The phrase “out with the old and in with the new” sounds great at first, but new often equates to expensive. On the other hand, doing nothing doesn’t help, and ongoing maintenance only works for so long. If you qualify, a full roof replacement can often be avoided with a roof restoration coating. If your roof…
In a legislative battle a decade in the making, lawmakers just exempted infill urban development from the California Environmental Quality Act. That’s a big deal. Urban “infill” housing developments — housing built in and around existing development — are no longer subject to CEQA. A decade-spanning political battle between housing developers and defenders of California’s…
Remember those eviction moratoriums that forced landlords to provide free housing to tenants because of a global pandemic, whether the tenant had the means to pay rent or not? We do. Looking back in the rearview mirror, there were multiple reports of tenants who were gainfully employed but asserted a COVID-related hardship, allowing them to…
Background checks are the most important tool in a landlord’s screening process, according to a survey of 700 landlords by the real estate investment-strategy company BiggerPockets. The survey showed that landlords use multiple sources in tenant screening. At the top of the list, 88% of respondents said they run a certified tenant-screening report, while 78%…
Below are questions asked by rental property owners regarding California rent control laws, followed by answers provided by Attorney Richard Beckman. Question 1: Regarding the available AOA forms for AB1482. San Francisco Rent Board has its own set of Rent Increase Guidelines, etc. Would the ‘Property is EXEMPT from State Wide Rent Control’ be the…
Introducing new staff to the realities of property management goes beyond reviewing lease terms and daily operations. It includes preparing them to handle complex resident situations that require sound judgment, legal understanding, and compassion. One of these situations is hoarding—a condition that presents both health and safety risks and the need for careful compliance with…
In today’s ever-changing real estate market, relying on outdated information can cost you dearly — in some cases, six or even seven figures. One of the most effective tools apartment owners can use to make confident, informed decisions is the Broker’s Opinion of Value (BOV). Whether or not you’re considering a sale right now, keeping…
Below are questions asked by rental property owners regarding California rent control laws, followed by answers provided by eviction attorney Dennis Block. Question One: I understand that there was a new case decided in California which requires changes to a Three Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit. Can you go over these changes? Also,…
While California policymakers express concern about housing shortages, their own tax policies are locking up real estate inventory. Housing providers in Southern California face an increasingly challenging landscape, marked by tenant-favored regulations that penalize property investors at every turn. From Los Angeles’ strict rent control measures to statewide tenant protection laws—and new local taxes like…
Tax exemptions are the good deductions you get for yourself, your spouse and your kids. Actually you can claim tax exemptions for basically any relative that you support. You can claim the tax exemptions for them even if they don’t live with you. Most tax deductions are loosely termed “tax exemptions.” However, tax exemptions are…