How to Overcome Common Issues
June 24, 2021
How can I overcome some of the common issues with property management?
If you have been hesitant to hire a professional property management company, is it because of doubts related to the services you've received from a company in the past? Is it because you've heard horror stories from other landlords and you're scared to try the rental gig for yourself? At Select Rental Services, we have carefully honed our processes so that they are both efficient and effective - these processes bring the common issues to rest. When you hire our company, you receive a premium property management experience. Here are some examples of how we help overcome common issues:
- Common Issue #1: "It took forever to get my property rented."
- Our Solution: We understand that your property must be rented for you to have income. Renting your property requires a lot of attention to make sure it is done in a timely fashion. We have a licensed, dedicated Leasing Coordinator who focuses solely on leasing your property - this means the staff member's entire job is to find, screen, and secure your future tenants. The Leasing Coordinator handles all showings, answers questions from prospective tenants, provides feedback about showings and how well your property is performing, and does a virtual tour video to post on our website to increase marketing exposure. Once applications are received from prospective tenants, the Leasing Coordinator also processes background and credit screenings, handles negotiations regarding move-in dates and other lease terms, collects up-front tenant fees, and executes the lease to secure your next tenant.
- Common Issue #2: "They put awful tenants in my home."
- Our Solution: While nobody can actually predict the future or know what a person will really be like during their tenancy, we use the most diligent, strict screening process allowable by law. Applications are all processed into our exclusive, detailed scoring system in accordance with all Fair Housing laws. The screening process helps us to identify certain red flags that can indicate the potential for problems. The screening and scoring process includes a credit check, criminal background check, landlord references from prior rentals, income verification, and more. We even have a pet screening process to verify shots and other veterinary records, incident reports, photos, etc. Since we implemented this process, our eviction rate has dropped by 80% and consistently remains well below the national average.
- Common Issue #3: "Nobody ever checked on my property during the tenancy and the house was trashed in just a year's time!"
- Our Solution: In addition to our detailed move-in and move-out inspections, we also do periodic property visits four times per year (which happens to be more than any of our competitors). When the small issues are found early they are less likely to turn into big problems later. We send lease violation letters to tenants and create work orders as necessary following each property visit. These reports and photos are shared with our landlords via the Owner Portal.
- Common Issue #4: "Maintenance issues were never addressed and it caused major damage to my home!"
- Our Solution: We offer a 24/7 maintenance hotline to our tenants so they can call any time of day or night to report issues by phone, or tenants can submit work order requests online via their Tenant Portal. The maintenance hotline and online reporting systems are directly connected to our property management software system, so we receive notifications about maintenance requests immediately after they have been reported. We work with a vast network of insured vendors who have the ability to get the job done. Your Property Manager oversees the work orders to ensure they are completed in a timely manner and billed properly. There is always a team member on call for nights, holidays, and weekends to address any urgent maintenance issues that may arise. Our leases explicitly hold the tenant responsible for reporting maintenance issues to us. However, even if a tenant fails to report a maintenance issue, the Property Manager will often discover it during one of the quarterly property visits and address the issue at that time.
- Common Issue #5: "I couldn't ever reach my Property Manager."
- Our Solution: We have a company policy to respond to all messages within 24 hours (business days). When we receive an email, text, or phone message from you, we will contact you at the earliest possible opportunity, but certainly within the next business day. We also have an Office Administrator staffed at the front desk during business hours to field incoming phone calls and walk-ins.
- Common Issue #6: "Tax time is too difficult."
- Our Solution: We have a bookkeeper on staff, and a system that makes tracking your financials easy. At the end of the year, you will receive a detailed Owner Statement, which includes the amount of rental income you received, plus a categorized list of expenses like maintenance, repairs, and management fees. This handy statement will help you (or your CPA) expedite your tax filing. Throughout the year, you can check your financial statements, receipts, inspection reports and photos via your convenient Owner Portal.
As you can see, issues can arise even when you hire a management company. However, the right management company will make the day-to-day operations simple and effective, helping you get the most return out of your investment. When you hire Select Rental Services, you get the power of a full team of professionals working to provide you a premium service.
Share this post
When will I get my security deposit back? Landlord-Tenant laws in NC give 30 days from the time the lease agreement ends, or from the time possession of the property was delivered to the landlord/property manager (whichever is later) to process your deposit. If it cannot be processed within those 30 days, you will be notified that the final accounting will require additional time to process, allowing for another 30 days. So, even if there are delays that prevent a more expeditious process, the total number of days should not exceed 60. How do I get my security deposit back? Any remaining balance of the security deposit will be mailed to your forwarding address on file, along with a disposition letter showing the breakdown of the final accounting. To ensure the arrival of your check, please make sure you have given us an accurate forwarding address no later than the end date of your lease. We will not cancel and re-issue a check until 30 days have passed to allow for arrival by mail. Can my security deposit be sent back in the form of separate checks divided equally amongst all tenants on the lease? No. A single check will be issued to all financially-responsible tenants on the lease agreement. Can I use my security deposit to pay my last month's rent? No. Your security deposit cannot be used to cover your last month's rent, which is outlined in your lease agreement. The security deposit is designed to cover any damages to the property that exceed normal wear and tear, which is assessed after move-out. Even if you are confident that you have not damaged the property during your tenancy, things can happen accidentally during move-out and security deposit funds must be available to compensate for the damage. If I move out early and my roommate is staying in the home, can I get half of the security deposit back when I leave? No. The security deposit will not be processed until the entire tenancy ends. It will then be refunded to the remaining financially-responsible tenant(s) on the lease agreement. Do I have to get my carpets cleaned, even if I know the owner is planning to replace them soon? Unless otherwise stated in writing, yes. Carpet cleaning is a requirement to be done prior to your move-out, per your signed lease agreement terms. If the carpets are found to be overly dirty after move-out, your security deposit will be charged for having them cleaned. Do I have to have a flea and tick treatment done prior to moving out, even if my pets don't have a flea or tick problem? Yes. Per your lease agreement, you are required to have the treatment done prior to moving out if you have pets in the home. If there are clear signs of a pest issue (inside or outside the home) after move-out, your security deposit will be charged for proper treatment. What happens if I have an overdue balance after my full security deposit has been used? You will be notified via mail and/or email with a copy of your disposition letter of the final accounting. If payment arrangements are not made and agreed upon by our office, the owner can choose to put your account in collections or file a claim against you in small claims court for the money owed. These outstanding balances are reported on landlord reference verifications, and will likely affect your ability to rent with other companies/landlords in the future.
I got approved, but not for the property I originally wanted. What now? If you received a notice of approval on your rental application with our office but you were not approved for the property you wanted, we know it can be disappointing. However, you have a couple of options on what to do with your application: Review the other available rental properties we have on our website. If there is another property available for which you qualify financially, you may request to move your application to the available property. Put your application on hold. If there are no available properties that will work for you, we can put your application on hold. You will have 30 days from the date of your original application to see if another property comes available for which you qualify financially. Please continue to check our website vacancies tab frequently, as our website is updated in real-time when we post a new property for rent. Contact our office during business hours at 252-335-8633 to move your application to the new property. IMPORTANT NOTES: If you choose to move your application to another property with our office during your 30-day approval period, you will still be competing with any other applications we have received on that property until such time that you pay the holding fee to reserve it. Application fees are non-refundable . We often receive multiple applications on a property. Although you may not have been selected for the property you wanted, the application was still processed in full (including your background and credit check screenings, for which we pay a fee as well). The amount and quality of work done to process your application remains the same, and your application will remain on file for 30 days from your original application date. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation, as well as your careful review of our policies (which are noted on the "Before You Begin" page of the application process).
What do our property management services cost?
