Walk-through

Walk-throughs. Good for the tenant.  Good for the landlord.  Walk-throughs benefit the tenant and the landlord by holding each to the same standard.  I learned this lesson the hard way – as a renter in college.  For some reason landlords think all college students are subsidized by parents with deep pockets who don’t think twice about their security deposit once the quarter or semester is over.  I wasn’t one of those students (or those parents for that matter!) and had to count every nickel, however no one ever suggested that I take pictures of what the apartment looked like before I moved into it.  Who could have anticipated that I would forfeit a sizable chunk of my security deposit to a shady college town landlord? OK, so I learned that lesson and it took only once!  Now as a landlord, I do a walk-through with the tenant before s/he takes occupancy and I record the walk-through (date stamped and with audio).  I add the address, sign and date it, have the tenant do the same and store it with my copy of the signed lease and punch list. I’ll offer the tenant a copy of the DVD, but they usually decline.  Remember, this doesn’t take the place of a pre-occupancy walk-through punch list.  No matter how well intentioned and diligent a landlord is about their properties; a new tenant can be remarkably eagle-eyed.

I repeat the process with the tenant when the lease is terminated and they’re ready for the final walk-through. (I find myself repeating the landlord mantra: “This isn’t personal, it’s business. This isn’t personal, it’s business. This isn’t personal, it’s business.”) Again, I’ll offer them a copy of the DVD.

Note: In the pre-digital world, I would use a camera, have a contact sheet printed and the tenant and I would sign off on that.  I would sleeve and store the negs and contact sheet with the lease.  Different technology, same goal.  Protect your assets.

Lights, Scurry, Action.

Lights, Scurry, Action. Ewwwwwwww. Roaches. Everywhere. YUCK! I can’t believe that people can actually live with these things. “Have you noticed any roaches? Ahhh, no I haven’t seen any…” they reply, as their kids are wheezing and scrambling for their inhalers.

German cockroaches need humans and a damp environment to survive. The adult female cockroach can live for a month without food - provided there is water available. Aside from stinking (literally), eating virtually anything, relentlessly pooping and shedding body parts in and on everything they touch, German cockroaches are a source of nasty allergens (again, the body parts and droppings) which play a distinct role in provoking respiratory attacks in children and adults.

No room at the inn? If you see three or four cockroaches in the open, you may have a huge infestation. According to the Bug Be Gone Wizard, “if you can see ‘em during daylight, it’s cause the damp, dark places are FULL!”

Now that you’ve identified the enemy, get smart about what you’re up against (http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-289/444-289.html) and how best to eradicate these vile bugs. In addition, you can educate your tenants - discouraging roach enticing, asthma-inducing behavior by including some information with the lease, posting it in the common areas, or including it in their statement. A landlord can’t manage the bug and rodent problem effectively if the tenants don’t know how to help (http://www.ehw.org/Asthma/ASTH_RoachCntlRecs.htm).