Landlord Newsletter - June 18, 2013

Dear Fellow Landlord

Over the last 13+ years, The Landlord Protection Agency has shared many free tenant screening forms. If you haven't already tried it, please take a look at the Tenant Finder Pre-Screening Telephone Worksheet.
Eliminating a bad tenant before I even have to meet him is what I consider the cheapest eviction ever!

In this newsletter:

• Tenant-Finder™ Pre-Screening Telephone Worksheet
  
• Easy Landlord Quiz (I hope it is easy for you!)
  
• Ask the Attorney, Real Estate Attorney, John Reno
  
• Free Credit Bureau Reporting for LPA Members
  
• Wealth Secrets and Quotes for Success
  

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or would like to add or share any material / information. Have a great month and an even more successful year ahead.
John Nuzzolese
John@theLPA.com

I've been asked many times to create a form to help landlords ask the right questions on the telephone to help determine if the caller is someone you'd like to set an appointment to show your rental to. The LPA's Tenant-Finder™ Pre-Screening Telephone Worksheet has developed from a simple prospect card into a handy and more complete screening tool for telephone interviews.

Free Download! The LPA's Tenant-Finder™ Pre-Screening Telephone Worksheet Have you ever met prospective tenants at your rental property, shown it to them, had them fill out a rental application only to find that they were nowhere near qualified? A simple pre-screening telephone interview can be a major time saver. Why not focus your attention on the most qualified prospects? Before giving out the address of your rental property and committing your time to a doomed appointment with an unqualified renter, you have a chance to more carefully evaluate which prospects are worth meeting with. I feel very strongly about strict tenant screening, which begins at First Contact with the tenant. First Contact is when you speak with the potential tenant for the first time, usually when they respond to one of your rental ads. At that point, you have the opportunity to learn what you can about this person's current situation. Are they employed? Can they afford your rental? Do their moving dates correspond with your rental's availability? Is their credit rating acceptable? And so on. After completing your Tenant-Finder™ Pre-Screening Telephone Worksheet, you can use the scoring area to evaluate your new prospect. Print up a pile of them to screen your next tenant! Eliminate bad tenant risks before spending your valuable time on them. "Eliminating a bad tenant before I even have to meet him is what I consider the cheapest eviction I can have!" - John@theLPA

1. A lease can continue to be enforceable even after it expires.
   True or False
   
   
2. It is illegal for an owner to discriminate against bad credit.
   True or False
   
   
3. A tenant who assigns a lease to another remains liable for the rent.
   True or False
   
   
4. The maximum number of people in a house is 12.
   True or False
   
   
5. Failure to pay rent does not automatically constitute termination of the tenant's lease.
   True or False
   
   For answers and more test questions, click here... ***********************************************
   Ask the Attorney

   The Landlord Protection Agency® presents John Reno, Esq., a highly experienced Landlord - Tenant attorney based on Long Island, NY.

   John Reno also does Mortgage Loan Modifications (Nationwide).
   (Mention The LPA for a 10% discount!)

   Dear Mr. Reno:
   I own a home in NYS. My son lives in the home and does not pay rent. He rented out a bedroom in the basement. The tenant paid him rent for April. I believe it was in cash. Has not paid rent for May and June. I had a three day notice sent. It has not been three business days yet. Looking online I am now very concerned because I believe the basement bedroom is not legal. There is only a verbal agreement. I am very concerned about the tenant living there and am not comfortable with her living there. It seems that I will not be able to collect rent - that is not my concern at this point. Please help and tell me what I should be doing. - LPA Landlord in NY

   A: Basement apartments are illegal in most places, but it varies from Township to Township (you should check it out.) Assuming they're illegal in your area, you need to get him out of there before you get a big fine. Your son will need to cooperate. It's his subtenant. If he doesn't, kick his butt out too.

   If you have a landlord tenant problem you'd like to ask a question about, please feel free to e-mail me your question.
   Submit a landlord / tenant question for Mr. Reno
   Please try to keep your questions as short and to the point as possible.
   
   

   Read more from John Reno, Eviction Attorney

   
   
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   FREE Tenant Credit Reporting
   (LPA Membership Bonus Feature)
   

   Have you ever been beaten by a tenant on the rent? Most of us have and unfortunately, it is one of the costs of doing business as a landlord.
   On the brighter side, remedies are available for many. If you have documented your tenancy with the proper paperwork including a rental application, lease agreement, late notices, etc., you may have a chance of collecting.

   Credit bureau reporting is an option in which many modern landlords are beginning to participate.

   The LPA recommends tenant and credit reporting to our members.As landlords ourselves, we do not believe tenants should get away "Scott Free" for leaving their landlord with a mess of unpaid rent, damages and other unpaid responsibilities. The prospect of reporting delinquent rent onto the tenant's credit record creates an incentive for the tenant to preserve his good credit, or to clean it up in order to some day qualify for a loan or mortgage.

   A delinquent landlord debt is a serious mark against a consumer tenant's credit report for seven years and will likely:
   

6. limit the tenant's ability to find good rental housing in the future
7. limit their ability to qualify for a mortgage or other financing
8. require them to pay higher interest rates on any loans they acquire
9. limit employment opportunities

   Notifying the current or former tenant that you intend to report their rental debt or payment history can be done in the following ways:
   

10. The LPA's Essential Forms:
    Credit Reporting Disclosure Notice , or Credit Reporting Disclosure Notice to Former Tenant
11. The LPA's National Tenant Raiting Bureau
    
12. The LPA's other reporting options

    For The LPA's Tenant Reporting, click here
    
    
    

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    The LPA LAndlord Q&A Forum

    Now you can rate the feedback to the questions posted by yourself and others! Your rating will show readers which answers were most helpful to you.
    
    

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    Wealth Secrets and Quotes

    "Money will never make you happy if you are an unhappy person." - Robert Kiyosaki

    "Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke." - Will Rogers

    "You are not paid to work hard. In fact, you are not paid for effort at all. You are paid for results. It's not what you do; it's what you get done." - Larry Winget

    "How much did your last tenant problem cost you?" - John Nuzzolese
    
    

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    LPA Membership Expiring?
    Take Advantage of our low Renewal Prices!

    How to Check your LPA Membership Expiration Date:

    1. Be logged in with your LPA username & password
       
    2. On the "Main Menu" (top right), click on "Your Orders" (right below your name)
       
    3. The beginning date of your membership will be listed to the left of your membership order # in this format: YYYYMMDD
       
    
    
    *Your Membership Expired? No Problem!
    
    
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    If you haven't already, please take the opportunity to sign up for The LPA's Quick Check Credit Reports! Quick Check is a simple, fast way to access online credit reports while saving you money!
    
    

13. NO sign-up or set-up fees,
    
14. NO membership fees,
    
15. NO compliance fees
    
16. Just lower prices!
    
    Special Tenant Screening Discounts for LPA members. See our price list!
    
    
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