rentals | Houston 4 Lease

5 Valid Reasons to Evict a Tenant

October 19, 2018 by bruce lessey

While no one can deny that being evicted can be a life-changing event for renters, the process is no day at the beach for property owners either. In fact, it is probably the worst part of managing a property. It is a legal headache like few landlords will ever face. Yet it is a fundamental part of property management. But when is it proper to evict a tenant? Here’s a look at five perfectly valid reasons for sending out a notice of eviction.

Failure to pay the rent or habitually late payments: If after giving due notice about failing to pay rent the tenant still does not pay, he/she can be evicted. This is why it is a good idea for a landlord to keep documentation of all correspondence sent or received from all tenants. Maintaining a good paper trail helps all parties in such matters.
Illegal use of property: Of course a tenant must first be served with a Notice to Quit before you do it but you can evict a tenant for operating an illegal business out of a residential property. This can range from a operating a legal business that is not zoned for particular neighborhood to an obviously illegal enterprise such as drug dealing.
Health or safety violations: Again, you must serve the tenant with a Notice to Quit before doing so but if the property is deemed to be a hazard to public health or safety a tenant can be evicted.
Lease violation: This is the second most common reason to evict a tenant and covers a whole range activities and behaviors. However, the policies must be clearly stated in the lease in order for landlords to have a strong case for eviction. Violations could include things like unauthorized pets, unapproved subletting, improper use, etc.
Expiration of lease: Sometimes a landlord and a tenant can reach an impasse on whether or not they want the lease to be extended. In this case, the landlord always wins.

As you can see and as anyone who has ever gone through the process can tell you, eviction is a difficult process for all parties involved. That is why it is best to avoid it if at all possible. At Houston 4 Lease, we stand ready to help owners with any problems they may encounter. Tenant management in the inner loop of Houston can be quite difficult. We are one of the best property management companies in Houston because we have knowledge and experience that will help your property maintain and grow its value.

Technologies You can Use to Find and Manage Tenants

September 21, 2018 by bruce lessey

Technological changes in the real estate field have been coming at both the renters of houses and apartments as well sellers and landlords. For example, some of you probably know how Apple’s virtual assistant Siri, can help real estate brokers to be more efficient in making appointments, assisting with customer-service questions, etc. Well, technology can also help those who manage apartments find and keep their tenants. Any one of the following technologies can help you to get tenants in the door and to manage them once they are there.

Mobile Landlord: This app, available for both IOs and Android, centralizes the important information you will need to maintain your property. It keeps note of possible tenants, favorite contractors and even helps you set reminders for maintenance and inspections. Finally, Mobile Landlord can help you multi-task by keeping track of as many as five properties.
3D marketing and leasing apps: These days prospective tenants pretty much expect to be able to view the house or apartment they are considering moving into remotely over the Internet. This fact is especially true of Millennials. Floored is an app that allows prospective tenants to view what their space may look like before leasing. It can create 3D renderings of apartments and houses that are unfurnished and then let you see what they might look like with furniture.
Homestyler: This app lets you take the guesswork out of renovation by allowing you to picture your property as it would look with a variety of design changes. For example, It can help you visualize your floors to see how they would look if they were made of certain materials e.g., wood or tile. Homestyler even lets you place furniture into the picture to help prospective tenants get a better look at what their new home could look like.
Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a site that can quickly put you in contact with responsible and qualified contractors in just about every field. It can come in particularly helpful when you face a maintenance emergency and need someone to help put things back on track with your property. The way it works is that you state your specific need on the site and wait for be bids and proposals from handymen and other professionals. As a landlord, you’ll more than likely employ your own maintenance person or crew but Thumbtack can be a valuable back up just in case.

As you can see, when it comes to the real estate business the race is not for the swift but for those who endure. And the way to endure in today’s market is to use technology in your favor to screen, attract and retain tenants. Our company, which handles property management inside loop 610 and property management in Houston, helps you to grow your business and to improve it for the sake of you and your tenants.

Tips for Increasing the Value of Your Rental Property

August 17, 2018 by bruce lessey

rental

Both the exterior and interior of your rental property say a lot about the kind of landlord you are as well as the kind of tenants you desire to attract and retain. After all, both attracting new tenants and retaining current ones can sometimes be a challenge especially for inexperienced landlords. Moreover, an attractive property helps to reduce turnover rates and maximize profit. So, if you are a landlord who is looking for ways to enhance your property, here are some things that can help you do just that no matter what kind of schedule or budget you’re on.

Paint: A fresh coat of paint can be truly transformative when it comes to a property you wish to spruce up. The good thing about painting your apartment complex is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other methods of enhancing your complex.
Landscaping: Everyone loves lush, beautiful scenery but the one thing apartment dwellers love the most is that they do not have to keep up with the care of the grounds around there units. This is where you come in. You can beautify a bare property by hiring the right landscapers to plant lovely plants, trees, bushes, etc. A well trimmed lawn is also very appealing to prospective tenants.
Windows: Think not just in terms of simply cleaning the windows of your apartment units. Consider installing blinds, storm windows, etc., to truly add value to your property.
Keep up with repairs and maintenance: When it comes to keeping existing tenants – which is, after all, cheaper than attracting new tenants – there is nothing that sours them more than a landlord who will not attend to their repair needs. Perform regular maintenance and spare yourself costly repairs down the road.
Kitchen & Bath renovation: Many people consider these two as the most important rooms in any home. They are certainly highly scrutinized by apartment shoppers. Make sure that your cabinets are structurally sound; that you have up-to-date appliances installed and that the flooring in your bathtub is clean and free of defects.

Yes, it’s all about retaining valued customers and attracting new quality customers to your property who will someday be proud to call your units home. For tenant management in the inner loop of Houston, we can help you with other strategies that will help you decrease turnover. Property management in the inner loop can be complicated so let us help.

Tenant Screening Tips for your Residential Property

July 20, 2018 by bruce lessey

You’ve heard the old adage that when it comes to real estate: it’s all about location, location, location. Well, when it comes to property management it is all about tenants, tenants, tenants. In other words, selecting the right tenants is probably the most important part of property management there is. You want to make sure that the tenants are a right fit for your property and vice versa. But doing so is not always easy. Tenants who you would just as soon not inhabit your properties sometimes end up doing so. So, while the list below is by no means complete, it should get you started.
• Understand the laws: You will naturally want to make sure that you abide by all federal and state laws that cover tenants and landlords. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Fair Housing Act so that you do not commit illegal discrimination against qualified tenants. You cannot, for example, base your decision to rent on race, religion, national origin, gender, age or family status. Finally, be sure to consult with an attorney or with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development if you have any questions in this regard.
• Have a set of written criteria that every applicant must meet: These items should include income requirements, credit range, and verifiable references.
• Know where to advertise: Avoid sites like Craigslist and similar sites. These kinds of sites are frequented by scammer and schemers. Make an investment in sites like rentals.com, rentalhomesplus.com, Zillow, Trulia, etc. That nominal monetary investment could pay off in the end.
• Ask questions: Ask screening questions of all your prospective tenants such as: Why are you moving? Will you agree to a background check? Have you ever been evicted? Can you pay the first month’s rent and full security deposit on or before your move-in day, etc? Finally, be clear and fair when you question prospective tenants.
• Do background checks: Use a reliable company to determine whether or not an applicant is employed where they say they are what their credit history is and whether or not they have a criminal record or eviction. tenant screening
In short, have high standards when seeking out new tenants. This will help you to protect your property and ensure that your tenants will enjoy their new residence. For tenant management in the inner loop of Houston we can help you make smart decisions regarding your property. Our rental management in the inner loop has many services that will also save you time and potentially money.