Introductions Your name Where you work Your job responsibilities How long you have been in the industry What you hope to get from this class Course 1:

Introductions• Your name

• Where you work

• Your job responsibilities

• How long you have been in the industry

• What you hope to get from this class

Course 1: Management of Residential Issues

Agenda• Customer Service

• Occupancy Management: From Applicant to Resident

• Technology


Chapter 1

Customer Service


Three Keys to Good Customer Service

• Communication

• Attitude

• Relationships


What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Good Customer Service?”


Listening

• Be ready to listen

• Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal language

• Use active listening skills


Communication

• Body Language 55%

• Tone of Voice 38%

• Words 7%

100%


Active Listening

• Non-verbal gestures - eye contact, nodding

• Creating checkpoints – “So what you are saying is…”

• Encouraging the speaker – okay

• Always summarize to ensure you are on the same page


Activity #1

Empathetic Listening


Attitude

Choose your attitude!


Building Relationships• Express a genuine interest in the other

person

• Be genuinely friendly

• Create physical rapport - mirroring

• Be an active listener

• Seek agreement


Activity #2

Ultimate Question


Skill Check #1

Chapter 1 – Customer Service


Chapter 2

Occupancy Management: From Applicant to Resident


Occupancy Management: From Applicant to Resident

• Who completes the application• Importance of completing• Number of applications required• Fees and security deposits• When to deposit checks• Drivers license• Screening process


Laws• Equal Credit Opportunity Act

• Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

• Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA)


Equal Credit Opportunity Act

• Makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone with respect to any aspect of the credit application on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age and gender.


Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)• Designed to protect the privacy and insure the

accuracy of consumer report information• Requires landlords who deny a lease based on

information in the applicant’s consumer report to provide the applicant with an “adverse action notice”

• 3 most significant CRAs – Equifax, Experian, TransUnion


Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA)• Reauthorizes FCRA

• Addresses consumer concerns about identity theft and inaccuracies in consumer reports

• Gives consumers the right to limit how businesses can use their non-public personal information


Screening Criteria• Credit history • Income• Rental history from previous landlords• Eviction records• Criminal background• Social security number or individual tax

identification number• Check writing history


Credit Report

• Acceptable accounts ratio

• Debt to income ratio

• Rent to income ratio

• FICO score


Criminal History ScreeningBefore any review or check is conducted,

you must:

• inform the applicant that the criminal background check will be done

• obtain an appropriate written authorization to check the applicant’s criminal history.


January 2003 HUD Memo

“It is acceptable to refuse to rent to applicants as long as your decision is based on citizenship or immigration status. It is acceptable to require documentation of citizenship or immigration status.”


Proof of Legal Residence

• US Citizen by birth – birth certificate or US passport• US Citizen by naturalization – naturalization

certificate• Immigrant – Permanent Resident Card or green

card• Non-immigrant – a passport from the native country

and/or a visa• Refugee – same papers as a non-immigrant• Asylee – an I-94 form


Community Guidelines

• Income

• Occupancy

• Vehicles

• Pets


Possible Outcomes of Screening• Approved

• Approved with conditions

• Denied


Acceptance or Denial Notification• Applicants must be advised in the same

manner• Follow exact rules on timing, format and

acknowledgement• Do not leave a voice message• Have a policy on how to handle if the

applicant cannot be located• A denial requires a letter with clear reasons


Activity #3

Applicant Screening


Applicants without SSN

• What you can do

• What you cannot do


Co-signers

• Complete a co-signer agreement

• Sign the lease


Deposits/Fees

• Application fee

• Holding deposit/Application deposit/ Administrative fee

• Security deposit

• Pet deposit


Lease• A legally enforceable contract that grants a

resident the rights and responsibilities of possession and use of an apartment for a specified period of time.


The Lease

• Basic elements

• Occupant Changes

• Community Policies


Move-In Procedures• Set an orientation walk-through

appointment with the resident• Prepare copies of lease• Provide a move-in packet• Conduct walk-through• Collect rent• Provide keys• Place a follow-up call


Maintenance Orientation Agenda• Location of circuit breaker box• Use of all major appliances• Overview of the HVAC system• Opening and closing of window and door locks• Operation of light switches and wall outlets• Light bulb policy• Operation of toilet• Operation of garage door openers• Operation of alarm system


Resident RetentionControllable reasons that can reduce turnover:

• Staff performance

• Maintenance response time

• Office responsiveness

• Maintenance work quality

• Office staff work quality


Emergency Requests• No electricity • No plumbing or water• Major water infiltration• No heat (55-60°)• No air conditioning over 86-90°• Smoke alarms or Carbon Dioxide

detectors sounding• Apartment access problems


Key Policy• Key systems• Key control• Vacant units• Model units• Move-ins

• Move-outs• Key release form• Key release log• Lost keys• Lock changes


Resident Newsletter• A publication that is put out by the

management company to provide helpful information to all residents in the community.


Types of Criminal Activity

• Resident-Resident disputes

• Domestic violence

• Drug dealing – what are the signs?


Activity #4

What Would You Do?


File and Retention Guidelines

• Active lease files• Inactive lease files• Service request files• Vendor files• Payroll files• Personnel files• Month-end reports• Financial statements

• Incident report file• Detailed unit status

report/guest cards• Data backup diskettes• Fair Housing/ADA

Modifications/ Accommodation Request file


Rent Policies and Procedures

• Due dates

• Discounts

• Late fees

• Delinquency reports


Rent Roll• Apartment number

• Move-in date

• Lease expiration date

• Rental rate

• Amount collected


Ways to Combat Rent Delinquencies• Late rent notices

• No concession

• Eviction notices

• Payment in full – post payment first to other charges then to rent


Three Keys to Ensuring Rent is Paid on Time• Be persistent – remind residents that their

payment is late.

• Be consistent – follow your written policy in same way month after month, year after year.

• Be firm – do not make exceptions


Methods of Payment• Personal checks

• Money orders

• Certified checks

• Cashier checks

• Electronic payments

• Credit card

• Cash?


Why Rent Increases? Rent increases help:• Cover rising costs• Recover losses• Add amenities• Make repairs• Upgrade the property• Increase the value of the property• Meet owner objectives


Move-Out NoticeWhen you receive a written move-out notice,

• Try to save the lease

• Explain move-out procedures

• Ensure all lessees have signed notice

• Write time and date notice received

• Rent charged until keys returned

• Obtain forwarding address

• Send a move-out letter


Move-Out Letter• Explanation of any balances• Specific cleaning requirements• Reminder that fixtures the resident permanently

attached to the wall must be left in place• Final inspection details• Request for forwarding address information• State law information regarding not providing

forwarding address.


Move-out InspectionSchedule an appointment

Complete the move-out inspection

Look for:

• Cleaning

• Carpets

• Damages

• Equipment


Deductions for Cleaning and Damage• Reasonable deductions

• Painting

• Rugs and carpets

• Fixtures


Deductions for Unpaid Rent

• Unpaid rent

• Extended stay

• Inadequate notice

• Fixed-term lease

• Evictions


Renewal Invitation Letter• At least 90 days in advance

• Written notification of a rent increase

• Follow-up call within five days


Legal Reasons to Terminate a Lease• Violation of rental agreement such as:

– Non-payment of rent– Keeping a pet in violation– Addition of unauthorized resident– Subleasing or assigning without permission– Misuse/illegal use of premises

• Providing false information on the rental application or lease.


HoldoversThree ways to deal with holdovers:

• Renew the resident under the terms of the previous lease

• File court papers for possession of the apartment

• Offer the resident a shorter term or month-to-month lease


Eviction NoticesThree types of eviction notices include:

• Pay rent or quit notice

• Cure or quit notice

• Unconditional quit notice


Skill Check #2

Chapter 2 – Occupancy Management: From Applicant to Resident


Chapter 3

Property Management Systems

Why?


Property Management Systems

• Leasing

• Occupancy

• Screening

• Rent collection

• Facilities maintenance

• Accounting

• Purchasing


Billing Management Services

• Improving the bottom line

• Improving resident service

• Built-in charge calculations


Revenue/Yield Management

• Marketing

• Competitive surveys


Make Ready and Maintenance Management• Mobile work orders/Pocket PCs

• Maintenance analysis reports

• Spanish capability


Internet Based Systems

• Community web pages

• Resident portal

• Online leasing form


Call Center• Works as an extension to your existing leasing

staff• Creates the impression for a prospect that the

call was answered directly by a leasing professional in the leasing office

• Helps capture prospective leads and converts more of those into leases

• Schedules appointments for the prospect to visit the community


Purchasing• Easily track purchase orders• Implement a purchase approval system• Automate approver notification• Set up online supplier catalogs• Control inventory• Manage budget limits• Import vendor lists from the company's accounts

payable system


Electronic Payments

• ACH- Automated Clearing House network

• Credit Card

• Check 21


Screening Applicants

• Instant credit checks

• Instant criminal checks


Skill Check #3

Chapter 3: Property Management Systems


Documents

Introductions Your name Where you work Your job responsibilities How long you have been in the industry What you hope to get from this class Course 1: