Digital infrastructure and Wi-Fi at most apartment communities aren’t built to withstand the connectivity and cyber security needs necessary to support the influx of new technologies that are now the core of modern multifamily operations. By Andrew Ruhland  The multifamily industry is becoming increasingly digitized, and operators have no choice but to get on board. The resident experience depends on it. We’ve seen the emergence of tech-centric features such as centralized leasing, smart access controls, self-guided tours and the internet of things (IoT), all of which have completely mode ..read more

Conflict is inevitable, but the key turning point is when resident bullying and resident harassment turns into a the Fair Housing Act issue and cannot be tolerated. By The Fair Housing Institute It’s simply a part of managing any property; your residents aren’t always going to agree. This makes conflict inevitable, but the key turning point is when it turns into bullying and harassment. To be clear, the Fair Housing Act states that resident bullying and harassment cannot be tolerated. Are you sure that your property, as a whole, has the best practices in place when it comes to resident bullyin ..read more

The multifamily market produced encouraging rent gains in March, its strongest performance in 20 months, writes Yardi Matrix in the March Multifamily Report. “The market appears to be settling into normal seasonal patterns, as demand is holding up despite challenges posed by the economy and heavy supply growth in the Sun Belt,” the report says. Normal seasonal patterns appear to be returning The report says there should be some “level of comfort” now for many who had been worried about the multifamily sector’s performance in 2024. “It appears that normal seasonal patterns are returning after s ..read more

Have you ever had to evict a dog brings to mind the acts that landlords need to be aware of when accommodating emotional support and service animals. By Lance Anderson Insurance companies and dogs generally don’t go together well.   Dogs bite people.  It’s the easiest $40,000 someone will ever get. That’s correct, the average dog-bite settlement is $40,000.  We lose sleep over tenants’ dogs biting people and the ensuing legal papers that are sure to follow. When I was a young landlord, after serving all the legal RHA Utah | Rental Association of Utah Home not ..read more

ICAST’s affiliated organization, TBL Fund, recently received an award from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) for deploying innovative decarbonization financing solutions that go beyond current market practices. If you require a Bridge Loan or other financial assistance to cover the construction expenses of your solar and storage, beneficial electrification, or other clean energy project for your low-income multifamily housing property—TBL Fund can help. TBL(Triple Bottom Line) Fund is a 501c3 nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides funding and technical assistan ..read more

How new programs marketed to tenants by landlords must fit into Oregon’s archaic landlord-tenant act as either rent, utilities or fees. By Bradley S. Kraus Warren Allen, LLP Given the changing dynamics between landlords and tenants, I often hear of new, exciting programs presented to my clients. The moment I hear about these programs, the wheels begin to spin, analyzing what exposure, if any, these programs present for my clients. The Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs landlord-tenant relationships in the state of Oregon. Enacted in the 1970s, this body of law has failed to cat ..read more

In the current economy with its impact on rent collection, it is crucial to sidestep traditional concessions and get residents on board with technologies that align with multiple business objectives. By Andrew Ruhland Rents are stagnant, as indicated by Radix data showing that rents are down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis, nationally. Combine that with the more than 400,000 new units that came online in 2023 and another half million anticipated for 2024, and economic conditions will continue to be challenging. To combat stagnant rent as well as supply issues, many operators implement tradition ..read more

More and more Americans are renters by choice as the modern American Dream involves renting rather than the desire to own a home. By Virginia Love While the American Dream might have included various components throughout the decades, one constant was the desire to own a home. For modern dreamers, however, that isn’t necessarily the case. According to The New American Dream Report recently released by the property software management company Entrata, 41% of renters claim their American Dream has nothing to do with homeownership. In fact, 20% anticipate being lifelong renters, which represents ..read more

A Michigan landlord, Mohamad Hussein, has agreed to pay $185,000 in damages and a civil penalty to the government to resolve the Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit concerning Hussein’s sexual harassment of actual and prospective female tenants, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Hussein has owned and managed more than 15 rental properties in and around Dearborn Heights, Michigan, since 2013. The Justice Department said Hussein will pay $185,000 in damages to eight former and prospective female tenants harmed by the harassment and a civil penalty to the United States under ..read more

Dealing with tenants complaining about other tenants is a problem many landlords have and that is the question this week for Ask Landlord Hank. Remember Hank is not an attorney and he is not offering legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out the form below. Dear Landlord Hank, I have a question about two tenants. I have a home I created into an Internal Accessory Dwelling Unit for another tenant to rent the bottom. The downstairs tenants complain about the noise that the upstairs tenants constantly make, and they complain about the car parking, although the contract spe ..read more