“I don’t move out until the 7th.” But… Today is the 7th 😳 #LandlordStories

Posted on August 11, 2022August 11, 2022 by James Furlo

I had a tenant who set a time to move out, but when I arrived to get the key, he thought it was a different day! Below is the story of what happened, along with a short tour of how he left the unit in the video. https://youtu.be/BXbWxiNvNMU Not Paying Rent I once had a tenant who decided he didn't want to pay his rent anymore. It happens; I get it. It's part of being a landlord. Now I tend to be patient and don't go immediately to the 10-day notice. Instead, I try to figur...

My Tenant’s Lease is Coming To An End, Now What?

Posted on April 20, 2016 by James Furlo

One day, seemingly out of the blue, a gentlemen called me with a problem and he wanted my help. He owned an apartment building and almost 2 years ago (after he moved out of the area) his property management company signed a 2-year lease with a sex offender. Not surprisingly, people started moving out and so the management company doubled down on their strategy by signing more 1-year leases with more sex offenders. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), they couldn't...

Earn More by Charging Less Rent

Posted on March 26, 2015September 6, 2015 by James Furlo

This should be fun. I saw the following question on Quora: "What can a renter do to increase his or her negotiation leverage when renewing the rental agreement with a landlord?" This question, clearly, is geared for the tenant, but I found myself modifying it slightly to a landlord's perspective to say, "What are some reasons I would be willing to lower the rent for a tenant?" I think this is a valid exercise for a couple of reasons: It helps you crystallize what you're looking for ...

What Are Some of the Best Tools for Receiving Rent?

Posted on January 5, 2015March 10, 2016 by James Furlo

It's the first of the month and rent is due. How do you get it? There are many options and it's hard to go wrong. So try a couple different ones that make the most sense to you and see how it goes because you can always change it later. I broke this into 3 different groups. Face-to-Face is the hardest, but helps set the stage for the other two. Semi-automated is where a lot of landlords start out. It does require some effort, but if you don't have many rentals, it's definitely OK. The thi...

Tenants Don’t Talk To You Because They Fear Retribution

Posted on December 20, 2014March 10, 2016 by James Furlo

Seth Godin posted an interesting thought piece on professionalism called "Retribution" that talks about the difference between reacting and responding. Retribution is when you react by punishing someone for a wrong or criminal act. An example of a wrongful act might be a tenant not paying their rent or breaking something at your property. Your punishment might be to NOT fix a cracked window or help them get rid of an ant problem. After all, they didn't pay their rent. They deserve it! "T...