WHY WORK WITH A NARPM PROPERTY MANAGER?
NARPM® property managers have heightened expertise and industry knowledge to assist them in doing the best possible job. They are real estate professionals who know first-hand the unique challenges of managing rental property in today’s constantly changing economic and legislative environment. And they know how to manage those challenges to everyone’s benefit. They can maximize rents and income for you; and they will manage the property efficiently, professionally and economically.
Have access to numerous educational opportunities.
Adhere to the highest Standards of Professionalism and Code of Ethics.
Know the landlord/tenant laws for your city, state and federal governments.
Know rent values and vacancy factors.
Have rental applications and consistent screening policies to meet legal obligations.
Perform thorough move-in and move-out property evaluations.
Are personally familiar with reputable painters, electricians, roofers, chimney cleaners, carpenters, landscapers, furnace and appliance repairmen, and other maintenance professionals.
Can effectively negotiate with tenants, handle difficult issues and enforce the terms of the rental agreement.
Have the ability to recover NSF checks, evict tenants and collect bad debts.
Your rental property is a very valuable asset. Entrust it to someone that can help you maximize your investment and minimize your headaches!
HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M GETTING A GOOD TENANT
Tenant screening is done by a NARPM affiliate company named Landlord Solutions, out of Seattle. They do a thorough credit check, national background check, employment and residence verification for every adult who will be living in the house. Their recommendation on whether to accept or not accept an applicant is used to make our final decision.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TENANT DOESN'T PAY THE RENT?
We follow a strict procedure which includes legal notice of contract breach, personal contact with the tenant in an effort to work things out and ultimately a court hearing, judgment and eviction if necessary. We take all steps possible to resolve any rent payment issues without legal action. If it becomes clear that the tenant is unable or unwilling to pay any more rent, you will be notified to discuss options for removing them from your property.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY DISBURSEMENT CHECK?
Rents are due in our office on the first of each month. Our leases specify that if rent is not received by the fifth of the month, a late fee is assessed. To avoid violating trust accounting laws, we need to wait until rent checks clear before we can send payment to you.
WHO PAYS THE RECURRING MONTHLY BILLS?
AMORISS can make any or all recurring payments for you such as your HOA fee, lawn maintenance contract, pest control contract, etc. During a vacancy, we will pay utility bills. However, we do not make mortgage or insurance payments.
AM I INFORMED OF ALL REPAIRS YOU MAKE ON MY PROPERTY?
Our standard management agreement includes emergency service consent as well as authorization of non-emergency repairs up to $500 dollars. For non-emergency repairs estimated to exceed this threshold, no work is initiated without your approval. However, we need to keep in mind that WA State Landlord Tenant Law provides us with specific timelines on repairs being done, so time is of the essence when dealing with repairs at your property.
HOW OFTEN WILL MY HOME BE INSPECTED?
At the beginning of each new tenancy, a very thorough and concise move-in inspection, complete with dozens if not hundreds of pictures is completed which provides AMORISS and tenants with a detailed summary of the condition of your home. Throughout the tenancy our team will conduct general exterior and interior inspections. These occur 3 month after move in and this one is completed by the tenant using our software. Then again approx 6-5 months prior to lease expiration. Upon vacating, the same initial report is used to record the condition that the property was left in. Any discrepancies that do not fall under normal wear and tear are rectified at the tenants’ expense.
WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?
AMORISS is a full-service management company. We handle everything pertaining to your rental property. We assess rent amounts, advertise, meet and screen prospective tenants, place a tenant in the home, provide a monthly statement and surplus check to the owner, coordinate repairs, and send out annual tax statements and maintenance inspections. We also provide 24 hour emergency maintenance services for your home, as well as an in house maintenance company.
HOW MUCH WILL MY HOUSE RENT FOR?
This is based on many factors, namely
Location
Size
Condition
Time of year
Amenities
Availability of rentals at that time
We take all of these things into consideration when determining your rental rates.
The most important thing to know is that the rental market is indifferent to your mortgage payment amount. The rental market does not care that you might have a negative cash flow, and will punish with extended vacancy owners who overprice their rental homes. When you hire us as your property manager, we will look at the rental market in your area, survey the competing homes, and make sure your home is priced so that it will be viewed favorably against the competition.
WHAT IF I WANT YOU TO USE MY PLUMBER, A/C COMPANY, ETC.?
We already have a stable of very qualified and reasonably priced vendors that we have used for many years. If you would like to nominate a service company to be added to our vendor list, they can contact us and we will interview them and let them know what documentation and references we need, what our invoicing and payment policy is, etc. We cannot guarantee however that your favorite company will be sent on all service calls to your home. Our concern is always to resolve repair problems in the most efficient way possible with the best available vendor at the time. We can't keep track of a pre-established roster of vendors assigned to certain properties - it would be a cumbersome and inefficient property management system and would not achieve the best service to the tenant and your investment property.
WILL YOU USE MY BROTHER, NEIGHBOR, FRIEND TO DO MAINTENANCE WORK? THEY ARE REALLY GOOD.
No. That is unless your neighbor, brother or friend is licensed, bonded and insured in the State of Washington. The potential for liability is just too large for us to consider, and honestly, what would you prefer? To pay a few bucks more to get a job done by a professional, who is insured in case he inadvertently burns down the house, or to get sued by a tenant because their jewelry went missing when your brother happened to be at the house – regardless of whether he took it or not – do you want that liability?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET MY PROPERTY READY FOR RENTAL?
We have found that the better a property shows the faster we can rent it. Paint should be in good shape with any marred areas or large nail holes repaired and touched up. Carpets need to be professionally cleaned, appliances need to be in good working order, and a thorough professional deep cleaning gets the property ready to show. Septic tanks should have been pumped within the last year, and all chimneys need to have been cleaned and inspected within the last year. We have a network of people who can help you out with any of these things if you need.
HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU LEASE MY PROPERTY?
Answering this question is like trying to predict the stock market. We've seen the same home rent in several days during one vacancy and then take several weeks during the next. Many factors come into play including location, time of year, price, quality of the applicants, and just being in the right place at the right time. We hate vacant properties but have found that patience wins out over panic every time. Finding a tenant is easy but finding the right tenant is an exercise in persistence and sticking to sound principles.
WILL I EVER BE CONTACTED BY TENANTS, CITY, NEIGHBORS, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.?
No. As a full-service management firm AMORISS handles all communications concerning your property. In the event that someone tracks you down – refer them to us and we'll take it from there.
I AM CURRENTLY HAVING MY PROPERTY MANAGED BY A COMPANY WHO IS NOT MEETING MY NEEDS AND I NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE. HOWEVER, I'M NOT VERY COMFORTABLE DOING THIS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
There are many good property management firms (just as there are many bad ones) and we're not necessarily recommending that you change. However, if you have differences in personality, investment philosophy, or performance expectations with your current property manager you may want to consider a switch. If this is uncomfortable or just a hassle; AMORISS can handle the whole process for you.
DO YOU DO AS/IS APPLIANCES?
Kitchen appliances are generally listed as owner supplied, whereas washers/dryers are not. We include an addendum in their lease that states that the washers/dryers ( or any other extra appliances, like a standalone freezer for example) are non-owner supplied appliances, and that the tenant is welcome to use them, but if they should cease to function we will not be repairing or replacing them.
IS YOUR MAINTENANCE IN-HOUSE OR A VENDOR?
We have both. Streamline Property Services is a licensed handyman company owned by our Designated Broker. Streamline steps in if we are having difficulties with scheduling or other issues with our current vendors. We do have a great roster of contractors who take care of most everything, but we feel at ease knowing we have a back up if needed. We especially vend out any HVAC, major plumbing, electrical, septic or roofing work orders.
DO THE OWNERS HAVE ANY INPUT IN PICKING THE TENANTS?
Fair Housing laws are very strict and the laws in this state are very stringent on the choosing of tenants. We have to base our decisions on qualifications and in some parts, it is actually against the law to not rent to the first qualified person who applies for a house. So, no, the owners do not have any input because we must walk a very fine line with the rental laws.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVERTISING STRATEGY?
We take high quality pictures of the properties, as well as advertising videos. We find that this is priceless when it comes to marketing in a primarily military area, where people are many times moving into a property sight unseen. We post properties on our website, which then pushes the ads out to 20 other high traffic rental sites.
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