Thursday, November 19, 2015

Too Much Sympathy Can Kill Your Rental Business




“Moderation in all things, especially moderation.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Over the years as a Charlotte property manager, I’ve gotten a lot of calls from landlords who tell some version of this story:

We had placed a family of tenants into our rental home and everything was going great!  They paid on time for the first 8 months and were really a joy to interact with.  I mean, Brett, when minor repairs were needed around the house, they took care of it at their own expense- they would just call and ask if it was okay with us if they made the repairs!  They really were a beautiful family; you should just see their youngest daughter, Cybil- she reminded me of my granddaughter!  But, I digress…

The problems started when they were late in July.  Apparently there was some mix-up with accounting at their work and the paychecks weren’t cut correctly that month.  I was okay with it (things happen); they wound up paying on the 15th that month and I didn’t charge them the late fee that I could have.  They assured me this was a one-time thing and they wouldn’t be late again. 

August 1st came and went and there was no rent.  When I called to ask about it, I started getting voicemail.  Two weeks went by and I was wondering if I needed to start thinking about evicting them, but then they returned my call.  They said their car had broken down which left them without transportation to work, so they had to choose to pay for the car repair instead of rent (you can’t earn money to pay rent if you can’t get to work).  They said that was also why they didn’t call me back immediately; they didn’t have the funds to pay their cell phone bills either.  After apologizing profusely, they asked if they could wait until the 1st of September to pay.  “Of course,” I said.

September 1st came and we got a check for about a quarter of the rent (for August).  They said the rest would come from the paycheck on the 15th.  When the 15th came, they called to explain that it was either paying back rent or paying the light bill, and the children couldn’t live without heat.  And they also had to pay for Cybil’s dance recital which she had been looking forward to all year.  “Our kids need to come first.”  Then they told me what a great landlord I was and said they were so appreciative of my understanding.

Brett, this story goes on, but I’ll bottom line it for you.  The tenants are 5 months behind and I am beside myself and out of patience.  I wish they would just get caught up!  Where do I go from here?

First of all, there is nothing wrong with being a nice, understanding person.  We have enough jerks in the world.  And what’s done is done; it’s a sunk cost and it’s time to deal with the facts on the ground.

If the tenants are 5 months behind, it’s time to evict.  There is no way that they can get caught up at this point.  Find an eviction attorney (ask a property manager for a recommendation if you need one) and get the ball rolling ASAP.  In NC, you could be looking at 6-8 weeks if the tenants prolong the process (and possibly longer if they know how to play the game).  You need to get your house back and stop the bleeding.

A caveat- I don’t ever want to evict anyone.  It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and it is a lose-lose-lose proposition (owner/property manager/tenant).  At lease signings, I communicate to tenants that if they are having payment issues (life happens), to contact me immediately so we can work something out.  Whether that means a payment plan, negotiated vacancy, or something else, we need to talk it out and negotiate a workable plan.  We’ve worked things with tenants in the past that has made the best out of a difficult situation.  Everybody needs a place to live.

But we’ll never get to 5 months of non-payment.  It just can’t happen.  Sympathy, at that point, turns into taking advantage of home owners, which isn’t fair.

Though every tenancy situation is different, there are a few non-negotiable parameters:

1.  Non-payment can never get past 30 days.  That’s 2 pay periods and past the point of return for most tenants.
2.  If a payment or negotiated vacancy plan is agreed upon, it is set in stone.  If the plan is breached (for any reason), eviction must be filed. 
3.  Don’t take it personally.  Rental properties are a business and sometimes business stinks.

I am all for sympathy.  But with rental homes, sympathy can kill your business if not used with moderation.


Brett Furniss is the head property manager of BDF Realty (Charlotte Residential Property Management), the trusted real estate advisor for Charlotte landlords & Home of $100 Flat Fee Property Management.   BDF Realty utilizes their innovative Pod System for exceptional customer service in residential property management, home repairs, and home sales for single-family homes, Uptown condos, and town homes in the Charlotte-Metro Area.  Contact Us Today!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

The Miami Heat Big 3 & Your Property Management Maintenance Team




The Charlotte Hornets opened up the NBA season the other night against the Miami Heat.  For NBA fans, this is exciting stuff!  The Hornets hope to replicate some of the past success of the Heat, while the Heat are looking to find success again.

 

How well have the Heat done in the past 5 years? 

 

2011: Eastern Conference Champions

2012: NBA Champions

2013: NBA Champions

2014: Eastern Conference Champions

2015: Missed playoffs altogether

 

So things were rolling from 2011-2014.  Making the NBA Finals every year (and winning twice!) is unbelievable excellence.  How did they achieve this?

 

It started with the Heat picking up two great players, LeBron James and

Chris Bosh, in free agency after the 2010 season.  When they paired them with Dwayne Wade, their existing All-Pro, they had the talent to take on anyone in the NBA.  And through hard work, they bonded together and had immediate success. 

 

Along with the “Big 3”, the Heat had a good bench of role players, which changed often from year-to-year.  But as long as Bosh, Wade, and King James were pulling the scoring load, the Heat’s role players were able to offer enough support to make them champions.

 

The Heat’s success also translates into winning property management maintenance.

 

90% of property maintenance issues with rental homes can be handled by another kind of “Big 3”:

 

1.  HVAC company: Air conditioning and heat are a big deal for tenants.  Having a reliable and timely HVAC company on call is huge.

 

2.  Plumber: Sanitation, leaks, and hot water heaters are also very important.

 

3.  Handyman: For the “miscellaneous”- Broken windows, doors, drywall repair, paint, power washing, gutter cleaning, etc., etc. 

 

If the maintenance “Big 3” are intact, the rental home should be in good hands for landlords.  They will handle most of the on-going issues. 

 

But never underestimate the role players; they are called less often, but play vital roles.  Vendors such as pest companies, roofers, electricians, painters, house cleaners, carpet cleaners, lawn care, and others are important to have on your team as well.

So what, you may ask, happened to the Heat in 2015?  King James left the team as a free agent to go back to play for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.  Bosh and Wade both missed many games due to injuries.  And the remaining, healthy role players around them couldn’t shoulder the load themselves without them.

 

Having the “Big 3” is important to property maintenance success.  If one is lost, making sure a worthy replacement (Kevin Durant to the Heat in 2016?) is imperative!

 

Happy landlording!

 

Brett Furniss is the head property manager of BDF Realty (Charlotte Residential Property Management), the trusted real estate advisor for Charlotte landlords & Home of $100 Flat Fee Property Management.   BDF Realty utilizes their innovative Pod System for exceptional customer service in residential property management, home repairs, and home sales for single-family homes, Uptown condos, and town homes in the Charlotte-Metro Area.  Contact Us Today!