Essential Things to Do If Your Tenant Can’t Pay Rent – Keyrenter Silicon Valley
The COVID-19 pandemic has put over 40 million people out of work in the US–a full quarter of the labor force. While there are no reliable estimates as to how many of these people are renters, we do know that nearly 50 million people in the US rent their homes. Many...
Proper Property Management Insurance
A common mistake among people who own income properties in Campbell, CA, and the surrounding areas is not having the necessary insurance. Homeowner insurance alone is usually not enough. When you rent out property, you are in effect a business operator, and that makes...
Winter Is Around the Corner: Is Your Rental Property Prepared? – Keyrenter Silicon Valley
According to the Insurance Information Institute, winter weather events are the second leading cause of property insurance claims. In 2019, winter-related claims accounted for $2.1 billion in property losses. As a property owner in California, you might assume that...
7 Steps Should Be Taken to Protect Tenants Rights – Keyrenter Silicon Valley
The landlord-tenant relationship should be non-adversarial and an arrangement that benefits both parties. It’s for this reason that property management companies like Keyrenter Silicon Valley work diligently to screen tenants and nurture that relationship. Not every...
How Drought Tolerant Landscaping Increases Property Value and Appeal – Keyrenter Silicon Valley
Are you a homeowner? If so, then you probably understand how much small changes can impact property value. This includes adjustments made to your landscaping and property appeal. Believe it or not, improvements to your home’s landscaping is one of the best...
Property Management in a Post-COVID World
Most of us were not prepared for the pandemic and some businesses struggled in adapting to the new normal in their business operations. Suddenly, dining in your favorite restaurants was considered dangerous and you have to opt for food delivery or takeout meals....
How to Keep Up With the Curb Appeal of Your Rental Properties
Many real estate investors assume that the only thing renters want is a clean, affordable place to live. However, this mindset completely overlooks the importance of curb appeal. Better curb appeal means higher rental rates and better tenants which means a greater...
Common Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities
It is important for both landlords and tenants to understand their specific responsibilities. Not only can this help to resolve issues early on, but it can also prevent many issues from ever arising in the first place. In some situations, the rental agreement will...
How to Spot Red Flag Tenants
The tenant screening process is important for a reason. When a tenant brings up red flags in the screening process, it is possible that they will cause substantial issues. Evictions are often one of the most expensive processes that landlords face. Learning how to...10 Questions Every Owner MUST ask themselves
10) Do you have the TIME to manage your rental property? Is your TIME more valuable doing other things than PM activities, and if so, are you ok with replacing your time and effort with a fee to a management company? Do you have the time necessary to manage your...
How to Properly Perform a Move-Out Inspection
A move-out inspection is an important part of getting your property ready for a new tenant. It lets you know what wear and tear has been done to different aspects of the home and what repairs you’ll need to make to get it ready for a new tenant. However, this is also...
Fair Housing Laws and Regulations in California
California is a state that implements extensive fair housing requirements in order to prevent discrimination in the housing industry. It is important to understand what these laws are in order to prevent you from accidentally violating the important requirements...
Tips on How to Avoid Potential Tenant Scams
Tenant scams happen regularly, taking advantage of innocent landlords that don’t have effective procedures for screening renters, collecting rent, and writing effective contracts. These scams can cost your business hundreds if not thousands of dollars, so it’s...
5 Questions Landlords Can Ask Applicants With Pets
There are many people who own pets and this number only seems to be rising. In addition, more businesses seem to becoming more pet-friendly, as well. When you prohibit pets on your property, it is likely that you are limiting your potential pool of tenants. Not only...
Do you Have Tenants Smoking Pot and Why Should you Care?
Marijuana legalization is growing and medical marijuana is allowed in most states. As the laws revolving around marijuana change, the stigmas surrounding marijuana use are similarly changing, which means that marijuana use is becoming more widely used. For this...
Best Preventative Practices to Reduce Pest Control Issues At Your Rental Property – Silicon Valley, CA
A quarter of the population fears insects like spiders, bees, and wasps. Fear of insects is often justified thanks to the number of insects that do bite and sting people. Landlords understand that a simple pest issue can become a major problem in a hurry. Tenants can...
Legal Notices Required by Landlords in California
California has several legal requirements that landlords must adhere to when renting or leasing a property. Some of the new changes were recently enacted, and must be followed correctly to prevent problems with tenants: Tenant screening Rental agreements Security...
Should an Owner add a Property Management Company to their insurance policy?
There’s a short answer and a long answer. Let’s break it down. SHORT EXPLANATION If you don’t add your property management company as additional insured, and you and/or your property manager are sued by a neighbor, tenant, visitor, etc. for something related to the...
Renovating your Rental? Design Trends for 2018
Keeping up with trends can help you keep up with potential tenants. Unfortunately, trends change quickly, and it isn’t necessarily cost-effective renovating your rental with every change in design. Nevertheless, here are a few trends that you can feel confident...
Tips to Make Rental Properties Senior-Friendly
As a Silicon Valley rental property owner, you want to make sure that your property appeals to as wide an audience as possible: the bigger the tenant pool; the better. That means making your rental property accessible to the individuals who have a hard time finding...
What is The Importance of a Credit and Background Check?
Are you planning to find renters for your property? Perhaps you are looking for a place to rent, and need some help understanding what documents and things you need to get in order prior to filling out an application. When you want to rent it is standard for the...
Tips on Getting Your Home Ready for Winter
Do you have a rental property you need to get ready for winter? While the winters in Silicon Valley aren’t as extreme as other areas in the United States, we will still have some decent weather patterns that can wreak havoc. As a property manager, you have a...
Responsibilities of a Property Management Company
As a property owner, the success of your rental property is entirely dependent on how you manage and relate with your tenants. Over the years, maintaining an efficient strategy to manage properties has become dependent on professional services. This is because the...
Can You Deduct Property Taxes? Tax Tips for Property Owners
Owning property that can make you money even when you are sleeping is part of the American dream. To make some good return landlords look to cut costs in any area that they reasonably can. Many therefore ask, “can you deduct property taxes?” The answer to that is yes....
What Do Property Management Companies Do?
Do you have a rough experience managing your property? Project management companies could be what you are missing. But, what do property management companies do? Discussed below, are the tasks carried out by property managers. Property Evaluation The company evaluates...
Rental Maintenance Survival Tips
Keeping your rental home well maintained is the surest way to preserve your property’s value and decrease tenant turnover. It is also one of your legal obligations as a landlord to provide habitable rental premises according to Fair Housing Laws. However, rental...
Questions every Rental Property Owner MUST ask themselves… Do you have the TIME to manage your rental property?
There is a compelling statistic about the American workforce that many of you are probably aware of, and more certainly have experienced. Although technology affords us more efficiencies, we are working harder and more hours than ever before. There are many stunning...
7 Things to Do in Your House This Summer
Summer is fast approaching and it’s important to explore some things to do in your house. As property managers in Morgan Hill, we’ve seen every scenario imaginable. With a few tips on things to do, you can maintain your home, save on your energy bill, and have some...
Top 5 Items to Replace or Upgrade in Rental Properties
Owning rental properties can be a lucrative undertaking. With the right preparation, pricing, and tenants, you can get a high ROI. However, units need a certain amount of upkeep, particularly between tenants. Whether you’ve just purchased your first rental property or...
How to Find Roommates for Your Apartment
As a property management company in Los Gatos, we know how to find roommates. We’ve seen many of our tenants find great roommates, and others find roommates who were not that perfect fit. It’s unlikely that you’ll end up with a roommate that is dangerous, but if you...
Are You a Target for Bad Tenants?
Whether you own and operate residential income properties independently or are one of the leading property managers in Cupertino, bad renters are among your greatest concerns. After all, a bad renter can be the difference between turning a profit and going into the...
Why Tenant Screening Is Important?
I always get questions from new landlords on how to screen tenants. Finding the best tenants for your property is a necessity that will save you headaches down the line. I wanted to share some helpful tips for tenant screening that will help you pick quality renters...
Performance Management vs Property Management – Is your rental property performing?
How do you know if your property management is working for you? Joe Cucchiara – host of Real Estate Radio Live invites in Chapin Hemphill of Keyrenter Silicon Valley to break down how you can be sure you are getting the most out of your investment property. What are...
Choosing the right Multi-Family management partners
Can your multi-family property perform better? Do you sense complacency with your management partners? Watch this video!
Why Should I Pay a Maintenance Fee & What’s in It for Me?
People who rent out multiple residential properties and multi-unit apartments generally have a property management company taking care of them. One question I often receive is why property owners have to pay a maintenance fee. These fees that are paid to a property...
Why Tenants should get Renters Insurance – Do tenants really need it?
Most people renting apartments or homes often do so to reduce the amount of ownership responsibilities and commitment to a particular living space. Although renters can enjoy turning over repairs and problems to landlords, moving with relatively short notice and not...
Is It Better to Buy or Rent a Home? Here Are The Benefits Of Renting!
Is it better to buy or rent a home? Many people dream of buying their own home. Owning your own home can be quite rewarding. However, it is important to note that renting a home has some advantages over buying one. Benefits Of Renting A Home Save Money If you are...
Podcast: HUD’s New Guidelines on Criminal Background Screenings with Chapin Hemphill
Joe Cucchiara from Real Estate Radio Live welcomes in Keyrenter Silicon Valley owner, Chapin Hemphill, to explain the new criminal screening background guidelines announced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in April. Chapin tells Joe about the...
Living Alone Tips: How to Stay Safe While You Are Living In An Apartment
Living alone can be exciting and liberating. However, it can also be scary. Many people are worried about staying safe while they are in their apartment. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do in order to keep yourself safe. Staying Safe in Your Apartment...
Tips for Creating Office Space in a Small Apartment
While you may need or want an office in your apartment, it may not seem possible in an apartment. The kitchen table is not always conducive to getting work done, especially if you have small children with you. However, with a little bit of imagination, you can create...
3 Keys To Ensuring an Optimum Property Maintenance
They say that a first impression last and it is particularly the case when it comes to your tenant’s first day in your rental. I have noticed that my average tenant will stay in my rental for two to three years or more, so I want to make a strong first impression that...
5 Tips to Ensure Your Properties Show Well
How you present yourself and your properties is an important part of demonstrating value and thus filling vacancies quickly. Of course, the living space should be spotless and the landscape pristine, but there are also little things that you can do to help ensure that...
4 Great Benefits of Being a Renter
Most people dream of owning a home one day. While home ownership is a great personal goal, it is not one that you have to rush to attain. There are many ways that you can benefit from being a renter. Below is a list of some of those benefits of being a renter. No Debt...