Hello everybody. My discussion this month deals with the topic of whether an apartment owner must pay all or any portion of the cell phone bill of the owner’s resident managers who use their own personal cell phones when performing their work-related services.
As a rule, I do no write in this space about litigation. Most non-lawyers are not interested and many believe that lawsuits – like some dreaded disease – will not happen to them. But I am going to make an exception in this article – sort of. Because I have found that nearly all the…
The King James Bible states…”Thy shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. The Ten Commandments states: “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor”. Perhaps the more practical maxim is …”Love thy neighbor, unless they interfere with your use and enjoyment of the property”. California Civil Code section 3479 states: “Anything which is injurious to…
In a competitive environment, the way you “sell the value” of your properties, not just “show” your properties, is critical. I often get asked by landlords who are frustrated, “Why can’t I get it rented?” The landlords believe their properties are in excellent condition, they even include WOW factors. But yet, they show their rental…
As one of the first arrivals at our designated bus stop, just as the sun was rising on April 25th, I wondered if any of our members would join the ride to Sacramento to protest AB 1482, yet another attempt to impose statewide rent control. But I had no reason to doubt—our bus was full,…
Few apartment owners or property managers realize that it’s not possible to replace their mailboxes by searching online for equipment [that looks like what’s there now] and ordering and installing it. This is because the mailboxes installed before 1999 are probably illegal, not security-compliant, not-repairable and may even be owned by the Post Office that…
Service dogs perform all kinds of helpful and impressive tasks to serve the handicapped and disabled: guiding the blind, pulling their owners in wheelchairs in some cases even dialing 911. They can be vital to their owners’ well-being. But occasionally, tenants try to abuse the system by bringing pets that don’t qualify as service animals…
Reviewing your portfolio of investment properties should provide a sense of satisfaction. Thanks to your decades of hard work, your portfolio generates cash and operates like a well-oiled machine. But would this continue without you? Is your spouse or successor up to speed on how your portfolio operates? Do they know the addresses for each…
Apartment unauthorized occupants are a challenge to landlords. How can landlords prevent apartment unauthorized occupants? What defines living in a unit versus being a short-term social guest?
Laundry Leases When you purchase a building, you are subject to all existing leases. Laundry leases entered into by the previous owner now become your lease upon purchase. Typically, leases like this should have been disclosed during the escrow process. Many laundry leases have very long terms and grant the laundry company additional option periods…