American Apartment Owners Association's (aaoa) Blog

Around my home town I noticed that a local property management company has started posting signs on the front of the buildings they manage with their company name and phone number.  They manage a lot of student rentals, and there has been some of controversy lately over student parties, so I thin...

It may come as a surprise to a landlord when they discover that their deadbeat tenant lawyered-up to fight the eviction.  Eviction lawyers don’t just work for landlords; some work for tenants, too.  When they do, they can make the eviction process a long and expensive journey.What does an evictio...

Washington state legislators last week passed a law that requires more of landlords in that state. Beginning June 7, landlords who wish to run tenant screening reports must first disclose to the applicant what information they will be seeking, which service they use, and what reasons they have fo...

The demand for tenant debt collection is growing, and landlords need to stay one step ahead, especially when they are shopping for an investment property that is subject to a tenant lease. The problem stems from what’s in the typical tenant file.  With typical due diligence, the owner provides on...

Every landlord wants to find a responsible tenant — someone who will keep the property clean and well-maintained. But it takes a series of responsible tenants to keep a rental property profitable. Tenants can’t do it alone — even the best ones need a little guidance to pull it off. Adopt these po...

Washington, DC – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and HUD, has announced a Request For Information–a formal request for input on new options for moving the inventory of single-family REO properties held by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac ...

Landlords in one Wisconsin town are hoping to get a reprieve from a rule that makes them liable if their tenants don’t pay for water. Under current law, landlords can be served “pink slips”–add-ons to their property tax bill, every time a tenant walks away from the water bill.  On the other hand,...

North Carolina State Senator Neal Hunt has introduced a bill that would severely limit a city's ability to charge registration fees, or require routine inspections on rental properties.  The law would also eliminate the double standard of requiring only rental property owners to undergo inspectio...

Every year, several million single women in America move into an apartment. They don't know who lived in the apartment before them, they don't know their landlords, and they don't bother to change the locks. This is the story of one such woman...That's the promo for the newest landlord tenant hor...

An Albany, New York landlord has filed a suit against the local zoning board after some of his properties were declared nuisances and he was told he must take many of his units off the rental market in an up-and-coming neighborhood.   The landlord is claiming that the actions are motivated by dis...