Houston Property Management Blog

A credit report lands in your inbox. The score at the top says 648, and under it sits a page of accounts, balances and dates. You have to say yes or no, and that call is one piece of a larger tenant screening process that decides whether rent shows up on the first of the month.This post is for owners with a rental in the Houston area who ...

You have a vacant rental, a stack of applications, and a good feeling about one of them. Good feelings are how landlords end up in eviction court. What works is a repeatable process you run the same way every time, the kind we lay out in our guide to tenant screening for rental property owners.This post is for first-time landlords, out-of...

A tenant texts you at 9 p.m. The A/C is blowing warm air, or the toilet won't stop running, or there's a wet spot on the ceiling. You stare at the message and wonder whose job this actually is.If you own a rental in the Houston area, especially if you bought it as an investment and live somewhere else, this question comes up fast....

If you own a rental or two around Houston, rent day sets the tone for your whole month. Your mortgage, property taxes, insurance and HOA dues all have fixed dates. Your tenant's payment either lands before them or it doesn't. When it doesn't, you end up texting, guessing and wondering what you're legally allowed to charge....

Most landlords spend more time picking out paint colors for their rental than they spend on their lease agreement. And that's a problem.Your lease is the only document standing between you and a very expensive tenant dispute. It's the thing a judge reads. It's what determines whether you can collect that late fee, whether you ...

Finding a great tenant feels simple until you've had a bad one.Most rental property owners we talk to have a version of the same story. They needed the unit filled. The applicant seemed fine. Something got skipped, or the instinct to move fast won out over the process. Sixty days later, they're three weeks into an eviction, the re...

Understanding Fraud in Rental Applications: A Growing ConcernIn today’s rental market, fraud by applicants is an increasing issue for property managers and landlords. Among the most concerning tactics are the use of fraudulent Social Security numbers (SSNs) and fake landlord information, both of which can create significant challeng...

EPA Certification for Lead-Based Paint: What Property Managers & Landlords Need to KnowIf you manage homes built before 1978, there's a key regulation to be aware of: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires property managers in Houston and Nationwide to be certified in lead-based paint handling. Homes built before 1978 ...

ELDA Management Services.  Today’s topic of discussion deals with what happens when a tenant passes on your property.  I know it sounds a bit morbid, but the reality is, that it does happen and you need to be prepared.Property Management Houston: What Happens When a Tenant Passes In Your Property?As a landlord, have ...

It has been another great year and it is rapidly coming to an end, we wanted to wish you and everyone around you a very healthy holiday season and a happy new year.  Be healthy and be safe and hope all your wishes come true in 2019