Tenant Verification Services provides landlords and property managers with a variety of screening options. Select a market to sign up or learn more.
First it was Mini-Coopers and SmartCars. Now, the trend is mini-apartments. Boston-based architecture and design firm ADD Inc has unveiled its 300 square foot micro unit mockup to showcase its unique, cost-efficient, "smaller-than-market" apartments. ADD Inc has been...
One of the most frustrating problems for a landlord is the tenant who is habitually late with the rent. Once a tenant catches on that there is little consequence to late payments, it becomes a game that they may repeat month after month, causing the landlord...
This week, the City of Vancouver launched an online database of rental properties that officials say are in violation of building bylaws. The database is designed to make it easier for renters to "make more informed decisions" about their choices in rental housing....
The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch has announced that several new rule changes passed last year will go into effect March 1. One such change clarifies when tenants can object to a rent increase which is at or under the established guideline. Beginning March 1,...
A decision by the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Branch confirms that landlords there have an "absolute" right to inspect their rental properties as often as once per month. The decision comes at the one year anniversary of the RCMP's Marihuana Grow Initiative,...
No matter how honest a new rental applicant may appear, a landlord must maintain a standard practice of running a credit report. That credit information provides the baseline that governs the terms of the tenancy. Without it, a landlord cannot avoid habitually bad...
One of the most frustrating problems for a landlord is the tenant who habitually pays rent late. Unfortunately, the lease agreement or management policies can contribute to this issue. Once a tenant catches on to the game, they may repeat it month after month, causing...
Apparently, Chicago lawmakers don't like their city's dubious new honor of being ranked the number one city for bed bugs. Last month, pest control company Orkin published its list of the top 50 cities for bedbugs, based on the number of properties treated by the...
Prosecutors with HUD announced this week that a New Hampshire landlord will pay $9,000 to settle allegations that he refused to rent to families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act. "The days of 'no children allowed' are long over," said John Trasviña,...
A half-dozen landlords in British Columbia are out rent payments to a professional tenant who appears to have lived virtually rent-free for over three years. He accomplished the task by scamming each of the landlords with fake information -- name, employment...
Many landlords successfully manage their own properties with little downside. There are circumstances, though, where hiring a property manager may be in the owner’s best interest. For instance, a landlord may: Live a significant distance from the rental property,...
A recent news story profiled the "bad tenant" registry maintained by the Saskatchewan Rental Housing Industry Association -- an online database shared by member landlords. Saskatchewan's Office of Residential Tenancies told reporters that they are aware of the list --...
Landlords and Property Managers can say goodbye to daily manual postings of rental ads. Kijiji, Canada's most popular online classifieds website, and Toronto-based RentSeeker.ca, Canada's leading Internet listing service, announced they have partnered to offer joint...
A landlord in Ann Arbor, Michigan is now facing a lawsuit after rejecting an applicant who she said had too large a family for her rental property. The applicant has filed a federal lawsuit against the owner, stating that she was denied the rental of a two-bedroom...
Many landlords successfully manage their own properties with little downside. There are circumstances, though, where hiring a property manager may be in the owner's best interest. For instance, a landlord may: Live a significant distance from the rental property,...
Three cities recently have adopted rental "nuisance" ordinances -- laws that hold landlords liable for the activities of their tenants. Last week, Bangor, Maine lawmakers passed a nuisance ordinance, which they say will help cut crime in the city. Under the new...
Pest control leader Orkin has rated the top 50 "bed bug" cities for 2012. Last year, Rollins, which operates eight pest control brands nationwide including Orkin, saw a nearly 33 percent increase in bed bug business compared to 2011. Cities across the country were...
by Marv Steier Landlords often have questions about non-discriminatory ways to reject an applicant who is not an appropriate tenant. It's a fine line that landlords walk when interviewing an applicant or writing a rental ad to ensure it doesn’t appear to be...
As a landlord, you want your tenants to treat your unit as you would, with loving care. But unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Much of the damage done to walls, floors and carpets happens on the first and last day of your tenant’s lease, because that’s when...
Security and pet damage deposit interest for B.C. landlords will remain at 0.0% for 2013. The deposit interest rate is set each year per the Residential Tenancy Act. Generally, a landlord must calculate the interest owing on the full amount of the deposit before any...
