Landlord Newsletter - Preparing to Show Your Rental Property

Dear Fellow Landlord,

"95% of tenant problems can be eliminated in the screening process."

In this newsletter:

• Preparing to Show Your Rental Property
  
• Free Form - Lease Addendum
• Ask the Attorney, Real Estate Attorney, John Reno
  
• Success Quotes
  

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or would like to add or share any material / information. Have a great month and an even more successful year ahead.
John Nuzzolese
John@theLPA.com

Having Your Rental Property Show Ready is Only Part of Being Prepared

Here are a few tips on having your rental "show ready":

• Make sure the unit is ready to be shown. Clean and empty, if unoccupied. Clean and neat if occupied.
  
• If showing an unoccupied rental, have all burned out light bulbs replaced, so evening appointments so prospects can see the property after work..
• Bring a can of air freshener. This helps, especially on units that are closed up or have odors.
• Have a container of disposable wipes and/or paper towels. Often while waiting for your appointment to show up, you may discover a need to wipe certain smudges or dirt.
• Make sure the front door is clean and if there is a screen or storm door, that the window is clean. It's always good to have a pack of Windex wipes with you too.

Here are a few tips on being prepared for your appointment:

• Remember the keys! In the excitement of having an appointment, it is amazing and how many people meet tenants at the rental only realize they forgot the keys! It can be an embarrassing waste of time.
• Have a supply of rental applications with instruction on how to submit the completed application unless it is submitted on the spot. You may also decide to have business cards, flyers or other handouts for the prospect.
• Remember to bring the prospects information and phone # with you in case you need to contact them in the event of delay or the prospect's lateness.
• It is a good idea to have a notepad for you to take notes and a supply of pens with you for applicants.
• Bring your cell phone. Not only for safety, but also in case of delays or other business reasons, such as checking with your office to reassure the applicant that the unit is still available.
• What other things can you use on an appointment?

Click for More Essential Forms

A Lease Addendum form can be used for making additional information or clauses a part of the lease.

When meeting with the tenants to do a lease signing, we often think of certain rules or clauses we'd like to add into the lease agreement. Most leases and rental agreements do not provide room for extra lease clauses (unless you are using The LPA Lease Agreement in word processor format)

The lease addendum form can easily be filled in at the time of lease signing with topics that are important to you that may not be already included in the lease agreement form. It's a handy form to have in your folder if the need arises to add any special clauses to your lease. (LPA members: MS Word and PDF fill-in versions available in Essential Forms!)

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FREE DOWNLOAD Lease Addendum Form

The Landlord Protection Agency® presents John Reno, Esq., a highly experienced Landlord - Tenant attorney based on Long Island, NY.

John Reno also does Mortgage Loan Modifications (Nationwide).
(Mention The LPA for a 10% discount!)

Dear Mr. Reno:
I rent a house in Nassau County, and my tenant has just informed me that she will be vacating, but her two 30 year old sons refuse to leave until they find other accommodations. The rent is paid to date, but I don’t expect that to continue – what recourse do I have? Thank you -
Elizabeth S., Nassau County, NY

A: She may physically vacate, but as long as her kids are there, legally, she's still "in possession." That's really not a problem, as long as they pay the rent. Once they default, you commence a non-payment eviction against mom (even though she may have left.)

If you have a landlord tenant problem you'd like to ask a question about, please feel free to e-mail me your question.
Submit a landlord / tenant question for Mr. Reno
Please try to keep your questions as short and to the point as possible.

Have you ever been beaten by a tenant on the rent?
Most of us have and unfortunately, it is one of the costs of doing business as a landlord.
On the bright side, remedies are available. If you have documented your tenancy with the proper paperwork including a rental application, lease agreement, late notices, etc., you may have a chance of collecting.

Credit bureau reporting is an option in which many modern landlords are beginning to participate....

Click here for the full article

"It is better to have NO tenant than it is to have a bad tenant." - John @theLPA

"Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable." – Coco Chanel

"I would not want to be a politician... Let me tell you this: If I was campaigning, and I go against my opponent and he started attacking my character, and I leap over the table and choke him unconscious, would that help my campaign?" - Chuck Norris

"Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future." - Denis Waitley

"How much did your last tenant problem cost you? I expect your LPA Membership and arsenal of Essential Landlord Forms to save you from countless pitfalls and thousands of dollars on tenant related expenses in the coming years!" - John Nuzzolese

How to Check your LPA Membership Expiration Date:

1. Be logged in with your LPA username & password
   
2. On the "Main Menu" (top right), click on "Your Orders" (right below your name)
   
3. The beginning date of your membership will be listed to the left of your membership order # in this format: YYYYMMDD
   

If you haven't already, please take the opportunity to sign up for The LPA's Quick Check Credit Reports! Quick Check is a simple, fast way to access online credit reports while saving you money!

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