Property Management Blog

The Question of Normal Wear and Tear How do we determine what qualifies as “normal wear and tear” in a rented out living unit? This question is both parts important to address, and difficult to answer. Many property managers today agree that the ambiguity of this topic makes the challenge of settling a security deposits disput...

The role of a Seattle Property Manager, first and foremost, is to provide a landlord with peace of mind regarding their investments. This peace of mind covers all facets of property leasing and management, and it no less covers the challenges of handling difficult tenants. However, while it should be the case that the tenant only directly...

Revised and Updated by Levio PolettiIn this article, we will cover the important role that insurance policies play in maintaining the stability of your property. If you are curious about the state of your insurance, ask yourself the following questions: When did you last review your insurance policy for your rental property? Review your ...

How to Tune up Your Investment Property for the Summer Revised and updated by Levio Poletti April 2020 When entering the spring and summer months, it is always important for landlords to focus their attention on the challenges that arise from maintaining a property in a warmer climate. There are two broad ways that this can be done: thro...

In the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Seattle landlords find themselves in a situation that is foreign to what they knew only one month ago.  In this article, we will briefly cover important information that all Seattle landlords should know about in the wake of coronavirus. 1) Gov. Inslee’s and Mayor Durkan’...

Habitability - What is habitability and why is it so important? Essentially, it is anything that endangers the livability of the property and the health and welfare of the tenants. Many common issues are lack of heat, running water, major roof leaks, unsafe electrical, carpeting, stairways, or sidewalks, etc. When renting a property to...

10 years ago, the first smart-home appliances were just being unveiled. 2010 saw the release of the Nest Thermostat. 2012 saw the release of the Ring Doorbell. Since then, these technologies – and others like them – have begun to take hold and are now being installed in homes and apartments at an exponentially increasing rate....

On January 21, 2020, Washington State Representatives proposed an act to the Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary that is designed to “protect tenants from excessive rent and related fees”. The act appears to be a state-wide rent stabilization measure. Here, we will summarize all of the proposed changes, and will provide ...

Councilmember Sawant’s Emergency Moratorium on Evictions During Winter – What to KnowBy Levio Poletti December 31, 2019 Blog Post 0003/2019 On Monday, December 9, Seattle’s District 3 Councilmember Kshama Sawant proposed legislation that would restrict landlords from being able to evict tenants in the winter months. Ins...

Seattle's Fair Chance Housing Act, Two Years OnHow the FCH affects you today as a tenant or landlordBy Levio Poletti In the summer of 2017, Seattle became the first city in the nation to pass a law that prohibits landlords from using criminal records in their assessment of applications for rental housing. Dubbed as the Fair Chance Hou...