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Tenants, Landlords Await Next Stimulus

by TVS | Jul 27, 2020 | Rental Property Management Tips

Most renters made full or partial rent payments this month, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council's Rent Payment Tracker. The survey of over 11 million apartment units across the country found 91.3 percent tenants made efforts to pay. While that's good news for many landlords, it does represent a slight decrease -- 2.1 percent -- from July of last year, and is down from 92.2 percent who paid in June 2020. "The extended unemployment benefits and other government support that...

Landlord Says Never Again

by TVS | Jul 20, 2020 | Tenant Screening

Eighteen months. That's how long a Guelph landlord anticipates that his tenant...

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6 Ways to Improve Your Tenancy Agreement

by TVS | Jul 20, 2020 | Rental Forms

A tenancy agreement is a useful tool -- if it contains the right provisions....

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British Columbia Updates Eviction Policies

by TVS | Jul 20, 2020 | Eviction Strategies

British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Branch has announced that some eviction...

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Ontario Lawmakers Seek to Cap Rent Increases

by TVS | Dec 19, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Future rent increases in Ontario will be capped at not more than 2.5 per cent, and not less than 1 per cent annually, if lawmakers there accept a proposal now before the legislature. In 2012, the Guideline calculation rose to 3.1 per cent. The 2011 increase was set at...

Demand For Smoke-Free Rentals Outpacing Supply

by TVS | Dec 19, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Recent renter surveys prove that the demand for smoke-free rentals is outpacing the supply. One poll, taken by Ipsos Reid in November, 2011 on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society, showed that 67 per cent of Ontarians believe that all apartments, condos and co-ops in...

Rental Market Report Details Vacancy Rates, Rents Across Canada

by TVS | Dec 19, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

A continuing decline in vacancies signals strong demand for rentals across Canada. The average rental apartment vacancy rate in Canada's 35 major centres decreased slightly to 2.2 per cent in October 2011, from 2.6 per cent in October 2010, according to the fall...

How to Verify Your Applicant’s Income

by TVS | Dec 12, 2011 | Tenant Screening

One question a landlord has to ask each time they fill a vacancy is whether the new applicant is telling the truth about their income. But perhaps the better question is this: Can you afford to take that risk? Verifying income is key to choosing the right tenant--and...

Landlords, Not Tenants Focus of Neighborhood Crime Prevention

by TVS | Dec 12, 2011 | Tenant Screening

Experts have recommended that police should focus on landlords, not problem tenants, in developing crime prevention strategies. With police resources straining under a barrage of service calls, police in Ohio were forced to analyze the deeper cause and effect of calls...

Landlords Offered Free Rental Listings

by TVS | Dec 12, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Landlords in Boston have a new opportunity to list their rental properties for free. That is, if they choose to go smoke-free. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino launched the city's first smoke-free housing registry as part of a broader initiative to reduce smoking--and...

Postal Delays May Impact Rental Businesses

by TVS | Dec 12, 2011 | Rental Forms

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service just announced it will slow first class mail delivery to 2 or 3 days. That means landlords relying on paper checks may be receiving rent a day or so later than expected. As the postal service struggles to correct what it has...

Eviction Misstep Leaves Landlord Paying Tenant

by TVS | Dec 5, 2011 | Eviction Strategies

A landlord was ordered to pay her problem tenant after a botched eviction. The landlord inherited the tenant from the previous property owner, who did not obtain a written tenancy agreement, but rather allowed the tenant to rent month to month. The tenant has been in...

Manitoba’s New Rules for Tenancy Agreements That Include Tenant Services

by TVS | Dec 5, 2011 | Rental Forms

Rules Allow for Additional Security Deposit Manitoba's tenancy laws now include new sections relating to tenancies where landlords provide tenant services such as meals, light housekeeping and transportation. The new provisions became effective November 1. Landlords...

Québec Landlords Oppose New Lease Termination Rules

by TVS | Dec 5, 2011 | Rental Forms

Québec's National Assembly is in process of adopting a measure brought forward by Marguerite Blais, Minister responsible for Seniors, that would allow some tenants to break a rental lease early with no consequences. This Bill, Number 22, amends certain provisions of...

How to Talk to Your Problem Tenant

by TVS | Nov 28, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Q: I am renting a 3-bedroom home in which the tenant recently lost his off-site garage rental lease (different owner) last month. Not being able to find another garage to rent, he decided to place the garage contents in his front yard (my rental property). His rental...

Do Your Rental Application Fees Cross the Line?

by TVS | Nov 28, 2011 | Tenant Screening

Most landlords are allowed to charge a rental applicant for the cost of tenant background checks and other leasing expenses. However, there are prohibitions against charging an applicant for more than that. It's good to review your policies to avoid disputes over...

Landlords Oppose New Discrimination Rules

by TVS | Nov 28, 2011 | Tenant Screening

Landlords in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are opposing a proposal that would create a new class of tenants protected from discrimination. The City Council there is poised to make it illegal to reject a rental applicant because their income comes from government or other...

Firm Offers Landlords Infrared Inspections to Detect Secret Grow Operations

by TVS | Nov 21, 2011 | Tenant Screening

British Columbia landlords can now put technology to work for them in ferreting out illegal grow operations that can threaten their rental properties. Former Mountie and security specialist Brian Goldstone from Griffin Security told CTV news that his company is...

How To Train Your Tenants to Respect Your Property

by TVS | Nov 21, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Avoiding a problem tenancy and any resulting income loss or damage to your rental property can be as simple as educating your tenants about their responsibilities throughout the tenancy. Start your tenancies off right, and you can avoid a number of problems down the...

Manitoba’s Independent Advisor Program Offers Help to Small Landlords With Problem Tenants

by TVS | Nov 21, 2011 | Eviction Strategies

Manitoba's Rental Board now offers assistance to small, independent landlords trying to resolve disputes with problem tenants. The Independent Advisor Office provides staff from Legal Aid Manitoba to help landlords get important information and advice, file claims...

5 Ways a Security Deposit May Cost a Landlord Money

by TVS | Nov 14, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Security deposits may be the most regulated part of the landlord-tenant relationship. There are rules limiting the amount that a landlord can charge, the length of time they can hold a deposit, and what deductions they can take when a tenant damages a property. Often,...

What To Do When Your Long-term Tenant Becomes Your Problem Tenant

by TVS | Nov 14, 2011 | Rental Property Management Tips

Q: I rent out a 2 bedroom carriage house. The same tenant has lived there for 4 years. I renovated the unit prior to her moving in and it was in mint condition. I have not increased the rent in four years. Now, the place has become a disaster. She does not even bring...

Are Social Media Background Checks a Good Idea?

by TVS | Nov 14, 2011 | Tenant Screening

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter do more than help people connect. These sites offer employers and landlords a peek into an applicant's background. But is the information from these sites all it is cracked up to be? The Federal Trade Commission, the agency...

A Hidden Danger That Can Sink Your Rental Business

by TVS | Nov 7, 2011 | Tenant Screening

Small Businesses the Most Susceptible Of all the risks a landlord or property management business may face, one of the most often overlooked is a breach of data security, leaving business records and tenant documents susceptible to theft. One data breach can ruin the...

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