Property Management Insights

Doing move-in and move-out inspection reports. You must know the difference between wear and tear and damage. inspection reports with photos can be a life-saver if you end up in court. 

Rental property wear and tear is an inevitable aspect of property management, reflecting the gradual deterioration that occurs from normal, everyday use. It is important for landlords and tenants to distinguish between wear and tear and damage to maintain a fair and effective lea...

The deteriorated chimney liner shown here would likely remain undetected in a casual walk-through. A chimney liner inside a masonry chimney is a vital safety feature.  In this photo, the chimney liner has deteriorated over time, and in some places it has disintegrated altoge...

How much security deposit should you hold? The general rule of thumb is one month’s rent but over the last few years we have noticed that tenants are just leaving lots of personal property and not really cleaning their rental upon termination of their lease. They are expect...

Tip #19: It is critical that your rental home is in compliance with state and local building codes. You are responsible for ensuring your investment property meets health and safety regulations or your tenant may have grounds to break their lease or even worse, sue you. A judge i...

Security deposits are used to motivate tenants to take care of your property and are used to recoup damage they cause, ensure rents will be paid, and other responsibilities of the lease are performed. But there are state laws governing the use and protection of these funds and if...

A move-in inspection is when the landlord and tenant walk through the rental documenting the condition prior to the tenant moving in and before handing over the security deposit. This report will be used when the tenant moves out to determine if there was any damage caused by the...