The wonderful world of Property Management

By: CHRIS JOHNSON Realtor - Property Manager Weichert Realtors, Towne & Country Property Management;  Lexington, KY As landlords and property managers we are required by law to observe the Federal Fair Housing Act. (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) These laws are designed to protect certain classes of people that might otherwise be discriminated against intentionally or unintentionally. Protected Classes include:  Race Color Religion Sex Familial Status Handicap National Origin It should also be noted that some local ordinances may even have additional protected classes so it would be good to make sure that you know what these are. The department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees the enforcement of the fair housing act.  Under the Fair Housing Act no one involved in the sale or renting of housing may discriminate against one of the protected classes: By refusing to rent or sell housing By making housing unavailable By ...

https://lex4rent.wordpress.com/2017/07/08/tenant-screening-strategies-credit-scores/ BY: CHRIS JOHNSON TOWNE & COUNTRY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT  www.lex4rent.com   This is the first part in my series “Tenant Screening Strategies”  As a property manager, one of the questions I am asked most often by both tenant and clients alike is: Do I run credit and what factor does it play in making a decision? The answer to the first part of this question is simple, yes I do. Under no circumstance would I not run a credit report when making such an important decision on behalf of my client. However, the answer to the second part of that question is not quite as simple. Credit report data and scoring can vary from each of the 3 major credit reporting bureaus. As a property manager, I have seen credit scores vary by as much as 50 points. Understanding not just the score but the data contained within the credit report is key to making a decision on tenant eligibili...

Landlords and property managers are required to respect their tenants homes and provide them with a peaceful environment, known as the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment. Unsolicited visits, whether from the owner or maintenance personnel, can be annoying for your renters and disturb their quiet enjoyment. However, there are plenty of legitimate reasons an owner or maintenance person will be knocking on the door of a rental home seeking entry.  As long as a landlord is visiting the property for a legal reason, like an inspection or repair, and as long as proper notice is given, seeking entry into a rental property, whether the renter gives you permission or not is often well within your rights as a landlord. When is entering a rental property allowed? Let’s consider this situation that happened to me a few years ago, regarding my right to enter a tenant’s property for a maintenance issue: I received a call from my tenant about a leak in the roof coming through into the gar...