April 2012: Fair Housing and the Rental Process

By Michael Mengden Wednesday, April 18, 2012

It is crucial, when renting a property, that property managers and owners avoid discrimination. There are many pitfalls, and it requires good policies, procedures, and practices, to prevent unwanted Fair Housing complaints. Fair Housing actually began in the United States in 1...

March 2012: The Security Deposit vs. Normal Wear & Tear

By Michael Mengden Wednesday, February 29, 2012

If you have 100 property managers in a meeting, the majority will agree that settling a security deposits dispute is one of the more difficult tasks in property management, particularly when it comes to determining "normal wear and tear," also referred to by some as "ordinary we...

February 2012: Handling Tenant Issues

By Michael Mengden Tuesday, January 31, 2012

In a perfect world of landlord/tenant relations, the rent is never late; there are never maintenance problems, emergencies, or any other difficulties; tenants are never angry. However, this delightful scenario is generally not the case and difficult situations take serious consi...

January 2012: What Does The Tenant Want Now?

By Michael Mengden Saturday, December 31, 2011

There are times when owning a rental property can feel like pouring silver dollars into a big bottomless hole with no chance of recovering them. After a vacancy and repairs, the property successfully rents and then the tenant wants the property owner to spend more money on repai...

December 2011: Are You a Knowledgeable Landlord?

By Michael Mengden Wednesday, November 30, 2011

How would you rate yourself as a knowledgeable landlord? We thought we would put together a list of questions that landlords should know. It is and always will be, our policy to keep you intelligently informed on the business of owning investment property. That is the primary re...

November 2011: A Cash Reserve for Your Investment Property

By Michael Mengden Monday, October 31, 2011

You never know when something can happen that will require a large amount of cash, such as a disaster where the property is located, a major maintenance expense, an unexpectedly long vacancy, or a problem with a tenant that leads to legal action and damage. As your property mana...

October 2011: Landlords DO Have Rights

By Michael Mengden Friday, September 30, 2011

It often seems that a property owner does not have any rights and the tenants call all the shots, the courts only rule in favor of the tenant, and the attorneys end up with all the money. Just look at the multi-million dollar lawsuits that have happened regarding mold, lead-base...

September 2011:New Texas Smoke Alarm Law & Bedbugs

By Michael Mengden Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New Texas Law Regarding Smoke Alarms A new law was passed this last legislative session regarding the number and placement of smoke alarms in rental properties in Texas. In short the law attempted to make the requirements consistent throughout the state. It requires at least ...

August 2011: The Impact of URLTA

By Michael Mengden Sunday, July 31, 2011

Over the years, courts have made many rulings based on the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, URLTA. When faced with a difficult case between Landlord and Tenant, a judge will often consult the fine points of this Act before rendering a decision. Important Landlord/Ten...

July 2011: Pest Control and Your Investment

By Michael Mengden Thursday, June 30, 2011

Pests can be a problem any time during the year and are a common occurrence in the property management industry. If you check the dictionary, there are varying definitions for pests - here are three common ones. An insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden...