Rent Talk August 2007

Welcome to the first issue of Rent Talk. We hope that you find some value in this newsletter resource and we look forward to hearing from you with suggestions for improvements.

Landlord/ Tenant Reviews:
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? You tell us how you would react. A landlord recently rented a 2 bdrm house out to a single man and his aging dog. Within one week of rental the neighbors started calling and complaining about this new tenant and ALL the people that have showed up living in the unit. The rental agreement specifically stated only one tenant is authorized to live in the house. The Property Manager sent a violation notice to the tenant requiring immediate action in the removal of all unauthorized people as well as their added two pit bull dogs.

It took approximately 3 weeks to accommodate a removal of the tenant and take back the unit. Once the unit had been taken back, the Property Manager had the locks changed and charged the tenant for the lock change on the theory that transient people had access to the house and keys and that the locks were compromised. Furthermore, changing locks after three weeks rental is not considered as normal wear and tear expense. The Tenant has protested this action.

Landlord Tenant Law is founded on the principal of reasonableness. We would love to hear from you and your opinion. Send your responses to PPPropertiesLLC@aol.com or mail to the address located in the header of this newsletter.

Forms Reviews and Updates:
If you have thought about making your unit(s) nonsmoking then call Portland Pioneer Properties at 503-238-2650 for help in making that transition. Smoking is not a protected activity and the landlord/owner has the right to limit that activity. Before you make the switch you will need to review your rental/lease agreements. We would like to hear from both sides regarding this hot topic.

Maintenance Updates:
Preventive Maintenance is essential to all residential rental properties. How many times have we entered a unit to perform other maintenance only to find a toilet continuously running that had not been called in. Water is no longer a cheap commodity. Leaky faucets on the hot water side are an energy waster as well as a water waster. Preventative Maintenance will identify those items. Many of the small repairs can be made during the inspection, and those noted that cannot be completed right a way can be prioritized and scheduled for another time. Portland Pioneer Properties has over 21 years experience in conducting Preventative Maintenance Inspections and developing PM Programs for large and small scale landlord/owners. Your tenants will also love your attention to detail. Providing timely repairs is a major indicator in tenant satisfaction.

Community Resources:
Portland Pioneer Properties is networking with Multnomah, Washington, Clark and Clackamas Counties regarding the Ready to Rent programs. The Ready to Rent program is a tenant education class that requires participants to graduate from a multi-week, 12 hour training program. The class helps students create a realistic Housing Plan for themselves, produce a workable household budget, be a good neighbor in their rental community, understand rental agreements, and succeed in the application and screening process.

The program helps Graduates successfully secure and maintain housing, but what's in it for you as a landlord/owner? How about:

1. Providing a larger universe of renters
2. Quicker vacancy turnarounds
3. Landlord Guarantee Funds to offset risk
• Excess damages beyond normal wear and tear.
• One months payment of rent if unit not vacated in good standing

If you are interested in finding out more information about this program then call Portland Pioneer Properties today.

Miscellaneous For Sale:

1. Refrigerator for Sale. 12 Cuft. Working condition. Call 503-238-2560
2. Gold Gym Universal weight lifting station. Call 503-238-2560
3. Welding tanks and gauges etc. Best Offer. Call 503-701-6589

Portland Pioneer Properties invites you to visit our web site located at: portlandpioneerproperties.com. Portland Pioneer Properties LLC. is a full service Property Management / Property Maintenance Company. For more information on our services please call 503-701-6589.

Market Trends:
Despite the nation wide downturn in the Real Estate Markets the Portland Metro area is maintaining a delicate balance between a slower pace of home sales and still rising sale prices.

Sub-prime loans are still working their way through wall street and the Federal Government is watching closely to see what regulations need to be put into place to correct the excesses in speculation and under performing loan portfolios.

Apartment and home rental rates are on the rise for the first time since 2002. Condo conversions have reduced available rental inventory, and the out-of-state investor continues to see very good market investing conditions.

If your property portfolio has not experienced a rent review in recent years now is a good time to make that effort. If you need help call Portland Pioneer Properties and we will be happy to help in that effort.

Licensing Updates:
Landscape construction work (not maintenance) is regulated by the State of Oregon and the law requires this work to be done by licensed landscape businesses. Landscape construction work includes: the installation of lawns, trees, shrubs, and other nursery stock; plus the installation of irrigation and drainage systems for landscape plantings. The construction and installation of decks, fences, patios, arbors, walkways, driveways, landscape edging, retaining walls and water features can be done by either a licensed landscaping business (LCB) or a licensed construction contractor (CCB). Check out the LCB web site: www.lcb.state.or.us and follow the link to "verify a business license" for more information.

Yard Maintenance:
Residents, if your rental agreement/lease requires you to maintain your particular yard, please follow these simple guidelines. In order to keep the neighborhood looking good please pay attention to the following yard maintenance checklist:

• Keep your grass cut under 6 inches from the ground.
• Keep vegetation from growing up around the foundation or the siding of your unit.
• If you have flower beds as borders between your house and the lawn, be sure to keep them neat and weeded.
• Keep your yard clean and clear of pet feces.
• Keep the lawn from being cluttered with toys or debris.

If you have any one or a combination of these issues with your lawn requiring Portland Pioneer Properties to abate the conditions, you will be assessed a $35.00 fine. So be a good neighbor and take care of your yard responsibilities and let your neighbors know you care.

Forms Review:
Application Screening Guidelines. If you are going to subject your prospective tenants to a screening process you need to have a way of conveying to your future tenants what standard they will be judged against. Having an objective criteria they can look at and sign off on will help protect you and them from having any up front misunderstandings.

When is this form used?
If you charge a screening fee you need to use this form prior to handing out applications and accepting application fees. This form will allow the prospective tenants to understand the screening criteria and what it will cost them to undergo the process. The prospective tenant then has the capability of judging whether or not he/she can meet the criteria and evaluate their chances of being successful. Armed with this information they may choose not to fill out an application and seek other housing. This is called self screening and is actually a very good thing. It also allows you the owner/landlord to spend more time with qualified tenants.

RENT TALK NEWSLETTER: It is the hope of Portland Pioneer Properties that this newsletter will be beneficial to Landlords and Tenants as well. We look forward to hearing from you for topics that may be of concern to you. We continue to seek ways to serve the rental communities in Oregon. Please feel free to e-mail: PPPropertiesLLC@comcast.net.