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photo credit: Simon Davison

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) is an international organization whose members include the owners and managers of a variety of different types of professional buildings. They lobby for legislation related to the issues of concern to these members. The San Francisco chapter of this organization is working to promote awareness of its efforts that they have made towards implementing eco-friendly practices into building management. (more…)

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A lot of people have the misconception that it’s a landlord’s responsibility to repair a rental unit and it’s the tenants responsibility to maintain it. This might actually be a good rule of thumb to live by, but it’s not a legal tenet and doesn’t apply in all situations. (more…)

photo credit: Foraggio

A lease or rental agreement is something that should never be forgotten or skipped by anyone, whether you’re the landlord or the tenant. Both lease and rental agreements are designed to iron out all the details of the arrangement so problems don’t crop up in the future. If you want to avoid future conflicts, include the following information in your paperwork. (more…)

photo credit: Cindy Funk

Landlords can actually be their own worst enemy. It’s important to remember that being a landlord is a business above all else, whether you’re renting out a room in your home or you own a large number of multi-unit buildings. (more…)

photo credit: Matsuo Amon

You know that having the right tenants is key to having a good landlord/tenant relationship. But being the right sort of landlord or property manager is also an important element in this symbiotic relationship. Follow the tips below to be a highly regarded property owner. (more…)

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So what is the difference between a lease and a rental unit? A lease is typically a long term agreement for a specified period of time. A standard lease is for 12 months. This means that you’re guaranteed rent from your tenant during that time, but the rent will stay at the rate you set and you are also expected to keep that tenant unless they break certain terms of the lease. (more…)

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Pets are playing a more important role in the lives of individuals and opening your property to pets can increase your tenant base. But of course, you don’t want to suffer property damage or possibly have some an individual harmed by a rogue pet. The best way to get the benefits and limit your risks is by creating a pet agreement. (more…)

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Getting the right tenants is the most important thing a landlord can do but this doesn’t mean you can discriminate against a group because you personally feel they wouldn’t be the best renters. In fact, there are a whole slew of federal and state laws that protect people from discrimination when it comes to housing and it would be very useful for you to peruse these laws routinely and follow the tips below. (more…)

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It’s your property, right? So you should be able to enter whenever you want. Wrong! If you’re renting property to someone else you give up the right to use that property whenever you want for whatever purposes you want and in return, you get a little (or a lot) of extra income. But your tenants also gain some rights when they rent your property, one is the assumption that you will not enter their living quarters without permission or proper notice, unless, of course, there is an emergency. (more…)

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Many landlords struggle with the decision of whether or not to allow their tenants to have pets on the property. The struggle usually comes from the fact that they themselves like pets but don’t particularly want to deal with the damage that can happen to a home when a pet is allowed to live there. Those landlords that are struggling with the decision should know that there’s a right way and a wrong way to let pets on the property. (more…)