Status International

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

THE BIG QUESTION: SHOULD I HIRE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY OR DO IT MYSELF? Doing it yourself would entitle you to:

  • Advertise the rental, showing the property to numerous "lookee loos", selecting/ screening tenants, evicting a tenant if you must-all of which are governed by both state and federal law. The laws continually change.
  • Once occupied, your responsibility is to provide a safe, smoothly functioning home for your tenant(s). For example, making sure plumbing, wiring, and appliances function, and that outdoor areas and stairways are safe. This means quickly responding to a tenant's report of the inevitable malfunction or problem.
  • Be sure to treat everyone equally, and deal with the many facets of Fair Housing. This is one of the main source of lawsuits that landlords face, and it is due to inexperience in dealing with people.
  • The majority of real estate lawsuits are property management related, not the standard buying and selling of real estate
  • Proper handling of tenant money
  • Hire, pay a fair wage, and work with more than ten types of contractors used during standard property management maintenance issues. RPM has long- lasting relationships with our contractors, therefore fair and honest service is a standard that we receive, due to volume--and most importantly--trial and error over hundreds of properties.

WHAT DOES THE INITIAL PROPERTY SET-UP AND MARKETING FEE COVER?

  • Interior/Exterior property inspection and evaluation
  • Installation of both electronic and mechanical lock box at the property
  • Installation of "For Rent" sign at the property with brochure box (Unless prohibited by HOA Rules and Regulations)
  • Placement of ads in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and realtor.com
  • Placement of ads on various internet sites
  • Weekly email updates of Realtors showings via electronic lock box
  • 60 -120 digital photos of property prior to tenant(s) occupancy
  • 10 - 15 minute DVD of your property for disclosure purposes prior to occupancy
  • Complete tenant screening (Including, but not limited to, credit check, rental history check, verification of prior tenancy, payroll, income verification, criminal background check, sex offender registry check)

DO THE TENANT(S) MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY CONDITION ? WHO HANDLES REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE?

As a general rule, tenants are responsible for any repairs under $50. Although most owners attempt to save money by limiting their repair responsibility, RPM strongly recommends that the tenant(s) contact RPM with any and all repairs. If we leave a small leaky sink that costs the tenant $45 to repair they will probably avoid calling RPM the next time, which will end up costing the owner ten or twenty times that amount. As for common maintenance issues (e.g., Water heater or A/C problems), RPM will contact a licensed contractor to make the repairs within the timeline required by Nevada law. RPM will pay the invoice and deduct it from the owners check the following month. Any repairs over $500 will require the owner's authorization unless habitability of the property is in question-e.g., A/C breaks in middle of July, or a broken water line results in no water for tenants.

WHAT ARE YOUR REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS?

The basic requirements (which we verify all of them prior to occupancy) are:
Minimum 3 times gross income of rent ($1500 rent $4500/month income)
credit score of 600 or above
No bankruptcies within last 36 months; if within past 60 months, must be dismissed
No evictions or rental collections within past 60 months.
Good current rental verification (must be in writing by prior landlord)
Current job verification (in writing)
Minimum 1 month's security deposit, plus $300 cleaning fee + $100 key deposit 1st Month's rent prior to occupancy

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE APPLICANT'S CREDIT IS BAD, OR EVEN CONTAINS A FORECLOSURE?

Due to the current real estate market; this is an increasingly common situation, which RPM has had a great amount of success. Depending on their income and the results of a few other verifications, we will increase the security deposit to maximum of 3 times rent if their income and job employment indicate they will consistently be able to afford the rent. Many times their mortgages had been adjusted to much higher rates than the individual could pay, but the proposed rent is completely within their current price range. RPM will only make this decision with the owners approval after all information has been gathered.
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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A PROBLEM TENANT(S)?

Contracts!!! This is where RPM gains their leverage in dealing with problem tenants. We outline 95% of all situations that occur in property management and discuss them in detail prior to occupancy. Plus, RPM reminds them of the 60 - 120 digital photos, plus the DVD we took of the property prior to occupancy. This generally keeps us on track with regard to property conditions. In addition, our office sets the tone. From the beginning, tenants see our office and know we mean business - Professional Business! Unlike many owners, RPM does not deal emotionally with tenants and the various issues that arise during tenancy. Ultimately, they know we will follow the laws of Nevada and continually inform them that this is a landlord-friendly state. Unlike other states in the union, if tenants fail to pay their rent due to no fault of the landlord, eviction is imminent: most likely within 10 - 12 business days. RPM is fair and honest and ultimately will look out for the owner's best financial interest. Should RPM find the tenants seriously attempting to work things out and be able to get back on track in a timely manner, RPM will consult the owners prior to making any decisions.

CAN I RENT MY PROPERTY FURNISHED, IF SO HOW MUCH MORE CAN I EXPECT IN RENT?

If you are renting out your place as a corporate- or vacation rental you will need to have furniture in your property. When renting your place out with furniture you should be prepared for it to be damaged, or at minimum show some wear and tear over time. Depending on the condition and style of furniture (pink suede couches and lava lamps aren't for everyone), the property may bring in an additional 10 - 20%, but don't count on it. Many tenants prefer to use their furniture and may use some of yours. At the very least, you should have a plan for moving the items into storage or the home of a friend's or family member prior to renting the property, just in case the tenant prefers to occupy the property with their own furniture for a while. We will gladly make suggestions on a case by case basis.
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DO I NEED EXTRA INSURANCE OR ANYTHING DIFFERENT WHEN I RENT OUT MY HOME?

Yes, we strongly recommend contacting your insurance company and make sure your policy protects you once you rent out your property. Umbrella policies are a great way to protect you against any lawsuits that go beyond the standard $500K liability coverage. They are surprisingly less expensive then you may think for an additional $1 million in coverage. Should anything traumatic or serious happen on your property, your personal assets could be seized if you don't have enough coverage.

DO YOU REGULARLY INSPECT MY PROPERTY?

The first inspection is when you hire us, then we inspect prior to occupancy while making a DVD of the property. Usually within 90-120 days of the tenant moving in, we do an interior and exterior inspection. If all things are good and on the right track, then we will inspect the property on an annual basis when renewing the tenant(s) lease. We do have "eyes & ears" looking out for us - Our maintenance contractors. We purchased digital cameras for most of our standard contractors, and when they are doing their service calls (e.g., Leaking faucet, weekly pool & landscape maintenance), they will inform us of any questionable behavior or general disregard for the property. This will then initiate a additional visit from us.

WHAT ABOUT SMOKING AT MY PROPERTY?

It is very common to market properties as "No Smoking" in today's market. We have not seen this effect the marketability of homes.

IS ROBINSON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INSURED?

Yes, we have a large E&O (errors and omissions) policy to cover us for any lawsuits that would be directed at us do to our negligence. This does not protect you if someone for example is seriously injured on your property. An example of this would be if a tenant were to be injured on your property due to faulty electrical wiring. We recommend the owner fully protect themselves because of the litigious society we live in.

Collections of Monies

  • Collect all rents and late fees (if applicable)
  • Collect all security deposits (deposited into RPM trust accounts)
  • Collect all owner payments for repairs (if necessary)

Disbursement of Monies

  • Pay all contractor invoices
  • Pay all utilities
  • Pay all property taxes (if specified by owner)
  • Pay all pool and landscaping maintenance
  • Pay all Home Owner Association bills

*RPM will not pay mortgages for owners due to high liability and lack of cooperation by various banks and loan servicing companies for the baking industry.

Monthly/Quarterly /Annual Statements

  • Al professional cash flow and /or operating statement
  • Copies of all bills paid (owner may request copies at any time)
  • Statements and owner rent checks mailed by 15thof each month
  • Owner's 1099 by January 31st
  • Detailed operating statement of all expenses (profit & loss) for your accountant or CPA.