reading it?’

“Renters are often so excited about getting the keys to their new rental that they rush to sign their lease agreement without carefully reading it,” says John Nuzzolese of the Landlord Protection Agency website. “I prefer to sit and explain each clause of the rental agreement to the tenants before they sign it. It’s crucial that tenants completely understand what their rights and responsibilities are before finalizing the agreement.”

Why is this so important? So you and your landlord are on the same page—about when rent is due, what penalties there are for violating the lease, and what you can and can’t change in your place. For instance, “I once had a tenant take it on himself to remove our new carpeting and replace it with carpet of an ugly color,” says Nuzzolese. “I was so annoyed—and it came out of that tenants’ security deposit to change it back.”

Source: http://www.realtor.com/advice/rent/secret-thoughts-landlords-have-about-tenants/

6 Neighborhood Red Flags to Look for When Renting

By Cathie Ericson | Aug 10, 2017

Finding the ideal home or apartment to rent can be tricky. Even though there’s less financial commitment than with buying, you’re still selecting a place that will be home, sweet home, for what could be years. That’s why you want to make sure that the property, as well as the neighborhood, suits your needs. Keep an eye out for these neighborhood red flags; they’ll help you figure out what it’s really like to live there.

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1. The overall rental market

Do you see a plethora of properties sitting vacant? That can be a worrying sign, says real estate investor Brian Davis, who teaches courses in rental investing at SnapLandlord.com.

“Healthy neighborhoods should have only a handful of vacant properties at any given moment, even if they are being marketed for rent or sale,” he says.

When you’re browsing listings, pay attention to how many apartments are actually up for rent. If the number seems suspiciously high, the neighborhood could be a real dud.

2. The condition of other properties in the area

If you see too many homes in obvious disrepair that aren’t being renovated, it means the properties in the neighborhood aren’t worth fixing up, Davis says.

Also, watch for the general level of upkeep among homes in the areas. Eyesores worth paying attention to are trash on the lawn or sidewalk; blinds or curtains hanging outside of the window; cars parked in the yard; and holiday decorations up year-round, says Roslyn Lash, an agent with Realty Select in Rural Hall, NC.

3. The commercial property scene

You want to see most of the commercial spaces occupied with healthy-looking businesses, says Davis. This not only reflects well on the vibrancy of the market, it can also make your life easier when you have grocery stores, restaurants, and other amenities close by.

On the other hand, you also want to make sure there’s not too much of a good thing, notes renter Shane Lee, who lives on the Lower East Side of New York City.

“While it’s convenient to live in a neighborhood full of restaurants and bars, don’t forget you will also have to deal with the trash and noise,” he points out, adding that his apartment often smells just like the restaurant downstairs.

4. The area’s crime rates

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you check out how prevalent crime is in the neighborhoods you are considering. A few resources that will give you the 411 are AreaVibes, SpotCrime, and NeighborhoodScout.

5. 24/7 activity on the streets

In addition to touring the property on a Saturday afternoon, it’s smart to take a look at the neighborhood at different times of the day.

Check for daytime loiterers, Davis advises.

“It’s a good sign to see neighbors shooting the breeze in the evening, but think twice if you see a pack of unemployed-looking people just hanging out on the street in the middle of the day,” he says.

Visiting the neighborhood at night can give you a sense of how safe you’ll feel—and, of course, what the noise levels are.

Lee has one other practical tip: look down. He was annoyed by all the dog waste near one apartment he was considering: “It made me feel that the neighborhood was dirty and residents there didn’t really care about hygiene or how other people feel.”

6. The scoop from neighbors

Finally, seek out neighbors to really get the scoop beyond what you read on the property listing. If you don’t run into any people, quiz the landlord or ask for some references.

“Talking to people who live there is a sure way to gain inside knowledge about the neighborhood,” notes Lash. “You’ll also get a good idea of whether people are short-timers, which could be a red flag in itself.”

Source: Cathie Ericson | August 12, 2017 | http://www.realtor.com/advice/rent/neighborhood-red-flags-when-renting/

Protect Yourself When Rejecting Applicants

One of the hardest parts of landlord management is having to reject prospective tenants who don’t meet your requirements. Accepting a tenancy is the easy part, assuming of course you’ve done your due diligence throughout the ever-important screening process. By the time you’re ready to accept a tenancy, you should be happy and confident in your choice. You’ve met with everyone, reviewed applications, and followed up with references. You’re confident in your choice. But assuming again that you’ve gone through a thorough screening process, that means you now have applicants to reject as well. Nobody likes to be rejected, and nobody likes to do the rejecting either. It can harbor ill feelings and negative scenarios. Understanding of course that this is a touchy process, there are ways that you can both respectfully and legally reject an applicant. In doing so, you’ll be protecting yourself, your investment and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you did everything you could to make the rejection process as painless as possible for all parties involved. Displaying that level of respect for the process and for the applicants will go a long way in protecting your rear end.

If you need help with property management, tenant management services, or looking into a property investment – contact CMG Toronto today. The best property management company in Toronto.

So, What Can You Do and What Can’t You Do?

First and foremost, you need to know how you are legally entitled to act, and you need to understand what would put you into a legal grey area. According to Canada’s Human Rights Act of 1984, a landlord cannot reject a tenant based on a variety of recognized and prohibited grounds of discrimination. We’re talking race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, origin, skin colour, religion, marital or family status, pardoned offences, and disability. If you reject a tenant based on these grounds, you will be in direct violation of the Human Rights Act. Now, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t mean that you can’t reject an applicant of a certain colour, race, religion, sex etc. What it means, is that if you plan to reject an applicant, you’d better have a good reason that doesn’t apply to any of the described characteristics.

With that said, Ontario landlords can accept or reject an applicant based on a multitude of criteria, including credit checks, income information, personal or professional references and rental history. Which brings us back to a reoccurring theme on these blogs: have a proper screening process!

As a landlord, you are required to treat every candidate equally. With that said, it’s part of your job to make judgements against the applicant’s’ character. How else are you supposed to decide on who to accept? Making this decision can be the scariest part of landlord management, as being stuck with a bad tenant can be a massive source of stress. You are entitled to accept or reject an applicant based on your own judgement calls, but you must ensure that your judgement does not break Canada’s Human Rights Code. Just understand that when making your selection, your reasoning should be based on who is the best fit, and nothing else. The best way to ensure that there is no grey area in which an applicant can claim discrimination, is to require the same process from each applicant across the board. You should require the same rental application from all prospects, and you should do the same credit checks, background checks and reference checks for all. Once you’ve made your decision, applicants should be contacted within an appropriate window of time whether you are accepting or rejecting. This will give the applicants time to make other living arrangements, and will ensure transparency. It’s typically recommended to follow this process in writing, as to create a legally sound record of the process.

Make the Phone Call

In addition to sending a written rejection, you should give the prospects a call. Speaking directly shows respect and character. It also gives you a chance to properly thank the applicant for their time and interest. This will greatly limit any ill feelings a rejected applicant may feel.

The big take home here, is that the power to choose is in your hands. With that said, there are right and wrong ways to do anything, and the rejection process requires a touch of tact. Don’t be afraid to reject, just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, and in a respectful manner.