Tenant Verification Services provides landlords and property managers with a variety of screening options. Select a market to sign up or learn more.
A child picked up a broken cinder block near a play area outside his apartment building. Then, he carried the eighteen-pound stone up three flights of stairs and into his personal residence. Moments later, he dropped the concrete block off the balcony where it hit an...
No landlord sets out to break the law, but that easily can happen if you don't have the right lease agreement. That's because there's an ongoing power struggle between the freedom to enter into contracts, and the letter of landlord tenant law. The right balance must...
The city of Berlin, New Hampshire, has agreed to fix its nuisance, or "three-strikes" rental law which forces landlords to evict tenants if police are called to a property. The law made no exceptions for victims. The ordinance requires landlords to evict tenants cited...
Sorry, Chicago! The Windy City has earned first place in bed bug infestations -- for three years in a row. Pest control giant Orkin released the 2014 statistics, which prove that the bed bug war is far from over. Pest company profits rose eighteen percent last year,...
Security deposits aren't the only way to gain peace of mind that your tenants won't cause damage to your rental property, which is especially good news for those landlords who either cannot collect deposits, or can't collect enough to cover their losses. Choose Better...
Secondary suites -- rooms in existing homes converted to rental housing -- are once again in the news, this time as Calgary Council Members seek zoning changes to allow such suites, primarily for student housing. The main objective is increasing stock to offset a low...
After the tragic deaths of two Alberta youngsters, Health Canada has issued a warning regarding the treatment of bedbugs. The children are believed to have died after their mother sprayed pesticide throughout the home in an attempt to eliminate bedbugs. While the...
The Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board has announced upcoming changes to the rules that govern actions between landlords and tenants. Beginning July 1, 2015, the LTB will serve the notice of hearing to both the applicant and the respondent. This is a change to the...
Each time a landlord is forced to pay thousands of dollars in damages and fines to HUD or a local housing advocate, it serves as a stark reminder that, while landlords have every right to screen out unqualified tenants, they do not have the right to deny someone...
Too often, landlords report they re-entered a rental property only to discover extensive damage or other dangerous conditions, like drug manufacturing or hoarding. Too often, these conditions went unchecked for weeks, months, or years -- greatly increasing the...
The majority of tenants don't carry renters insurance, this according to a new survey by InsuranceQuotes.com. Young renters -- millennials -- are the most likely of all age groups to report that they don't know how renters insurance works and don't know how to secure...
While exposure to secondhand smoke has decreased dramatically over the past ten years, a significant number of nonsmokers, including children, are being exposed to this danger, for one simple reason: they live in rental housing. A recent report from the Centers for...
An Ontario tenant who was evicted at least seven times for failure to pay rent and accused of lying on rental applications has been convicted of criminal fraud. The case came to light only after investigative reporters with the Toronto Star uncovered the extensive...
Lease disputes can be a costly mistake for landlords. While it's great to have a lease that protects your rights, what's better is having a lease that helps you avoid a dispute in the first place. Here are three ways to improve your lease agreement in order to...
It's a simple fact that well-managed rental properties attract the best tenants, while casual or "accidental" landlords attract more problem tenants. And, there's a simple reason for this: accidental landlords are not "all-in" when if comes to running their new rental...
Ontario has adopted sweeping restrictions on cigarette smoking in public. As of January, 2015, residents there can no longer smoke on bar or restaurant patios -- covered or not, near children’s playgrounds, or publicly owned sport fields, ice rinks, and public...
Sometimes, the best intentions can get in the way of maximizing profits in your rental business. Precision property management can get things back on track. Here are three common -- but not so obvious -- landlord mistakes along with suggestions on how you can...
When it comes to the myriad of lease agreement forms available to landlords, rules of interpretation are the common thread. Each state has its own quirks, and local rules may require special lease add-ons, which can make the leasing process confusing. That's why...
The latest rental market report by RealtyTrac®, the nation's leading source for comprehensive housing data, show that buying is still the more affordable housing option -- unless you're a typical millennial. The report is an analysis of fair market rents and median...
The City Council in El Cerrito, California is considering a restriction that would limit the reasons a landlord would have for evicting a tenant. Referred to as "just cause eviction" or "eviction for good cause", these rules are not new, and seen most frequently in...
