Apartment News is the official publication of Arizona Multihousing Association. Providing news and information for apartment owners, property managers, independent landlords and other multifamily real estate professionals, Apartment News is the business journal for the Arizona rental housing industry.

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Apartment News reaches over 20,000 property management and real estate professionals in Arizona each month. Published in conjunction with Arizona Multihousing Association and The Landlord Times, Apartment News is the business journal for the multifamily and rental housing industry.

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Due to a double-digit dip on the typically volatile multifamily side, nationwide housing starts declined 8.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000 units in January, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, issuance of permits for new-home construction rose 1.8 percent to 925,000 units – the quickest pace since mid-2008.

Can a person’s behavior and values really determine if they will be a future SuperStar for your property management company? If you knew the formula for hiring SuperStars and could cut your recruiting costs in half, would you start today? This article outlines three simple but critical steps for adding structure to your hiring process and raising your level of success.

Strengthening the interview process:

Dear Maintenance Men:
I would like your thoughts on a landscape makeover I am planning. My rental property is ninety percent grass and very boring. I want to cut down on my water consumption and change the current “look” of the property. What do you recommend?
Robert

Dear Robert:

Weaving Stories Together Creates a Living Tapestry

The best practices to guide your property towards success

Everyone in the property management business knows certain times of the month are exceptionally busy. Even managers and leasing people who are experts at scheduling will occasionally get “double booked” or swamped with “drop in” visitors. Being able to handle more than one thing at a time and to do so graciously, is just part of the job description in this industry. Here is a question that came up at a leasing seminar:

The vents of dryers serve the same purpose as the chimney of a fireplace: a way for exhaust to be allowed to get out of the building.
Usually these vents are vented through the roof or out the side of your buildings. Either way, there must be a clear passage for the exhaust to get out.

Structural:
Under no circumstances should these vents be allowed to vent anywhere inside the building, such as an attic or the like. This is simply allowing the exhaust and flammable lint to be vented into an enclosed, often unattended area. This is a fire waiting to happen.

Cleaning:

One of the most often asked questions is, “How much can I charge a tenant who causes damage to the carpet in his or her apartment?”
While the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act does not directly address carpet loss, there is case law in Arizona that does. This article will offer some guidance in assessing carpet damage.

A.R.S. § Sec. 33-1341 states in part:
“The tenant shall not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair or remove any part of the premises or knowingly permit any person to do so.”

The question comes up a lot – does a property have to grant a tenant’s request for a companion animal the same way that it has to consider a request for a service dog or an assistive animal.

Raises Concerns About Reduced Government Involvement

The Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) today applauded many of the recommendations of the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission, which issued a report proposing a national housing policy that seeks to further the nation’s economic recovery and meet the housing needs of America’s most vulnerable households.

Have you been considering whether or not to build mobile websites for apartments you manage?
You can’t afford to wait any longer.

A major survey of 1,500 renters published a few months ago by Apartment Finder revealed that 40% of apartment hunters used a mobile device for their last apartment search. What really stood out was that 85% of those who did not use a mobile device this time around said they would consider using a mobile device in their next search.
This means that 91% of all apartment shoppers are likely to use mobile devices during the next apartment leasing cycle.

Default Risk Among Renters Decreased Year Over Year

By Nick Frantz,
One Call Now

don’t know a property manager who doesn’t grapple with parking issues. At best, they’re a hassle. At worst, they threaten resident safety, satisfaction and retention. They can even send you to court.
Towing may alienate a resident… but failure to act on a parking problem could alienate many residents. The best solution is a proactive approach that maximizes compliance and minimizes your need to have to make the tough decision. Here are seven tips to help ease parking woes on your property.

Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes showed continued improvement in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) latest 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. The index increased 10 points to a level of 28, the fifth consecutive quarter of year over year improvements.

Dear Maintenance Men:
I have a large brick patio with a number of flower containers on the brickwork. The gardener is not careful enough when he waters and this has resulted in some calcification of the bricks. I want to clean up the patio bricks and remove the calcium buildup with a solution that will not kill the grass surrounding the patio. Thanks for your advice.
Douglas

Dear Douglas:

What’s more to love than a cuddly bundle of joy who greets you every day after work? On the other end of the spectrum, what is worse than finding out one month after settling into the perfect apartment that your allergies don’t agree with the previous tenant’s pet?

After a seven-quarter run, expansion moderated for apartment markets according to the National Multi Housing Council’s (NMHC) January Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions. For the first time since 2010, two of the four indexes – Market Tightness (45) and Sales Volume (49) – dipped below 50, though just barely. The two financing indexes show continued improvement for the 8th consecutive quarter, as the Equity Financing (56) and Debt Financing (57) Indexes remained above the breakeven level of 50.

the news reporters keep reminding us, Congress returns to session in January and will be considering a long list of legislative priorities, including deficits, tax reform, and the reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). For those who missed the notice, VAWA died last September and is on the agenda for a proposed resurrection this spring.

What is VAWA?