THE

APARTMENT NEWS

Apartment Association Of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Inc.

1127 West 38th St. Erie, PA 16508 · (814)866-7414 · Open Mon-Fri 9:30 am to 5:00 pm

Fax: (814)866-2732 · office@aptassoc.com · www.aptassoc.com

January 2014 WE’RE 1,600 STRONG, REPRESENTING 19,900 RENTAL UNITS

Inside The Newsletter

Page 2 –3 …The Document Rental

Property Investors Need to Sleep

at Night

Page 4 … Landlord Fraud Prevention

Tips

Page 6 … Catering to the Audience

with Online Social Media

Page 8 … For Sale by Owner

Page 10 … Smoke Free Policies: It’s

Just Good Business

Page 13 … Screening Tip

Page 12 …. How to Fill Vacancies in

the Slow Winter Months

Page 14 …. Five Tips to Screen Pet

Owners

Page 15 … Eviction Schedule

Back Cover … Dinner Meeting

Reservation Form

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Joel Miller

In this first President's Message for 2014 I just want to wish you the best in this holiday

season with hopes for a "100% occupancy" new year.

Last year was an awesome year for the Association. We joined National REIA, began

our Landlord 101 classes, made progress in our suit against the City of Erie over their

apartment inspection ordinance, improved our website and the advertising we do for it,

gotten some new faces on the board, and we've had some great speakers at our monthly

dinner meetings. We've also started the compliance program for members to get their

business locations credentialed for the purpose of continuing to receive credit reports

from TransUnion.

Our January meeting will be the ever-popular Chili Party format with eight topics to be

moderated in a round table setting. This is always a popular meeting so get your

reservations in ASAP.

Something to look forward to...we are working on rolling out some one-day workshops

as an extension of our educational efforts. These will occur as we put together our

Landlording 201 classes. More on this later.

Chili Party Time! Round Table Discussions

Topics for Discussion this year are:

Thursday, January 23, 2014 at the Erie Maennerchor 1607 State Street, Erie, PA

Dinner and Discussions start at 6:00pm

$10 per person

Reservation deadline is January 17, 2014

Reservations are required and that form is on the back cover

HAPPY NEW YEAR

UPCOMING

MEETINGS

February Lease and

Legal Seminar

March Ryan Adams

NFA Insurance Estimators

The Five F’s of Value Real Estate Investing Legal Q & A Pest Management Strategies Renting and Pets Landlord Accounting, P&L and Budgeting Leases and Other Forms Defining Your Real Estate Investment Objectives Expert Q & A

Page 2

The Document Rental Property Investors Need to Sleep at Night

Rental Property Reporter.com

By Tracey March

My husband and I are considering investing in a 5-unit multi-family property. In fact, we’re having our realtor write up the offer as I type. The seller has given us all sorts of documents about the property, but the most critical one to our decision-making is the cash-flow analysis.

Knowing how to interpret a cash-flow analysis with a critical eye is a great skill to have, whether you’re thinking about investing in a single-family home or a multi-family property. But if you’re a new rental property investor, you might not know what a cash-flow analysis is.

In a nutshell, the cash-flow analysis estimates how much money you’re going to make or lose after all of your income, expenses, debt servicing, and estimated capital expenditures for your rental property have been taken into account. To figure out the cash-flow analysis, you need to figure out your net operating income, so we’ll start there:

Net Operating Income (NOI)

The formula for figuring net operating income is: NOI = income – expenses

It’s pretty easy to figure out current net operating income. The seller knows the monthly rental income and expenses and should be able to provide that information easily. Projecting future net operating income is more of a challenge and involves more “educated guesswork.”

Income includes:

rent: look at other comparable rentals in the area. Is yours priced high or low? Are you going to make improvements which will enable you to increase the rent?

vacancy rates: many experts suggest a vacancy rate of 8.3% per year, which works out to be one month; collection loss: rent that can’t be collected, which is typically .5% to up to 4%, depending on factors such

as location, the economy, and the tenants; additional income streams: such as laundry facilities or parking fees.

The income section of the cash-flow analysis on the property we’re looking at includes rental income, a vacancy factor of 3% (which seems low), and an “other income” section to cover the coin-operated laundry facilities. If our offer is accepted we’ll ask the seller to verify the vacancy rate by giving us a certified rental history.

Expenses include:

utilities, property taxes, management fees (if you’re not going to self-manage) tenant search and advertising fees insurance, landscaping, cleaning, and pest control.

The cash-flow analysis for the property we’re looking at lists property taxes at 8.5%, which should be easy to verify on the county tax assessor’s website. Repairs and maintenance are 2.5% and miscellaneous expenses, including insurance, are .66%. Current net operating income on the property is about $30,000 for the year. If we decide to hire a property manager, we’ll need to calculate the estimated property management fees and deduct them from that amount.

Continue on page 3

Page 3

Coldwell Banker Select, Realtors Commercial Division 814-833-3331

1144 WEST 22nd STREET— Two 3 bedroom units with good rental history.

Updated windows and carpeting in 2nd floor unit. Off street parking with 2 car

detached garage. 32086. $75,000. Corey Barbato, 490-6701.

1038 EAST 9th STREET— Two unit with updated heating and electrical systems.

Water damaged. Sold as is. 32630. $25,000. Tom NeCastro, 881-1186.

2316 TAGGERT STREET— Great 2 unit near Penn State Behrend. Downstairs

apartment is occupied. 35982. $89,000. Melanie Brewer, 218-0563

2312 WAYNE STREET—Brick 2 unit in good condition with newer roof and large

front porches. 34366. $39,900. Terry Rea, 881-1512.

5452 LINDEN AVENUE—Well maintained duplex—3 bedrooms, 21/2 baths, full

basement, refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher in each unit. Tenants pay all

utilities. Walking distance to the Washington Twp Park and Edinboro Lake. 31168.

$234,000. Mark Hutchison, 450-3389.

Continued from page 2

Cash-Flow Analysis

Now that you know your NOI, you can use it to complete the other critical analysis, your property’s cash flow. The cash-flow analysis is useful because it estimates how much we’ll be clearing or paying each month for the property, after everything has been taken into account. The formula for cash flow is:

NOI – (debt + capital expenditures)

We’ll be taking out a loan to buy the property, so to figure out cash flow we need to plug in the mortgage payment and related debt service we expect to be making. I just googled “mortgage calculator” and plugged in our loan term, loan amount, and interest rate to get our monthly payment.

Capital improvements are another story. In the cash-flow analysis the seller gave us, nothing is set aside for capital improvements, which makes me pause. How much has he spent on capital improvements in the past if he doesn’t include them in the future analysis? The building is an older one. We’re planning on updating all the units, but we have yet to find out about the roof, appliances, HVAC, or other major systems because we haven’t had an inspection yet. So, assuming the seller accepts our offer, we’ll be relying a lot on what shows up in the inspection.

So for now, we’re in a bit of a wait-and-see pattern, and that’s to be expected. Plugging in the numbers we have available, and based on current rents, it looks like we’ll have about a zero cash flow, so the income on the property will be paying for all the associated expenses, including the debt. However, we have nothing set aside for capital expenses. If the seller accepts our offer, we’ll do our due diligence during the feasibility period and have the property inspected to get a handle on what our future capital expenditures are likely to be.

Even if you haven’t been given a cash-flow analysis by the seller, you can try estimating yourself using All Property Management’s rental property investment calculator.

Page 4

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ronirwin@windstream.net

The “GARBAGE CAN” Man

We do COMPLETE CLEANOUTS of Residential and Commercial Properties including Houses,

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(814) 504-7080

Treasures Galore 4960 Iroquois Avenue

Erie, PA 16511

Landlord Fraud Prevention Tips www.criminalfraud.com

High-risk tenants use landlords as a revolving line of

credit. They never pay rent and often cause thousands of

dollars worth of damage to one rental unit. These tenants

play the Fraud Rental Game and if you, the landlord, do

not conduct your due diligence or tenant screening, then

you will lose.

There is no fear of consequence because rental fraud is

considered to be a civil matter and in most instances civil

remedies do not result in recouping financial losses.

If the residential rental industry "networked" to identify

high-risk tenants, they would not be able to use landlords

as a revolving line of credit and/or use the rental property

for their own illicit purpose; i.e. marijuana growing

operations, chop shops, and various other criminal

activities that result in thousands of dollars in damage to

the rental property.

Tips that will help you win the Fraud Rental Game:

Always have the prospective tenant complete an

application to rent form

Make sure that the application has been completed in

its ENTIRETY. If a prospective tenant only completes

part of it, he/she may be hiding something or doesn't

respect rules.

Don't believe anything that you are told and/or what is

on the application. Obtain the prospective tenant's

credit history; a credit history will verify some of the

information that was given to you on the application

and you will be able to compare credit to application to

determine truthfulness. A credit history will give you

information with respect to pay patterns, and will be a

good indicator of how you can expect to be paid. A

good rental application that asks the right questions is a

valuable tool. Generally speaking, individuals with

good credit histories are generally good tenants.

Continue on page 8

Page 5

Help Prevent Fraud

Request to see the applicant's

social security card and drivers

license for positive

identification. Take a picture of

both with your smart phone and

email them to yourself

for your files.

VIDEO RECORDING AND PICTURES CAN REDUCE DISPUTES Pictures speak a thousand words!

Reduce disputes with tenants by video recording or photographing the unit’s condition before move-in

and after move-out. If you do this when the unit is vacant, the tenant cannot claim his or her privacy was

invaded. When move-out is completed, repeat the process again and obtain evidence of any

damage that occurred during the occupancy of the affected tenant.

This publication is designed to

provide informative material of

interest to its readers. It is

distributed with the

understanding that it does not

constitute legal, accounting, or

other professional advice.

Although the published material

is intended to be accurate,

neither we nor any other party

will assume liability for loss or

damage as a result of reliance

on this material. Appropriate

legal or accounting advice or

other expert assistance should

be sought from a competent

professional.

Page 6

CATERING TO THE AUDIENCE WITH

ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s a fairly safe bet that students today are looking to the web and not the newspaper

classified ads for house or apartment listings. Become more tech savvy with your

marketing to reach students. Here are some ways to get your property listing onto their

desktop, laptop, or smartphone:

CRAIGSLIST

Students use Craigslist to find everything, especially when it comes to housing. Another added benefit is that the site

is free and easy to use.

MOBILE MARKETING OPTIMIZATION

Students today are more likely to text than talk on their phones. It is recommended that you run a run a website with

content specifically formatted for mobile devices. These are necessary because so many students carry smartphones

now and conduct many searches on them. The days of students spending all their time in front of a big box PC are

long gone. Managers can also use text message marketing which requires a mobile website to work. When an

individual texts any pre-determined word, such as ‘info’ or the property name, for example, to a predetermined

number, they get a text message back with information about your property and you get their contact information in

return.

Reprinted courtesy of Shawnee Landlords Association

Page 7

HAVE YOU ATTENDED A DINNER MEETING

LATELY?

Come early—Stay late!

It is your best chance to network with other landlords.

Everyone has questions…

...this is where you get them

answered!!

Print all our forms at no cost

Read current and past newsletters

Print or read Reference Material

List your property for rent or

for sale

Listing guidelines

Useful links to Rent-o-Meter,

PROA, Legal Encyclopedia for

Landlord Tenant Disputes,

National Registered Sex Offenders,

Lead Paint Websites, and more…..

www.aptassoc.com

ERIE— 74 Orchard Street. 2 unit unfurnished flat. Each flat

has 2 BD, BA, LR, DR, and Kitchen with refrig. and gas stove.

W&D hookups. Second floor porch. 1 car garage and off street

parking. $87,500.

Call 814.825.8506

ERIE—2127 Chestnut St. 4 unit Income Property. 1 BD/unit.

100% occupied. $75,000.

Call 814.873.2150 or 727.392.1848

ERIE—917 West 26th Street Single family 3BR, 1BA, appl,

A/C, new roof 2012, off street parking. Fresh paint and new

carpeting. $40,900.

Call Nick 814.864.8509

ERIE—Single family house 1320sf. 3BD, 1BA, new roof,

soffit, fascia, gutter, vinyl windows, plumbing, carpet, and paint.

Updated electric & inspected. Good Eastside location.

Move-in ready. $47,500.

Call Tom 814.836.5999

ERIE—751 East 7th Street. 2 Unit Flat, each unit has 2 BD,

LR, DR, KIT. Rent is $425 for each apt. and both currently are

rented. $34,900

Call 814.450.9991

NW ERIE—819-821 Cherry Street. Brick 2 unit. Three BD

each, LR, DR, ornamental fireplaces, HDWD Floors, newer

carpet, kitchen w/appliances, 1 1/2 car attached garage, addl.

parking pad, updated 100amp services, several new windows,

divided basement with W&D hookups. Realtor owned. $85,900.

Call Tina Rupp 724.766.9069

ERIE— 848 East 28th Street. 2 Unit flat. Each unit has 2 BR,

BA, LR, DR, KIT, Sun porch. Second floor has refrig, gas

stove, new furnace, W & D hook up, off street parking.

$62,900. Call Rita 814.456.7444

FAIRVIEW—2031, 2121 Dutch Rd. Two charming farmhouses

on 2+ acres with woods; 2 minutes from Lake Erie (Walnut

Creek Access Area: fishing, boating, beaches). Each home has

appliances, garages, and have been very well maintained. Must

be sold together.

Combined rental income is $1300-1400/month.

Call 814.449.8447

ERIE— 115-117 West 24th Street. Two unit unfurnished flat.

Each unit has 2 BD, BA, LR, DR, and KIT with refrig and gas

stove. W&D hookups. Off street parking. 2nd floor has deck

and 2 addl rooms on 3rd floor. Newer roof, windows, siding

(2007) $82,500. Call 814.825.8506

TITUSVILLE—13433 Park East Road. Mobile Home Park.

North of Titusville on Rt 8. 25 lots rented with 5 homes. Park

can expand up to 42 lots. Gross Income $95,000, Net Operating

Income $40,000. Turn key business with homes and equipment.

Price $340,000. Check the Apt Assoc website for more

information. Call Tom at 814.923.4399

Page 8

Continued from page 4

Check with two previous landlords. Be devious when

conducting your interview to ensure that you are not

talking to a friend, i.e. "So (Prospective Tenant) tells

me that he rented a two bedroom suite. Is that true?

(Prospective Tenant) tells me that he resided there for

two years. Is that true? I don't like the idea of him

having a dog; was the dog a nuisance at your

building?" "Oh no Sir/Madam it was a great dog, no

problem at all". If you can get this alleged landlord to

agree with what you are saying you probably are not

dealing with a landlord, but rather a friend because

what you have just stated has been completely made

up. The real landlord will not agree with you and will

tell you the type of accommodation, the length of

tenancy and that the tenant never owned a dog. Friends

who believe that they are helping out will tell you what

they think you want to hear.

Some landlords just want to get rid of their problem

tenants and will therefore give good references. You

may also have to be deceitful with them i.e. "Did you

have any problems with this tenant? He tells me that he

didn't like some of the neighbors and had a couple of

disagreements. What was the problem?" This may get

the landlord to tell you that there was a problem and

reveal things about your prospective tenant.

Remember this is a game and how well you play will

determine what kind of tenant you get via your due

diligence.

Does the prospective tenant have a bank account?

Every responsible mature employed individual has a

bank account. No bank account = red flag.

Check with the current employer. The Human

Resources department may or may not give you the

information that you are looking for; a supervisor is

more likely to answer your questions directly, so

always attempt to get a supervisor's name on the rental

application. Ask…what is the prospective tenant's job

description? Is the prospective tenant reliable? Ethical?

Trustworthy? How does he/she get along with other

employees?

Ask the prospective tenant for a pay stub, W2 (USA)

or T-4 (CDN). This will show income and may have a

name and address to compare to the application.

Ask for previous utility and telephone (including cell

phone) bills and statements, and check if the name and

address and other information matches the information

on the application form. If not, why not?

What kind of car does the prospective tenant drive? Is

it a beater? Is it extremely dirty or poorly maintained?

This may be an indicator of the care he/she will take of

the rental property. Is it a new car and if so does a loan

show up on the credit report? Oh you paid cash! And

your bi-weekly income barely covers rent...hmmm.

This may be a red flag as unless there was an

inheritance, the prospective tenant may well be

involved in criminal activity.

Many landlords and almost all property and resident

managers have the prospective tenant complete the

application to rent form. If the application is accepted,

then a tenancy or lease agreement form should be

completed. This is an absolute essential for the

landlord so that there can be no misunderstanding with

respect to the terms of the rental and what is or is not

expected of both landlord and tenant. This should

include all of your criteria. The law in most states and

provinces dictates that an agreement must be signed

between landlord and tenant.

Always complete a move-in form.

Review, review, review the current Residential

Tenancy laws as they apply to the state or province in

which you are a landlord. Landlords should be very

familiar with these laws; it will help you to be a better

landlord, property or resident manager. Join a local

landlord association as they are up to date on legal

requirements and generally have the proper forms that

you must use to comply with state or provincial laws.

We were all born with common sense and gut instinct;

this can also be a valuable tool when deciding whether

or not you want to rent to a prospective tenant.

Be there on the day that tenants move in and make

observations about what is being moved in. Does the

amount and type of furniture coincide with what is

indicated on the application to rent form? i.e. single,

married, pets, children, plants, etc. (yes those green

plants that are used for medicinal or resale purposes).

Once you have a format with respect to your tenant

screening process it will make choosing the right tenant

much easier. Consider the alternative, the stress, hassles

and income loss associated with high risk tenants, and the

loss of your valuable time. This kind of due diligence will

ensure that you don't lose the Fraud Rental Game and

rental income.

Page 9

Page 10

It’s Just Good Business:

The Benefits of Smoke Free Policies in Multi-Unit Housing

If you currently allow tenants to smoke in your properties, the Erie County Department of Health would like to

encourage all landlords and property managers to consider implementing a smoke-free policy at your properties. There

are many benefits of adopting a smoke-free policy, which include: reduced operating costs, improved health of tenants,

and reduced fire risk.

Reduced Operating Costs As a landlord or property manager, you know that there is a lot of time and money spent on maintaining properties. The

increased financial costs of allowing tenants to smoke in the property are well documented.

It is three times more expensive to turn over an apartment where smoking was allowed vs. non-smoking.

Smoking results in smoke damage, residue on walls, A/C units, cleaning or replacing filters, carpets, curtains,

blinds, counter tops, even appliances.

Litter from cigarette butts is unsightly and may decrease market value.

Improved Tenant Health Research has shown that up to 65% of air can be exchanged between units and that smoke travels through tiny

cracks, crevices and chasing, involuntarily exposing individuals in adjacent units.

There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and it has been identified as a Class A carcinogen, the

most toxic class of chemicals that are known to cause cancer in humans.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), secondhand smoke accounts for 50,000 deaths

annually.

Secondhand smoke is a leading trigger of asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, and a known cause of

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Reduced Risk of Fire Smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires in residential buildings according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Some insurance companies offer reduced rates to those with smoke-free properties.

Smoke-Free Policies are Legal Currently there are no Pennsylvania or Federal laws that prohibit a landlord from adopting smoke-free policies for their

property. Smoke-free policies are not discriminatory and may actually protect landlords from the risk of some legal

violations such as warranty or habitability or covenant of quiet enjoyment. Tenants with disabilities caused by or made

worse by secondhand smoke may also have legal protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Federal

Fair Housing Act.

Provide an amenity and attract tenants About 80% of Pennsylvanians don't smoke. Of those that do smoke, 70% want to quit. People have the right to breathe

clean air. Research also indicates the majority of people already have smoke-free rules in place in their homes,

regardless of their smoking status.

Free Assistance Available to Implement a Smoke Free Policy

The Erie County Department of Health would like to help you implement a smoke free policy at your properties. For

more information contact Joy Henry, Program Coordinator at (814) 451-7871 or email jhenry@eriecountygov.org

Page 11

Guest Speaker

If you have a suggestion

for a guest speaker

or topic that you would

like to hear about at our

meetings, call, fax

or email the

Office your idea

SCREENING TIP: KNOW THE

ADDRESS OF LOCAL JAIL www.Mrlandlord.com

Do you know the street address to the city jail in your area? Knowing that address has

alerted me on a couple of previous occasions and again today. When that address

appears, as one of the previous addresses when running a credit report, that definitely

raises a red flag that I may not have known about otherwise. Especially since the applicant did not include that

previous address on the rental application. (By the way, another big reason for always running credit reports is to

discover previous addresses the applicant fails to include).

Page 12

How to Fill Vacancies in the Slow Winter Months

by Kevin Perk, biggerpockets.com

Be Patient – Stick to your guns and especially your screening criteria. It can be awfully tempting to relax a bit just to get that unit filled. Don’t do it! You will end up paying a lot more on the back end after a bad tenant than anything you collect in rent. People still need to move during this time of year. People switch jobs, make New Year’s resolutions, get divorced, whatever. The right tenant will come along.

Drop the Price, Not Your Criteria – If worse comes to worse and your place does not rent in a few weeks you may want to consider dropping the price a bit to generate some traffic. But, I will say it again, stick to your guns and maintain your rental criteria.

Get Past the New Year – You may just have to wait it out until after the New Year. Let’s face it. Nobody is going to be moving at Christmas (unless there are some extraordinary circumstances). In fact, I would be extra cautious with anyone moving at Christmas time. The New Year brings new jobs, new students, new everything. Waiting until after January 1 may be a game changer.

Sweeten the Deal – Offer a few hundred off the first month’s rent. Perhaps you can offer free cable or even a free TV. Be creative and respond to what your market might desire. That extra push might just get yours rented. Plus, $200 or $300 is much cheaper than another month of lost rent.

Ramp Up the Customer Service - Be super responsive when the phone rings. During this time of year you are the beggar, and beggars can’t be choosers. Let your customer service skills shine.

Market Shorter Lease Terms – Offer a 6 month lease just to get you over the hump. There are folks looking for just such a term at times.

Use Longer Lease Terms – Once you do get your places rented, why have the leases expire next winter potentially putting you back into the same boat. If you can, use a 16 or 18 month lease set to expire in the spring and summer.

So don’t get the winter blues, just change your attitude a bit. You may have to wait a while longer, but using these tips will help get your places rented.

Snow-shoveling Health

Tips as Winter Looms Dec. 2013 (Health Day News) -- Shoveling snow

can increase your risk of heart attack, and you should take

precautions to protect yourself, an expert says.

"When the temperature outside drops, our blood vessels

narrow to prevent our bodies from losing heat," Dr. Holly

Andersen, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O.

Perelman Heart Institute of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/

Weill Cornell Medical Center, said in a hospital news

release. "This is a natural response that can also put people

with heart conditions and those involved in strenuous exercise

at greater risk of having a heart attack."

Andersen said shoveling snow is one of the most strenuous and

dangerous winter activities. It can boost blood pressure and,

combined with the effects of frigid temperatures, can

significantly increase heart attack risk.

Andersen offered the following advice for safe shoveling and

good heart health this winter:

Warm up with stretching and light activity before

shoveling, exercising or beginning other strenuous

activities.

Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose when you're

shoveling snow to warm the air you're breathing.

Layer clothes beneath a windproof and waterproof outer

shell, which will help maintain body heat.

Push the snow rather than lift it. This will reduce the risk

of overexertion.

Take frequent breaks while shoveling to give your muscles

-- especially your heart -- a chance to relax.

Try sharing the workload with a friend, which will also

ensure that you are not alone in case of an emergency.

If you are over 50, overweight, out of shape or have suffered a

heart attack, consult your doctor before shoveling snow or

starting any exercise routine.

More information: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention for more about winter health and safety.

Page 13

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

Geri Marucci * Timothy Quinn * Cornerstone Liberty Community Church

Martin Rizzo * L C Stovall * Myron Gourley * TRAM

Kathy Kalinowski and Terry Sedney * Glenn Gama * Todd Czerwinski

Scott Spaulding * Quan and Thoai Tran * Terra Houghton * Jaime Morell

Nathaniel Zimmerman * Joe Labruzzo * Ken Barner * William DeDionisio

We look forward to seeing each of you at our meetings and hope

you will make many new friends. Please take advantage of the

networking opportunities before & after the meetings.

You may learn something or teach something to someone.

SIGN UP A

NEW MEMBER

TODAY

AND RECEIVE

A $10 CREDIT

ON YOUR

ACCOUNT!

SEVEN WEBSITES TO ADVERTISE

What websites do you use to advertise your

rentals? Here are a few recommendations from a

couple of successful rental owners that include:

postlets.com

craigslist.com

backpage.com

ebayclassifieds.com

aptassoc.com

trulia.com

zillow.com

hotpads.com

Page 14

QUALIFING APPLICANTS

When qualifying prospective tenants here are some tips to consider.

After you ask a question, BE SILENT! If they don’t answer,

don’t help them to say something. They may hate the silence and tell you something they

had not intended to tell you. Ask open ended questions. The key words are ‘who, what,

where, why, and how’. No question with these words included in it can be answered yes or

LANDLORDS, BE DISCREET Landlords, remember, the information that you receive from our office is for your eyes only, and is not to be passed

along to the tenant. If a tenant doesn’t meet your criteria because of the credit report that you received from our office,

you CANNOT give them the credit report, but you can give them the 800 number at the end of the report. They can

call that number and get a free copy of their report because they were rejected as a result of their credit. Please do not

tell them that the Apartment Association won’t let you rent to them or to call our office.

Five Tips To Screen Pet Owners

By Jeffrey Taylor

Editors Note: Scared of possible property damage from pets? I like how one landlord

responded to that concern—“How much rent are you losing while you ‘protect’ those floors?”

Good pet owners make good long-term residents. The same landlord, and regular contributor to

MrLandlord.com, who has 100% occupancy, shared the following five screening tips for

renting to pet owners:

You can tell a good pet owner pretty easily:

1. Is the animal spayed or neutered? (NO flexibility on this one.)

2. Do they have a regular vet and will the owner provide their name and number?

3. Is the animal friendly?

4. Is the animal clean, on a nice leash (not a piece of rope around the neck)

5. Is the animal properly registered with the state, with all shot records updated?

WILL YOU WORK WITH ME? One landlord was so tired of hearing this

that he now has a protocol:

Q: I don't have the deposit money to move in. Will you work with me?

A: Yes. If the apartment is still available when you have the money and you qualify,

you can move in. That is how I "work".

Q: But first, last & security is a lot to come up with, can you work with me and make an exception on the deposit

requirements?

A: I realize that is a lot of money to come up with, so is the rent on the first of every month. Will you be requesting an

exception on that also?

Q: I know that the ad says "No Pet Policy" but my dog/cat is really well behaved and I won't move without it.

A: There are many area rentals that allow pets, the fact that you answered an ad for an apartment with a No Pet

Policy tells me that you are not having much luck getting accepted at the places that do allow them.

Q: My past evictions are not my fault. I've just had really bad landlords. Can you work with me?

A: Please excuse me while I go outside and nail Jello to a tree. That is easier than working with you. Shared by RentsDue(MA), one of the regular contributors to LandlordingAdvice.com.

Page 15

ATTENTION MEMBERS You may want to add some of these clauses to your lease.

Municipal Rental Fees Clause: Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for any municipal service

fee, special assessment, inspection fee, license fee, rental

permit fee, or special tax levied upon the rental unit which

must be paid to permit its use as a residential rental. Tenant

shall be responsible for such fees and taxes whether they are

in effect at the start of this lease, or if they become effective

during the Lease term. The amount due shall be considered

as additional rent, and must be paid within 10 days of billing

by the Landlord.

Inflation Clause: Any fees, taxes, or other charges enacted, assessed or

increased by any agency, business or utility that do not

exist at the signing of this lease shall be passed onto the

tenant as additional rent and due on demand.

Plumbing Clause:

No grease, coffee grounds, sanitary napkins, or smoking

materials in drains or toilets. Plumbing repairs

necessitated by resident carelessness or neglect shall be at

the expense of the resident.

Don’t forget that every property that was built prior to

1978 MUST disclose that it may contain lead paint.

Every new tenant must be given the lead paint booklet

and must sign the lead disclosure form. That’s the

law! You must keep your signed lead disclosure forms and leases for a minimum of 5 years. You can purchase these forms

at the office or download them from our web site.

Landlords of the Apartment Association will comply with

all provisions of the (Fair Credit Reporting Act). The

information that is requested is for the Landlord’s exclusive use.

The landlord certifies that inquiries will be made ONLY for

permissible purpose, namely: in connection with credit

transaction involving the extension of credit to, or review of

collection of an account of the consumer. The law prohibits

the landlord from providing a copy of the report to the

applicant. Landlords are FORBIDDEN to obtain reports on

themselves, associates, or any other person except in the

exercise of their official duties. Any person who knowingly

and willingly obtains information on a consumer from a

consumer reporting agency under false pretenses shall be fined

$5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year or both.

CREDIT REPORTING PROCEDURES

When obtaining a credit report on an individual, you must

have a signed Apartment Association Rental Application with

the following information:

First & Last Name

Current address; including street with number, city, state and

ZIP CODE

Previous address; if above address is less than 1 year

Social Security Number

Date of Birth

Signature giving permission to run their report

Our computer system holds all the Landlord/Tenant

complaints filed in the State of Pennsylvania for the past seven

years. When a credit report is run in our office, we will

automatically check our files to see if a Landlord/Tenant

complaint has been filed on that person at no additional costs to

you. If you prefer just a Landlord/Tenant Complaint check and

no credit report then there is a charge for the L/T check.

Funds may be placed on account in order for you to run

credit reports. This will allow you to fax or scan and email the

rental application to the office and it will be returned to you by

fax or email. The office fax number is 814-866-2732.

EVICTION SCHEDULE UNDER ACT 36

This schedule is for the best case scenario, if using the

Apartment Association Lease or a lease that allows a 5 day

notice

Day (1) Rental payment due

Day (2) For unpaid rent must give a 5 day notice

Day (8) File landlord/tenant complaint at District Justice

Office

Day (15) Scheduled hearing to take place and judgment given.

A decision must be given within 3 days of hearing

Day (26) Writ of Possession can be requested 11th day after

judgment. The Writ of Possession must be served within 48

hours

Day (39) The eviction takes place around the 11th day after

service of the Writ of Possession.

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE…

Credit reports can be ordered by any member that has money

on account or wishes to use a credit card. Simply mail, fax or

email the signed rental application to the office. It will be

completed and returned per your request. Forms may also be

ordered by telephone, fax, or mail if the member has money on

account or wishes to use credit card. Postage will be added to

the cost for any mailings to a member.

HARD COPIES Warning: All credit reports on accepted and rejected

tenant applications should be saved for at least five

years. It is imperative that owners request hard copies of

credit reports. Credit reports can change daily, and there

will never be another report exactly the same as the one

the owner ran to determine acceptance of a tenant.

Without a hard copy, the owner cannot prove the

financial reasons for acceptance or rejection if

challenged in court.

1127 West 38th Street

Erie, PA 16508

Address Service Requested

APARTMENT ASSOCIATION DINNER MEETING

Chili Party Time!

Round Table Discussions

Thursday, January 23, 2014 at the Erie Maennerchor 1607 State Street, Erie, PA

Chili and Discussions start at 6:00pm

Cost: $10 per person

Name _______________________________________________________________

Email________________________________________________________________

Phone __________________ # Attending ________ Amount Enclosed ___________

Reservation deadline is January 17, 2014

Reservations are required. No refunds on cancellations after the reservation deadline date.

Members are responsible for the bill on all reservations made

and NOT cancelled prior to the reservation deadline date.