10 Hot Household Items You May Need this Summer

What typically happens during the summer? The children are out of school and complain of boredom, unexpected relatives show up, and the sun shines more brightly in your home exposing one’s dirty carpet, outdated curtains, stained furniture, and other ugly yard. It may be time for a thorough house cleaning and not the kind where you take a paper towel and wipe off a table kind either!

Look around your home and what do you see? Are there some old, broken items that have to go? Have you been putting off buying some things to get your children yet another toy? It’s time to put the bored children to work and give your home a makeover with some of these hot items that are often on sale year after year!

Outdoor patio furniture

The major discount stores have all kinds of sets. From rust free aluminum frame dining sets to in expensive resin patio sets. Whatever your taste or budget, it’s time to invest in some outdoor furniture for those upcoming parties!

Pool and Beach towels

Your children may be climbing the walls, worrying you about going to the pool! They will need towels for the community pool. But you may have a small yard behind a duplex, you may be allowed to include a simple blow up type on the property. Ask your landlord first.

Flowers & Plants

Make your home an inviting, happy place! Decorate the indoors with everything from plastic plants to real indoor houseplants. Then go outside and start planting some seed! Many of your packaged flower seeds are inexpensive. If you don’t want to get down and dirty purchase flowering hanging baskets.

Indoor furniture

Those uninvited guest just might pop over for a visit and if you have furniture that you are ashamed of, this might be a good time to pitch it! Love-seats, sofas, and recliners are always on sale. Some of the cheaper furniture is a bomber jacket style, soft as suede microfiber. Of course if you have more money to spend, you may want to decorate your living-room with durable, stylish wood furniture in a variety of colors. A little more money add a storage ottoman to complete your set.

Airbeds

When out of town guests come you may want to save them some hotel money by offering to let them stay at your place. If so, you may not have an additional bed. However, there are ways around spending a wad of cash. Airbeds are good to sleep on for overnight visitors. They are comfortable enough for a short visit, any longer and they will send anyone packing!

By Nicholl McGuire

10 Things Residents See Apartment Staff Do But Don’t Report

Have you ever noticed suspicious behaviors of resident managers and maintenance crew and wondered whether or not they should be doing what they do? Although some things are not written in your lease contract, there are rules that staff are suppose to follow internally and you wouldn’t know it unless you knew someone who worked on the inside. When you see any of the staff at your property doing the following things, notify corporate headquarters or the property owners. However, if you rent from a private owner, they may not have any specific protocol, but you should make them aware anyhow. Sometimes the owner is the one at fault and if so there are states' laws that every landlord is to follow. You will need to contact your local government for a handbook that lists those laws and your rights.

One. The on-site laundry facilities, gym equipment, business center, pool, or other areas being used by management for personal reasons.

You may have seen your property manager firing up the grill for a party, maybe swimming in the pool with friends, or washing his or her clothes in the laundry room, unless he or she is an on-site manager that lives at the apartment complex, they shouldn’t be doing it. You are paying for those amenities and they are meant to be enjoyed by the residents not the staff. It is an inconvenience to the residents living onsite that need to wash their clothes or have a celebration in the party room and the staff are using them. Do everyone a favor in your building and report them to corporate headquarters when you see them doing it.

Two. Managers and maintenance entering your apartment without residents knowing about it.

You are away at work not suspecting that anyone would be looking around in your apartment. Then one day you come home to discover that something in your apartment is out of place. You call the main office and they tell you that one of the maintenance men were checking for leaking faucets that day. Proper protocol should have been to leave a note by the one who had entered your apartment. Even better, some companies will notify you with a letter at least a week in advance letting you know that someone will be entering your apartment for routine maintenance. However, for emergencies there is no time to let you know in advance, but staff is still expected to leave a note letting you know when they came into your apartment and what they did while there.

Three. Management and maintenance staff inspecting residents’ trash.

Sometimes residents will leave trash in places they shouldn’t have, if you are one of those residents stop it. But if you do, maintenance is not allowed to go through your trash to find out who left it, remove plastic containers, or look for some hidden treasure. There are always those cases where trash will tip over, break, or come open and will need to be cleaned up. However, you are responsible for properly disposing of trash. Some managers will issue warnings then later serve evictions to residents for property damage.

Four. Management or staff removing packages or mail placed by the mail carrier from a resident’s mailbox or front of their door.

This one is tricky. Let’s say you have a good relationship with management and he or she was concerned about your package sitting out in front of your door for days at a time, they may remove it and take it to their office. You may have been away for awhile and your mailbox is full, so management may remove your mail at your request. However, many will not touch your mail or packages no matter how full your mailbox gets or how long a package stays outside of your door. The reason for this is that they do not want to be held responsible if your mail or package is damaged, stolen, or lost. When you are out of town it is better to designate a loved one, friend or neighbor to clean out your mailbox for you if it should overflow. The mail carrier may give the overflow of mail to management, but not always. He or she may leave a note indicating that you will have to pick up your mail at the post office.

Five. Staff showing up announced at a resident’s apartment for personal reasons or entering it unannounced such as helping themselves to some food or watching television.

When you moved into your new apartment, the last thing you expected was to be harassed by management or maintenance about going out on a date, attending an event, joining a business opportunity, visiting a church or whatever other reason they felt it was necessary to knock on your door almost daily. You also didn’t expect that someone from the staff would abuse their privileges of entering the apartment without you being at home. In situations like this, you will want to notify the corporate office and if they persist, contact your local law enforcement.

Six. Management failing to acknowledge a resident’s requests within a 24-48 hour period.

It should never take any longer than three days for anyone to get back to you about a work order request. Efficient staff will respond either that same day depending on how early you called or by the following day. Residents should never have to wait weeks at a time for a request to be granted. If you find that no matter what you ask for management just doesn’t seem to be on top of your requests, you will have to notify their boss or better yet, check your local business directory for an organization that handles tenant and landlord disputes.

Seven. Managers threatening or harassing a resident about rent.

Most states will give you a thirty day notice before they evict you. If you find that you notified management a week in advance about paying rent late and they are calling you a week later about the rent, you will want to remind them that you are aware of your rights and that you will have the rent as soon as you can. The reason why they want you to have it on the day you may have promised is because they know they have a deadline to meet when it comes to filing court papers against you. You will want to re-read your lease to find it if there are any points you may have missed regarding the payment of rent. Also, find out what your state’s laws are in regard to late rent payments.

Eight. Managers failing to make residents aware of rent increases, lease renewals, changes in management and other things related to their lease contract.

You should not be suddenly told that the property is being bought, your rent will be increased next month, and other similar things without receiving a formal notice from management. Anything that may affect your stay should always be made in writing. Never assume anything without contacting management for yourself or requesting to speak with someone at corporate headquarters. Managers are supposed to give you this information if you request it.

Nine. Managers allowing outside contractors to come into resident’s homes while they are away without staying with them or letting them know they have been there.

You may have a problem with your phone line, need cable turned on, or some other issue, management is never suppose to give outside contractors your apartment key for them to let themselves into your home. Rather, someone from the staff should be escorting the contractor through the property and unlocking the door for him or her. Most staff will leave your apartment door open while they are in your home as a safety precaution and so that you are not startled if you should come home early. They are also expected to leave a note or call you to let you know that they were in your apartment.

Ten. Managers copying master keys and leaving them with a resident’s family or neighbors.

If you as a tenant choose to leave a copy with your family or neighbor that is your business, but managers should never leave copies of your keys with anyone without your written request to do so. If there is some kind of lock out program enforced, then there may be a reason why someone onsite needs to be available to let people into their apartments. Otherwise, if there is no such program and you are not made aware that someone other than staff has a copy of your apartment key, then they are violating your rights. Once again, notify corporate headquarters, the property owners, or your local police about the matter.

When you live in an apartment complex, know what is going on with management and your neighbors. Read the company newsletters, if they have any, and know about any upcoming changes that may be happening in management and on the property. Also, be friendly with at least one of your neighbors by waving, helping them carry something, knocking on their door if mail was mistakenly placed in your box or you noticed something strange. Keep your ears open to rumors and call management to confirm the truth. When you make attempts such as these to get to know the people in your community, they may be helpful to you in the future by watching your property, assisting you when you need help, and keeping you informed of the latest happenings.

By Nicholl McGuire

Property Management Marketing Schemes

Sometimes there are those people in the property management industry that are less than honest. They will do just about anything to get people into a rental unit including lie.

The following are some things you may want to pay close attention to when speaking to a leasing consultant over the phone as well as once you arrive to see the unit.

Description.

What you hear isn't always what you see when speaking to property representatives. So with that said, ignore the adjectives about the property and get straight to the matters that concern you. A consultant may say, "We have spacious bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, a beautiful community room, and a wonderful staff." But leave out, the peeling paint on the front and sides of the building and how the children are often seen running rampant around the property without their parents.

Apartment descriptions sound real nice over the phone, but aren't you concerned about the exact size, how many bedrooms and bathrooms and whether or not you have a garage for your car? Don't let the consultant dominate the conversation with fluff (even though some are trained that way); rather, state what you need and how soon.

Also, don't forget to drive to the property after hours and on weekends when you want to get a good look at the people who live there and the upkeep. Property managers are forbidden by law to tell you the ethnicity of residents, whether they have a lot of children staying there, and other things related to the people who live on the property. If you are concerned about criminal activity on the site, do the following: check with local police, visit the local newspaper website and review their local crime reports. Finally, search for community forums that talk about the property online.

Availability.

Let's say you are told a unit is available upstairs, but once you arrive you find out there is no apartment available upstairs. The remaining units are all downstairs. Now one of two things may have happened, someone in the office didn't update their notes on available units or someone rented the unit before you could make up your mind to drive over and see it. These are honest issues that come up--nothing deceptive about these. However, there are those property managers who already know a certain unit is not available, but due to pressure placed upon them from their corporate office to rent more apartment units, they may not be totally upfront about what is available. Therefore, when you arrive you may be told something like, "Well the one you wanted is no longer available. But, we do have another unit like it coming available next month. How about we take a look at one downstairs so you can see the floor plan? It is identical to the one upstairs." This tactic does two things: forces you to come to the property with your contact information (so the manager can follow up.) The other is to open your mind up to taking another unit--even though it isn't the one you originally wanted.

Location.

Anyone who is renting an apartment is concerned about how near or far the apartment community is to everything. When you call seeking information about the surroundings, the property manager is going to focus on the glass half full every time you ask a question. Therefore, he or she is going to talk about how easy it is to get on the freeway from the apartment complex, but he or she will leave out how most major shopping malls are not within walking distance. In fact, you will need transportation in order to visit. The manager may not say anything about the absence of a bus-line, the driving distance of local schools or other things that may keep you from visiting the property. Sometimes what isn't said is just as deceptive as what is said.

Price.

What you are told over the phone may be different upon your arrival especially if certain apartments have been recently discounted. For example, some managers will discount certain units because they don't have as many windows as others or maybe they are near something in the apartment building that may be considered a nuisance like elevator doors or a storage room for residents. However, sometimes a price that should be discounted isn't. There also may be one price said over the phone to get you to come visit the apartment and a totally different one once you arrive. Keep in mind that the lower price units are usually efficiencies, one bedrooms or units that lack certain features. That "sounds too good to be true" price quote is just that--too good.

There you have it, some tips to keep in mind the next time you call a company seeking an apartment. To your success in finding a good apartment!

The Waiting List

So you call an apartment community only to find out that there is a waiting list--bummer! Now what to do?

One. Ask the leasing consultant when will an apartment be made available.

Sometimes the waiting lists are short, some people on the list may no longer qualify and other factors tend to come up that may move applicants up on the list quickly, so don't get off the phone without getting this important information.

Two. Find out how you can get on the waiting list.

You could request an application be sent to your current address. Once it arrives, review it, fill it out and then await a possible reference number or something that indicates what place you are in line for the next available unit. Some communities may respond with a letter confirming your place; however, others will not and may not have such a system in place.

Three. Ask about referral properties.

Sometimes property management has other locations that have suites available. Find out where and call them to schedule an appointment. However, keep in mind they may have waiting lists too.

Four. Make a note on your calendar to call at a later date.

As with any office, some managers get very busy, you may not be able to get all the details in one phone call, so make a note on your calendar to call again. Also, you will want to pen when you should call back to see if any apartments have since become free.

By N. McGuire

Things You Need to Check When Being Shown an Apartment or Town Home

While walking or driving down a street you see a move-in special! You can't wait to see how much you are going to save and whether the living space will accommodate you and/or your family.

Sometimes we are in such a rush to find a place to stay that we overlook the little things when being shown our new home.

Whether you are moving into an apartment, townhouse (also known as a duplex), or home, consider the following things before you sign that leasing contract and hand over your security deposit.

One. Underneath cabinets.

Look for pipes with signs of rust and leaks. Check inside of cabinets for molds and mildews. If you don't know what signs of water damage and molds look like, search the Internet for photographs.

Two. Floor along baseboards and crevices.

Those unidentifiable black crumbs just might be dead bugs on the floor. Those dirt specks on the window seal or bubble patches in the paint might be signs of termites. Look closely for evidence of a previous insect and rodent problem. If the issue still exists, you might even notice an odor.

Three. Toilet.

Badly worn sink fixtures, low water pressure and other issues when using the sink, shower and toilet aren't always obvious; therefore, they might be problematic in the future. However, it doesn't hurt to turn on a faucet, flush a toilet or run the bath and shower to see if all are operable.

Four. Sinks.

When filling the sink with water, does the water stay filled up when the stopper is in use? You can check on this while looking elsewhere in the apartment then come back to see if there is any change. Is the water hot and stays that way? Run it for awhile to see. Check the cold water as well. Does it work? Is there a slow leak under the sink? Listen and look for problems in any room that has water fixtures.

Five. Showers and Tubs.

Test the shower and tub. Sometimes rust particles will come from old fixtures and pipes. The last thing you want to discover upon move in is that you can't take a bath. Shower heads sometimes get clogged and will need to be replaced. You don't want to have to spend unnecessary money once you move in trying to get these things fixed.

Six. Odors.

Landlords will use all sorts of cleaning agents and air fresheners to mask the smell of mold and mildew inside an apartment, odors from a nearby garbage can, dead rodents behind a wall, fumes from a car garage across the street, or a neighbor who has an interesting taste in food or isn't that fond of keeping his or her house clean.

Open up cabinets and sniff. Crack open a window and smell the air. Don't take this sort of thing lightly if you are a person who has environmental allergies.

Seven. Unsightly damages, stains and missing items.

You might notice something is broken, missing, has a weird stain or a hole. Think about this for a moment, if maintenance didn't take care of this before the apartment was shown, there is a good possibility that they won't once the lease contract is signed. Don't sign anything until your needs are met!!

Now that you have seven tips to keep in mind when looking at a place, do understand that not everything will be to your liking especially when numerous people have lived in a place prior to your arrival. However, this doesn't excuse the fact that your basic requests should be granted. If a property manager can't handle them, avoid doing business with them.

By N. McGuire