Landlord Newsletter - New Craigslist limitations

Dear Fellow Landlord,

I am thankful for my family and the opportunities we are given in our lives. May your holiday season be rich with love, good health and good cheer. I wish you a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

In this issue:

• Craigslist Kills Off Ability to Post Enhanced Ads – Real Estate Agents and Investors Affected
  
• Thankful for My Favorite Lease Clauses
  
• $15.00 in your pocket LPA Thanksgiving savings!
  
• FREE Landlord Form!
  
• Ask the Attorney, Real Estate Attorney, John Reno
  
• Thanksgiving Quotes
  

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or would like to add or share any material / information.
John Nuzzolese
John@theLPA.com

At least in certain markets, (Florida, Texas, Washington, and Others) it appears that Craigslist has discontinued it’s use of certain HTML tags within listings that allow users to customize their posts using third party web applications, like Postlets or vFlyer.

In addition, it would appear that links to outside websites may also no longer work.

In the past, these third party companies allowed you to upload all the property information directly on their web application, and a long code was generated that you simply “Copied and Pasted” into your Craigslist ad. This code includes numerous “tags” which direct Craigslist to show certain items, like logos, photos, tables, and more.

However, with the subtle change, all “enhanced ads” have been denied by Craigslist – making each and every ad look similar. Take a look at the photo below to see an example of what posts “used” to look like – and what they look like now:

Thanksgiving is a time for being grateful and giving thanks. I thank God that I have been blessed with a wonderful family, great children and good health. I am grateful I was given the strength to keep getting up when I was knocked down, to face the odds whenever they are against me, and for the faith, help and support I always seem to find when I need it.

There’s something else I am grateful for: the following clauses in the LPA Lease, which make it possible for me to be an effective landlord and property manager. Each and every one of these clauses have saved me repeatedly from the situations in which they apply. I've included links to related articles and forms I use to enforce these clauses. Take special note of the last one in the list beause it has saved countless landlords in eviction court!

1. Renters Insurance
   I'm glad this is in our lease. I remember an incident years ago when the garage roof leaked during a heavy rain storm. The tenant called threatening to sue us for the damage to his sofa, which he stored in the garage. I was doubly thankful for our clause in the LPA Lease because of a) the Renter's Insurance clause which makes the tenant obligated to have renters insurance and b) the Maintenance Clause which indicates that garages and basements are not included in the rental, but may be used at the tenant's own risk.
   
   
2. Late Fees, Added Rent & Bounced Check
   LPA Lease Clause # 3, Late Fees is one of the most active clauses that frequently need to be enforced for most landlords. Without this clause, you are not legally able to enforce collecting a late fee, so it is very important to have in your lease. I am thankful for this clause because it not only covers us for an initial late fee, but it also provides the tenant with an incentive to hurry up and pay the late fee and the rent by imposing a "Daily Late Fee" that starts one or two days after the initial late fee is due.

   The clause also provides for a "bounced check" or NFS charge, which covers the landlord for fees in the event of a dishonored rent check.

   A very important detail that is often left out of many leases is "Added Rent" or "Additional Rent". You should always classify unpaid late fees and other charges like bounced check fees as "Added Rent". That makes makes those charges legally collectible as rent. If you really wanted to, (I'm not saying you should), you can evict a tenant for unpaid late fees classified as "Added Rent" even if they've paid the rent each month.
   
   

3. Attorney Fees
   As long as your state allows it, it's very important these days to include a clause for attorney's fees in the event you have to take a tenant to court. The attorney fees are not normally recoverable if you do not have a clause like this. Before starting an eviction, I like to send an Attorney's Fee Warning Notice to give the tenant one last opportunity to pay and avoid an attorney's fee before sending the account to my eviction attorney.
   
   
4. Maintenance & Repairs
   LPA Lease clause #9 instructs the tenant on maintenance and repairs in detail. This clause has saved me many times in various ways. It includes policy concerning how presentable the property must be for the purpose of showing once notice is given to vacate. A messy or damaged property can prevent you from re-renting.

   The clause also requires the tenant to be responsible for minor repairs under a certain determined amount of money. Painting is not allowed without the owners approval. If I find the tenant is not upholding his responsibilities, I will notify him with a Lease Violation Notice.
   
   

There are many more important clauses in the LPA Lease that also make me grateful!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2013!

Carbon Monoxide Addendum

Carbon Monoxide Addendum

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:
Quick Question: My mother recently passed, I'm trying to wrap up closing her estate.Shortly before she passed, she took out a reverse mortgage on her home. Now someone who she was letting stay in her house while she was alive, is still in the house, because of the reverse mortgage and my name not being on the estate, how do I get this woman out of my mothers home? She does not pay bills and trashes my mothers house, please, any advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Amanda

A: Quick Answer: After you're appointed by the Court as executor of the estate, you serve a 30 day notice and and then evict her as a holdover.

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.

"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." - Helen Keller

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." - Erma Bombeck

"Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson

"You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out." - Jay Leno

"Don't you love when tenants call in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner? That's a good reason to keep your private phone number private!"- John Nuzzolese

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
   

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!

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