What's That Noise

Not a lot surprises us here at the ROMS BC office. We get countless questions about some incredibly bizarre situations, however they are our everyday norm. Though from time to time, we hear something so strange, we just can’t help but share it. 

In early November, June, a manager who never ceases to astound us with her sensational stories and ability to cope, called to ask for advice. This time, her story started out with a simple noise complaint. Edie and Gerald, tenants in the basement suite of the fourplex June manages, wrote a very polite complaint about the noise coming from the unit above them (Susan and her two young children occupy the suite above). Because Susan had always been a wonderful tenant, we recommended that June speak with her about the issue. When Susan got home that day, June went up to her unit and asked if she could come in. June entered the unit and before she even had the chance to say why she was there, she saw the culprit. Susan had set up a trampoline in the living room for her children to play on. June could not help but laugh; she explained the complaint to Susan, who had figured the mat under the trampoline would absorb all of the noise. June resolved the issue with Susan very easily, but this was definitely one for the book every landlord should write.

-- Hunter Boucher

Fill Your Vacancies

Vacancy rates have gone up in many communities across the province, and landlords have had to deal with this in interesting ways. The easiest way to fill your empty units - with little effort - is to have your existing tenants refer their friends and colleagues. If you have a great building in a fantastic location, your vacancy should rent itself and your tenants should want to refer people they know.

But no matter how amazing your building is, in this market a little incentive can certainly help. Some landlords have incentive referral programs where the person who makes the referral receives something small like a gift card to a nearby coffee shop. Most buildings that have this kind of program have simple rules about what qualifies as a referral; for example, the referred applicant has to actually be accepted and move into the building.

A referral incentive program is not just a great way to fill your vacancies; it is a way to make your apartment building a community that people want to live in and stay in - further reducing your vacancies. Remember to make it fun!

 -- Carly Ludwar and Hunter Boucher

Too good to be true?!

You advertised your soon-to-be-vacant suite on Craigslist. Today you got some really great news! A person e-mailed you, saying your suite is exactly what she is looking for however, as she is currently attending university in England, she can’t see the suite but wants to rent it for sure. Because you can’t meet each other first, she is prepared to pay you $100 more than you are asking, plus three months’ rent in advance. She will make her recent bursary cheque - issued by the university - payable to you, so you know her payment is valid. A small detail: the cheque is for 4000 pounds, the equivalent of about $7600, so could you please mail her a cheque for the difference.

This is one of countless variations on the same theme; it’s a scam! A potential renter doesn’t live in your city – usually the person is somewhere in Europe – is moving soon and your place is perfect! The person wants to send you a money order, cashier’s cheque, cheque from an institution or government, (etc.) which invariably is for considerably more than the generous amount the person is willing to pay you.

Of course the document will prove to be bogus, but by the time you find out, you will already have sent the “change.” The old adage applies to the rental industry as it does to every other walk of life: if it seems too good to be true, it is!

-- LandlordMentor