Landlord Quick Tip

Tip #65: Get it Write
by Bill Begal
If I had to think of a few tips of best practices to help property managers and real estate owners daily I would first recommend:

landlord helpDocument, document, document.

Whether it is:

A tenant telling you when they were going to pay already late rent, write it down, send that person an email confirming the conversation.

A vendor explaining why a service is or is not needed, send a note confirming, keep a journal so that it shows that you always keep track of these things.

An employee justifying an action or decision, again, send a note confirming, document the file with a description of what occurred.

Use a camera to show how damaging an accident really was. Photograph property regularly so that you can see any trends, maintenance that may be needed, or even begin to notice seasonal issues.

Bill Begal is the founder and President of Begal Enterprises, Inc. a Fire & Water Damage Disaster Restoration Company based in Rockville, MD that services commercial and residential clients nationwide. In 2007, Begal Enterprises was awarded the coveted Restoration Industry Association (RIA, formerly ASCR) Phoenix Award for the June 2006 cleanup and remediation of the EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. For questions, contact Bill at [email protected].

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