Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Guidelines for Pet Policies

A good property management company like Fred Leeds will help you determine whether it’s in your best interest to ban or allow pets on your premises. The ultimate decision will most likely be based on a cost benefits analysis and assessment of the liability potential you will be subject to as a property owner. Below are some issues to consider and further explore with your South Bay property management company.

The staff at Fred Leeds Property Management has found that it’s best to require an additional deposit for your tenants’ pets to cover any animal-related damages or expenditures associated with the pet. The standard amount is typically between $100 and $350. This will ensure that any carpet damage and other problems will be taken care of when the tenant vacates.

Another standard item that we recommend at Fred Leeds Properties is to include an addendum to the lease that states that the permission to keep pets can be revoked at any time, completely at the landlord’s discretion. This will come in handy in the case of a problematic pet that causes issues with other tenants.

The team at Fred Leeds Property Management strives to set clear expectations and policies in regards to pets from the moment we start working with a landlord. We help our clients determine guidelines for pets, from handling complaints about pets and setting a maximum number per unit to overall expectations from both parties. Our staff helps our clients set rules in regards to important issues such as noise levels, cleanliness and usage of common areas.

A great South Bay property management company will also make sure to properly screen clients and seek referrals through previous landlords and other references to ensure that the potential tenant has not had any pet-related issues in the past.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Pet Policies and Property Management

Whether you work with a company like Fred Leeds Property Management or manage your property yourself, there are so many issues to set policies on when you own rental units. A common and important issue that must be decided upon is whether or not you want to accept or decline pets on your premises.

In most states, generally speaking, property owners are not required to allow tenants to have pets. In San Diego, a recent survey reported that almost 60 percent of rental properties do not allow cats, and between 75 and 80 percent don’t allow dogs. Considering the tremendous amount of pet owners in California alone, it’s easy to see that there’s a big discrepancy between the number of pet owners and those who rent. At Fred Leeds properties, we work with landlords who allow pets as well as those who don’t. This gives us a greater breadth and depth of experience, one that perhaps another South Bay property management company won’t have.

When a property owner has a high vacancy rate, it may make the most sense to open their buildings to pets. Renting is typically a temporary situation, even with regards to long-term leases. At Fred Leeds Properties, we’ve come across a lot of potential tenants who do not want to get rid of their pets in order to obtain a rental. So if turnover is high or you’re having trouble renting units, your best bet may be to allow pets in your buildings.

At Fred Leeds Property Management, we understand a property owner’s reluctance to allow tenants to have pets. When a tenant owns a pet that lives in a rental unit, it opens the property up to the potential of damage, as well as noise and safety issues in the complex as a whole. A good South Bay property management company can help you determine the policy that will best suit your building and the area it’s in. As mentioned above, allowing tenants to have pets can increase your pool of tenants, and encourage them to rent for longer, especially if there are few other pet-friendly options in the neighborhood. Where the experience of a good property manager comes in is to help you decide whether the risk outweighs the liability.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

How a Good Property Management Company Earns its Fees

A good South Bay property management company wants clients to feel that their fees are well-deserved. When Fred Leeds Property Management commits to a client, they ensure that all their management needs are met and that their investment property is protected and maintained to the fullest extent. Below are some guidelines for what to look for when looking for the best property managers—all traits we strive to possess.

Fast response time. There are multiple reasons why it’s important for a South Bay property management company to have fast response time. To keep tenants happy and ultimately maintain retention, requests and issues must be responded to and resolved as fast as possible. When someone’s living situation is problematic, they expect any issues to be rectified immediately so that comfort and safety are not compromised. At Fred Leeds properties, our goal is to respond and handle tenant issues as soon as they arise.

Another reason response time is crucial is that when units are vacant, leads must be answered as quickly as possible or else the potential tenant will pursue the next listing. By quickly responding to leads, answering questions, scheduling viewing appointments and vetting applications, the Fred Leeds Property Management staff makes it possible to find the quality tenants with potential for long term. Fast response to issues of late rent payments is also key.

Flexibility. Sometimes a property manager will be forced to engage in uncomfortable interactions with tenants. Good managers like those at Fred Leeds properties know that empathy and compassion go a long way. While it’s necessary to protect the landlord’s interests first and foremost, seasoned managers can show understanding to the tenants to help diffuse incendiary situations.

Screening experience. Landlords will benefit from the extensive screening procedures and experience the staff at Fred Leeds Property Management offers. By implementing strict screening procedures, performing market analysis, and offering impeccable statement accounting, owners can rest assured that their property is well-managed.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Brief Summary Of Fred Leeds Properties

Those men and women who are searching for a nice complex to live in might want to check out Fred Leeds properties. They can visit the property in person or check out the specifics online. Either way, they should like what they see and can report back to their families.

Most people can get a glimpse of certain characteristics of a property by looking at photographs online. This should help them get a feel for the process, and they may even find something at this preliminary stage that looks very intriguing.

Safety and security will clearly be important to most people. Families will want to live in a complex with low crime and with residents who care for each other. This will be especially crucial to families with younger children running around. They will want to know that the kids can play outside a bit without being in danger.

One of the best parts of living in one of Fred Leed's apartment complexes is the opportunity to become friends with people who live nearby. Knocking on some doors and starting some conversations is an excellent way to do this. In some instances, friends are made for life.

Location is what makes the world go round in many cases, and this is no different with rental property. Most men and women will want to live near to their places of employment if at all possible. For some families, this will play a major role in where they end up residing.
Ultimately, those people who are interested in looking into Fred Leeds properties have a number of ways to obtain good information. They can visit the places in person and ask staff members some informal questions. They might also do some research online, which should yield some solid answers.

If you’re trying to find a great building management firm in metro Los Angeles, then check out the Fred Leeds property management firm. Through their three decades of expertise in commercial and residential property management along with accreditation by the BBB you can be sure that your real estate assets is run according to professional criteria.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

What Fred Leeds Property Management does for Landlords

There are many aspects of managing property that new landlords are unaware of. Let’s start with something that Fred Leeds Property Management does best—cultivating and managing long-term tenant relationships. This requires much more than collecting and depositing rent checks—even with the best tenants.

There’s a delicate balance when it comes to issues being solved, regardless of whether it’s the landlord’s or tenant’s responsibility. It’s important to have the perfect mix of directness tempered with good rapport and politeness. At Fred Leeds properties, we’ve mastered that balance, which helps us to keep both tenants and landlords happy as much as possible.

Professionals like the team at Fred Leeds properties are on call for emergencies and maintenance issues, 24 hours a day, every day. You never know when a situation will arise, so it’s best to always be prepared for issues that compromise the household’s safety and comfort. Our specialized team of contractors will solve the issue if we are unable to in-house.

Landlords often don’t realize that their life must be put on hold whenever tenant emergencies arise—this is exactly why you want the best South Bay property management company on your side. Whether you’re in the middle of an important business meeting or spending time with your family or loved ones, knowing that Fred Leeds Property Management is managing your rental units will give you unparalleled peace of mind.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

More Tips for New Landlords

A major element that new landlords don’t realize or factor in when they plan their investment is the time commitment required to manage a building or property. At a minimum, new landlords should plan on spending 15 hours per month on whatever issues come up—and that’s not including any emergency situations. With a stellar company like Fred Leeds Property Management in your corner, you know that your investment will get way more than that minimum amount of attention.

If you have a full-time job, a family or other obligations, the type of duties that come along with property ownership can be daunting. The burden of the additional to-do list can cause lots of unnecessary stress—this is exactly why so many landlords employ Fred Leeds properties to lighten their load. If you’re a one-man show and would be managing your property yourself, it can easily be too much to handle, especially if you plan to have a personal life.

There’s also a significant learning curve for first-time property owners. Professional property managers like Fred Leeds properties have a team that specializes in tenant issues, legalities and compliance, in an effective and efficient manner. It’s all about the bottom line—if your full-time job will be managing your property, than it’s possible you don’t need to hire a South Bay property management company to take care of your beach cities investment. However, most rental properties are a side investment, and if you need to spend 15 hours a month or more, this can seriously detract from the return on your investment. Instead, for a small percentage of your rental income, you can hire professionals like Fred Leeds Property Management to handle the hassles and responsibilities associated with rentals. Now that’s protecting your investment!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What new landlords don’t know

Often times, when a new property owner plans to rent their units, they think it will impact their bottom line too much. Wrong! Hiring a company like Fred Leeds Property Management will not only save you time and hassle, it will ultimately make your bottom line greater than you imagines. The next time you consider managing your own properties rather than hiring a South Bay property management company, remember a few key things.

Thorough legal knowledge is necessary
If you don’t have a real estate background, the intricacies of housing laws and regulations can be overwhelming—unless, of course, you’re working with Fred Leeds properties. Property management is hardly limited to finding tenants and collecting rent. There are myriad compliance issues with Fair Housing Laws, as well as the need to protect your rights and handle messy situations like evictions and late rent. Plus, these laws are always changing, which requires landowners to constantly stay abreast. When you work with Fred Leeds Property Management, we ensure that all compliance issues are met and that your rights are protected.

Tenant screenings are not easy or straightforward
Finding quality tenants is critical to your success as a landlord. When a tenant doesn’t take care of your property or damages it, this can cost you money and hassle in the long run. When you work with Fred Leeds properties, we make sure to perform thorough background checks on potential tenants, and interpret the results using our years of experience.