When you move into a new apartment community, you may find yourself sharing laundry facilities with your neighbors for the first time. Shared laundry rooms are a common approach to offering on-site laundry facilities without installing appliances in each individual unit. Some machines are coin-operated, while others connect back to card readers. No matter the set up, there are a few unspoken rules of etiquette you should know about.
One of the biggest frustrations of sharing a laundry room with your community is the potential for mess. Spills and garbage are likely to build up if folks aren't cleaning up after themselves. Rather than leaving a mess for someone else to pick up, be proactive about leaving the space as nice (or nicer!) as you found it. Timing is also worth considering. You want to make the most of your time while minimizing the minutes your clothes are left sitting unattended. If you've ever used shared laundry facilities or washed a load at a laundromat, you know how frustrating it can be to find every machine loaded up with clothes. Rather than taking your time, aim to be as efficient as possible when doing a load of laundry. Should you discover someone has left their clothes unattended for more than a half-hour or so, you might find yourself wondering: is it ok to move their belongings out of the machine? The answer varies based on the situation! Generally, though, it's bad form to touch other people's things. If you know who the clothes belong to, try giving your neighbor a friendly knock at their door to remind them about their laundry. -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
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Winter is here, and that means plummeting temperatures, inside and out. It's no doubt that heat makes living through the chilliest months of the year easier to bear. While most people think of heating and air conditioning as modern conveniences, not every property will have an ideal setup. In some rentals, air conditioning and heating may not be available at all.
Heat is Required In Calfiornia, a functioning heating system is required for a rental property to be considered legally habitable. The landlord is also required to maintain and repair heating systems. Of course, there are exceptions. If Fido gets to gnawing on a radiator, you could be responsible for the damage and repair work. Optional Air Conditioning While heating is required for habitable living in California, air conditioning is legally not. If an air conditioner is included on move-in day, though, you can expect to continue using it as part of your lease. Ask for clarification about air conditioning options when touring any prospective rental. -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management It's never fun to think about the worst case scenario. Imagining your new apartment flooded or on fire can be frightening and anxiety-inducing. The reality is, though, that fires and floods happen all the time. That's where renter's insurance comes into play. While you can predict potential disasters, you can prepare for the worst and ensure you're ready for anything.
Renter's insurance is designed to protect the property of each individual renter. While your landlord will have insurance for the unit itself, your person possessions won't fall under their coverage. That means if a pipe bursts or an earthquake strikes and your belongings are damaged or destroyed, you'll be the one to foot the bill for replacements - unless you have renter's insurance, that is. It's not enough to simply shell out some cash each month for coverage, either. Should you ever need to file a renter's insurance claim, you'll want to have access to all the serial numbers and barcodes associated with each item in need of replacing. For instance, if your laptop is ruined after a pipe bursts and you don't have details on the make and model, you could see your claim denied. Take a proactive approach to renter's insurance by carefully documenting your most prized possessions. Take a video on your phone of each valuable you own, making sure to capture important details like the serial number. Then archive the footage in the cloud. In case an emergency occurs, you'll have all you details in one convenient spot for easy reference. -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management After a long search for the perfect place, you may be eager to move into your new apartment as soon as possible. While it would be nice to get the keys right away, most landlords have leasing procedures that must be completed first. One of the most important steps is the background check.
Background checks help landlords get to know applicants a little better. Rental properties are serious investments, after all, so landlords are eager to find responsible tenants. While the process might seem intimidating, it's easier and less invasive than you might expect. When you apply for a new place to rent, you'll be asked to fill out an application. The information you provide will be used to run a background check. Thankfully, the entire application process usually takes less than a week - sometimes it's as fast as 48 hours. Once the background check comes in, your new landlord will have access to your rental history, your employment history, any criminal history, as well as your credit history. All of these details paint a picture of who you are and how likely you are to pay rent on time. You may be surprised to learn you're responsible for paying for your background check. Typically, this cost is included in the application fee for the rental. In California, those fees are capped at $50 per application. Be sure to factor this cost into your apartment hunting budget so you won't be caught off guard! -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management Believe it or not, 10 percent of Americans move each year. In the midst of packing boxes and loading moving trucks, it's easy for little details to get lost in the shuffle. Many people forget about the need to update the USPS on their address change until weeks after they've arrived at their new home. Thankfully, it's an easy process.
Change Your Address Online If you've got an email address, a credit card, and $1.05, you have everything you need to change your address online. Simply select who is moving, fill out the appropriate form, and select a date you'll want mail to begin being forwarded. The payment helps protect against fraud and to verify your identity. Notifying the DMV If you drive, you'll also want to update the DMV about your address change. In California, you can inform the DMV of your move online, by mail, or in person. It takes about five to 10 business days to process, but once complete, you'll have your change of address officially on record. While this process is simple, many people forget to do so until after they've moved. Save yourself a headache and take action to update the USPS and DMV before you officially move! -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management 2020 has been the year of working remotely. While some managers have been on board with working from home for years, COVID-19 has forced many employers to accept the new normal. If you're living in a small space or sharing your home with family or roommates, though, working from home isn't exactly a dream. While sweatpants and sleeping in a bit later than usual is indeed nice, remote work has its challenges, too. Follow these tips for a stress free work from home experience, even from the smallest of spaces!
Claim Your Space As you search for the perfect spot to work around your home, remember that size doesn't matter. You'll instead want to focus on noise levels, comfort levels, and technological capabilites. Stake your claim to your preferred space and set up shop. This should be a space you feel comfortable returning to day after day. Get Creative Don't have a desk to work from? Don't worry! That old coffee table is the perfect spot to store your laptop. Your kitchen table is a great place to Zoom from. Even old bar carts and end tables can help transform your little nook into something workable. Minimize Distractions It can be hard to get into the work mindset with your family, roommates and pets so close at hand. If you're having trouble focusing while working from home, invest in some quality noise-canceling headphones. Remove distractions whenever possible, too - your mind will appreciate a clutter-free workspace! -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Managemen Rental scams abound online. As you begin to search for the perfect new place to live, scammers lie in wait, hoping to take advantage of your enthusiasm for the next chapter of your life. Typically, they aim to steal your money. They'll try to convince you to send them a check for a security deposit without ever seeing the apartment. Then they'll keep the money without ever intending to rent an apartment to you.
If you're on the hunt for a new apartment, watch out for these common signs of rental scams: They Don't Want to Meet Up If someone says they're out of town and can't meet you to show you the vacancy, head for the hills. Some scammers will even lie and say they're in the military to avoid meeting up. A good landlord will always be willing to meet in person. Renting is a big decision that requires trusting someone to follow the policies outlined in the lease. They should be just as eager to meet you as you are to meet them. They Want You to Move In Sight Unseen Perhaps you are able to meet up with your potential new landlord in person. Even if that's the case, you should never sign a lease or pay a deposit until you've seen the place for yourself. It's easy for someone to say they have a unit free and fake a listing online. You'll want to see it in person for yourself to ensure it's actually available. Most scammers don't actually have access to the apartments they list online, so an in-person tour is a great way to determine what's real and what's just a scam. The Price is Too Low You know the saying: if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. This phrase certainly applies to rental scams. While good deals on rentals are out there, a property priced well below the going market rate should be viewed with skepticism. Do some research and compare prices of rentals you're interested in. Cheap prices could be a serious red flag. -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management Smoking is set to be banned in all San Francisco apartments with one major exception: cannabis. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted this week to ban the smoking of tobacco in apartments but made an exception for cannabis. The ordinance is designed to protect residents from second-hand smoke and bans smoking inside buildings with more than three units. Medical and "adult-use" cannabis is still allowed.
The original proposal sought to ban residents from smoking cannabis inside their rental apartments. Cannabis activists spoke up, arguing that the new law would take away the one place where it's legal to consume cannabis products. It's illegal to smoke cannabis in public spaces throughout the state. The law hasn't become finalized quite yet. It'll head to Mayor London Breed's desk for signing. If you're a San Francisco renter who vapes or smoke cigarettes, you may want to start identifying new places to light up near your apartment. Once the law becomes official, you won't be able to smoke or vape inside your rental. Cannabis smokers in San Francisco should refer to their lease for guidance on how to partake without disturbing neighbors. While it's not against the law to smoke cannabis in rental apartments, you'll want to be mindful of how your habits might impact others in the community. -- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management |
AuthorScott Safadi leverages extensive experience in the real estate industry to serve as the CEO of Cal Bay Property Management (CBPM), which he founded in Palo Alto, California. Archives
January 2020
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