Entries tagged as ‘apartment management’
by David Lowe
Most tenants as with many homeowners don’t pay attention to the amount of energy they are using.
Tenants who are not responsible for paying the utility bills are traditionally least aware of their energy abuses because there is no feedback mechanism, i.e. a utility bill, to keep them honest.
Education can play a large part in changing tenant behavior. I believe if a tenant was given some simple energy saving ideas they would use them:
For instance, the placement of furniture can have a large impact on air flow in the home thus impacting how hot or cold it feels. Tenants should be told to be sure to avoid placing furniture in front of or on top of registers or return vents.
Give your tenants a tour of the appliances in the unit. Point out how to adjust the settings for
energy efficiency. Explain how to use the programmable thermostat, how to lower the water temperature.
Another large energy waster is lighting. Many tenants are in the habit of keeping the lights on most of the day and night — even when they are not home. Encourage the use of timers and other energy saving devices.
In vacation homes and short-term rentals, including student housing, the easiest way to control costs is through the use of a tamper proof thermostat. Limiting how high or low a guest can set the temperature will have a large impact on saving energy usage in a vacation home.
It is also important to monitor the energy use on the property. You can start by assessing the current energy use of your building(s) to establish a reference using EPA’s
national energy performance rating system, a free online tool that provides many types of facilities with a score on a simple 1-to-100 scale, 1 being the least efficient and 100 being the most)
Also Microsoft just launched a new website site “Hohm” to help homeowners baseline and track their energy usage.
As a long term strategy that involved capital investment, consider variable speed technology to better control fans and pumps.
David Lowe is a property manager and co-founder of ControlTemp Thermostats, providing tamper-proof programmable thermostats. Check out ControlTempThermostats.com for more information.
See our Green Forum for more energy savings tips.
American Apartment Owners Association
Categories: Going Green
Tagged: apartment management, energy savings, landlord associations, landlord help, Landlord Tips, landlords, programmable thermostats, property management tips, rental forms, rental property management, tamper proof thermostats
Re-Key- Without the Fee!
Submitted by real estate expert Eleanor Trainor
Re-keying? It’s so expensive— but here’s an awesome new product:
Here in the City of Seattle, it is required that the locks be changed between tenants.
Our local locksmiths often charge at very least a $79 trip fee, plus $12-15 per cylinder to change the locks. Yikes! (My company, Rental Restoration, charges a flat $92.50.)
Kwikset has developed a new secure cylinder that anyone can change with the tool that comes with the cylinder.
Very cool!
Eleanor Trainer is with Rental Restoration, the only independent full-service maintenance contracting firm in Puget Sound that focuses solely on serving property managers and rental property owners.
Categories: DIY Home Repair · Landlord Tips
Tagged: apartment management, apartment owners, landlord associations, landlord help, Landlord Tips, property management tips, property managers, rental forms, rental properties
Stick to the Script!
Ever call up your applicant’s previous landlord, then hurry through the call because you didn’t know what to ask? Well, you are not alone!
Having a script can help you get the information you need.
Here are some questions that other landlords ask:
Have-to-Asks:
Is this a good time to talk, or should we reschedule when you have more time?
Did the tenant pay their rent on time, every time?
Did the tenant give you notice they were leaving? Are they leaving prior to the lease expiring?
Did neighbors or anyone complain about this tenant?
Did you ever have to warn the tenant about behavior?
Was the unit/property in good condition when they left?
Did you return all of the deposit?
Good-to-Knows:
Why did they leave?
Did they have a pet? Did you know they had a pet? Was the pet disruptive?
What type of unit did they rent? How much did they pay?
Did they pay by check?
It is a good practice to ask the same questions of each landlord reference, for each applicant. Create a checklist with the questions, and jot down the answers. Place the completed sheet in the tenant file.
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts for landlords on products and services related to your rental investment, including real estate forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.
Categories: Landlord Tips
Tagged: apartment management, landlord advice, landlord association, landlord help, Landlord Tips, property management, rental forms, rental property, tenant background checks
