Landlord Lounge

RHA Rental Property Coach radio show running strong

2011-10-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

A reminder for folks looking for a way to find help with their rental. RHA hosts the Rental Property Coach radio show each Saturday morning at 9:00 am and takes calls from landlords and tenants. RHA President Julie Johnson hosts the show which features in-studio guests covering a variety of topics. Archives of the show are also available on RHA's website.

Yakima to offer training on crime-free rental housing

2011-10-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

Landlords and rental property owners are invited to free training on the city's crime-free rental housing program.

The four-part seminar begins Tuesday with a scheduled presentation by state Attorney General Rob McKenna and state Rep. Charles Ross, R-Naches. Subsequent sessions will be on Oct. 27 and Nov. 1 and 3.

The crime-free rental housing program, started three years ago by the Yakima Police Department, is designed to reduce crime and behavior problems in rental properties.

Classes will outline the crime-free program, as well as crime prevention, block watch, warning signs of drug and gang activity, screening and evicting tenants, the role of code enforcement and other topics.

Police have registered about 2,000 rental properties in a program database and can notify property managers each time they respond to incidents at those locations. Police say that landlords, who can use the incident data to support evictions or other legal action, have been happy with the program.

The classes will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on each date at the Harman Center, 101 N. 65th Ave. Participants should expect to attend the entire series, organizers said.

Sgt. Linda Watts can provide more information or help in registering for class. She can be contacted at 509-575-6178 or lwatts@ci.yakima.wa.us.

Rental Housing Association PAC announces 2011 supported candidates list

2011-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ballots are close to being in your mailbox and RHA's Political Action Committee is pleased to announce it's finalized list of 2011 supported candidates.

All candidates receiving PAC support are supported first, foremost, and only on RHAPAC’s belief that they are the best candidates out there for the rental housing industry. Their recognition of rental housing as a valuable asset to communities, their commitment to allowing rental housing to function as a market-based industry, and a willingness to work with the rental housing industry toward the common goal of providing safe and healthy housing give RHA the best chance of continuing to serve your best interests legislatively.

Sign of the times

2011-10-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of the ongoing themes of the ~~recession~~ slow economy is the plight of "accidental landlords." You know, folks that bought a place only to fall in to a situation where they can no longer afford to pay the mortgage themselves, but who can't sell the property either because of how far underwater they are on the mortgage. The Seattle Times recently printed an interesting article describing the phenomena.

And speaking of bed bugs...

2011-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Not a story to take lightly, although common sense might keep most out of trouble, but it looks like bed bugs are becoming so much of a problem that some people are trying DIY methods to kill the bugs only to make themselves sick.

All about bedbugs

2011-09-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times ran a good, informative article dedicated to the ins and outs of bedbugs. Bedbugs seem to be becoming more and more of an issue for landlords lately, and they're usually pretty difficult to deal with. To read the article click this link.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Information about cable rights in Seattle now online

2011-08-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Seattle's Office of Cable Communications now has information posted online for rental housing owners regarding your rights when negotiating for cable service at your multifamily properties. For information visit: http://www.seattle.gov/cable/

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

SEATTLE BUILDING ENERGY BENCHMARKING & REPORTING

2011-07-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2011 - FREE Energy Star Portfolio Manager Training

NEEA BetterBricks and the City of Seattle offer this FREE workshop for building owners, property managers and service providers to support compliance with the City of Seattle’s building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance. This hands-on session will teach you how to benchmark your building’s energy performance using the free on-line tool ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager. Participants will also learn about the ordinance reporting requirements and new services available for automated benchmarking from Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Steam.

Registration required.

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
University of Washington
Mary Gates Hall, Room 044
Seattle, WA

Seattle Public Utilities no longer allowing new residential tenant accounts for water/sewer/garbage

2011-06-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you own rental property serviced by Seattle Public Utilities your business operations will soon be severely impacted. Beginning July 15, 2011, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will no longer be creating new residential accounts for water, sewer and garbage in tenant names for single-family residential rental properties. All new residential accounts will be in the property owner’s or manager’s name.

Learn more at: www.seattle.gov/util/TenantUtilityAccounts.

Please contact Seattle City Council and Mayor McGinn to inform them of how disappointed you are that the City could not find a way to continue to allow tenants their own accounts. Tenants are not second-class citizens and deserve the same considerations from the city as homeowners are given.

Practically speaking, this change means that owners of single-family rental housing will need to determine a new way of charging tenants for utility costs, whether it be through rent increases, increased deposits, or passing bills down to tenants.

In meeting with SPU, the utility has made claims to RHA that this change is necessary due to a backlog of 5 years’ worth of unpaid tenant utility accounts totaling approximately $1 million. This coming at the same time an audit of SPU conducted by the State Auditor’s office has uncovered nearly $25 million in unverifiable account reductions over a period of only 18 months to 264,000 accounts.

In a letter being mailed out to owners and managers of rental properties in the City of Seattle, SPU also cites this change being necessitated to “more closely align with Seattle Municipal Codes, specifically SMC 21.04.260 which states that all accounts for water shall be kept in the name of the owner of the premises.”

However, SPU omits the remainder of SMC 21.04.260 which goes on to further state:

“…persons holding under recorded lease may be supplied on their own account, and in such cases the Director may require such deposit of money with the Director of Finance and Administrative Services of the City as in his or her judgment shall be necessary to protect the City against any and all delinquent and unpaid charges for water or other charges on account of such service. The property owner shall have the right to have water bills mailed to a tenant, or agent, but this shall not relieve the property from liability for water charges incurred.”

RHA is concerned by the lack of communication from the city regarding this change as it concerns and affects more than just Seattle tenants. Seattle landlords are literally being given three weeks’ notice of a huge change related to rental practices in the City of Seattle.

Previous discussion with SPU led us to believe that such a change to tenant utility accounts would not occur prior to September 2011, and that follow-up outreach would be made to RHA in advance of an official change in tenant utility account policy.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Reminder of RHA radio show

2011-06-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that RHA is now broadcasting every Saturday from 9-10 am on Freedom 1590 AM. This week's Rental Property Coach show will feature a guest appearance by attorney Sean Flynn from Burke Street Law. Listeners are welcome to call in and ask any questions they might have about rental housing and rental property management. Questions can also be emailed to resourcedesk@rha-ps.com or posted here on the blog in the Question and Answer thread.

RHA Rental Property Coach on the air and taking your questions

2011-06-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

The first Rental Property Coach show is now in the books and archived online for those who'd like to listen.

Questions for the show can be submitted to this blog using the Open Question and Answer thread, posted on the Rental Property Coach Facebook page, or emailed to resourcedesk@rha-ps.com.

RHA now broadcasting to a radio near you!

2011-06-10T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Rental Housing Association is pleased to announce its new Rental Property Coach call-in radio show on Freedom AM 1590. The show airs each Saturday morning, from 9-10:00, and is a call-in format for landlords and tenants alike to get advice on their rental situations.

The number to call into the show is: 866-485-1590.

The Rental Housing Association’s president Julie Johnson, who has extensive experience and knowledge of the rental housing industry will be your host. She and her in-studio guests will discuss issues that are important to landlords and tenants and they will invite calls from listeners.From questions like “When do I get my security deposit back?” to discussions of new laws the show will be topical and timely. The Rental Property Coach promotes “Rental Housing is a Smart Choice!"

Click here for the link to Saturday Morning's 1590 AM programs!

City of Bellingham moving forward on legislation that would require inspections of rental housing

2011-06-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

An article in the Bellingham Herald details a 2-1 vote by council committee approving full council consideration of a proposal which would mandate inspections of rental housing in the City of Bellingham.

Under the proposal landlords would have to pay $24 per unit, per year, to cover costs for licensing and inspections. Owners of apartments and rental homes would submit a short form certifying that their properties comply with health and safety regulations.

A city staffer would be hired to conduct inspections if there are complaints from tenants or others. Some undetermined number of rental homes would be inspected at random to help encourage landlord compliance.

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/06/09/2051076/bellingham-rental-inspection-proposal.html#ixzz1OuGgxVD6

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

RHA's April Membership Meeting

2011-04-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

RSVP Now! April 21st, 6-8 pm--Space is limited-- Learn How to Attract and Keep Your Tenants!

How has the change in the economy affected your rentals? Are you finding it difficult to keep tenants and keep the rent where you want it to be? Are you considering raising your rent but want to be sure you don't lose your tenant? Even though things are starting to get better overall in the Puget Sound Region and vacancy rates are lowering, it is crucial that you have the tools needed to make your home the one that tenants wish to stay in. Tenant turnover can be very costly and time-consuming. Assuming you have a quality tenant now, it's better all-around if they just stay put, right?

Attend RHA's April Membership Meeting with Kellie Tollifson, RMP and take a few pointers home with you on how to turn the economic crisis into an opportunity from an established and well-versed professional in the industry. Kellie served as the 2010 President of the King County Chapter of NARPM and currently serves on the NARPM Finance Committee as well as the NW Regional Planning Committee and 2011 National Committee. Steak Dinner, Drinks, Parking & Presentation are all included.

Click here to view event photos from last year! RSVP Today!!!

State Has New Lead-Based Paint Renovation and Painting Program

2011-04-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Washington State Department of Commerce has begun enforcing new rules aimed at protecting children from poisoning by lead-based paint. The State is focused on training and education for contractors so they may apply the new nationwide rules for lead-safe work practices.

Washington State’s efforts include reducing the cost of lead-safe certification to $50, a savings of about $250 per contractor. Washington is the 11th state, and the nation’s second largest state (by population), to begin management of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule.

This new rule requires maintenance and construction professionals to use lead-safe work practices when conducting painting, renovation, and repair work in schools, child-care facilities, and homes that were built before 1978. Most buildings constructed before 1978 contain lead paint. Prior to this rule, lead-safe practices only applied to designated lead-abatement projects. “The nationwide rule was expanded because lead-based paint is the number one environmental hazard facing children under six years of age,” said Dan McConnon, Commerce assistant director for community services and housing, in a recent press release. “We’ve chosen to focus on training and education with the notion that by making certification very affordable and offering a grace period for training after a first violation, the result will be more qualified firms and workers in Washington and more lead-safe structures in our communities.”

Through the Department of Commerce program, Washington State charges contractors $50 for the certification. A violation of the new rule will incur a $500 fine. First time violators will have a six-month window to complete the certification course. Successful completion of the course may make a firm or individual eligible for a reduced fine. Lead-safe work practices are important to avoid poisoning from lead dust and chips that become airborne during renovation activities like sanding and demolition. Lead particles are particularly harmful to children. Lead exposure can affect the physical and mental development of young children. About half of all lead poisoning cases in children are related to renovation and remodeling activities.

Small renovation or repair projects that disturb less than 20 square feet of exterior paint (except for replacing windows) or less than six square feet of interior surfaces are exempt from this new rule. The rule also does not apply to homeowners doing their own renovations. However, homeowners are urged to use extreme caution when doing renovation projects. For more information about certification, licensing, training and for lists of certified/licensed renovation firms, contact the Department of Commerce’s Lead-Based Paint Program at (360) 586-5323 or visit www.commerce.wa.gov/lead. The Commerce website also includes a list of commerce-accredited lead training providers.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Public discussion continues to rage over Seattle proposal to create protections for arrest and criminal convictions records

2011-03-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Debate continues to rage regarding a Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) proposal that would create a protected class status for certain arrest and convictions records in the City of Seattle. The most recent opportunity for discussion occurred at a March 16 community forum hosted by SOCR at Seattle City Hall.

Discussion was moderated by Councilmember Bruce Harrell and a panel of four speakers was invited to offer their insights and opinions as to what the impacts of the proposal would be.

The debate centers on whether or not arrest and criminal convictions should be given protected class status, ensuring that a landlord or employer could not use those records as the solitary basis for denying an individual’s application for housing or employment. Under the proposed draft language, a landlord could only deny tenancy based on a specific few types of convictions that are “situations where there is a direct relationship between the conviction and occupancy; or situations where occupancy would involve unreasonable risk of substantial harm to property or to the safety of individuals or the public.”

SOCR cites convictions involving murder (1st and 2nd degree), assault (1st and 2nd degree), rape (all counts), arson (1st and 2nd degree), and possession with intent to manufacture as specific examples of convictions with a direct relationship to occupancy or those which present a clear danger to the safety of others and the property.

Additionally, SOCR’s proposal says that “If a direct relationship or unreasonable risk is established, additional factors that housing providers should consider include: evidence of rehabilitation; the time that has elapsed since the conviction occurred; and/or the age of the person at the time the conviction occurred.”

This appears to place landlords and employers in the precarious position of determining what types of criminal records do and do not relate to, or present threats to, other tenants, the property and other employees. Legal liabilities for the landlord, and the obvious security risk to other tenants, are a major concern of RHA’s. If the owner chooses not to rent to an applicant with a criminal history, they may be sued for discrimination, an expensive process even for the innocent. If the owner does choose to rent to the applicant, and the applicant, now tenant, injures another tenant, the landlord may also be sued.

Washington State law currently limits information landlords can receive about a person’s criminal history. A consumer reporting agency may not report any records of arrest, indictment, or conviction of crime that, from date of disposition, release, or parole, which antedate a consumer report by more than seven years.

Having a screening policy for prospective tenants is necessary to ensure landlords get qualified, responsible tenants who pay their rent on time, can take care of the unit and will respect their neighbors. RHA President Julie Johnson commented "you don't want to rent to people with drug convictions. If they turn out to be growing [pot], or have a meth lab, federally, they could seize the property. This proposal would make landlords do the job that the state should really be doing, like providing transitional housing and employment to ex-felons. Property owners should be able to decide whom they rent to.”

The implications of making certain types of ex-offenders a protected class is extraordinary and takes the debate about protected classes into uncharted territory. It is one thing to grant protected status because of something beyond one’s control (race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, etc.), but quite another to grant it because of a bad choice an individual has made at society’s expense. The unstated premise upon which this kind of thinking rests is that one need never be responsible for the consequences of one’s actions.

Additional public discussion appears to be in the future as no formal legislation has been introduced to Council. If you’d like to receive more timely updates on this issue look for RHA’s Call to Action email alerts. If you’re not receiving them and would like to please contact RHA Director of External Affairs Sean Martin at smartin@rha-ps.com to be added to our email alert system. This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Deadbeat tenant? This landlord finds a creative way to get even

2010-08-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this article in the Tri-City Herald reporting on how a landlord decided to take matters in to their own hands when a tenant failed to pay the rent.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. A North Carolina landlord fed up with tenants who didn't pay
their rent painted her criticism on the garage for all to see.

WBTV reports that landlord Vanessa McCants spray painted the words "deadbeat tenants" on a Charlotte house she rents to Shanae Jackson.

McCants says she hasn't been paid the $1,300 monthly rent for two months and she's losing the home to foreclosure.

Jackson admits she's not paying the rent but says she can't afford both the rent and moving expenses.
Jackson called police after painting over the critique on the side of the home's garage. Police refused to charge McCants because spray painting your own property is not a
crime.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Landlords get ready for new lead paint rules

2010-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule governing the work of professional remodelers in homes where there is lead-based paint is being updated effective April 2010.

The new rules address remodeling and renovation projects disturbing more than six square feet of potentially contaminated painted surfaces for all residential and multifamily structures built prior to 1978.

It requires a cleaning inspection after the work is completed and grants the remodeler flexibility in determining the size of the work area, which can reduce the size of the area subject to containment.

Additionally, the rule establishes required lead-safe work practices, including posting warning signs for occupants and visitors; using disposable plastic drop cloths; cleaning the work area with HEPA vacuuming and wet washing; and individual certification through a training course.
The full rule and brochures for consumers and renovators can be downloaded from the EPA’s Web site.

A full and complete summary from the EPA is also available here.

Open question and answer thread

2010-03-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that RHA's blog still has the open Q&A thread for those of you wishing to ask questions related to landlord-tenant issues. I've seen a few questions pop up recently, so good to see folks are still staying up on it.

Wear and tear versus Damages?

2010-03-02T13:04:00.001-08:00

This is a question we hear a lot about at Rental Housing Association. It's understandable that there'd be some confusion, even frustration, when you're a landlord looking at a worn unit that needs to be revitalized to get it ready for new renters.

This link offers a good, fair approach to things that could be considered normal wear and tear, versus damages you can require the tenant to cover.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Seattle-area fake landlord gets 3 months in jail

2009-11-16T16:13:00.001-08:00

Some good news for landlords everywhere who have been dealing with scammers using other peoples' ads on craigslist. Recently, one of the scammers got busted for posing as the landlord for properties posted online, and collecting deposits from unknowing tenants. The news today is that he's been sentenced to three month's time in prison.

Significant Changes to Service Forms Sent to Tenants

2009-11-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

In response to some recent court rulings, RHA has drastically altered it's 3 Day Notice to Pay or Vacate and has also modified all of the 3-day, 10-day and 20-day notices.

Recent rulings in Snohomish County have thrown out evictions cases when a landlord listed amounts other than owed rent on the 3-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate. On RHA's form you may now only list rent amounts owed. Any other amount, such as unpaid utilities or late fees, must be listed on a separate 10-Day Notice to Comply.

Also, RHA notices now all include a "Declaration of Service" form for the landlord to keep and maintain for records showing the date a notice was served to a tenant. The reason for this is due to some other evictions cases that were thrown out by a judge because the landlord served a notice to only one of the tenants on the lease, in the presence of both tenants, where the served tenant then passed the notice to the other tenant. The judge basically ruled that notices must be given to each tenant on the lease. It is because of this that RHA now recommends all landlords serve individual copies of any notice to each tenant on the lease.

More details on this have been run in UPDATE the past couple of months. If you're an RHA member head to http://www.rha-ps.com/ and log in to the member section. From there you can view archived copies of UDPATE to read the full articles.

This is just another reason why it pays significantly to belong to an association such as Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound. RHA maintains and updates legal forms on a continual basis to ensure that landlords have the best materials for their use.

What's a better use of your money? $72 for a year long membership to RHA, or losing several thousand dollars to a tenant because you used incorrect forms?

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Reminder About the Question and Answer Thread

2009-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'd just like to toss out the reminder to readers, especially new readers, that we have an active Question and Answer thread where you can post up any issue you might have and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction. While I'm not an attorney, I have years of experience in the industry and have been thoroughly educated on landlord-tenant law.

My dog ate my rent!

2009-11-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a link with some funny excuses from tenants as to why they're breaking the rules. Not to be outdone, here are some equally pathetic excuses from some uneducated landlords.

Industry news!!

2009-11-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

I know you all have been craving some updates as to what's happening in the rental industry, right? Well fear no more, I've got some great links for you all to check out. And for those who don't know, RHA also has a news page on its website that is updated daily with stories current to the industry.

Click here to see the RHA Current Industry News

Here's an article that appeared in the Seattle Times a couple weeks ago regarding what a service animal is, and the possibility that the Department of Justice may be drastically redefining what can be considered a service animal in the future. The main issue of debate are the, shall we say, "less mainstream pets" that more and more people are attempting to pass off as service animals these days. Snakes, monkeys, iguanas and ducks are all examples of animals that have been claimed to be service animals, but have me scratching my head as to what those animals can really offer in terms of "service."

The November 2009 issue of the Washington State Fair Housing Update features several interesting articles with cautionary tales for landlords. Included are articles covering service animals, foreclosure protections for tenants, Section 8 and where it's a protected class, and an apartment complex being fined big money for refusing to accept a disabled tenant who needed reasonable accomodation.

And in other news the City of Seattle Council has approved a plan to move forward on permitting "backyard cottages" to be built on single-family lots across the city. The hope is that folks will build small units as a way to subsidize the mortgage of the primary home, while creating a new alternative form of affordable housing stock for the city. It's an interesting concept and one that RHA voiced support for with the council.

New poll is up

2009-11-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we've posted a poll on the Lounge, but a new one is now up. Basically, the poll is trying to gauge if the market has really gotten harder for landlords to rent a unit out or not.

I think the general trend for the last year has been a softening on demand in the market, with rents going down and incentives going up, but this is a chance to see a snap shot of how things are at this moment. The autumn/winter time is usually pretty slow, but if you have a vacant unit this autumn/winter things could be really tough if the market analysis' for the past 6 months hold true.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Don't forget to vote today!

2009-11-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

Just a friendly reminder from the Landlord Lounge and RHA to remember to get your ballot sent in. Ballots must be post-marked no later than midnight tonight.

For information on RHA's supported candidates please visit here.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

City of Everett - Inspections issue follow up

2009-10-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

For several months now, Everett has been debating creating some sort of ordinance or program aimed at inspecting bad rental housing in the city. This article in the Everett Herald points at some kind of legislation being introduced in November.

An adoption of the international building code, revamping of notices and fines for nuisance conditions, and inspections after a failure to resolve a nuisance issue appears to be the big part of whatever is presented.

Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound has been working this issue since it first came to Council in June, and is continuing to track what the final legislation will look like.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Are you a student looking for housing?

2009-09-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I found a great little article detailing how students can find the perfect off-campus housing for the now-here school year.

A few key things mentioned are that, as a renter, you should always have a list of "must haves" before doing any search. This could even be broken down to things that are essential, versus things that are negotiable. Remember that the two most important factors for most people are location and rent, and those two items usually go hand-in-hand when looking at multiple properties.

Be sure to ask questions about the property rather than assuming things. Painting an interior can create instant appeal and is often something landlords will allow tenants to do within reason. Maybe you don't like the old stove, so you offer to pay $25 more a month in rent if the landlord upgrades to a new appliance. Things like this can really jazz up a place that looks plain or dated, but you'll never know if you can pull them off without asking.

Check out the entire article here.

Renton Housing Fair

2009-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

The City of Renton is partnering with financial institutions, non-profits and real estate professionals to facilitate a Housing Resources Fair on Tuesday, September 15, from 5:30-8:00 pm at the Renton Community Center.

The event is FREE for consumers and will include workshops for both home buyers and home owners. The goals of the Housing Resources Fair are to promote resources available to consumers, with particular emphasis on the soon-to-expire first-time homebuyer’s $8,000 tax credit, refinancing tools and foreclosure assistance.

The City also hopes to stimulate additional housing purchasing and rental activity during these challenging times.

Free rent for Washington prisoners

2009-09-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

An AP article run in the Seattle Times details a new program run by the State that is offering rent vouchers to inmates eligible for early release from prison. While there are more details than I can summarize here, the basic function of the program is that it removes prisoners from jail who are eligible for release, but cannot find housing.

Essentially the State is saving money by offering rental vouchers to released prisoners, rather than continue to pay the cost for deataining them in jail. The program is only set to provide vouchers for approximately 700 inmates. Read more about the program here.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Interesting tv show for those looking to rent part or all of their property

2009-09-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've kind of become a bit of an HGTV (Comcast channel 68 in the Puget Sound area) junky the past few months and started watching "Income Property".

The basic premise of the show is you have a person/couple who have purchased a home with the intentions of creating some rental space within the home (like a basement apartment). There are some good tips and ideas for learning how to create a desirable home for a renter that will pay for itself within 2 years' time. Here's the website for the show. Give it a look some time.

Reminder of the open question and answer thread

2009-08-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Q&A thread continues to receive hits every week and we're continuing to supply information and answers to all that post up there. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out by following this link or by checking out the "resource section" at the right of the Landlord Lounge home page.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Another article underscoring the "renters' market" we're all in

2009-08-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

I came across this article this morning that has some basic information and tips for renters who might be looking for a break in their monthly rent. At this point it's no secret that vacancies are high, rents are dropping, and even incentives have become common in the market.

Given the current market I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is to keep your current renters happy! Even if you have to drop the rent price when renewing a lease, it's likely a much better option to risking having no rent-income flowing in for a month or two while trying to find a new tenant.

Events and Education for landlords

2009-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you've explored the resources on this page you're likely to notice a monthly calendar link (down the right side of the page)which takes you to Rental Housing Association's events listings for the current month. For the month of August, for example, there are a few networking/social events, and also two education seminars listed (Advanced Landlord-Tenant Law, The Move-In Process).

While 2009 has already been RHA's biggest and most successful year for events and education offerings to landlords, the planning for 2010's Events & Education calendar is already under way. RHA is looking for feedback from landlords as to which classes are of most value to them. If you have ideas/requests for specific subjects/types of events, please submit them to RHA's Director of Events and Education, Holly Clausen, at hclausen@rha-ps.com.

An extreme case of retaliation

2009-08-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

This situation is clearly beyond the norm for landlord-tenant relations, but it's at least a shocking reminder of how small issues between landlord and tenant can become testy very quickly.

It goes without saying that the proper course of action for the landlord in this scenario would have been to serve the tenant with a 10 day notice to comply, and taken things from there.

Lots of stuff going on with trees in Seattle

2009-08-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Several articles have popped up recently regarding tree protections in Seattle, as Council considered and passed a new tree protections ordinance.

This article briefly summarizes actions taken by Seattle Council on Monday, authorizing DPD to review all tree protections, and also creating an Urban Forestry commission.

Meanwhile, the current tree protections and process for cutting down trees is highlighted in this article, where an apartment owner in Seattle needed to remove a tall fir tree because it annually caused flooding issues at his property.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

New poll is up. Do you offer short-term rentals?

2009-07-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've posted a new poll seeking reader input regarding short-term rentals and if you currently, or have in the past year, offered one of your properties for rent as a short-term rental.

For simplicity, we're defining short-term as "less than 30 days".

As with most of these polls, this one tracks along a potential issue for RHA to deal with, as it appears a city in the area is seeking to regulate short-term rentals and who/where can offer them.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Fake rental applications scam now permeating Craigslist

2009-07-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm re-posting this information as a public service to landlords. This will also be anchored on the right-hand column for a while to make sure folks are aware of the latest rental housing scam to hit the industry.

Landlords now have another thing to worry about when listing their rentals. A new scam has popped up on Craigslist where landlords are finding their ads are being copied and re-listed at a cheaper rent by some "other" person. The other person in this case appears to be a website called erentalapplications.com.

When replying to the copied ads respondants are asked to pay a $15 charge for "taking care of the entire application process" and also are required to disclose personal information, including employer names, your salary, and a drivers license number.

I'd like to encourage all landlords that use Craigslist to be sure and check that their listing isn't being used to scam tenants. The best bet would be to search by your listing title or a key phrase in the ad like a phone number or email. You can then flag the bogus ad for removal. Here's a King 5 report that profiles a few landlords who have had to deal with this problem.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Question and Answer thread still going strong

2009-07-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that there is an open Q&A thread on the right column of the blog where readers can jump in with any questions or feedback. It's worth checking up on every week as new questions pop up often enough.

The most recent question was a not-too-uncommon scenario where the landlord is considering having one of their tenants act as the property manager for them. My personal sentiments are that this is a very risky thing to do without your tenant taking the proper training and education courses. There are far too many Federal, State and Local laws for a landlord to simply allow a novice tenant the keys to operating a very valuable investment.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Advice on finding a new tenant

2009-07-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

RHA's own Sue Lewis was featured as a guest expert in an article run by the Everett Herald on Sunday. The focus of the article was how to best find a new tenant. The single best piece of advice might actually be that the best way to find a good tenant is to find ways to retain your good, current tenants.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

A new tool for landlords to gauge the market

2009-07-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

I came across a new site, new to me at least, that allows landlords and tenants to find out how their rent compares to other properties in the area. The site is called www.rentometer.com. Admittedly, it's not the best science because it compares by location and bedrooms only, but this is a great place to start.

What's unique about rentometer.com is that the site will pull up a map showing other properties that are for rent in the area, along with their listed rent.

Give it a try!

An example of the positive impact a properly maintained property can have on a neighborhood

2009-07-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I came across this article today in the now online-only P.I. and thought it really illustrated how proper and routine care for a property can have a dramatically positive influence on a neighborhood.

The apartment complex featured in the story had a history of problems with drug dealers and criminals hanging out and causing problems at the property, but it appears that these problems are almost entirely gone as a direct result of new owners cleaning up the property and installing a secure fence on the property.

This story is a perfect example of how proper maintenance and a positive, working relationship with the police can lead to a quality property.

Backyard cottages and a plug for RHA

2009-07-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome back from the Fourth of July holiday. I hope your weekend was as exciting as mine, minus the minor bush fire I had to put out from a firework gone awry.

Jumping back in to things today, I came across an article in the Seattle Times that's worth a read. City Council continues to study backyard cottages as a solution to finding a place for a relative to live or as a way to downsize while remaining at your own property. This is a subject that has been debated in public for a couple years now.

Also, RHA was given some good PR by Steven Tytler, a writer with Heraldnet.com, who says landlords who are in the know refer to Rental Housing Asssociation of Puget Sound for help with landlord-tenant laws.

Fake rental applications scam now permeating Craigslist

2009-07-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Landlords now have another thing to worry about when listing their rentals. A new scam has popped up on Craigslist where landlords are finding their ads are being copied and re-listed at a cheaper rent by some "other" person. The other person in this case appears to be a website called erentalapplications.com.

When replying to the copied ads respondants are asked to pay a $15 charge for "taking care of the entire application process" and also are required to disclose personal information, including employer names, your salary, and a drivers license number.

I'd like to encourage all landlords that use Craigslist to be sure and check that their listing isn't being used to scam tenants. The best bet would be to search by your listing title or a key phrase in the ad like a phone number or email. You can then flag the bogus ad for removal.

Here's a King 5 report that profiles a few landlords who have had to deal with this problem.

New POLL is up!

2009-06-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've posted up a new poll for reader participation. The question asks if you have had to change your rental policies during the bad economic climate in order to rent out your unit(s). This goes beyond simply lowering the rent, to maybe being more lax on things like bad credit, allowing pets, etc.

Feel free to post up some discussion regarding this as well. It would be great to see some ideas kicked around by the readers of this blog.

Change here in how landlords rent their properties?

2009-06-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

While the bad economy caught up to landlords' abilities to command rents for their properties months ago, it looks like who they rent to is also undergoing a bit of a change as vacancies continue to peak upwards.

I must admit, that no matter what the market conditions are, I will always advocate the absolute necessity of keeping good standards for applicants and screening applicants accordingly.

A unit that stays vacant for a month is a killer right now, but consider the costs and pains of having the wrong tenant in a unit. A better approach, as detailed in this article could be to allow pets in your rentals if you currently don't. Or maybe you give Section 8 vouchers a second look if your rental isn't located in an area where Section 8 is currently a protected class (you can still screen Section 8 applicants).

Everett Herald says target the bad landlords

2009-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

And RHA couldn't agree more. We have been working hard in Everett to ensure that the good landlords in the City are not punished for the irresponsibility of a few bad actors. Right now things are in the middle of a 90 day "moratorium" for city staff to consider options for alternatives to a mandatory "inspections" ordinance. RHA is participating in this process with the city and has already proposed alternative legislation to the city that would target only the bad landlords in the city who are chronic abusers of the city's housing and health codes.

Take a look at the op-ed that ran in yesterday's Herald.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090624/OPINION01/706249967

An off beat story

2009-06-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

In Colorado a landlord apparently got tired of an Easter display that sat around on a tenant's door too long for their liking, so they evicted the tenant on the grounds that the display constituted an unclean condition.

http://www.komonews.com/news/offbeat/48729297.html

Seattle Council votes to place $145 million housing levy on the ballot

2009-06-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Per The Seattle Times:

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously today to put a $145 million
property-tax levy for affordable housing on the November ballot.
The council's version of the seven-year levy mirrors Mayor Greg Nickels' proposal,
but for a few tweaks that would guarantee voters that most of the money would go
to people with very low incomes.
The levy would cost Seattle taxpayers $17
per $100,000 of assessed value. The council estimates the average Seattle home
would pay $79 a year under the ballot measure, up from $49 in the city's 2002
levy, which expires this year.

Unhappy Bremerton Landlord Dumps Former Tenant's Trash

2009-06-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a story of what amounts to a tenant vacating and leaving junk behind. Such circumstances would allow the landlord to charge the tenant for cleaning, as well as storage for items with value attached to them (7 days for less than $50 in total value, 45 days for $50 of more total value of all items).

Given that the tenant paid a large enough deposit to the landlord, driving over to the tenant's new place and dumping his "garbage" in his driveway probably wasn't the most civil thing to do, although I'm sure most landlords can sympathize with the situation.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

America's most prominent landlord?

2009-06-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Could Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner now be America's most prominent landlord? Apparently he's had some difficulty selling his NY City suburb home and has been forced to rent out the property. This is a pretty similar story for many people who got in to homes right before the market tanked, but it's kind of ironic that the bad housing market that led us in to the current recession, the recession that Mr. Geithner is tasked with ending, has now directly caught up to him.

Click here for article

City of Everett council looking at rental housing inspections

2009-06-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Inspections have come up again, but this time in the City of Everett. On Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm the Council is scheduled to hold a second reading of the proposed ordinance that would place all rental units in the City of Everett under an inspection program.

Here's an article with more information about what is going on right now with this ordinance.

Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound has talked with other area rental associations about this legislation and will be meeting with Everett officials for further talks, as RHA opposes this legislation as it is currently written.

RHA has also sent out a Call to Action to its members, asking all rental housing owners to contact the City of Everett council to tell them that inspections of all rental units in the City is not the correct response to a problem involving a very small percentage of housing units. If you would like to receive a copy of the RHA Call to Action please email Sean Martin, Director of External Affairs at RHA, at smartin@rha-ps.com.

I encourage all readers to contact the Everett Council if you oppose rental housing inspections.

UPDATE: Thanks to the organized efforts of Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound and Snohomish County Owners Association, this ordinance was removed from the City of Everett's agenda and has been postponed for 90 days to give the rental housing owner community an opportunity to work collaboratively with the City in finding a solution to substandard housing that narrowly targets the bad landlords in Everett.

Here's a link to an article detailing what's happening now on this issue.

Average rents in Seattle dropping fast?

2009-05-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well that's part of what Angel Carosio, a writer for The Spectator at Seattle U, writes in an article that broadly discusses how the rental market has turned in the favor of tenants. Apparently Seattle is now one the Top-5 cities for decreases in average rent over the past 4 quarters.

Check out the entire article here.

Cable service in apartments remains open to all

2009-05-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting note I came across this morning. An appeals court ruling has upheld a rule that does not permit a cable company to require an exclusive service agreement for the entire building in situations where that company has provided a valuable service to a building (such as installing cable wiring).

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_apartment_cable.html

Big changes come to account activation with public utilities in Seattle

2009-05-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Effective May 1, 2009, new practices have been implemented under the FACT Act (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions) to better ensure that a tenant’s information is protected from identity theft and consumer fraud. Essentially, the law requires that public utilities establish a program for identity theft prevention. Under this act, the Seattle Public Utilities and City Light have created a new program for verifying the identification of all new accountholders (customers who do not have an established account with any of the City’s utilities).

How does the new law impact Seattle landlords?

Any landlord who owns rental housing in the City of Seattle and requires the tenant to hold utility accounts in their name is impacted by this new law. There are two ways you can now activate a new tenant account with City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. First, the tenant can go to a service center (see list below) and verify their own identity in person. Should the landlord wish to initiate the new utility account activation without relying on the tenant, the landlord will now need to print out an application for utility service and sign an affidavit at the bottom of the application which states the landlord has validated a tenant’s identity document(s) as part of the rental application process.

This application also offers the option for the landlord to ask that they be copied on any utility bill that the tenant has fallen behind on (a must-do for all landlords).

One important note to keep in mind: there are two unique forms for activating a new utility account which are available. The Residential Electric Service Application (RESA) is to be used only in instances where only an electricity account is being opened. The Residential Utility Service Application (RUSA) is the correct form to use when both electricity and water/sewer/garbage accounts are being opened OR when water/sewer/garbage is the only account being opened.

Where can identity verification documents be submitted?

In Seattle, the new law will require that the identity of the account holder for any new account being opened is verified using one of the following methods:
1. A notarized account application or landlord affidavit can be submitted by fax or mail to the utility.
 Fax – send to 206-684-5637
 U.S. Mail – send Seattle City Light applications/affidavits to:
Seattle City Light
Customer Service Center
P.O. Box 34023
Seattle WA 98124-4023
 U.S. Mail – send Seattle Public Utility applications/affidavits to:
Seattle Public Utilities
Customer Service Branch
P.O. Box 34027
Seattle, WA 98124-4027
2. Verify identity in person at several locations (and send confirmation to the utilities):
 Lake City Neighborhood Service Center - 12525 28th Ave. N.E., second floor
 University Neighborhood Service Center - 4534 University Way N.E.
 Ballard Neighborhood Service Center - 5604 22nd Ave. N.W.
 Central Neighborhood Service Center - 2301 S. Jackson St., Ste. 208
 Southeast Neighborhood Service Center - 3815 S. Othello St., Ste 105
 West Seattle Neighborhood Service Center - 4205 S.W. Alaska St.
 Delridge Neighborhood Service Center - 5405 Delridge Way S.W.
 Seattle City Light’s north service center - 1300 N. 97th St.
 Seattle City Light’s south service center - 3613 Fourth Avenue S.
 Seattle Public Utilities’ walk-in center in Seattle Municipal Tower - 700 Fifth Ave., Ste 2777

What forms of identification will be accepted at in-person locations?

For in-person verifications, City staff will confirm the validity of the identification documents using existing resources and visual inspection. Confirmation of identification will be sent to the utilities, where new account requests will be completed. No personal information will be sent with the notice of identity confirmation. The City accepts government-issued photo identification containing the holder's name, date of birth and photograph. Examples include:

 State or U.S. Territory driver licenses or identification cards,
 Current passports,
 The Matricula Consular,
 Permanent resident cards,
 Resident alien cards,
 Temporary resident cards,
 Employment authorization cards,
 Certifications of naturalization, and
 Military ID cards/Geneva Conventions identification.

If someone is a tenant and cannot provide photo identification, or a notarized application or landlord affidavit, the account can be opened in the property owner's/landlord's name.

Have any other public utility companies changed how they verify new account holder identification?

The Seattle Public Utilities and City light are the largest utilities undergoing major changes to how they verify identification of account holders; however, RHA encourages you to check with your local public utility providers as other utility companies may have been forced to change their practices. RHA has not been contacted by any other utility providers, but was able to verify with the City of Tacoma that none of their utility companies have been affected.

Where can I find more detailed information and copies of the new utility applications?

For further information please refer to RHA’s website, www.rha-ps.com, and go to the landlord-tenant law section found under the Legislative and Law tab. Under Seattle Laws you will find a question and answer, along with other information and links with details about the new law, its purpose, and copies of the applications you can print out when activating a new tenant utility account with the City of Seattle. Landlords can also call the Utilities Call Center at 206-684-3000 for further assistance.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

A tale of caution for landlords/managers

2009-05-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Edit: For the sake of clarification, the Landlord Lounge does not condone the actions of the landlord in this case. The reference to the story being "crazy" refers directly to how brazen the landlord acted in threatening some tenants and soliciting favors from other tenants. Typically you see defendants plea not guilty even when it's obvious they are, for the sake of negotiating a settlement, so it was surprising to see the defendant in this instance agree to the judgment.

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/September/08-crt-776.html

$1 Million Judgment in Sexual Harassment Case Against Cincinnati Landlord
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that former Cincinnati landlord, James G. Mitchell, and his company, Land Baron Enterprises, agreed to pay $1 million in monetary damages and a civil penalty, after admitting that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA). This is the largest monetary settlement the Department has ever obtained in a case alleging sexual harassment violations under the FHA.

"These women were subjected to blatant, threatening and unwanted sexual advances in their homes," said Grace Chung Becker, Acing Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "While nothing can fully compensate for the pain that these women experienced, this $1 million settlement reflects the gravity of the alleged conduct. I commend the victims who bravely came forward and Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) for their referral."

Under the consent judgment, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the defendants -- James G. Mitchell and Land Baron Enterprises, a corporation that owned many of the properties that Mitchell managed -- must pay $890,000 in compensation to 12 women who Mitchell sexually harassed and $110,000 in a civil penalty to the United States. The first $250,000 must be paid within two weeks of the court’s approval and the remaining $750,000 will be payable within 30 days of the court’s approval and will be distributed among the 12 women. In addition, the consent judgment enjoins Mitchell from further discrimination and requires him to retain an independent management company to manage future rental properties he acquires. Mitchell currently does not own or operate any rental properties.

Check out the link for the rest of the story.

RHA newspaper now online FREE

2009-05-13T14:45:00.001-07:00

RHA's newspaper, UPDATE, can now be found online for FREE.

The issue found online free is back-dated two months, and a running database dating back beyond then is available to RHA members exclusively.

Considering renting out a room?

2009-05-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Tough times call for resourceful measures. I've read about many home owners becoming landlords by default, renting out a room or their basement, just to make ends meet on the mortgage and avoid foreclosure. This is probably a last-resort for many people, but should you find yourself in such a situation there are plenty of resources out there to assist you in your decision of becoming a live-in landlord.

How should you go about renting out a portion of your home? Take a look at this article from msn.com detailing the numerous factors to keep in mind. It's not as simple as placing an ad in the paper and signing a lease.

Stories to make you feel good

2009-05-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

At RHA we certainly deal with strange issues that our members go through. Such is the life of a landlord. These landlords' tales of nightmare renters, however, take the cake. If you ever find yourself stuck in a bad situation with one of your renters just keep these tales in mind.

Anybody have any stories that compare?

New self-help articles section

2009-05-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

Surfing the web can pay off big when you stumble across tried and true good information. After reading through about 10 articles this morning I've put together a little "Self-help" section that offers generally good advice for landlords. Keep in mind most of it is rather broad, as the articles were all written for a national audience. However, there is a general mindset you can put together that will help you to make sound business decisions when it comes to renting out your properties.

The self-help section is in the right-hand resources column underneath RHA's Events Calendar.

Dupre & Scott forecast the future rental market

2009-04-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

And it's not a particularly rosy forecast for those that own rental housing. Most landlords are already seeing vacancies increase and rent rates flatten, but things are still expected to get worse as it appears the cycle for the next couple years will be similar to the dot-com bust of early in this decade.

Check out this link for the powerpoint that Mike Scott took to Seattle Council last week for tons of detailed information on how things have trended in recent years, and where they're likely to go in the next few years.

How to get stuck with a stranger in your rental

2009-04-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here's an all-too-familiar story:

Landlord lets a tenant move in another resident. People come and go, no lease is ever signed with the new tenants, nor are any screenings required before they move in. The original tenant ends up deciding to move, leaving a bunch of broke strangers behind for the landlord to deal with.

This scenario occurs way too frequently with landlords who don't take the time to perform a simple screening, or stay on top of things with the legal renters in the unit. Check out this Komo News report showing how being a generous landlord can turn around and bite you when proper paperwork isn't in place.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Open Question and Answer thread

2009-04-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

As we do every month, here's a reminder that this blog is first and foremost a place for open discussion and questions about all things rental housing. If you have any questions regarding your rental or issues surrounding a tenancy this is the place to post them up.

Keep up on rental housing news

2009-04-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to anyone who follows or checks in on the Landlord Lounge that we have a link in the Resource Section on the right side of the blog, "Rental Housing News", that takes you to RHA's industry news page. There you'll find daily updates with links to all the news being reported in local media that affects rental housing.

Help the Landlord Lounge to better serve you!

2009-04-01T14:58:00.001-07:00

I'm really moving forward on the blog to ensure that all the visitors to this site get the most value per visit that they can. To ensure that interesting content and opportunities are found here at the Landlord Lounge I'm asking visitors to please go through a very brief survey, offering feedback as to what the most valuable information is to put up here.

To the right, in the resource section of the blog, you'll find a link for a SURVEY where you can submit feedback. The survey literally will take you less than 3 minutes and only contains 7 questions!

Thanks for helping to make this a better online forum for all of us! : )

Tough home market impacting condo buildings

2009-03-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

This trend started well over a year ago, with condo conversion being reverted back to rentals, and now it looks like more and more of those that actually did buy condos during the big condo boom in the Seattle-area are turning to renting out those units as the market for selling housing has died.

King 5 news put together an article detailing condo owners struggles with renting their units out because of HOA rules limiting rental terms. It's an interesting read if you have a few minutes.

King 5 condo article

Insurance

2009-03-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

I came across an article today talking about insurance and what it really covers if there's a problem at your rental. It's not uncommon to hear RHA members mention that, if a tenant of theirs was burglarized, the tenant assumes that the landlords insurance policy will cover their personal items. This really could not be further from the truth.

Landlords, while you can't require your renter to have renters insurance for their own items, you can certainly point out and make the case that it's a good idea. Check out the story here.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Track rental housing industry news at it occurs

2009-03-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

A new addition to the valuable resource bar on the right hand side of the Landlord Lounge homepage has been added, allowing you to access the latest rental housing industry news at the click of a button.

Rental Housing Association continually tracks all coverage of the rental housing industry in the media. New stories appear daily on the RHA site that would be of interest to any rental owner, with stories falling off once they become 30 days old. Take a look at the Rental Housing News link, under the Resource listing, to the right for more information.

Time to think about spring cleaning

2009-03-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that now is the time of year to start thinking about spring cleaning for your property to get them ready for the busier spring and summer months. While the snow/hail/rain/wind/sun of yesterday make spring seem a long ways off, it actually begins this Friday if you can believe that!

Simple things like pruning back shrubs and trees, cleaning gutters and clearing drainage systems are all great ways to ensure your property functions as it should. Also checking the paint and windows for wear and aging, touching up bad spots or re-staining decks can add a great deal of visual appeal to those who see your property from a glance or as a prospective renter.

Once you've gotten folks inside the front door think about things that will be immediately noticeable to prospective and current renters in your common areas. Perhaps a floor needs polishing, drapes need to be dry-cleaned, or carpets need to be cleaned. This is also a great time of year to revitalize how you have the common areas decorated and make people feel like your property is current with the times and a hip place to be.

Do any of the readers have any extra tips on cleaning? Please post up and lets discuss how to "spring" our properties forward for another successful year!

Great resource for looking up city ordinances and laws

2009-03-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Before the weekend is here I thought I'd pass along a valuable resource for looking up and researching city ordinances and laws.

www.mrsc.org is a website that has compiled links and searchable ordinance pages for every city in the State of Washington. I actually refer to this site quite often when looking up information to help RHA members with property management questions. If you have a chance give the site a quick look.

Cities and HOA's banning rentals

2009-03-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

In the strange but true column comes an article on msn.com highlighting a growing problem in communities around the country where foreclosures are on the rise. These communities, accustomed to owner-occupied units, are choosing to ban renting out homes when paying the mortgage is impossible, essentially forcing owners in to foreclosure on the false notion that renters destory their communities.

While outright bans of rental housing seem unbelievable, especially to Seattle-ites who live in a city where more than half the population are renters, what is more outrageous is that some cities now are choosing to further exploit homeowners facing financial hardship by requiring them to pay non-refundable fees to the city along with "posting bond" for the property in order to rent out a home.

Read for yourself HERE and tell me what you think.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

New POLL is posted

2009-03-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

On the right-hand column you'll see a new poll has been added to the blog looking for feedback from readers. RHA is considering adding online classes made available to RHA members as a convenience to those unable to attend classes in person. We'd like to hear if members or prospective members are interested and would consider taking these types of classes. Thanks!

March open question thread

2009-03-11T10:50:00.001-07:00

I'd just like to remind readers that a large function of this blog is to offer self-help to rental property owners and to spur discussion among readers on how to solve property management issues. Please feel free to post up questions related to rental housing management and landlord-tenant issues and I'll do my best to offer good help, or at least a good referral.

Tacoma attorney advocates for changing the landlord-tenant act

2009-03-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

An interesting opinion article was ran by the Tacoma News-Tribune last week written by a Tacoma attorney who argues that the current economic downturn has revealed some serious flaws in our State's landlord-tenant act, and that now is the perfect time to fix things.

A fair point is made that under current law a landlord can go for months without receiving rent before they can boot out a bad tenant, all the while they continue to have to pay a mortgage on the property along with other bills associated with ownership. This certainly does not appear to be equitable, and places a huge burden on a landlord.

Given the current economic situation it is not beyond the realm of possibilities that landlords, especially those owning a single-family home, who have a tenant not paying rent could be in a situation where their property is foreclosed on. Contrary to popular perception, most rentals are not cash cows and rent merely helps to subsidize the mortgage.

The complete article can be found HERE.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

New look, resources being added

2009-02-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

I'm updating the look of the Landlord Lounge to make it a little more user friendly and offer some more fixed resource links for visitors to get information. If you have any comments or suggestions for things to cover please let me know! Thanks.

Tacoma residents/owners - Safe and Clean Team wants your feedback

2009-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Nine months ago, City of Tacoma employees set out to partner with the community to make Tacoma safer and cleaner by reducing crime and removing nuisances, debris and junk vehicles. As part of this Safe and Clean initiative, the City Government Resources Team is conducting a survey. The information gathered will help the team develop a resource page on the City’s Web site that will direct citizens to the City departments and divisions that can best address their needs. The Web site will also build awareness about the many City resources that are available.

The survey will be open until March 1, and can be completed at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MYKUDJm8XqSwg0xzJwZVuw_3d_3d.

Property Taxes Going Up?

2009-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

I came across a good article on King 5's website and thought it good information to pass along. This seems to be an ongoing source of confusion for a lot of home owners out there who are wondering "why are my property taxes still going up if the valuation has gone down?"

The problem comes from the fact that properties in King County were assessed in January 2008, just before home values began to plummet in the region. Complicating this is the number of levies that voters approved, such as (in Seattle) the renovation of Pike Place Market to the tune of $73 million and the renewal of the parks levy for $145 million. Bellevue voters agreed to a school district capital project measure totaling $545 million, and in Renton, a school district measure added $150 million. All told, King County voters approved 23 of 30 levies, all of which added to property taxes.

There are two parts of this process. One is the assessment of your property and the other is the actual bill. You can’t argue about the bill. The only thing you can argue about is the assessment you get months before the bill.

For more information about property taxes and how they are assessed please visit the Assessor's website for your county.

King County Assessor
Pierce County Assessor
Snohomish County Assessor

King 5 article

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Open questions thread - Ask an expert

2009-02-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

I'd like to emphasize again that this blog is completely interactive and I would love to see some more questions posted up that you might have about rental housing/property management.

If you come across a post that is of interest and you'd like to comment/ask a question all you have to do is click the "comments" link at the end of the post and you'll be taken to a page with a comment box for you to submit your thoughts. If you can't find a thread dedicated to open questions, or have something you'd like to ask that has yet to be discussed, leave me a comment after any posting and we'll cover the question in a new post.

Thanks!

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

RHA Events Photos

2009-02-13T09:40:00.001-08:00

For those who've attended an RHA event, or any interested in seeing what goes on at them, RHA event photos are now viewable online at our public Shutterfly.com account. You'll find dozens more photos from events that we aren't able to squeeze in to the limited space in the pages of UPDATE. Maybe you'll even catch a few candid shots of yourself!

Photos from RHA's Holiday Party, TRENDS, and the 2009 Legislative Day are currently posted. Click the following link and give them a peek! RHA Events Photos

2009 legislative session going fast

2009-02-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

RHA is working hard in Olympia right now on some key bills to promote and protect rental housing as a community resource. Of greatest importance is legislation RHA is supporting that would ban third party inspections of rental property, as well as a bill that would fix the utility lien mess when tenants don't pay their bills and vacate.

I urge you to take a look at the RHA website for more information, as there's too much to include it all here. Please contact your legislator and voice your support. Below are a couple links for more information and to contact your legislator.

RHA 2009 legislation

Legislative District Finder

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

An example of how not to ask a tenant to vacate

2009-01-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

From the odd and strange files comes this story of a landlord so desperate to rid himself of a tenant that he resorted to removing the toilet, bathtub, stove, countertop and the kitchen sink!

Needless to say, you should not attempt this in you own situations.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120ap_odd_landlord_toilet.html?source=mypi

Keeping Rental Units and Tenants Warm and Dry

2009-01-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

—A seasonal reminder for rental property owners with residential tenants

Seattle’s Housing and Building Maintenance Code (HBMC) contains requirements designed to keep building occupants dry and warm during our usually cold and drizzly winters.

In a building maintained in compliance with code requirements, all components of the building—including foundation, roof, walls and windows—are reasonably weather-tight, water-tight and moisture-free. Exterior wood surfaces are painted, stained, or otherwise protected. The drainage system should also allow water to drain away from the structure and standing water does not accumulate. These measures not only protect your tenants from wet weather, but also preserve the integrity of your structure and make it less likely that problems such as rot and mold will occur.

In addition to keeping your tenants dry, they must also be kept warm. The standards for heating in the HBMC require a permanent heat source capable of maintaining an average room temperature of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit when outside temperatures are 24 degrees or above, and at least 58 degrees when the outside temperature is below 24 degrees. The heat source must be permanently installed with an approved power or fuel supply, such as an oil, gas or electric furnace, or permanently installed baseboard or wall heaters. Electric and kerosene space heaters are not legal as a primary heat source in rental housing.

For more information about rental property maintenance requirements, visit DPD’s Landlord-Tenant webpage, available at www.seattle.gov/dpd/publications, or call (206) 684-7899.

Batten down the hatches!

2008-12-31T13:54:00.001-08:00

Stormy weather is on its way to Western Washington tomorrow, bringing with it high winds and lots of rain (or snow if you're going to the mountains). Here are some answers to general questions RHA receives regarding how to handle these situations.

Q - Is it my obligation as a landlord to move my tenant to a hotel since they don't have power?
Q - Do I need to discount rent because my tenants don't have power?
Q - Do I need to provide some type of heating source (i.e. firewood) to my tenants because they don't have power?

A - Our duty as landlords is to provide a "habitable home" - meaning providing the basics like heat, water, and lights. However, a windstorm is considered an "act of God," something beyond the landlord's control, and therefore there is nothing the landlord could do to prevent the power being out. Rental property owners are not obligated to pay for a hotel, discount rent, or provide a heating source in this instance.

Q - My tenant lost all of their food because of the windstorm. Do I need to reimburse them the amount?

A - Again, the answer is no. That is what renters insurance is for, not the landlord. The landlord's insurance covers the building. The tenant's renters insurance covers what is inside the building, including their food.

Q - Before consulting with me, my tenant immediately began cleaning up the fallen trees around the yard after the rains and windstorm had passed. They even called a company to come out and chop up the trees, then presented me with the bill. Do I have to pay it?

A - It seems that your tenants decided to carry out RCW 59.18.100 (repair and deduct) prior to carrying out RCW 59.18.060 (written notification to the landlord of a problem). Therefore, you are not obligated to pay.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Landlords - Keep those walkways and driveways clear!

2008-12-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

I came across a very timely reminder in the news the other day that I thought I'd pass along to the landlord readers of this blog. With the horrible weather we've been having, and given that this is only the first week of what is officially "winter", it's a good idea for all owners of multi-unit rental housing to keep all common areas clean and clear of snow and ice.

Washington State law dictates common areas are to be cleaned as soon as possible. Failure to do anything can set you up for big trouble should an accident occur as the result of an icy walkway or driveway.

In single-family home situations, the responsibility for clearing walkways and driveways is typically dictated by the terms of the lease. An easy guideline to go by is typically the party who is responsible for yard care would also be responsible for clearing snow and ice from the walkway and driveway.

Tenants, if your landlord has failed to take care of ice and snow in an instance such as the previous paragraph, or in cases of multi-family properties with common areas, there is a specific process to follow. First, you must give the owner notice to clear the problem (Notice of Repair). If, after the proper period of time for the repair to be made has passed, the landlord does not fulfill their obligation, you may then do the work yourself and then deduct the costs you incurred in clearing the snow/ice from your monthly rent owed. You do not have the right to simply withhold paying the next month's rent in such a situation.

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Guns in rental housing

2008-12-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

Following up on a poll I published a while back, the big question in this post is "how do you feel about tenants having firearms in your rental property?"

This is a controversial issue that RHA is looking to dive further in to and run an article on in a future issue of UPDATE. More than numbers from a poll, individual comments and stories offer an opportunity for us to see how things play out in the real world.

So lets hear some comments. Do you permit guns in your rental housing? Have you had any strange scenarios arise from permitting or not permitting renters to own guns in your rental?

Unpaid utility bills - what is your recourse?

2008-12-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

From the "Ask an expert thread" I received a question regarding an unpaid City Light bill:

I just discovered that a tenant had moved out with a huge unpaid electricity bill. Since Seattle City Light was not contacted within two weeks of the tenant moving out, SCL is now saying that I will be responsible for paying the balance before the billing can be transferred to the new tenant. The previous tenant was Section 8. Do I have any recourse here? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, short of attempting to work with Section 8 to (maybe) get some relief from the bill, the law is not on your side in this situation. However, there are a couple of tools available for all landlords when dealing with public utilities that can prevent this situation from occurring in the future.

All landlords have the right to receive a copy of their tenants’ utility bill if and when a tenant becomes delinquent on utility payments, provided that the utility company is a public utility (i.e. City Light). Simply write a letter to the utility company stating the name of your tenant and the address of the property for which you’d like to be copied on if the tenant falls behind on payment. If you’re notified of a tenant falling behind on their utility bill(s) you can serve them with a 10-day notice to comply with the portion of their lease agreement that holds the tenant responsible for staying current on utility payments (see section 11 of the RHA lease). Doing this ensures that your tenant won’t rack up a huge bill and leave you stuck with it.

It is also very important for landlords to notify a utility company within 10 days after a tenant moves out, to ensure there are no problems with any billing. This may (depending on the utility company) also absolve the landlord of any responsibilities for unpaid utility bills. There is also a general assumption that a landlord can have a lien placed upon their property if a utility bill is unpaid. This is not true across the board. Seattle City Light does not place liens on properties with unpaid bills, but Seattle Public Utilities still uses this process.

Food for thought about school closures

2008-12-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

When the Seattle School District closed schools in the 1970’s the district conducted a study to find out what happened to the neighborhoods where the schools were closed. The study found that families with children who owned homes continued to reside in those communities. However, families with children who rented their homes left the vicinity within two years.

Many families with children who do rent choose to do so because of the school district or school near the rental. When those options are taken away renters may choose to move to another area…

Seattle seeking members for its Planning and Design Commissions

2008-12-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

The City of Seattle is looking for candidates to serve on the Seattle Planning Commission beginning in January 2009, and the Design Commission beginning in April 2009.

Comprised of individuals familiar with zoning, land use and housing issues, the Planning Commission lends itself perfectly toward the possibility of RHA member participation. This could be an opportunity for you to ensure the City grows appropriately and is a fertile area for quality private-market housing. Members are appointed by the Mayor, City Council and the Commission itself to serve renewable, three-year terms. Commissioners must reside in Seattle and serve without compensation. Of the four open positions, two will be appointed by City Council, one will be appointed by the Mayor, and one will be appointed by the Planning Commission. The Commission is seeking candidates with skills and experience in architecture, housing, transportation, urban planning and development experience.

The Planning Commission is seeking qualified experts in design and development fields, as well as community and business leaders, with an interest in shaping new development in their neighborhoods, and a passion for keeping Seattle a great place to live, work and play. There are openings for 10 board positions representing different parts of the City.

Participation on either commission requires attendance at monthly meetings and participation on at least one sub-committee that meets monthly is also required for the Planning Commission. Commissioners also attend and participate in relevant public meetings and events.

For further information please visit the links below.

http://seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=9037&Dept=40
http://seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=9032&Dept=40

New poll is up

2008-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

This question arises entirely from conversation I've had with RHA members in the past month. It seems that although vacancies remain low, units that are empty are having a hard time finding new renters. This time of year is always slower for movement by renters as the weather is worse and the days are shorter, but apparently seasoned veteran landlords are seeing even worse conditions that would normally be expected during the winter months.

This leads entirely to speculation that the downturn in the economy is now impacting tenants to the point that it's time to hunker down and ride things out. So we have kind of a situation of conflict that makes things interesting. One the one hand vacancies are still low, which lends itself to a market where rents can be raised. On the other hand you have folks now finding it very difficult to rent a unit when it becomes vacant leading to a possibility that they may have to discount the unit in some way to get it occupied. And raising rents could potentially push a tenant out during this time when money is tight.

This all leads to my question of you this week. Given the current economic climate, do you anticipate raising rents in the next year?

This blog contains general information and is not intended to apply to any specific situation. If you need legal advice or have questions about the application of the law in a particular matter, you should consult a lawyer.

Ask an expert thread

2008-11-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Starting this week I'd like to begin offering a weekly post for landlords to ask various questions related to property management issues. Situations involving lease arrangements, rent increases, issues arising during tenancy (noise, damages, eviction, etc), Section 8, etc are all on the table for discussion.

Let's get some dialogue going on this board that encourages interaction between not only me and you, but also you and your fellow landlords. Networking is one of the best ways to learn common practices in the industry and see where your properties fit in the overall market. A self-sustaining forum such as this can be an integral part of your continuing rental housing education.

That said, the floor is open for your submissions.

RHA works the Seattle Rental Housing Inspections issue

2008-11-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks RHA worked hard fighting a provision Council Member Nick Licata attempted to include in the City of Seattle’s 2009-2010 budget that was to set aside $12,000 in funding to “develop a pilot program and any necessary implementing legislation to improve rental housing conditions consistent with the Council’s direction on options identified in the Cedar River Group’s 2008 report.”

RHA is pleased to announce that by working with the Council and City staff we were able to defeat this provision by a vote of 5 – 3, with Council Member’s McIver, Drago, Harrell, Rasmussen and Godden agreeing with RHA’s position that Licata’s proposal greatly pre-empted any opportunity of review and discussion of the report by all affected parties.

RHA has additional meetings scheduled with city council members and other key city officials to discuss the results and promote a "Stakeholder" workgroup to discuss problems and causes related to rental housing safety; identify solutions and work collaboratively to implement solutions. We have also met with tenant advocates and the University of Washington to talk about inspections and how to solve substandard/derelict rental housing in the City. They also support the "Stakeholders Group" idea. The stakeholder process would:

1) Clearly define the problems the City has in regards to rental housing. As well as define what is substandard and derelict housing.
2) Work with stakeholders to craft specific problem statements associated with the substandard housing and habitability issues identified.
3) Develop a targeted approach to solve the issues identified. Each problem is unique and one approach will not solve all the issues involved regarding substandard housing.

As a rental property owner, how would you like to see this issue addressed?

Rental Housing Vouchers

2008-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

The biggest issue facing Washington State is a balanced budget and addressing the budget shortfall. Therefore the State only has two options, increase revenues or decrease expenses.

Many of the issues facing rental housing do not affect the State’s budget but there is one issue which does. Housing vouchers. RHA has long championed rental vouchers for low-income persons needing housing. Vouchers offer an effective, efficient program for providing market-rate housing to those who can’t otherwise afford it.

In 2002, the State legislature imposed a $10 document-recording fee to fund the Washington Housing Trust Fund and supply revenue for local government housing assistance for those with very low incomes. Since its adoption, however, many questions regarding the implementation of the Act remain unanswered.

RHA believes rental vouchers should be a significant part of any low-income housing program. It further believes the legislature should carefully specify what proportion of the Housing Trust Fund revenue should be used for vouchers, for construction of low income housing and for administrative overhead at the local level.

RHA PAC Supported Candidates

2008-11-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

We’re proud to announce RHA PAC supported Candidates did extremely well this election. Out of the over 95 candidates supported only 6 candidates were not elected or re-elected.

Now we await the committee assignments. Once these are selected RHA will have a better idea of which Legislators could have a direct influence on the rental housing industry.

We are already working hard to ensure this upcoming Legislative session is successful by working on legislation which will improve the industry.

Get Out And Vote

2008-11-04T12:03:00.001-08:00

Today is Election Day. RHA would like to encourage all of our members to get out and vote. RHA PAC Supported candidates are listed on our website at www.rha-ps.com. We supported over 90 candidates throughout the State of Washington.

RHA PAC interview candidates for office a the State and local levels with the hopes of finding quality candidates who are supportive of rental housing and open to further discussion on legislation that could affect the industry. Building relationships with Legislators through PAC activities plays a vital role in the political arena.

RHA is a non-partisan association which straddles the line of differing political ideologies, but never gets involved in matters beyond those pertaining to owning and operating rental property.

Sharing landlord experiences

2008-10-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Pierce County Landlord Meetup (2nd Tuesdays of every month at Oscar's on Hosmer Street, 5:30 p.m.) we discussed several interesting topics including: best practices when leasing, fair housing laws, and options a landlord has when a tenant wants to pay their rent late.

But what struck me most about the meeting was the tenure that was present. We had several members that have been landlords for over 20 years present. They recognize the rental housing industry is constantly changing and in order to stay current they attend RHA's meet up. However, they also bring to the table their own wealth of experience to which I'm grateful for. You can learn a lot just by listening to their stories.

If you have not attended a RHA Meetup I would encourage you to do so. We have meetings in both King and Pierce County. King County meets 2nd Friday of every month at 8:30 a.m. in RHA's Boardroom.

Pierce County Housing Authority

2008-10-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

RHA received the formal announcement today from Pierce County Housing Authority announcing they are going to file for Chapter 9 protection. However, they also wanted to assure their customers: they intend to maintain their affordable housing portfolio, continue to provide affordable rental housing to low income families and intend to keep current on any financial obligations.

Foreclosures forcing evictions

2008-10-09T15:39:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this article online the other night and thought it was interesting and a good counterbalance to the previous entry about struggling tenants not being able to pay rent.

There's now a big brouhaha going on in Chicago's Cook County where the Sheriff there has stated he will not be carrying out court-ordered evictions of tenants that are paying their rent.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

"Illinois law requires that renters be notified that their residence is in foreclosure and they will be evicted in 120 days, but Dart indicated that the law has been routinely ignored.
He talked about tenants who dutifully pay their rent, then leave one morning for work only to have authorities evict them and put their belongings on the curb while they are gone.
By the time they get home, 'The meager possessions they have are gone,' he said. 'This is happening too often.'"
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008240450_apsheriffevictions.html

Unfortunately this is a situation that will likely become more prevalent given the huge number of people that were given mortgages they never should have received. What should be done in situations like this when renters are caught in the middle as an innocent bystander?

Uncertain Financial Times For Tenants

2008-10-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

We received an email at the end of last week from a tenant explaining how they would not be able to pay the rent until October 20th. Apparently, the wife was laid off from her job. This is probably going to become a more common request from tenants due to the current economy.

What would you do?

1) Since the tenant told you in advance, you would allow it this one time. They would need to pay all fees and penalties for the late payment.
2) Be concerned that if you did allow them to pay October rent late, how would they come up with the money for November. Therefore you wouldn't allow it
3) Serve them with a 3 Day Notice to pay or vacate once the October rent was late.
4) Serve them with a 3 Day Notice to pay or vacate once the October rent was late but then allow them a conditional payment agreement through an attorney. That way if they for some reason can't pay on the 20th the 3 Day Notice has already been received.
5) Allow them to use the deposit for October rent, with the condition they would have a new place to live in November and they would leave the unit in "move-in" condition?

New Poll is up

2008-09-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

I've posted a new poll, and this one again focuses on late fees. As you can tell, there may be some issues arising soon regarding late fees and how much folks charge. RHA is trying to pull the best data it can from members and work with other groups in the Washington Rental Housing Industry Coalition (WRHIC) to see what numbers should be considered reasonable for the industry to charge.

I know there are always a ton of variables because no property/situation is the same. For now, consider this an introductory poll with more detailed information likely being sought in the future.

Happy voting!