Tenant Verification Services provides landlords and property managers with a variety of screening options. Select a market to sign up or learn more.
Pets OK BC is a non-profit with one objective: to bring British Columbia's rental rules in line with Ontario's when it comes to pets. The group is engaged in a petition drive designed to bring attention to the lack of pet-friendly housing in the province. They want to...
Toronto landlords face more stringent rental rules -- and a litany of record-keeping requirements -- after City Council passed a new rental bylaw last month. The law is slated to take effect July 1, and impacts hundreds of thousands of units. It applies to apartment...
Efficiency rules when it comes to managing your rental property and increasing your income. The less time wasted, the more time spent where it really matters -- finding good tenants. A few simple tweaks can make all the difference when it comes to saving time: 1....
What do you look for in a tenant? How do you know when you've found the right one? While nothing short of a tenant background check can confirm that you are ready to lease, there are some signs that you likely are on the right track. For instance, good applicants...
Do you conduct new tenant orientations? If not, you might be missing a great opportunity. Tenant orientations are a valuable step in the property management process -- one that can save money and increase tenant retention. Why Conduct Tenant Orientations? An...
The California Court of Appeals has sided with landlords in a lawsuit brought to challenge a San Francisco ordinance that would have required hefty relocation fees to tenants should the landlord decide to retire a rental property. That ordinance was the latest in a...
A landlord in Ontario is facing a discrimination complaint after rejecting rental applicants allegedly on the basis of their youth. The millennial couple say they possessed the qualifications -- including excellent credit and ample income -- to rent a two-bedroom...
Low vacancies and high rents can create the perfect environment for rental applicant scams. The tighter the market, the more desperate problem renters become. But landlords can stave off bad tenants by watching for some common red flags: Targeting Small Landlords...
Whether a tenancy ends badly often depends upon what happens at the earliest stages of the leasing process. Here are four policies that can stave off the stress and income loss associated with eviction: Nonpayment of Rent The most common reason for eviction is...
Lawmakers in Ontario have made good on a promise to tamp down skyrocketing rent by proposing an expansion of the rent increase guideline. A new bill, The Rent Protection for All Tenants Act, 2017, would require landlords with newer buildings to follow the annual rent...
When it comes to the inner workings of a lease agreement, power isn't measured by size. There are some seemingly insignificant provisions that do far more than you might expect: 1. Identity of Tenants "This Agreement is entered into between . . ." Simple language, but...
A group of landlords are suing the city of Seattle over a recent ordinance that dictates how landlords there must fill vacancies. The landlords claim the city's new 'first-come, first-served' rule hampers their ability to pick the most qualified tenants. The Seattle...
A frequent complaint from tenants is unannounced or unnecessary visits by the landlord. At the same time, landlords who fail to supervise the property can suffer losses from damage, crime or neglect. How can a landlord strike a balance? A Tenant's Right to Privacy...
A Denver landlord is facing a class-action lawsuit over its failed pest control policies. Tenants at the large multi-family property allege that the complex was overrun by rats, and then tenants came into contact with carelessly applied pesticide. In a news report,...
How do you know if a rental applicant will make a good tenant? It comes down to one factor: respect. Disrespect isn't simply an attitude. It's a bad behaviour, one that leads to income loss for landlords. Tenants must respect the landlord, the lease, and the property....
Rental ads speak to your prospective tenants in ways you may not realize. An unprofessional ad sends a message to bad tenants to take advantage, while a well-crafted ad attracts quality renters. Yet, some landlords don't take the time necessary at this crucial stage...
Property management, like many jobs, gets easier with time. That is, if you're doing it right. There are some strategies that only get worse. If you are considering one of these, you may want to think again: 1. Long-distance management. There are any number of reasons...
The Toronto Star has filed a lawsuit against the Ontario provincial government seeking more transparency from legal tribunals, including the Landlord and Tenant Board. The move comes after Star reporters say they've repeatedly been denied access to records in many...
Did you know that rental ads can multitask? The same ad that alerts tenants to a vacancy also can attract the most qualified renters, and at the same time set the stage for a more successful tenancy. All it takes is a little savvy. Consider the example of a recent ad...
There's a common problem with many landlord pet policies: they tend to be developed in a vacuum. Most of the time, prospective tenants already have acquired their pets, so landlords who don't sync their pet policies to the applicant pool tend to limit their options...
