Property Management News
A New York appeals court struck down a state law banning discrimination against tenants who use Section 8 vouchers, ruling that the 2019 source-of-income protections violate landlords’ Fourth Amendment rights. The five-judge panel sided with Ithaca landlord Jason Fane, who argued that accepting Section 8 tenants would require allowing housing officials to inspect his properties without a warrant. The judges acknowledged Section 8 as a critical tool for expanding affordable housing and noted that source-of-income discrimination often serves as a proxy for other forms of bias, but ultimately concluded the law was unconstitutional on its face. Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Fane in... Read more
In property management, it’s tempting to lean on zero-tolerance screening policies. They’re fast, efficient, and feel like a safe bet against discrimination claims....
Most operators are underestimating how much fraud is getting through their current screening process, even if they think they’ve “tightened things...
The natural instinct for any good property manager is to double-check everything. You have a duty to protect the property and follow the rules fairly for everyone on...
New York City renters are now legally entitled to clear, accessible information about whether stabilized apartments exist in their buildings. Last week, Local Law 86,...
By Nate Bernstein, Managing Attorney of LA Real Estate Law Group and Moriah Foreman, summer legal intern at LARELG. What Is Chun v. Del Cid and Why It Matters for Los Angeles Rent Control Renting out bedrooms in a single family home might seem like an easy way to bring in extra cash, but it can quickly turn into a complex battle royal. If your tenants each have their own lease and locked door, you could be running a rooming house—and triggering rent control laws without even knowing it. The appellate opinion in Chun v. Del Cid (2019) 34 CA5th 806,817 makes it clear that what really matters is how you use your property, not how it was originally designed. In that case, Brian Chun owned a... Read more
In property management, strong customer service is often praised as the key to successful leasing and resident retention. Leasing professionals are encouraged to be...
By Nate Bernstein, Esq., Managing Attorney of LA Real Estate Law Group If you are negotiating settlement in an unlawful detainer case in Court, outside of the courtroom,...
KEY TAKEAWAYS States are introducing new rules to limit or eliminate “junk fees” in rental housing, focusing on application charges, late fees, and hidden...
Storing IDs in a drawer before verifying the identity of visitors or renters exposes both property managers and residents to serious physical dangers and security...
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