by Nicole Scimio | Jun 19, 2024 | Owner Resources, Property Management Education, Uncategorized
How to Keep Residents Happy as a Landlord or Property Manager
One of the most important goals in property management is to keep residents happy, A.K.A. maintain resident satisfaction. Why is that?
Well, just to name a few reasons:
Here at Arbors Management, we’ve seen a 10% higher renewal rate than the industry average over the course of our 40+ years in business.
But how exactly do we keep our residents happily renewing their leases year after year? Let’s dive in.
1. Communication
Different Avenues of Communication
We communicate with our residents in a multitude of ways: emails, phone calls, text messages, physical mail, etc.
Everybody is different, so it is important to take note on what is the most effective with each resident individually. Whatever way a resident prefers to communicate, meaning whatever is most convenient for them, we will communicate with them via that medium.
Clear Communication
It’s also important to ensure that we’re communicating clearly and effectively.
We always want to make sure our message is very clear and that we answer any questions that our residents may have. What’s the point of conveying a message if the other person is confused and only left with questions rather than answers?
Timely Communication
Timely communication is key!
We do our best to ensure that we’re responding to residents within an appropriate timeframe and following up on any questions that we may have on our end.
Each of our properties is assigned a dedicated portfolio manager or property manager that is responsible for all resident communication, as well as any communication with the owner of the property.
By acting as that liaison, our management team is in constant communication with residents, and owners when necessary.
2. Convenience
Exceeding Expectations
These days residents have increasingly higher expectations, especially when it comes to the convenience of working with a property management company.
As you can probably imagine, we are always trying to meet and/or exceed those expectations.
One of the ways that we do this is through an online portal, which residents begin to use starting with the leasing process. We’ll cover more on our online portal in just a bit.
Convenient Application Process
Prospective residents are able to fill out and submit their application online.
This process is easy and streamlined, and doesn’t require the applicant to jump through any confusing or exhausting hoops to apply with us.
It may sound obvious, but the easier you make it for potential residents to apply, the more applicants you’ll have.
Digital Lease Signing
Once an application is submitted and approved, the lease signing process is completed through our online portal as well.
Applicants can sign their lease digitally from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection! It can’t get much simpler than that.
Online Resident Portal
Our residents also have the ability to do just about anything rent-related through our online resident portal. Just to name a few portal features, residents can:
- Pay their rent online
- Access lease documents
- Sign future lease renewals
- Submit maintenance requests 24/7
- Access a 24/7 emergency maintenance line with a live answer
Ultimately, we want to make the renting experience convenient and easy. The more barriers you create, the harder it is to convert a prospect/applicant into a renter.
3. Resolving Maintenance Issues Quickly
One of the most stressful things as a renter (or even a homeowner) is when something goes wrong in your residence.
We always want to make sure we’re addressing things as quickly as possible, keeping damage to a minimum, and keeping residents satisfied.
Quick Maintenance Protects Properties
While maintenance requests being taken care of right away satisfies our residents, it also protects our clients’ (A.K.A. our owners’) assets.
For example: if there’s a water leak, we want to fix that as soon as possible so that any damage caused is mitigated and comes to a halt, hopefully preventing any permanent damage.
A Large Network of Maintenance Vendors
Over the past 40 years that we’ve been in business, we have developed a list of reputable vendors that we know we can rely on.
Having a vast network of vendors that can address any issue that might come up is always beneficial; if the first plumber we try to contact is unavailable, we’ll go back to our vendor list and contact another plumber that we also have an established relationship with.
With having connections to multiple vendors in each trade, scheduling maintenance services is generally a breeze.
It also is a win-win situation: we give our vendors a lot of business, so they generally aim to keep us satisfied and often prioritize our work orders.
Access to Emergency Maintenance 24/7
We mentioned earlier that our residents have access to 24/7 emergency maintenance. This ensures that when there is an emergency, they can get ahold of someone right away.
This in turn allows us to address the problem quickly, and have the appropriate vendor handle the situation in a timely manner, preventing any further damage to the property.
So When It Comes to Keeping Residents Happy…
Keeping your residents happy is an important part of being a landlord or property manager.
Resident satisfaction comes with many benefits: increased rental payments, increased lease renewals, and increased property value by maintaining the property, just to name a few.
Here at Arbors Management, we try to focus on 3 main aspects of resident satisfaction: clear and timely communication, a convenient leasing experience, and efficient maintenance resolution.
By focusing on these 3 areas, we’ve developed a strategy that has proven to be extremely successful at maintaining resident satisfaction, and we’d love to help you do the same.
If you want to discuss how we can help you keep your residents happy, please contact us for a free consultation!
by Arbors Management, Inc. | Apr 16, 2024 | Owner Resources
by Arbors Management, Inc. | Apr 16, 2024 | Tenant Resources
by Arbors Management, Inc. | Apr 16, 2024 | Tenant Resources
by Nicole Scimio | Nov 8, 2023 | Uncategorized
Should Residents Be Allowed to Do Their Own Maintenance?
As an investment property owner, you’ve probably had at least a minor maintenance issue or two at your property.
And once your resident notified you of this minor issue, chances are that you were met with the statement:
“I don’t want to wait for a vendor to come out. Can’t I just repair this myself?”
Well, that depends.
Essentially, the blanket answer is no, but there are exceptions to every rule.
Professional Maintenance of Your Property
When it comes to the maintenance of your property, you want to ensure that you’re utilizing skilled professionals that know what they’re doing.
If you allow your resident to perform repairs at the property, a couple of less-than-desirable outcomes could occur:
- They don’t do the repair correctly, causing you additional maintenance and additional expense
- The resident can damage your property if repairs are done improperly
- The resident gets hurt while performing maintenance, which causes a liability to you as an owner
But when using a professional, you have the peace of mind that they can perform skilled work because they’ve been trained in it.
The cost is a little higher up front, but will ultimately save you money in the long run.
Licensed & Insured Vendors
An important item to note is that you want to ensure that the vendors you work with have appropriate insurance and licensing in their field.
If the vendor you hire does something wrong, damages property, gets hurt, etc. their insurance will cover it.
With hiring properly licensed & insured vendors, your liability is greatly reduced in a number of ways.
Examples of Maintenance that Residents Should NOT Do:
- Any major mechanical repairs involving:
- Plumbing
- HVAC
- Appliance
- Electrical
- Roof repairs
- Flooring/carpet installation
- Siding or window repairs
- Gutter clean out
- Lawn maintenance and snow removal when there are multiple units at a property
This isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that residents shouldn’t do maintenance-wise.
However, it does serve as a brief summary of some of the most important items that you don’t want to risk a resident handling themselves.
Examples of Maintenance that Residents Can/Should Do:
- Small routine maintenance that would be expected when living in a home
- Change out a furnace filter
- Water filter
- Changing light bulbs
- Lawn maintenance for a single-family home
- Cutting grass, trimming trees, shrubs, etc.
- Snow removal for a single-family home
At times, an item may need to be purchased to aid in small routine maintenance, like a dehumidifier or space heater.
You can allow the resident to purchase the item, provide you a receipt, and you can reimburse them if there is a need for that specific item (that doesn’t require professional installation).
Any good lease (like ours) covers these topics and puts the responsibility on the resident for these routine service items.
Overall…
It’s in your best interest to hire professionals to handle most major maintenance items/repairs at your property.
Professionals are best when considering liability concerns, properly done maintenance, and long-term care of your property.
After all, your property is a big asset that you want to protect.
But, with that being said, there are always a few minor things that the resident should be responsible for outlined above.
The list does not include anything major, but just what would be regularly expected of someone occupying a home.
If you’d like to discuss any of this, please contact us about your specific situation. We’d be happy to walk through your situation and property needs with you!
by Nicole Scimio | Nov 3, 2023 | Uncategorized
What to Do When an Evicted Resident Leaves Belongings Behind
Evictions: Unfortunate, But Sometimes Unavoidable
As you may know, evictions are an occasional obstacle that we deal with in property management.
Maybe you’ve dealt with an eviction before as an owner, and maybe you haven’t.
If you haven’t had any experience with evictions, check out our blog post on the timeline of an eviction.
In that post, we detail out the course of the whole eviction process.
But, whether you’ve had to evict a resident before or not, you may have asked yourself the question:
“What do I do if the resident I evicted leaves their belongings behind in my property?”
While each eviction case is unique, we’ll try to break this part of the process down into the simplest terms.
What to Do if the Evicted Resident DOES Contact You
Chances are, the evicted resident will want at least some of their belongings back.
If that’s the case, the resident has 10 days to contact you and let you know that they’d like to retrieve their belongings.
If they do contact you, you must arrange for them to have access to gather their personal property within 30 days.
Note: This 30 day period begins the day of the eviction.
Once you’ve confirmed that they’ve retrieved everything they want, you’re legally allowed to do what you see fit with the the items that they leave behind.
What to Do if the Evicted Resident Does NOT Contact You
If the evicted resident fails to contact you within the initial 10 days, they forfeit their right to retrieve their belongings.
After the 10 day period of no contact, you are allowed to do what you see fit with the items they left behind.
However, to be on the safe side, we recommend you hold onto their items for the full 30 day period.
In Simplest Terms:
Eviction occurs → Resident has 10 days to contact you
If you are contacted → Resident has 30 days to get their belongings
If you are not contacted → After 10 days, you can handle their belongings how you see fit
All in All…
While evictions are not a “fun” part of owning a rental property, they do come with the territory.
The good news is that we can help!
We’ve gained expertise in all aspects of property management, including evictions, over the past 40+ years that we’ve been in business.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your unique situation!
Disclaimer: We are not attorneys, and this is not to be considered legal advice. We encourage you to contact your attorney for guidance on your particular situation. This article is meant to provide a general rule or procedure on how this process works.
This is the process as we understand it in Pennsylvania and may not pertain to other states or specific cities within Pennsylvania. We always encourage a consultation with a local attorney who knows and understands Landlord Tenant Law for specific locations.
by Nicole Scimio | Jun 21, 2023 | Blog, Project Based Section 8 Housing, Uncategorized
Stoneboro, PA – Arbors Management continues to expand their reach by adding Lakeview Manor in Stoneboro, PA to their portfolio. Effective June 1st, Arbors will become the new management agent of the 50-unit senior building near their new office in Grove City and other Arbors-managed properties, such as Evergreen Arbors in Franklin and Towne Towers in Oil City.
Lakeview Manor is an affordable independent senior living facility that offers a wonderful community of residents and has been a staple of the community for 36 years since its construction in 1987. Located near Lake Wilhelm, Goddard State Park, the Stoneboro Fairgrounds, Grove City Outlet Mall, and Conneaut Lake, residents have plenty to do just minutes from the property.
Since 1982, Arbors Management, Inc. has built a portfolio of over 4,000 residential units with a large majority in the affordable housing segment across Western PA and West Virginia, and it continues to grow each year. The team at Arbors Management is thrilled to begin building a lasting relationship with the residents of Lakeview Manor.
If you’d like to learn more about how Arbors can help you manage your property, please contact us.
Read the original article online on the Pittsburgh Business Times here.
by Nicole Scimio | Jun 20, 2023 | Press Releases, Uncategorized
Arbors Real Estate (ARE) team from left to right: Nicholas Griffith, Vice President – Christopher Wagner, President – Eric Miles, Secretary/Treasurer
Pittsburgh, PA – With over 40 years of experience in managing, owning, and operating investment properties in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Arbors Management is announcing their expansion into the real estate sales market with the launch of Arbors Real Estate (ARE). Arbors Real Estate will focus on both sellers and buyers of investment properties with the goal of providing sound guidance every step of the way for their clients.
“I am extremely excited to get Arbors Real Estate off the ground,” says Nick Griffith, Vice President of ARE and Director of Scattered Site Housing at Arbors Management. “Previously, we’ve strictly been focused on property management and over the last 5 years we’ve noticed a real need in the industry for a ‘one stop shop’ where an investor can purchase a rental property, potentially renovate it, rent it out, manage it, and cash flow. That’s where our expertise comes in. Investors’ needs are different from owner occupants and we get that.“
The team at ARE will be keeping up-to-date with current market trends and opportunities while providing responsive and professional support, expertise, and all the tools needed to allow investors to make well-informed decisions and to get the best possible return on their investment. Arbors Management has seen ample growth this past year in management and is thrilled to serve current and future clients through the formation of Arbors Real Estate.
If you are looking to sell or buy an investment property, contact us at Arbors Real Estate today!
by Nicole Scimio | Feb 26, 2023 | Blog, Press Releases, Uncategorized
Grove City, PA – Arbors Management, Inc. is excited to announce their partnership with Bevan Properties and growth into a new territory: Grove City, PA. With this partnership, Arbors Management, Inc. will have become the management agent of over 200 Bevan Properties units in Grove City beginning February 16th, 2023.
Bevan Properties is a well-known, reputable housing provider in the Grove City area; Arbors Management looks forward to continuing Bevan’s work in providing the utmost quality of management services, customer service, and care for their current and future residents.
If you’re in the Grove City area in need of a trusted property management company, contact us today.
Read the original article online on The Pittsburgh Business Times here.
by Arbors Management, Inc. | Feb 24, 2023 | Blog, Property Management Education
By: Nick Griffith & Nicole Fandel, Director of Conventional Housing and Marketing Specialist
Should I Allow Pets in My Pittsburgh Rental Property?
Many Pittsburgh rental property owners want to know if they should allow pets into their homes or if they should avoid them.
Whether you’re a pet lover or not, there are a lot of pros and cons to discuss when it comes to welcoming pets into your rental property.
Pro-Pets: Resident Pool and Pricing
The main benefit of allowing pets is that you’ll get a larger pool of potential residents interested in your home.
When pet owners have access to your property, you’ll get a larger selection of applicants and a bigger audience of people who want to see your property and lease it.
Today, it seems like almost everyone has a cat or a dog or a hamster that they cherish – pets are part of the family. So, it’s ultimately easier to rent out your home when you decide to allow pets.
Another pro of allowing pets in your rental property is additional revenue.
You’ll have the ability to charge pet rent in addition to the rent your resident pays. People are very attached to their animals, and they’ll be willing to pay a little more to have them in the property.
You can reap those benefits when you allow pets and charge a little more each month to cover potential additional wear and tear.
Can I Charge a Pet Deposit?
Owners will often want to know if they can charge a pet deposit in addition to the security deposit when they allow pets.
In Pennsylvania, the law says that we can only charge a security deposit that’s the equivalent of one month’s rent. So, we don’t typically charge an additional pet deposit because a deposit has to be returned to the residents.
Instead, we charge the pet rent, which generates additional income for our owners every month.
Avoiding Pets: Potential for Damage
The biggest reason that property owners prefer to avoid pets is that there’s a potential for property damage.
We’ve all heard the horror stories: pets might pee on the floors, scratch the carpet, and chew up the baseboards. They can make messes.
Yes, these things can happen; but generally, pets are often well-trained and well-behaved.
If your residents take care of their pets and the property, you won’t have any unnecessary damage.
However, there’s no guarantee. When you’re screening residents and deciding whether or not to accept a pet, you have to consider the animal’s breed, size, and weight.
Consider the applicant as well. You’ll need to determine whether that applicant is a responsible pet owner who can truly care for the animal as well as your property.
Service and Support Animals
Another hot topic is the rise of service animals and emotional support therapy animals.
These are animals that are coming into the property to help the resident perform daily tasks, or help them emotionally through their daily lives.
If a resident has a service or support animal, we cannot discriminate against those animals, even if there’s a strict no-pet policy in place.
To protect your property, we will always ensure the appropriate documentation and supporting medical notes are in place to verify a service animal or an emotional support animal. We don’t want residents to try and skirt the rules, or put our owners in an unfavorable position.
In Conclusion: Pets or No Pets?
Ultimately, the decision to allow pets is up to you, the owner.
Whether you choose to allow pets or not, we have policies, procedures, and documents that ensure that we are compliant with the laws.
We’ll charge your residents an appropriate amount for the added benefit of moving in with their furry friends, and make sure your property is protected.
If you have any questions about pets, or anything at all pertaining to your Pittsburgh rental property, please contact us and we’d be more than happy to help.
Another hot topic is the rise of service animals and emotional support therapy animals.