Law, Lease & Listen
Law – bottomline follow it. There are lots of books out there and professional associations here are some links:
- California Apt Assoc. Become a member. This is a great organization. They regularly have classes on legal matters, Fair Housing Law, Leases and Addendums to download etc. www.caanet.org
- Institute for Real Estate Management – IREM – www.irem.org
- National Assoc of Residential Property Mgrs – NARPM. Become a member. I am very active in this organization. There are professional designations, classes, conferences etc. www.narpm.org
- Nolo Press has a series of books. I have them on my bookshelves. www.nolo.com
Lease – Have a current and legal one. You can get wonderful leases and all kinds of rental forms that are regularly updated by attorneys through www.caanet.org become a member.
Listen – Can’t stress this enough. If you look at your rental as a business and try to remove your emotions from it you will be a more successful property owner/landlord. As owners who lived in the property we are willing to over look or live with certain things but when you rent the property it needs to be rentable and acceptable to the tenant. Afterall, they are paying money to live there and expect things to work and not have a jerry rigged fix. Example: electrical outlets need to have coverplates. The skylight that drips in the rain needs to be fixed. It is unacceptable to tell the tenant to put a pan under the dripping spot. By actively listening you will build a good relationship and have good communication with your tenant.
Please check out my website at www.PortolaRentals.com if you are interested in properties in Santa Cruz or have rentals in Santa Cruz, CA.
Kathleen Richards
