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Renting From Your Phone

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Renting from your phoneThere are some good reasons why you should be renting from your phone. Let’s take a look at why.

The amount of activities that can be done from a smartphone is truly astonishing. For many people, their phone also serves as a bank, game system, GPS device, camera and more. The amount of things we use our phone for is staggering, and it is only growing with each passing day. One of the less commonly acknowledged aspects of our lives that smartphones are making their way into is the process of renting a house or apartment. This was formerly an aspect of our life that required extensive face-to-face interaction at every step of the process; now, however, much of the work can be done remotely. Here is a look at one of the ways we can make headway in the rental process from a smartphone.

Rental Apps

More and more people are using rental apps to find the perfect rental property for their situation. Though it is hard for some young people to remember or even imagine a time when convenient apps were not the primary means to get things done, the process of renting a house or apartment used to rely more on human interaction. People would see ads in the paper for rental properties, call the number listed, schedule a time to go look at the property and then decide if it was a good fit—if it was still available. They also relied heavily on word of mouth, asking people if they knew of any good rental property options. They might simply drive around themselves looking. While all of these traditional methods are still used, rental apps are able to streamline the rental process for many. Rental apps aggregate all of the rental options available within a given location and price range (something that would have been impossible and very work/time intensive to do before), Rental apps also usually provide pictures of the rental unit itself, which can help you focus on visiting options you know you may like and filter out other options before a trip is wasted.

What do first-time renters need to know before moving in?

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Handing keys to first-time renterThe key to a successful stay in a rental home or apartment is knowing exactly what you are getting into. That means the tenant needs to spend some time with the rental agreement, with the landlord, and with other people that have experienced renting in the past. If it is a complicated lease or a commercial lease, it is probably best to let a legal expert take a look at it. It is easy to let the excitement of getting out on your own overshadow the responsibilities of being a tenant for the first time. Here are some tips to consider.

1. Don’t skip over the details. Many first-time renters look at the monthly payment and lease terms then gloss over the rest of their lease agreement. As they say, the ‘devil is in the details’. Even though it might say lease ‘agreement’ at the top of the page, it is definitely a binding legal ‘contract’. Pay special attention to the late fee charges and security deposit disposition. Regarding the late fee, how much is it, what is the grace period, and can it grow indefinitely? What happens if you go to pay rent on the last day of the grace period and the office is closed for a holiday? For the security deposit, how quickly will you get it back when you leave? What do you have to do in order to get all of your deposit back? What are the pet policies and the policy for having a friend spend the night? Where should they park?

2. Repair and Maintenance questions often cause conflicts between tenants and landlords. When can the landlord or maintenance person walk in to your apartment to work on something? What are your responsibilities to maintain your air conditioning filters or light bulbs? How quickly does your landlord need to respond to your repair request? These are questions you need to know about.

3. What are your rights? Maybe you didn’t know that your next door neighbor is in a rock band that practices at night. As a tenant, you should have the right to ‘quiet and peaceful enjoyment’ of your rental property. Find out the procedure to enforce that right. The landlord might decide to remodel the rental next door, so take a look around and make sure that there is nothing that would disturb your peace. You also have the right to not be asked any questions that might violate the fair housing laws. These questions involve race, religion, sex, country of origin, disability and familial status. You should do an Internet search and be familiar with that before talking to your landlord.

Lastly, go into this binding agreement with your eyes wide open and ask lots of questions. If your landlord avoids answering, you should be concerned. However, if the agreement is thoroughly discussed and you are aware of everything you are signing, you can expect a good relationship with your landlord. After all, your landlord wants a happy tenant that might stay a long time, provide good references and reviews, pay the rent promptly, and take care of the property. Know exactly what you are getting into and your first-time renting experience can be a great one!

Choosing A Roommate

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Choosing a Roommate with tenant.rentalsLiving with a roommate has developed a stigma as a potentially stressful situation. But this doesn’t have to be the case. When it comes to living with a roommate and the potential problems that can arise, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best prevention of roommate issues is, of course, choosing the right roommate. As is true with many things, the more you know about a potential roommate the greater the likelihood of making an informed and successful decision. But what should someone look for in a roommate? With more information than ever before available on the topic, it can be easy to develop information overload. Here is a basic overview of some factors to consider that will help as you find a roommate.

Schedule Considerations

Although most people focus first on things related to personal compatibility, this can lead to more practical factors getting overlooked and leading to disaster. One of these practical factors, crucial to consider when picking a roommate, is each roommate’s schedule. No matter how well roommates get along personally, conflict is inevitably going to ensue if one is cooking, showering, watching television and generally living their life while the other one is trying to sleep. This can be a factor if one or both roommates are in college and keep a certain schedule related to classes and schoolwork, or if one or both roommates work a job with odd hours.

Choosing a Roommate with Similar Interests

While it may not be the first thing to consider, sharing common interests is definitely a factor that can be conducive to roommate success. A common interest—a sport the roommates can play together or a television show they can watch together—not only provides a common activity, but also provides something to talk about in your downtime and can help defuse conflicts when they do arise.

tenant.rentals Welcomes New Marketing VP

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New tenant.rentals Marketing VP - Veronica RamirezAustin, Texas— Veronica Ramirez has been named the new Marketing VP for tenant.rentals, a website dedicated to creating a better renting experience for tenants.

The focus of tenant.rentals is primarily on the needs of tenants and tenant issues. There are numerous tenant services provided by tenant.rentals, a rapidly growing market since more and more people are choosing to rent rather than purchase homes. Additionally, tenant.rentals provides services and advice for landlords that want to develop better relationships with their tenants.

“We’re thrilled Veronica is joining our team. She brings a fresh outlook along with brand management and marketing savvy to tenant.rentals,” said Wayne Gathright, President of tenant.rentals. “Veronica will play an important role in our company as we continue to expand and build our marketing strategy for tenant.rentals.”

Veronica joins the company with a goal of building, developing and managing marketing and social media outreach for tenant.rentals.  “I’m excited to be a part of tenant.rentals,” said Veronica. “There is so much opportunity for growth as we continue to evolve the Tenant.com brand. There are over 118 million tenants in the United States alone, and we intend to tap into that huge market to provide the services that are lacking.”

Since starting her career, Veronica has served in a wide range of roles that attribute to her experience as Marketing VP. She has prior experience in the software industry, having served as director of marketing and director of customer relations for a design company as well as a business analyst and test engineer for a software development company. Veronica is a graduate of Texas State University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Media & Mass Communication.  Her experience includes marketing director of Bella Neela Photography & Design as well as having a background working in the the technology industry.

Veronica also is a proud Veteran. She served in the United States Army with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. “I am proud to have served in the Army,” said Veronica. “It taught me a lot about responsibility, leadership and a “get it done” attitude, and I feel I bring those qualities with me with every position I have worked.”

Part of Veronica’s responsibilities at tenant.rentals will be advancing the company brand, web traffic and promoting events. She will also be charged with increasing website engagement with current tenants and landlords as well as attracting new clients with marketing campaigns to further the success of tenant.rentals.

About tenant.rentals

tenant.rentals has a motto ‘All Things Tenant Related’. The goal of tenant.rentals is to provide valuable services for tenants under ‘one roof’. Such services include helping tenants find a rental property, locate compatible roommates, communicate with landlords, find legal documents and legal assistance, pay rent online, get help moving into a rental, and much more. There is a wealth of information for common tenant questions, as well as a free eBook “What ALL Tenants REALLY Need to KNOW”, written by Wayne Gathright, president of tenant.rentals.
For more information, please visit www.tenant.rentals.

What You Should Know Before Subletting

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tenant.rentals subletting agreementSo, you’re living happily in your apartment with three of your friends, when you suddenly get a great job offer that requires you to move to another city . . . what’s the problem? Your lease doesn’t end for another six months and you can’t pay two rent checks each month. At this point, subletting seems like the best option for you, and maybe it is. How can you make sure the sublease process goes smoothly for you and your roommates?

Subleasing is when the current tenant rents their property out to another tenant. The new tenant is then required to pay rent and follow the terms of the lease. But the catch is that the current tenant usually still holds the overall responsibility according to the terms of the lease. A huge part of subleasing is making sure that you find a good lessee. Because the responsibility of the property still falls on you, you want someone who will take care of the property and make sure nothing goes wrong.

Subleasing can is a great option if handled properly. However, some tenants are taking advantage of a hot rental market and profiting from it, causing all sorts of problems. Airbnb offers a service that allows site visitors to rent extra rooms or even empty couches. This is becoming a big issue in large cities, since it usually violates the lease agreement and the people paying for the short term rental are not properly vetted. Unless the lease permits subletting, this action could allow the landlord to evict the original tenant. It may even violate city ordinances or local law.

If you are on good terms with your landlord, and need to sublet, you should ask for a sublet agreement. You may need to pay the landlord a fee to draft and execute the document. The agreement might have the following terms:

  1. A defined starting and ending date
  2. A statement that “Any and all subtenants shall be required to conform to all obligations and covenants of the Tenant as set forth in the above-described lease, all provisions of said lease remaining in full force and effect for the entire term of the sublease.”
  3. A requirement that the subletting person sign a separate lease agreement.
  4. A statement that the original tenant is not released from any responsibility as set forth in the original lease.

As a tenant with a valid lease in force, even if you sublease, you must always remember that you are responsible for the actions of the person you sublease to. So you must be careful in choosing whom you rent to, and maintain contact to be sure things are going smoothly. If you think that your move will be permanent, it might be a better idea to help the landlord find a suitable replacement, and have the landlord release you from the lease completely. That might enable you to get your security deposit back, and absolve you from any further responsibility.

Where can Austin tenants find help?

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QuestionIf you live in Austin Texas, you know there are lots and lots of rental properties. Sure, it’s easy for Austin tenants to find a good apartment or rental home near their job or school. But what happens when there is a problem?

Too often tenants are so excited to get moved in and get on with their lives in their new location, they neglect to take the time to explore some of the things that could come back to bite them later. One of the major items is the lease they sign. Most apartment leases are standardized, but many are not. Even at that, the tenant may face additional rules and regulations that are officially tagged on to the lease. Guess what? Those add-ons are legally binding. Often the leases are 10 or more pages of tiny legal blab. Why read it? Ask the tenants that are involved in legal hassles in Austin right now.

Besides the lease, there are SO many things that can go wrong. Your rental could be burglarized, damaged by your neighbors trash can fire, the building could be sold or foreclosed on, your roommate might bail on you, a rock band might be rehearsing on the other side of your bed, the water pipes could bust, well, you get the picture.

Where can tenants get help in Austin? We’ve provided some resources for you below. Keep this list handy, chances are you will need it someday!

tenant.rentals

First, our own website https://www.tenant.rentals is a GREAT resource for tenants on many levels. You can find a great place to live in your zip code, hook up with a roommate, find a moving company, learn about the potential problems in your lease, deal with your landlord, get legal advice, and find a WEALTH of information that will help you as a tenant.

Here are some more valuable resources in Austin TX:

Austin Tenant Council

You may contact the Austin Tenants’ Council, 1640B East 2nd Street, Suite 150 Austin, TX 78702, (512) 474-1961, www.housing-rights.org

Texas Tenant Advisor

http://texastenant.org/
This website is intended to provide residential tenants of Texas with general information.  We do not have sufficient resources to help tenants individually.  Because the law constantly changes and your situation is unique, we do not warrant or guarantee that the information on this website is current or applicable to your situation. 

The Attorney General of Texas

https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/tenant-rights

The relationship between Texas landlords and their tenants is governed by several statutes, particularly Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code, and by various court rulings. However, the most important source of information about your relationship with your landlord is your rental agreement, whether it is written or oral.

TexasLawHelp.org

http://texaslawhelp.org/issues/housing/landlord-tenant-1

Helping low-income individuals solve civil legal issues.

FindLaw

http://realestate.findlaw.com/landlord-tenant-law/tenant-rights.html

Welcome to the Tenant Rights section of FindLaw’s Real Estate Center, providing information and resources to help tenants (also referred to as “renters”) know their rights when entering into a rental agreement. Whether you are looking to rent an apartment or house, need help understanding the landlord-tenant laws in your state, or are involved in a landlord-tenant dispute – this section will get you up to speed. The following articles will help you understand your rights as a tenant, how lease and rental agreements work, payment of rent and security deposits, tenant safety, landlord liability, the eviction process, and more. This section also provides links to state landlord-tenant laws, with tips on hiring a real estate lawyer.

To speak with a qualified attorney about a tenant-landlord issue, you can go to the site: https://www.tenant.rentals/tenant-legal-questions/

Sometimes, tenants just need to find some forms to create an agreement. We’ve provided those forms at https://www.tenant.rentals/legal-forms-for-tenants/. There are forms such as a co-habitation or roommate agreement, sublease agreement, affidavits, lease assignment agreement and more.

tenant.rentals is dedicated to you, the tenant. We love tenants, and hope that your stay is worry free and fun!

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tenant.rentals CEO interviewed for Realtor.com magazine

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tenant.rentals Article - Tenant CleaningWayne Gathright, president of tenant.rentals was recently interviewed for a Realtor.com News and Advice article.  The subject of the article was ‘Want Your Security Deposit Back? You’d Better Do These Things‘, penned by author Angela Colley.

The article was written to help tenants recover their security deposit by providing tips and advice on often overlooked or forgotten things. Many times a tenant can overlook a small item that results in a big bite out of their security deposit. If there is a dispute about the deposit, the tenant often gets the ‘short end of the stick’ because they may not have the funds on inclination to pursue legal action in order to get their security deposit back.

Gathright said “To really make sure you get what’s owed, you’ll have to get what most tenants miss. Sweep behind appliances, scrub drip pans and stove elements, mop behind the toilet, and wipe inside drawers” among many other helpful tips. The complete article can be found at http://www.realtor.com/advice/rent/want-your-security-deposit-back-you-need-to-do-these-things/

tenant.rentals is becoming the leader in advice and help for tenants around the world. We welcome author contributions that are helpful to tenants, such as do-it-yourself repairs, lease advice, suggestions on how to find a good roommate, or anything that will contribute to better communication between tenants and landlords. Our goal is to help make the tenant knowledgeable about their responsibilities and rights during their stay in a rental property.

 

 

 

 

Finding Your Perfect Realtor

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Realtors aren’t just around to sell you a house! If you’re looking into renting a home, a realtor can be a lot of help in finding you the perfect place. But just like with any important matter, it’s best to do your research before picking the person who’s going to help you find home.

If you have multiple realtors in mind, get a bit of info on them that you can compare to find your best option. Talk to the realtors and ask them about the recent clients they’ve worked with and their contact information. Reach out to the clients and see what kind of feedback they can provide you about the realtor and how their experience was. Clients are going to give you real information, so they’re a really good resource for intel. Another way to make sure that your possible realtor is totally legit is to check out their licenses. Your state has a board in charge of licensing and regulating those who want to work in real estate; contact the board and confirm the realtors’ licenses and check to make sure that their haven’t been any incidents pertaining to them.

Social media and the internet in general also provide you with all kinds of info that can help you decide if a realtor is right for you. LinkedIn is a good social media site to check because it shows you a persons professional backgrounreal estated. You can see what contacts the realtors have, what jobs they’ve had, and even how long they’ve been in the real estate industry. Even a simple Google search can lead you to lots of information. Check out and see if there’s any local news about the realtors you’re looking at and see what you find; you may find out that they’ve won tons of awards, or may also find out that they’ve dealt with fraud. Real estate forums are also good because aside from seeing what previous clients have said, you can also see what other realtors have to say. Granted, these may be biased, but they come from a more professional point of view so they’ll have validity.

 

Don’t Ignore the Checklist! – #MovingMonday

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The same way that moving in to a new place is a whole process, moving out takes a bit of work, too. Chances are, once you tell your landlord that you’re planning on moving out they’ll start putting together a checklist for you to make your moving process easier. The checklist will have things that you’re required to take care of before moving out, as outlined in your original lease, as well as any other dates and requirements that your landlord may have. Having a checklist makes the process of moving way easier for both of you, because you’ll know who is responsible for what and there won’t be any issues in determining what does and doesn’t need to be done.

You’re probably thinking checklist “a checklist? What do I need that for?”….Seeing as you probably don’t remember what you agreed to when you first signed your lease, this checklist is probably going to become your best friend while you’re prepping your home to move out. Aside from being a really good way for you to make sure you take care of everything you’re liable, this checklist will also help you out with getting as much of your security deposit back as possible. The checklist will also tell you how many days prior to leaving you need to have your landlord inspect your property, so you can use this to plan what you need to fix up and when you need to do it by. You can tackle a different thing each day, this way you won’t have a ton of repairs to do the day before you move out.  Things like repainting walls, or cleaning carpets, may take a bit more time and will also be easier once you’ve moved all of your belongings out, so plan around taking care of those as soon as each room is packed up.

Homes of the Future

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It’s pretty obvious how much the internet and real estate have changed up the real estate industry and made it extremely easy to find the perfect home. Long gone are the days of having to look in the local flyer or drive around to find a rental; we now have the internet at our fingertips. Aside from changing up our access to the housing market, technology has also changed up homes in general. Little by little rental homes are being re-modeled and upgraded to fit the needs of the future, is yours one of them?

Technology has wiggled its’ way into most parts of modern life, so it’s no surprise that landlords and property managers are making it a point to upgrade their properties. So, what kinds of upgrades should you expect to be seeing next time you’re looking for a new place? For starters, ‘smart appliances’ (basically automatic or motion sensing appliances) are becoming way more common. These appliances are especially popular because they help conserve energy (i.e. automatic sinks that won’t stay on unless they sense motion). Not only do these kinds of appliances come off as more cool, but they also have a purpose beyond that. Wireless and bluetooth amenities in homes are also becoming really popular, too. Interestingly enough, a lot of new apartments are putting things like bluetooth speakers all around (even in showers!!) as a selling point.

Digital is also going to be a big trend as far as appliances you may soon find in your rental home. Seeing as we’re always on our smartphones, a lot of companies are making it a point to make appliances that can be controlled via our phones. LG has already designed a washer and dryer that can be tracked from your phone, making laundry day soooo much easier. Aside from smartphone linked appliances, things like refrigerators are also being ‘digitized’ in order to make your life simpler. LG has also designed a refrigerator that allows you to scan things as you put them in so that you can keep track of things you’re out of.

Next time you’re looking for a new place, keep your eyes open for any futuristic amenities!

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