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Apartment Living-You Break It, You Buy It by: Dan The Roommate Man Some tenants are under the impression that anything needing repairs is the landlord’s responsibility. Be advised that the landlord is responsible for repairing problems affecting habitability–not your toilet paper holder. In a recent interview, Oakland, Californian Property Manager, James Devonshire* told me about [...]
The Property Thief by: Dan The Roommate Man For the property thief, the decision to commit a crime on an apartment property is a risk versus reward exercise. The risk of committing this crime is the chance of getting caught, losing the property, and possibly their freedom. The reward is the perceived benefit obtained upon [...]
Rental Maintenance and Repairs: Who Pays The Bills? by: Dan The Roommate Man Renting property is an arrangement where the needs of owners and tenants generally overlap: The tenant wants a clean and safe home and the landlord wants rent and someone who will care for the property. All in all, a good trade for [...]
Your Responsibility To Promptly Submit Repair Requests To Your Landlord by: Dan The Roommate Man As a tenant in a rental community, you have some advantages over homeowners. For example, you don’t need to worry about making simple maintenance repairs. What you DO need to worry about is submitting repair requests in a timely fashion. [...]
Dealing With Noisy Neighbors the Pacifist Way by: Dan The Roommate Man Joe Landlord just received a phone call about a busted water pipe in apartment 3c, an overflowing washing machine in 2d and a broken window in 4a, so Suzy Tenant’s complaint about the “noisy neighbors†will remain low on his list of things [...]
The Minefields in Your Lease by: Dan The Roommate Man In some markets across the country — San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C., for example — the renters’ market is so hot that properties are snatched up the same day they become available. In fact, many landlords in these markets find themselves negotiating among [...]
Rent Late? Don’t Jump to Conclusions by: Dan The Roommate Man As a landlord, you are financially dependent on your tenants. When a tenant fails to turn in their rent payment on time, you have to worry about making your own mortgage, rent and utility payments. Being put in this situation is frustrating and sometimes [...]
Fire Safety Begins in Your Own Apartment by: Dan The Roommate Man The risks associated with fire should be one of the chief concerns of any apartment-dweller. You can be as responsible as ever, but who’s to say your neighbor is as conscientious as you are? He might walk away from a stove or a [...]
The Triple Play: How To Tackle Tough Vacancy Problems by: Dan The Roommate Man Every property manager knows apartment vacancy rates are a little bit like the weather: everybody talks about them, but no one ever seems to do anything. Sometimes the usual combination of advertising and tenant incentives doesn’t work and something more is [...]
Making Room for Two: How to Adjust to Life with a Roommate by: Dan The Roommate Man Because downsizing is a fact of life these days, many renters and homeowners can, at a moment’s notice, find themselves unable to pay the rent or the mortgage. It suddenly becomes necessary to find a roommate – and [...]