Sending the “DRUG LETTER”

There are a lot of posts on the web about the screening process, which is always a great start, but now that you have discovered the issue of possible illegal drug activity on the property, what can you do?  Unfortunately sometimes unwanted renters slip through the cracks even after a thorough proper background check. At 200+ units, even we sometimes “win the lottery” with a bad renter. Here is what we do. First, do not panic or overreact, stay professional. Second, […]

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“It’s Just a Joint! I am not hurting anyone!” Or so you may think.

The Setting: Once upon a time, in 2016 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission passed the state law for Chapter 334 of the Acts of 2016, The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act legalizing recreational marijuana under certain conditions and situations. Everyone voted it in with a wide margin. But hardly anyone actually read the law to see what it said for what it did and didn’t allow under the statue. In the law, under SECTION 5. “The General Laws” […]

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Landlord Checklist: What do you do when your resident passes on?

You may probably think that from the blog title that we mean when the resident moves out of your apartment to live in another domain. Well, actually, in this case, we mean it quite literally. What we are writing about are some of the steps, concerns, and dilemmas you may run into when your resident passes away in the premises they rent from you. “To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what […]

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Apartment Renter Tip: Mom & Pop Landlord vs. Professional Property Management: Vol. 1 Tenant Screening

So you are looking for a new apartment to call your home. But you cannot decide which style of apartment living is going to be the right choice for you. With all of the factors flying around in your head like, commute time to work, great school systems, nice neighborhoods, amount of rent you will pay, and how long it will take you to go pick up a gallon of milk; now you need to decide what type of building and […]

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New Year + New Marijuana Laws = New Challenges for Massachusetts Landlords

In November 2016 Massachusetts voted in one of the most dreaded laws by landlords in the legalization of recreational marijuana. Most landlords are concerned with what this means for the rental properties and how this is going to impact their rental businesses. The obvious fear is, now that recreational pot is legal, that tenants will now be blazing up and puffing weed inside their apartments and think there is nothing the landlord can do about it. A Little Knowledge Can Help […]

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Property Manager Screening Tips To Find Better Renters

I have had discussions with all types of landlords big and small that have been renting apartments for decades and the consensus is the same; screening for good residents is job number one. The entire Landlord/Tenant relationship depends on having a pre-qualified renter who will respect the other residents, respect the property, respect the rental agreement, and pay the full rent on time when due. This is the cornerstone to running a successful rental business and you must be firing […]

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