Among the most notable elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is a new deduction for pass-through businesses. A pass-through business, (about 95% of U.S. businesses are pass-throughs), is one that does not pay corporate income tax. Starting in 2018 and continuing through 2025, qualifying pass-through business owners can deduct from their income…
Over the past few years, one of the problems that seem to have taken on increased importance for property managers is mold. When a property is suspected to have a mold problem, this becomes a potential health issue for the tenants, but it also becomes a potential liability issue for the property owners or managers.…
In what must have been one of the low points of her day, a young woman recently knocked on my door to tell me that she was from the San Francisco Tenants Union and wanted to invite me to a “Town Hall” to listen to Dean Preston, a supervisorial candidate talk to tenants about how…
Question One: We attended your seminar on Tenant Screening at the L.A. Convention Center as we are members of the AOA. Thank you very much for your seminar which gave us highly useful tips to screen probable tenants. I will be glad to use your services for us and for my friends because of your…
Apartment Owners, Business Owners and Community Leaders Are Fighting Back to Protect Your Rights and Your Wallets! In 2014 the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor, working with Labor Based Organizations passed an Ordinance impacting all commercial business, including apartment owners, in Los Angeles. While the city picks up trash from residential and some smaller…
As I advised AOA members in this column five years ago, the biggest pitfall in any arbitration or litigation, including unlawful detainers, brought or defended by a family living trust is the failure of the pleadings to properly identify the trustees of the trust as parties to the proceeding.
It is upsetting when we get tenant complaints as a landlord. It is hard work renting apartments or homes to tenants and it takes people skills and management skills. Many times our goal as a landlord is to simply avoid tenant complaints. But there are principles, if properly used, that can reduce or eliminate tenant complaints. Do…
Having a written criteria list for your rental applicants is pertinent in your rental business and serves several purposes. By attaching a copy of your rental criteria to each blank application form, you are informing your applicant of a list of conditions that must be met for them to be considered as a future tenant…
Roof coatings became popular in the 1970’s and 80’s, along with the “Bee Gees”, and they have been around ever since. Coatings are applied over an existing hot tar roof in an effort to “extend” the life of the roof and to add reflective qualities to the system. This is sound thinking, however, in many…
Hello everybody. Regular AOA readers of this column know that my most passionate recommendation to owners and management companies who employ resident managers is have their managers sign a written employment agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the hiring.