Property Management Software | Renting Well

No One’s Happy with Rent Increase Propositions In Québec

Read this piece yesterday in the Montreal Gazette. The province’s Régie du logement du Québec announced proposed rent hikes for 2013 on January 25th, and the ire of both landlords and tenants was clear in about 3 seconds after the announcement was made. This is the thing though, the province’s proposal for rent increases are in fact just meant as guidelines – a starting point if you will. Actual rent increases are negotiated between landlords and tenants. The province’s press release even states – “it’s meant as a starting point in the discussion of how much the rent will increase“. In other words, they just give their two cents on where they think the talking point should begin. Ultimately, landlords and tenants have to hash it out.

Quebec’s rental board has announced a 0.9 per cent increase in rents for buildings heated by electricity, a 0.2 per cent rise for buildings heated by gas and a 1.7 per cent rise for dwellings heated by fuel oil.

The Association des Propriétaires du Québec, blasted the suggested hikes as inadequate. Anti-poverty group FRAPRU said the hikes were too high, pointing out that the number of cases filed against tenants for not paying their rent hit a record in fiscal 2011-2012, rising 3.2 per cent to 47,049, compared to the previous year. Something else to note here – the vacancy rate has crept up in Greater Montreal from 2.5 to 2.8 per cent according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

You can find the press release from the Régie du logement du Québec here.
You can read FRAPRU’s press release here.

What do you think? Are you a landlord in Quebec? What are your thoughts on how the system works for you? Share your stories with us.

How Landlords Can Prevent Bursting Water Pipes in Cold Weather

Today in Ottawa, with temperatures plummeting to -38°C, it’s absolutely ridiculous. As a matter of fact, large portions of the United States and Canada are experiencing a brutal cold weather snap. Places like Minnesota, Illinois, New York City, Toronto, and Montreal are all reporting -20°C weather. With these extreme conditions, it’s prime time for water pipes to freeze and burst, leading to a potential nightmare for small landlords and a more-than-minor inconvenience for tenants. The need for effective water line leak detection has never been more apparent in such freezing temperatures.

Landlords must check if their property needs a heat pump repair. It’s a sneaking problem for many of us to deal with (especially those of us who aren’t renting all inclusive units and whose tenants are covering their own utilities) and it’s made even more painful when self-managing landlords have to deal with it during weather that makes Antarctica look like a beach vacation. You may also stock up on supplies like valves, 316 Stainless Lag Bolts and screws, and wrenches that you can use when repairs are needed for your plumbing system.

First… why do pipes freeze?

Poorly protected pipes which haven’t been sufficiently insulated
Exposure to icy draughts, usually as a result of cracks or gaps at the point where the pipe enters your home
Pipes located inside cupboards — warm air from inside your home may not reach these pipes if your cupboard doors are closed most of the time
Generally insufficient heat in units.

Secondly, what makes pipes burst?

Water freezes and expands inside household pipes
Continual freezing and expansion of water inside the pipe causes pressure to build up between the ice blockage and the closed faucet
As a result of repeated pressure on this section of pipe, the pipe eventually bursts

If you suspect that you have a damaged or burst pipe, Tommie’s licensed plumbers are just a call away.

How can I prevent frozen and bursting water pipes?

Let a thin stream of cold water run from a faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow, about the thickness of a pencil. This water can be caught in a bucket or pail to be recycled for another purpose later, if desired. However, if you notice the water softner not working, it’s crucial to address the issue promptly to avoid unnecessary water wastage.
Be sure pipes in unheated areas of a unit or crawlspace are insulated. Many hardware and home improvement stores carry foam insulation for this purpose.
Leave interior cupboard doors under sinks open, especially if the water pipes are adjacent to an exterior wall. This will allow heat from the room access to the pipes.
Plug drafty cracks and repair broken windows that could allow cold air to get inside where pipes are located.
Shut off and drain pipes leading to outside faucets.
Educate your tenants on the necessity to be mindful of cold weather snaps.

Temporary fixes might seem to solve the problem, but they often lead to more significant issues down the line. An experienced plumber in Southampton, PA will fix the current leak and assess your plumbing system for any underlying problems that could cause future leaks.

Have you ever dealt with freezing or bursting pipes? Share your stories with us.

Professional Tenants Create Pain For Landlords

Professional tenants aren’t a myth. The exist for real, and they’re creating major pains for small landlords all over Canada. Came across this interesting piece at CBC news today concerning small landlords getting burned in British Columbia. A few first time landlord missteps being counted on, and an intimate knowledge of the loopholes with the B.C. LTB’s process allows for free living arrangements for a long stretch on end for pros who know how to work the system.

The Federation of Rental Housing Owners of Ontario went on record stating that professional tenants can work up to 6 months of living for free on a landlord’s dime by simply exercising their right to appeals. “We’re probably dealing with anywhere between one and two per cent of the tenant population that is doing this [scam],” said the federation’s Vince Brescia. “The activity of the ‘pros’ is creeping up … it’s a growing phenomenon.”

Property management is about due diligence. Landlords should always ask for a certified check for first and last month’s rent – something clearable prior to the tenant moving in or handing over the keys. They should also be diligent about not only credit checks and other tenant screening, but with references from previous landlords. Threshold Property Management have plenty of experience dealing with different kinds of tenants. What do you think? Do you think provincial legislations in Canada are in need of tweaking?

Ohio Landlords Targeted by “Discrimination Testers”

Came across this shocking piece in Ohio’s Star Beacon.

In October, an elderly Ohio landlord was ordered to pay $22,000 in damages for alleged housing discrimination practices at a rental property that she owns. The whole things started with a $100 security deposit that the landlord, Helen Grybosky, requested from a potential renter with a “therapy dog.”

Here’s the kicker. There was no bona fide renter or therapy dog. The inquiry was made by a tester hired with a federal grant provided to the Fair Housing Resource Center by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Read the piece here: http://starbeacon.com/local/x503826604/Landlords-targeted-by-discrimination-testers

With that said, there was another incident at the tail end last year that was ruled on by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

Denying or rejecting an applicant on the basis of the colour of their skin, their religion, or their sexual orientation is wrong – and can cost landlords. Clearly the federal government is cracking down on these kinds of cases and is clearly attempting to educate landlords on the rules. What do you think?

Oh No! I Have A Marijuana Grow-Op In My Rental Property!

I don’t really, but what better way to get your attention?

As landlords, most of us have heard of that old urban myth. You know the one… a guy who knows a guy, who’s a landlord, who suddenly finds out that the perfectly nice couple who had been renting out the house were in fact running a marijuana grow-op. There are variations on the story as well, sometimes it’s a crack house, sometimes it’s a meth lab. This story — in all it’s incantations — has popped into our brains in some way, shape, or form at some point in time.

This is the reality…

The RCMP estimate that there are about 50,000 grow-ops in Canada. They’re in single family homes, basement apartments, and even in Toronto high rise condos. Most landlords are probably oblivious to this fact — and even more alarmingly — they’re often oblivious to the massive insurance pickle they’ll find themselves in if they end up renting to someone who decides to make their unit a reefer lab.

Read this great article by Ottawa lawyer Howard Yegendorf. Landlords need to be aware that the majority of liability insurance policies have a specific exclusion for damage caused by your tenant’s marijuana grow-op. That’s just the insurance problem. There’s also the criminal enterprise element. Seriously. Have you seen Oliver Stone’s Savages? Property management is hard enough. Having something comparable to a Breaking Bad season in real life is the absolute last thing you or any other tenants in the property need.

So what do you do? Well, here are some tips:

Perform tenant screenings. There’s a variety of other background checks your can perform as well, such as a criminal record check and an employment verification.
Have an airtight lease that clearly articulates the expectation of no criminal activity on the premises and that the tenant will provide reasonable access to the landlord.
Visit and inspect your property regularly. Remember – landlords are allowed to visit their units for routine inspections with proper notice given. Landlords should be familiar with rental property inspection laws uk . You’d be surprised how many don’t do this. Get into this habit.
Talk to your tenants. Communicate with them. That’s always a good way to get a sense of what’s going on at the property. If you’re hearing about a lot of suspicious people coming and going constantly that could be a tip worth keeping in the front of your mind. Grow-ops have a tendency to have a lot of runners coming in and out of the place.

Here’s some tips on what to look out for:

Look out for any hydro alteration or electrical bypass. Things like holes in the foundation that weren’t there before should be treated as suspicious.
Did the renter spend a lot of time viewing the breaker-boxes, wiring and plumbing fixtures? Were they asking a lot of questions about power distribution in the property? Believe it or not, this happens. More often than not, illegal growers attempt to steal hydro by altering how it comes into the unit.
Be weary if tenants want to pay their rent in cash. Seriously. Who pays in cash? People who deal with a lot of cash, like servers, even have bank accounts.
If a tenant discloses that they plan to have the utilities registered under a different name, that’s weird.
Evasive answers and vague information on a rental application. This should set off a flag anyways.
Condensation or darkened windows in the unit. Cardboard and blacked out windows foster an effective grow environment. That’s not normal.
Tenant unloads copper and/or PVC pipe, soil, halogen lamps, large amounts of black plastic aluminum ducting, and fans.

In hiring a contractor for your siding installation in Utah, be sure to do your due diligence. There are many reputable home siding contractors with the knowledge and experience to get your siding job completed.

Have you ever had a marijuana grow-op in one of your rental properties? Know anyone who has? Share your thoughts with us.

When To Consider Selling Your Rental Property

Came across this great piece in the Globe and Mail that talks about a couple who became landlords after keeping the previous residences they had prior to moving in with one another. Robert and Tara are an older couple, and had a financial advisor from RBC assess their goals and how their existing assets – namely two rental properties – fit into the equation taking into consideration a chronic illness that Robert has, a recent job change for Tara, as well as a lifestyle that the two enjoy and want to maintain as much as possible while they to retirement. Besides the challenges associated with property management, the piece explains that the properties are barely breaking even, and that the eventual rise in interest rates leave the couple exposed to having their retirement plans altered.

Check out the piece in it’s entirety here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/retirement-rrsps/as-income-falls-landlords-rethink-retirement-strategy/article6968522/

U.S. Housing Slump Creates Opportunity For Accidental Landlords In Oregon

Came across this great article at Oregon Live about accidental landlords. The U.S. housing slump has created some interesting opportunities for homeowners, as many are turning For Sale signs into For Rent Signs.

The piece talks about a couple who were intent on selling their home, but couldn’t get enough to pay off the mortgage. U.S. housing prices are at their lowest point since 2005 in Oregon, but interestingly, at the tail end of 2011, the census bureau pegged the greater Portland area’s vacancy rate at just 2.9% while the national average in the U.S. hovered at around 9.4%. At the end of 2012, that vacancy rate rose a bit, but so did rents in the area.

The Oregonian also had a similar piece in October of last year further elaborating on falling vacancies and rising rents. You can check that out here.

Are you a landlord in Oregon? How are you finding it? Share you stories with us.

2013 Rent Increases for Canadian Landlords

We’re a couple of weeks into 2013! We’ve compiled a list of the allowable provincial rent increases for Canadian landlords, for tenancies that fall into 2013. Keep in mind – not all provinces have rent controls. Here goes.

Ontario‘s 2013 rent increase is 2.5 %. You can check it out here.
In Quebec, some specific rules apply to residential rent increases. For leases longer than 12 months, the landlord and the tenant are free to adjust the rent during the course of the lease. If the duration of the lease is 12 months or less, the rent may not be increased during the course of the lease. There is no cap on rent increases or fixed rates of increase however the tenant must be given proper notice in writing. Read about it here.
Prince Edward Island‘s allowable 2013 rent increase is 5% for a heated premises, 3% for an un-heated one, and 1.5% for a mobile dwelling in a mobile park . You can check it out here.
British Columbia‘s allowable increase for 2013 is 3.8%. You can check it out here.
In Manitoba, the allowable rent increase for 2013 is 1%. Read about it here.
Saskatchewan‘s details are here. No increases are allowed during a fixed-term lease unless the landlord and the tenant agree to the amount of the increase and time when an increase is to come into effect at the time they enter into the fixed term tenancy.
There are no rent controls in Alberta. Rent can only be increased if there has not been a rent increase within the previous 365 days or since the start of the tenancy, whichever is later. Before the rent can be increased the landlord must give proper written notice. For mobile home sites, 180 days notice must be given by the landlord to raise the rent. Read about it here.
In Nova Scotia, the allowable rent increase for 2013 is 3%. Read about it here.
There are no rent controls in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. A landlord may not increase the rent for a rental premises more than once every 12 months. The landlord must give at least 3 month’s written notice of the increase. Check out the act here. Special note on section 47.1
There are no rent controls in Yukon. A landlord may not increase the rent for a rental premises more than once every 12 months and not within the first year of a formal tenancy. The landlord must give at least 3 month’s written notice of the increase. You can read more here.

What To Do When You’re Not Getting Paid in Ontario: Serving an N4 and Submitting an L1

The business of owning rental property includes a very important element in the relationship between a landlord and their tenants. Getting paid the rent.

You’re a landlord and your tenant’s check just bounced. This is the beginning of what could be a real pain. Believe it or not, many private residential landlords in Ontario aren’t that well equipped to handle the situation and don’t know the legal route to go about addressing it. Part of this is because the process is ridiculously complicated if you’re going the board route. I don’t see how anyone can disagree with this, but if you do, feel free to comment here. I’ve personally done this 3 times since becoming a landlord and came away from the first time feeling like learning how to fly a commercial airliner would be simpler. I wanted to put this together to simplify this process with the Ontario LTB for readers and users alike, because it doesn’t have to be this hard. I just think someone needs to boil it down. That’s why I had a great conversation today with The Terminator. No, not Arnold. I’m talking about April Stewart over at Landlord Legal.

April’s an expert when it comes to this kind of thing, and she’s seen a lot of small landlords in Ontario make a big mistake with the basics when you don’t get paid. Serving an N4 to a tenant in arrears and submitting an L1 to the Ontario LTB is not easy. If it were, she wouldn’t be in business. If you’re not familiar with April – you should be. She dropped some valuable tips through the course of writing this post and she’s a passionate advocate for landlord’s rights.

Ok – first things first. Bookmark this link. This is the page at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board for termination notices. This is where you’re going to print and use the forms required to address an issue of non payment – not to mention a whole bunch of other stuff. We’re just focusing on what to do when you don’t get paid here though, for now.

1: Reaction and Preparedness with an N4

Whether you’ve received a post dated bum check (which can take up to a few days for you to realize with a bank) or whether the tenant pays you by an agreed date and simply has not given you the rent, it’s important that you’re always prepared. If a check bounces, you need to hop on this right away. If it’s 12:01 a.m. on the second day of the month, and you still don’t have money – you need to react. This is the single biggest mistake landlords will make. Not reacting quickly enough. I’ll get into this in a little more detail further into this post. You need to fill out two of the N4 forms. One for the tenant, and one for you (for your records). Always fill out two. Here are the other important things you need to do.

Know the “termination date“. That’s the date you’ve indicated, according to the law, that acts as kind of a line in the sand. The termination date is: 14 days after the landlord gives you the notice, if you rent by the month or year, or 7 days after the landlord gives you the notice, if you rent by the day or week. As an example. If they pay you on the first of the month, and at 12:01 a.m. on the 2nd of the month you still don’t have your rent, you would list the termination date as the 16th if they rent by the month or year, and the 9th if they rent by the day or the week. Ensuring that the termination date is correctly indicated is hugely important when filling out an N4. Make sure they’re correct. If you get paid by post dated check, and the bank takes 3-5 days to show the check as NSF – your dates would need to fall in line with this. It’s not retroactive to the first of the month – it’s 14 or 7 days from the service of the notice. If you make an error with dates, the board reserves the right to consider the notice improperly served and you’re back at square one if that happens.
Don’t make a mistake with serving the notice. Taping a notice to the door of a unit will get you in trouble and can lead to a dismissal of your application. The best route with this, is to personally drop it off in a mailbox, and record the date of the service of the notice. One of the ways you can do this, is by using the Renting Well logbook (shameless plug) and plugging a scan of your copy into the logbook entry. Keep your copy of the notice as a duplicate. Have a timeline of events. Here’s another few tips courtesy of April Stewart. If the mailbox is shared by other tenants, don’t serve it that way. If the mailbox is only for newspapers and flyers and not Canada Post mail, don’t serve it that way either. You can serve under the door of a unit, as long as the envelope goes all the way into the unit – but whatever you do, don’t open the door and toss it in, as that’s illegal entry! For out of town landlords who can’t serve personally, hire a reputable process serving company, not a fly-by-nighter. If you must serve by regular mail or Express Post, add 5 days to the termination date – another common mistake that will deem your N4 defective if not done right! April recommends NEVER serving via Registered Mail – it’s outdated and tenants tend to refuse the delivery in any event.

At this point, the tenant has either 14 or 7 days to pay you. Let’s just assume they don’t pay you though. Booya. You need an L1.

2. The L1 form – Application to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent and to collect rent the tenant owes

This part kind of sucks, mainly because you need to file with the board and dish out $170 filing fee. The good news is that if you win, the tenant will have to pay that all back to you. Keep in mind, this is if you win a judgement.

The form is relatively straightforward, however, a couple of things to note:

You need to submit this application at the least the DAY AFTER the termination date as indicate in your N4. This is super important. If you do it before, you’re back to square one.
You need to include your copy of the N4 your served the tenant, as well as your certificate of service for the N4.
Make sure your dates are correct, your math is right, and that you’ve signed the form.

I always recommend visiting the LTB office in your city and filing the application personally. Do it in person. Know why? They’ll issue a hearing date and give you the essentials you’ll require to serve your tenant the same day. Otherwise, you’re waiting for it to be processed and then sent to you via the mail – and that’s just a whole bunch of extra days you don’t need tacked onto the whole thing. Here’s a list of the offices in all of Ontario. I’ve experienced the first hand pain in the butt of faxing it in, and then it not being received by the office for whatever reason. Do it in person if you can. If you fax it in, it could take a few days if not longer.

You’ll receive a hearing notice (for both you and the tenant), a receipt of your payment of the filing fee ($170), and a certificate of service – what you’ll need to provide the tenant at least 10 days before the hearing. This is another one of those things where I suggest ensuring the service has been done personally. If you can “give” it to the tenant in person – great. Don’t make a mistake with serving the notice of hearing. Taping a notice to the door of a unit will get you in trouble and can lead to a potential dismissal of your claim. Drop it in the mailbox if you can’t get them in person. Again, If the mailbox is only for newspapers and flyers and not Canada Post mail, don’t serve it that way either. You can serve under the door of a unit, as long as the envelope goes all the way into the unit – but whatever you do, don’t open the door and toss it in, as that’s illegal entry!

Again, the logbook in Renting Well is handy for things like this. Having a timeline of when the payment was late, the serving of the N4, the application of the L1, and ultimately the notice of hearing and the certificate of service in a nice little packet of chronological info with notes is helpful in organization when you do visit the board. Even saving scans of the documents ensures you’re all up to speed in one spot. You don’t have to go by memory, you don’t have to juggle paperwork, and it’s useful when referencing dates.

When the hearing date comes – and assuming your tenant shows up – one of two things is going to happen. You’re going to be offered mediation or you’re going to go into your hearing and sit in front of an adjudicator. If you’re at this point, you’ve followed the steps correctly.

Do you have any stories about an N4 and an L1 in Ontario? Share them!

The Anatomy Of A Killer Rental Listing

You have a vacancy and you’re keen on getting a great tenant in the unit. You want your available unit to stand out from the crowd in a big way. I mean – everyone does – but, you don’t know where to start to create that element of distinction, and the Instagram photos you’ve taken with your iPhone aren’tk as flattering as you thought they’d look. I’m here to tell you how to really create a great listing and what the anatomy of a killer listing looks like. Put your listings on the map with local SEO real estate agency. I’m also going to point out listings that suck and that don’t do landlords any favours.

Example of A Bad Rental Listing — This is an example of a useless apartment listing screaming NOT to be paid attention to. The two sentences make me want to grab my check book, and the typo for “interested” has convinced me the landlord isn’t very smart either.

First of all – there’s a bit of a misconception out there that you need to have an SEO optimized website, dedicated to a single unit, to “properly” market it. Having a full blown website to market a unit is helpful – sure – but it’s not essential. I mean, it’s a bit of overkill. I’m only saying this because I recently met a perfectly nice person who I got into an awkward debate with about this, as they were trying to push a company in California who specializes in creating websites that include a domain that incorporates your address. “100mainstreetforrent.com” enhances the attractiveness of the available unit, and will create more interest, more quickly”, said the web expert.

Sorry buddy – as Joe Biden says, that’s a bunch of malarkey. You don’t need to buy a domain to rent a place. Real estate agents handle various tasks, including challenges like selling a fire-damaged house in Vancouver. The return on something like that is significant if they successfully sell a house. In real estate, having professionals like Kiana Danial can provide valuable insights and expertise in navigating complex situations. Landlords are looking for the most cost effective ways to market properties for rent – not for sale. I’m here to tell you that you can write up a good rental listing and include some good photos without breaking the bank at all. Whether you’re using our great marketing listings feature – which creates a great one off micro page for your place that you can embed into a Kijiji or Craig’s List ad, or whether you’re just doing a write up on a directory yourself, you might find this useful.

After having worked at an ad agency for a year, one of the best lessons I learned was that words can often times be more persuasive than images, but if you hit the mark with both words and a great visual, you have the potential to do anything.

1. First things first – let’s talk about your headline. That’s your statement – your declaration! It stands on it’s own to attract a renter to read the rest of your listing. I’m a fan of using attractive words – like “spacious”, “clean”, “bright” and “beautiful”. I also suggest always indicating what kind of unit it is – i.e. a 1 bedroom, or a loft, a basement apartment, or a townhouse. Indicating the unit’s rent is also an essential in your headline. You don’t want to cram too much into a headline, or else it will read like War & Peace – and you’re going to lose the attention you’re demanding. Here’s an example:

“Spacious, clean, and bright 1 bedroom apartment for rent on Main Street – $950 per month”

That’s how you do it.

2. Quality Photos are essential. Having photos with a listing is going to quintuple your chances of interest. I’m serious. Not having them is crazy. I’m not saying go out and hire the best photographer you can find – but I’m also not saying that’s a bad idea either. Cost is important to note – but getting some good photos done is a good investment in my opinion. You can use them for years. You can also take good photos of your units by learning a few tips, even if you’re doing it on your iPhone.

Terrible Apartment Photo — This photo is an example of “terrible”. What did a nuclear weapon go off outside? I need sunglasses.

Remove Clutter and ensure you’re working with a clean area. Either ask the existing tenant to tidy it up and make it presentable, or get a cleaning done. If there’s stuff on the fridge, take it off. Temporarily remove anything that can act as a distraction from giving a good sense of the room. The purpose of the photographs are to give an impression of the environment, not the decor or the furniture.
Turn your flash off. If you’re using your flash, you don’t have enough light in the shot. Flashes suck. They make the place look crappy and washed out. Ensure there is adequate lighting in a space. Even better – take your photos during a sunny day. The more light in a space, the better the sense of the environment.
Use a wide angle. They always look better and produce a better sense of rooms.
Don’t take shots that look down on a room. Crouch down, or lower the tripod a bit to give a sense of height and space.
Use a tripod, or ensure that your camera is steady. This is a given and I refuse to give an explanation as to why this is important. Shakey and crooked shots aren’t going to do any justice to your perfectly nice spot.
Take photos of every room and accessible spot. You don’t need to take 1000 images of your rental, but the more articulated the unit is visually, the better the quality of your listing. Get a good shot of the bedroom, the kitchen, the appliances, the number of windows, and a good shot of the exterior of the building.
Organize your photos in a bit of a flow – as if you were giving someone a tour of the unit physically.
Your first photo in a listing should be a busy place in the unit – like a kitchen or a living room. If you post your first photo of a bathroom, it’s not exactly the greatest first impression. Bathrooms aren’t busy – unless you’re addicted to laxatives.

3. Details are important. Beisdes the obvious stuff, like the breakdown on utilities or what’s included, indicate the location in your listing. People get peeved when they don’t have an address. Give them details about close by amenities. Restaurants. Banks. Grocery stores. Let them know about bus routes. With the help of a realtor Lynchburg, enhance your property description. Include or indicate the walk score of the place. Indicate close parks or green space. Provide a sense of the community and it’s benefits. Indicate whether laundry is available. Articulate as much as possible, so that when someone reads your ad, the possibility of a prospective tenant getting that sense of “home” is high.

What other things do you do to market your vacancies? How do you create a snazzy rental listing? Share with us!