Non-Compliance Fees

Non-Compliance Fees

Recent law changes in Oregon have allowed landlords to lay even more fees onto tenants for poor behavior. There are fees for leaving pet waste, smoking, failure to clean up garbage, parking violations, late fees for utilities, for having a pet capable of doing damage, and the list goes on. This is another case of the legislature meddling in the relationship between the landlord and the tenant, and, for the most part, we at Empire do not believe in most of these fees. Other than a few standard fees such a late fees these new fees only feed the war between landlords and tenants. Our approach is simple. Screen our applicants and select only responsible tenants and then apply our 3 step process if they breach the rental agreement. In 17 years of thoughtful design in property management I believe we have the best solution.

Ed Waggoner - Lead Property Manager at Empire

Landscaping

 Landscaping

This time of year the grass, weeds, and shrub grow with vigor. We all have a tough time keeping up with our yards, so the question is often asked how Empire deal with tenants who can't or won't keep up. Well first we try to keep in the know. We rely on our regular drive by's, contractor, vendors, our owners, and neighbors to keep us in the know. Then we have a 3 step process to deal with yards that are out of shape-

1. First, we send a friendly email or phone call letting the tenant/s know we know there is a problem and that they need to take care of it.
2. Then we send a formal warning by mail of it is not dealt with quickly.
3. Last, we send a notice with cause letting the tenants know that they need to deal with the situation or quit the property. We have found over the year that the notice is rarely needed and only when the tenants just do not take us seriously. 

Of course, the best solution to the problem is to add professional landscaping. We at Empire understand that it is not always in the budget, but we see longer tenancies with tenants that are more content with their living situation. Most often we are able to recoup about half of the expense back in higher rent. Let us know if you are interested in having your rental landscaped professionally. We can recommend several companies for your situation. Recently, we have been introduced to Georgios from Better Homes and Gardens. He has been doing a great job for us. 

Ed Waggoner - Lead Manager at Empire