Commercial Building Sewage Losses: A Guide for Property Owners and Managers

4/23/2024 (Permalink)

How to handle a sewage leak: guide for property owners and managers.

Commercial buildings are susceptible to various types of losses, and one of the most challenging and unpleasant is sewage loss. This issue can arise from various sources, including pipe leaks, sewer backups, and septic system malfunctions. For property owners and managers, handling sewage losses requires swift and effective action to minimize damage and ensure the safety and well-being of occupants. In this guide, we'll discuss how property owners and managers can deal with commercial building sewage losses, including the role of companies like SERVPRO® in maintenance and water restoration.

Understanding the Causes

Before diving into mitigation strategies, it's crucial to understand the common causes of sewage losses in commercial buildings:

1. Pipe Leaks: Aging or damaged pipes can develop leaks, leading to sewage leaks within the building.
2. Sewer Backups: Blockages or overflows in the municipal sewer lines can cause sewage to back up into the building.
3. Septic System Issues: Malfunctions in the building's septic system, such as tank overflows or drain field problems, can result in sewage backups.

Immediate Response Steps

When a sewage loss occurs, property owners and managers should take the following immediate steps:

1. Evacuation and Safety: If sewage has flooded the building or poses a health hazard, evacuate occupants to ensure their safety.
2. Shut Off Water Supply: Turn off the water supply to prevent further sewage flow or leaks.
3. Contact Professionals: Immediately contact qualified plumbing and restoration professionals, such as SERVPRO, to assess the damage and start cleanup procedures.

Cleanup and Remediation

Once professionals like SERVPRO are on-site, the cleanup and remediation process begins:

1. Assessment: Professionals will assess the extent of the sewage damage, including affected areas and potential health risks.
2. Containment: Contain the affected areas to prevent the spread of sewage and contaminants.
3. Removal: Remove sewage-contaminated materials, including flooring, drywall, and furniture, following safety protocols.
4. Cleaning and Disinfection: Thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces and materials to eliminate pathogens and odors.
5. Drying and Restoration: Dry the affected areas using specialized equipment and then proceed with restoration work, including repairs and replacements as needed.

Preventative Measures

To prevent future sewage losses, property owners and managers can take proactive measures:

1. Regular Inspections: Conduct regular inspections of plumbing systems, including pipes, drains, and septic tanks, to detect and address potential issues early.
2. Maintenance: Implement a routine maintenance schedule for plumbing systems, including cleaning drains, checking for leaks, and servicing septic systems. Property owners can also consider partnering with companies like SERVPRO for ongoing maintenance and water restoration services.
3. Educate Occupants: Educate building occupants on proper waste disposal practices and the importance of reporting any plumbing issues promptly.

Insurance and Legal Considerations

It's crucial for property owners and managers to have appropriate insurance coverage, including commercial property insurance and pollution liability insurance, to mitigate financial risks associated with sewage losses. Additionally, compliance with local health and building codes is essential to avoid legal liabilities.

Conclusion

Dealing with commercial building sewage losses requires a proactive approach, swift response, and collaboration with qualified professionals like SERVPRO. By understanding the causes, taking immediate action, implementing preventative measures, ensuring proper insurance coverage, and partnering with reputable restoration companies, property owners and managers can effectively handle sewage losses and protect their assets and occupants.

Effective Ways to Resolve HOA Complaints

2/19/2024 (Permalink)

Transform your approach to handling HOA disputes with our detailed guide.

Living in a homeowners' association (HOA) managed community offers residents many benefits but is not without challenges. From parking issues to abandoned doggy doo in shared areas and other problems, the variety of complaints covers a lot of ground. When residents express their grievances to the HOA, each complaint warrants communication, careful consideration, and effective strategies to resolve the issues. When the HOA board focuses on how to resolve HOA complaints instead of ignoring or minimizing them, the result is a better community for everyone.

Parking Issues

In some HOA communities, street parking may be in short supply, causing complaints about the limited parking spot availability. Sometimes, people park on the streets in ways that block neighboring driveways. Residents may also park their cars in guest spots instead of their driveway or garage. They might also park an extra, rarely-used vehicle on the street and not move it for extended periods. Finally, unauthorized vehicles that don't seem to belong to residents, but take up valuable street or guest parking, also trigger complaints.

HOAs must provide clear signage to state the community’s rules for parking and enforce those rules or regulations consistently for them to have an effect. Other potential solutions include adding more parking areas designated for guests or issuing parking permits to monitor and effectively manage community parking.

Noise Problems

Neighbors can disrupt the peace by generating excessive noise, from loud music late at night to using noisy equipment in their yard or garage early in the morning. Another common complaint is continual barking from dogs who spend much time in the backyard.

When considering how to resolve HOA complaints about noise, HOAs can establish specific quiet hours for the community and encourage respectful communication between neighbors to resolve issues. Consider implementing a formal process for residents to lodge noise complaints for repeat disturbances.

Problems with Pets

The barking dog is cliché, but many other complaints also come up about neighborhood dogs. Some residents like to walk their dogs off-leash, which can endanger other pets, especially smaller breeds. Some neighbors do not pick up after their pets and leave pet feces on neighbors’ lawns or in common areas for others to deal with.

To resolve these complaints, establish pet regulations and enforce them consistently. Consider installing pet waste-bag stations with trash cans in key areas so residents can use tools to clean up after their pets. In the community newsletter, offer training resources and educational articles to inform pet owners and consider a program to require pet registration.

Neglected Maintenance

Residents may become concerned and lodge complaints if they feel the community upkeep is not up to par, such as overgrown common-area landscaping that blocks walkways, burned-out lights left unrepaired, and buildings with dirty or aged exteriors.

To resolve these issues, put maintenance on a regular schedule and include routine inspections. Promptly handle issues reported by residents and ensure that the HOA can cover maintenance costs by allocating sufficient budget dollars to the community’s upkeep.

Architectural Violations

Neighbors often complain when they see a resident changing their property without proper approval. These alterations can include unauthorized plantings in the front yard or paint colors that are not on the “approved” list. It also includes any structural modifications that have not received approval. For example, a homeowner may add a deck to their house without adhering to the HOA’s defined guidelines.

To resolve these complaints, the HOA can educate residents on the appropriate architectural guidelines for the community. It can also provide homeowners with resources and steps to get approval for home modifications. Conduct regular inspections and institute penalties for any violations to enforce compliance with the guidelines.

Misuse of Community Amenities

This common complaint usually involves reports of community amenities being abused or misused. Examples include residents having parties in common areas without getting proper approval or non-residents using pool and barbecue areas or the community clubhouse without prior permission. Some communities with locked pool areas have issues with residents making key copies for non-residents and their children to use the pool.

To resolve these complaints, the HOA must monitor the amenities regularly to enforce HOA rules. To prevent misuse and keep non-residents from accessing the amenities, consider a reservation system and access controls such as keys or key cards where possible. Use an electronic lock to track which keys are used to access the areas, and assign serial numbers to keys to prevent duplication.

Neighbor Disputes

Conflicts between neighbors can trigger complaints, such as disagreements over shared areas, property boundary disputes, and noise issues. After a disaster situation, such as a fire that involves more than one home, the HOA, and homeowners may have disputes over which insurance company should cover the fire damage and safety concerns that arise during fire restoration work, such as who covers the costs, work delays and questions about the work quality.

When resolving HOA complaints, maintaining open, clear, and transparent communication is the best way to minimize disputes and misunderstandings. The HOA can offer mediation services and other resources for neighbors with difficulties resolving a dispute amicably. Communication is also key for issues such as fire restoration involving multiple homeowners and the HOA.

Taking prompt action and coordinating between homeowners, insurance providers, restoration contractors, and the HOA board can ease many concerns and ensure residents that the damaged properties will be restored to pre-fire conditions as quickly and satisfactorily as possible.

Ensuring Harmony in the Community

In many ways, the HOA acts as a peacekeeper for the community, making it vital to proactively manage and address resident complaints. With clear communication, diligence, and a focus on fair outcomes, the HOA can offer constructive solutions to resident complaints. Enforceable regulations and other strategies can minimize conflicts while upholding the community’s collective well-being. Let SERVPRO of Pasadena North be part of the solution by offering high-quality, professional fire restoration and other services to HOAs to restore property values and family routines. Contact us today for more information!

Marketing Ideas for Property Managers

2/16/2024 (Permalink)

Effective Marketing Techniques for Property Management Success

Marketing Ideas for Property Managers

When you really think about it, running a successful property management business is all about marketing. A piece of real estate is what it is – a piece of real property. The role of property management companies is to market the features of real estate to generate demand from high-quality tenants and manage the needs of each tenant and property.

Property owners need to show prospective tenants why they should choose a particular property over other options, but more importantly, why they should want to choose a particular property over others. In a sense, this type of marketing is about demand generation just as much as lead generation.

Unfortunately, property management marketing ideas can be hard to come by when you’re busy. Trying to put all of your ideas together in one plan can feel like you’re always playing catch up, especially in high-competition areas. While you’re busy trying to find innovative marketing ideas, you also have to contend with repairs, tenant concerns, rent collection, tax and insurance issues, and more.

We’re Here to Help

To help you save time and expand your marketing efforts, we’ve put together some simple property management marketing ideas you can begin to implement this week. Remember that property marketing in the real estate business is an ever-evolving journey, and no one solution will be a silver bullet; however, these marketing ideas, when implemented with consistency, can go a long way in generating leads for months or even years to come.

Rely on Your Website to Do the Work for You

If you’re serious about property management, you no doubt have a website for your company. While having a website is a great start, you won’t get the most out of it without investing in digital marketing. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial component for digital marketing and website success in the crowded property management field, and local SEO is even more important.

SEO and your website work hand in hand to bring more relevant traffic to your site. Also, SEO strategies can help your property management website rank higher in search results. This means getting your site and properties in front of local people who are already searching for places to lease.

Resources like blog posts add to your website's value and create opportunities to develop backlinks that point to your site. Search engines typically value websites with lots of high-quality backlinks, and your backlink profile can be a ranking factor when your website comes up in local search results for properties for lease.

Consider Online Ads

Another way to attract digital leads is to place web ads through search engines, social media, and industry publications. Online paid ads can be effective property management marketing ideas because they allow you to choose who sees your ads and on what platforms.

Most digital advertising platforms let you select various factors to create a target audience. Some of these factors may include age, location, income level, and hobbies or interests. By selecting the right demographic information for your target audience, you can ensure that the right people see your ads for your location and type of property.

Use Social Media

You can also use social media marketing to engage with prospective and current tenants. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to showcase your properties and present opportunities to show off your company’s personality and style.

Social media profiles are great places to list openings, discuss the benefits of communities around your properties, or update tenants on the latest news. For instance, if you’ve recently had water damage restoration completed at a multi-unit rental property, use social media to share before-and-after pics so that your tenants can see that you’re on top of things. This type of social media content can also help to strengthen the bonds between your company and its tenants.

Solicit Online Reviews

Online reviews are great property management marketing ideas as they allow your tenants to do the marketing for you. Soliciting online reviews from happy tenants and displaying these reviews on the web is a fanatic way to build social proof. People tend to trust the opinions of others when it comes to making purchasing decisions, and a glowing online review can go a long way in building trust with minimal work on your part.

You’re encouraged to be cautious, however, as negative online reviews can be quite detrimental to your plans. Unfortunately, people tend to only leave online reviews when they’ve had negative experiences, and if someone sees many negative experiences associated with your company, they’re likely to steer clear.

If you come across negative reviews, you can combat them by responding promptly but always remaining professional. Demonstrate in your response that your company is committed to making things right if something goes wrong on your end, and encourage private contact between your company and the person who left the review.

Partner With Local Businesses

If you’re looking for offline marketing ideas for your property management business, or if you’re seeking hybrid marketing ideas that combine online and offline strategies, consider partnering with local businesses. For maximum effect, try to find businesses that complement your own.

For instance, consider what your tenants may need when they start planning a move. A moving or supply company would likely fit the bill here, so see what you can do to establish relationships with moving companies or supply companies in the area.

You can then try to find ways to market your business through these partnerships. An example of this may be when you agree to provide branded promotional materials as welcome gifts to a moving supply company. That moving supply company then hands these out to people purchasing packing supplies. The potential exists for someone to see your property management company as they are packing to move and consider contacting your company to see if opportunities are available.

Measure Your Success

No matter what methods you use to market your property management company, measuring success is important. Keeping track of metrics on a regular basis allows you to see what’s working and what may need adjusting. Having access to metrics and knowing what you plan to measure and why can help your company focus its marketing strategy for more effective results.

Protect Your Investment and Keep Tenants Happy With SERVPRO of Pasadena North

At SERVPRO, our team is here to make your job easier. We provide property managers with fast response services for fire restoration, mold remediation, and more to ensure your tenants are safe and your properties stay protected. To learn more about SERVPRO restoration, call our team in Pasadena North, or use our contact form to reach us online right now.

Cybersecurity Basics for Property Managers

2/9/2024 (Permalink)

Explore essential cybersecurity strategies for property managers.

Property managers wear many hats whether they're responsible for large commercial complexes, multiunit residential properties, mixed-use facilities, or any other property. From managing occupancy rates to handling day-to-day operations or even hiring a water damage restoration company after a major incident, the eyes of tenants, employees, and stakeholders all turn to the property manager. With all of that on their collective plates, it's easy to see how cybersecurity takes a back seat for most property managers.

However, the unintended consequence of that lack of prioritization is a significant increase in the potential liability should a cyber incident occur. Cyber attackers frequently target property management companies, real estate companies, and other related industries Due to the sheer quantity of sensitive information that they possess. For that same reason, data breaches in those industries come rife with negative consequences. You could be facing civil liability, regulatory fines, restitution, and the reputational damage your company would incur from a reported breach.

What Information Should Be Secured?

Without basic training in cybersecurity for property managers, it's likely that they don't even know why they could be targeted for a cyber attack. Property management systems, in particular, provide a mouthwatering target for cybercriminals. Tenants' personal information is sometimes one-sided, with maintenance requests, operational technology, contract details, etc. Cybersecurity risks abound, and high-risk industries like real estate must become proficient in managing those risks.

Property Management Cybersecurity Basics

To that end, we've compiled some of the cybersecurity best practices you can implement to protect your sensitive information from being compromised in a data breach.

Conduct Cyber Risk Assessments

We just mentioned how prevalent cybersecurity risks can be, and you can't possibly mitigate those risks if you don't know where your exposure is. Regular cyber risk assessments should be conducted whether you use a vendor or your in-house personnel. You should evaluate what kind of data you store and utilize, how it's transmitted and backed up, who has access to the sensitive information, and what monitoring solutions are in place. Once you have identified the risks, you can then focus on narrowing the attack surface by enforcing things like multifactor authentication.

Educate All Staff

Just like training in cybersecurity for property managers is essential, all employees need to have a basic understanding of cybersecurity as well. This should include training on possible threat vectors, sensitive information that is at risk, your enterprise's cybersecurity policies, and why those policies are in place. Including the reasoning behind your policies as a part of your training regimen not only makes your staff well-informed but also increases the likelihood that they will then comply with those policies. It's also critical to realize that this training is an ongoing effort. Initial training should be provided during onboarding, but cybersecurity training should be a recurring effort that includes hands-on practical exercises and tests.

Establish Role-based Permissions

Regardless of the size of your company, you should implement system access controls using role-based permissions. This means that instead of applying individual permissions to each user as you add them, you create defined roles within your network that have preset access limits and permitted functions assigned to them. As you create new users, you assign them a role, and all of the permissions associated with that role are automatically applied.

This also reduces the risk of making a mistake when creating a new user and has the added benefit of streamlining the process during onboarding. These roles should be defined using principles of least access, meaning that personnel should only have access to the sensitive data and other information that they truly need to accomplish their assigned tasks. All users should require multifactor authentication to access company networks.

Audit Your System

This applies to both real-time monitoring and true audits. You want to make sure that network activity is within normal parameters. This means tracking and auditing access logs, purchases, and other critical databases to ensure that suspicious activity is not missed. You can leverage software solutions to help you accomplish this task, and some of the best programs out there can learn the patterns of activity across your systems and identify behavior that is outside system norms.

Purge Data and Users

Depending on your enterprise's area, you may encounter applicable data privacy laws that govern what sensitive information or personal data you can request, maintain, and use, as well as rules governing how long you can hold onto that data. Many data privacy laws also require responsible disposal of that sensitive information once it is no longer needed or must otherwise be purged. In addition to cycling out old personal data for tenants and others, you should immediately lock out employees upon their separation from employment. Even if the parting was amicable, the potential for cybersecurity risks with former user accounts still being active is far too high. That doesn't begin to consider the malicious insider threat that could be present.

Encryption

Shockingly, most companies, including real estate property management organizations, do not use encryption regularly. When you have sensitive data, effectively using encryption should be one of the first steps you should take. End-to-end encryption may seem unnecessary, but when you hold payment data for rent payments, personal data of tenants, contractors, employees, and other sensitive information, many regulatory bodies require that you use encryption. Even if they don't, failure to properly protect this information during a data breach can lead to serious consequences. Should you suffer a data breach, it's far better that the attackers find themselves to be the new owners of what appears to be gibberish rather than lists of tenant bank accounts and routing numbers.

Regarding real estate and property management, cybersecurity isn't your only concern. If you suffer a devastating leak, fire, or even storm damage, SERVPRO cleaning can get you back on track and back in your home or property. With residential and commercial experience, SERVPRO has the knowledge and equipment to make your property look like the incident never happened. We can even help manage the insurance process. Contact us today to see exactly how we can help you.

Multi-Unit Property Management Best Practices

2/6/2024 (Permalink)

Learn essential tips for multi-family property management.

Managing a multi-unit property is a big job but can also come with big rewards. According to some salary sites on the web, property managers for multi-family unit properties can earn upwards of $85,000 annually, and this is on top of the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you’re helping others to live richer, fuller lives.

Although multi-family property management best practices are very similar to those used in managing single-occupancy dwellings, some special considerations come along with managing multi-unit properties. If you’re considering moving into management for multi-family properties or are considering upgrading your current property management career to include multi-unit properties, below are some best practices to keep in mind:

Establish Clear Communication From the Outset of Tenant Relationships

The most important thing you can do as a multi-family property manager is establish and support clear communication from the outset of any lease agreement. Maintaining clear communication can help your property management company avoid legal issues and can help avoid conflicts surrounding matters like rent payments. When you support strong communication, you have the opportunity to avoid tenant relationship breakdowns and conflict.

It’s also worth noting that you’ll likely end up working with many different people over the course of your career, all of whom will have their own personalities and styles of communication. To make things run smoothly between all of these different personalities, it’s a good idea to have a written policy on tenant communication in place. This document isn’t meant to govern how tenants communicate with staff, but instead, it should lay out acceptable forms of communication for different concerns.

For example, matters regarding rent or repair disputes should be submitted in writing to establish a paper trail. Conversely, you may decide it’s best to discuss matters involving neighbor disputes in person with a witness present. No matter how you decide to lay out your communication policy, document it and present your requirements to tenants before they sign leases.

Take Care of Maintenance and Repair Requests Quickly

Addressing maintenance and repairs promptly according to the terms of a lease agreement is vital for maintaining trust with your tenants. This is especially true in cases where property damage may affect tenants' quality of life, such as after a fire. You’ll want to seek out fire damage restoration services quickly in a case like this since damage after a fire may pose a health hazard to tenants. Also, by taking care of property maintenance issues quickly, you build trust with tenants and reduce disruptions to your daily workflow.

Maintenance and safety issues may also be matters of the law. Most states have specific laws regarding tenant rights and landlord obligations. If you or your property management company do not uphold a tenant’s rights or fulfill your obligations, the issue may end up in court. Losing a legal battle can result in fines, fees, and damage to your professional reputation. When you stay on top of maintenance and repair requests, you avoid these issues and may even boost your reputation.

Have a Screening Process in Place for Tenants

A comprehensive tenant screening process is vital among other multi-family property management best practices. When you screen tenants for suitability, you reduce the chances of dealing with headaches and conflicts over issues like rent collection, and you’re less likely to experience tenant retention challenges.

Tenant screening is also good for tenants so they don’t end up renting units for which they are not financially suited. Of course, you must follow state and federal housing guidelines when screening tenants, but having measures in place to ensure a thriving community will benefit you and your tenants.

When designing a screening process, set reasonable requirements that factor in the possibility of past mistakes. No one is perfect, and people change. You need to protect the integrity of your property and look out for the safety and well-being of all tenants. Still, you don’t want your screening process to become so stringent that it alienates otherwise viable renters.

Use Tech Tools for Efficiency and Safety

The use of technology like property management software is also among the top multi-family property management best practices for real estate professionals. Successful property management is all about efficiency when dealing with multi-family dwellings. As a property owner or manager, you will likely be dealing with numerous requests from multiple tenants daily, so anything you can do to maximize productivity during your workday is good. The software allows you to keep track of all of your rental properties from one place, and many programs provide access to budgeting tools to monitor cash flow.

Security technology is also a good investment for multi-unit properties. These types of properties are often large and sprawling, meaning there’s lots of ground to cover. Installing security cameras and quality lighting in strategic areas around your entire property can serve as a deterrent to criminals, and it can also be a benefit if a matter needs to be investigated in the future.

Consider installing door access technology that lets tenants come and go by swiping an electronic keycard. This can prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to your properties. When integrated with property management software and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, these elements add an additional layer of security to protect tenants and your properties.

Contact the Experts at SERVPRO Pasadena North to Learn More

SERVPRO Arcadia is your partner for successful property management. SERVPRO restoration services are the perfect complement to multi-family property management best practices, and we’re here for you for fire damage repair, mold remediation, storm damage cleanup, and more.

Strategies for Effective HOA Vendor Selection

1/24/2024 (Permalink)

Effective HOA vendor selection made easy! Explore our expert tips on due diligence, cost-effectiveness, and maintaining strong vendor relationships.

Selecting vendors for a Homeowners Association (HOA) is a multifaceted task combining analytical decision-making and nuanced human judgment. This intricate process entails weighing various dynamic factors to ensure optimal vendor choice.

Leveraging HOA Documents for Guidance

The vendor selection process begins by consulting the HOA’s governing documents. These documents are critical as they outline the standards and regulatory compliance requirements that potential vendors must meet. Thoroughly reviewing these documents is vital to ensure all criteria are considered, and no essential aspect is overlooked.

Systematic Vendor Screening Approach

A structured screening process is essential for effective vendor evaluation. This includes developing a vendor evaluation matrix to assess licenses, certifications, qualifications, and insurance coverage. The matrix is a tool to determine if vendors align with the HOA's standards and local regulations, aiming to minimize liability risks by selecting vendors who can deliver competent and compliant services.

Advantages of Soliciting Multiple Bids

Obtaining bids from several vendors is recommended rather than choosing the first option. This tactic provides insights into the market’s competitive pricing and service quality. Issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) can help get detailed proposals, ensuring vendors understand the work scope, expectations, and other critical details.

Vendor Proposal Assessment and Meetings

Post-proposal submission, scheduling meetings with each vendor to discuss their proposals and address any queries is important. Decisions should not be based solely on price; the emphasis should be on the quality of service and the vendor’s ability to meet the HOA's specific needs.

In-Depth Reference Checks

Reference checking is a crucial phase. It involves reviewing online feedback and conversing with previous clients to assess the vendor's reliability, work quality, communication skills, and approach to resolving complaints. This comprehensive evaluation helps construct a detailed picture of each vendor's performance and dependability.

Clear Contractual Agreements

Having clear contract terms is crucial to prevent disputes. Contracts should clearly outline the work scope, timelines, payment terms, and consequences of contract breaches. Regular reviews of existing vendor contracts are also significant to ensure they remain relevant and compliant with regulatory changes.

Choosing Specialized Vendors

Certain tasks, such as stormwater management, require specialized expertise. Selecting vendors with the necessary knowledge ensures complex systems are maintained properly and compliant with regulatory standards.

Building Partnerships with Vendors

Choosing the right vendors is akin to forming partnerships with entities that share the HOA's commitment to maintaining high standards. Specialized service providers, like a mold damage company, are vital in sustaining the community's quality and safety.

Detailed Process for Vendor Selection

1. Initial Review of HOA Documents: Examine the HOA’s governing documents for guidance on standards and compliance requirements.
2. Developing a Vendor Evaluation Matrix: Create a matrix to assess critical aspects such as licenses, qualifications, and insurance coverage.
3. Soliciting Multiple Bids: Obtain several bids for a comprehensive market view. Use RFPs to get detailed and comparable proposals.
4. Meeting and Evaluating Vendors: Schedule discussions with vendors to review proposals and clarify doubts. Focus on both price and quality.
5. Conducting Thorough Reference Checks: Investigate past performance by examining online reviews and speaking with former clients.
6. Drafting Clear Contracts: Ensure contracts are explicit regarding scope, timelines, and payment processes to avoid misunderstandings.
7. Periodic Review of Contracts: Regularly update contracts with existing vendors to reflect any changes in regulations or requirements.
8. Opting for Specialized Vendors: Choose vendors with specific expertise to ensure compliance and effective management for complex tasks.
9. Partnership Approach with Vendors: Aim for a collaborative relationship with vendors who align with the HOA’s standards and values.

Final Thoughts: Ensuring Optimal HOA Vendor Selection

The selection of HOA vendors is a critical task that requires a blend of analytical and subjective decision-making. By following a structured approach that includes thorough document review, comprehensive vendor screening, soliciting multiple bids, and conducting detailed reference checks, HOAs can make informed decisions. Clear contracts and choosing specialized vendors for specific tasks further enhance the effectiveness of this process.

Ultimately, the goal is to form partnerships with vendors like SERVPRO of Pasadena North, who provide 

residential restoration services, and are committed to maintaining high community standards, thereby ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of the HOA community.

2024 Trends in Commercial Property Management

1/4/2024 (Permalink)

Stay ahead of the curve with 2024's Commercial Property Management Trends.

Commercial property managers have had their hands full over the past few years, responding to the pandemic and all the resulting changes. In 2024, as the commercial property rental landscape continues to evolve and adapt, property managers can take proactive steps to find and take advantage of the opportunities within these challenges.

The dynamics of the economy, changing tenant expectations, and continual technology innovations have combined to create a profound transformation in commercial real estate. Innovation and adaptation are the friends of commercial property managers, and the following points discuss some of the trends to look for in 2024.

Advancements in Technology and Automation

Technology for Tenants

As people shop online more and package stealers continue proliferating, many properties have added smart-locker storage for tenants to receive their packages safely. This trend is expected to grow, and tenants will look for additional technology integration, such as SMS notifications and other tech-related options that enhance their convenience.

Keyless entry is another growing trend that tenants appreciate. More commercial properties offer digital amenities like free WiFi and 5G integration, and this trend is expected to continue. For areas where theft is an issue, video doorbells and security cameras can set your property apart. Landlords and property managers can also use security cameras to manage and monitor the property around the clock remotely.

Operational Software

Operating commercial properties involves many moving parts, and commercial property management trends in 2024 will continue to emphasize automating, streamlining, and improving workflows with SaaS and cloud-based software platforms. Cloud-based property management software connects operational teams online, increases effective communication, and offers tenant portals for more efficient repair requests and other tenant needs.

Managing properties using virtual tools such as Zoom interviews or property tours is becoming a norm, and integrating AI and IoT will continue to grow. IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to tools that typically use WiFi or Bluetooth to automate activities. Property managers are implementing IoT tools such as automated or smart lighting, smart laundry, smart locks, automated lawn care, and smart temperature control.

AI will enhance property management by refining processes such as more personalized tenant experiences where AI anticipates tenant needs and preferences. Property management software may also use AI to improve virtual property tours to help tenants more effectively imagine themselves in the unit. AI tools may offer insights that drive coordinated smart building systems, such as assisting in adapting their operation to environmental conditions based on the property’s occupancy patterns. These adjustments can save on energy consumption and other resources while reducing costs.

Continued Evolution of Tenant Preferences and Market Dynamics

More Multifamily Units

The rents for multifamily units often cost less than those for single-family dwellings, driving increased demand for additional multifamily units. Renters are also migrating to states with lower taxes, and while they want the lower rents of a multifamily unit, they also want more spacious homes with additional amenities. Tenants for all types of rental properties also demand more services and amenities in exchange for the rising cost of rent, including high-speed internet, in-unit washers/dryers, and HVAC.

More Property Management Services

Demand for more professional property management services should continue to increase in 2024. Tenants expect and desire the expertise of knowledgeable management, especially when dealing with property repairs, disputes, and other issues in multi-unit settings. Tenants also demand the technological tools often provided by professional property management, such as online portals for repairs, questions and issues, and the ability to pay their rent online.

Commercial property management trends in 2024 also emphasize using tools like improved and streamlined tenant screening processes and advertising available units on multiple platforms, including social media.

Updating Business Strategies and Addressing Economic Factors

Managing Costs to Improve Profit

In 2024, commercial property managers will benefit from prioritizing profitability while keeping costs under more strict control. Acquiring new properties can increase revenue and profits through operational synergies. In contrast, new services like outsourcing to high-quality vendors such as a reliable restoration company can save on labor costs and keep properties in tip-top shape to command improved rents. Adopting technology such as specialized property management software can also reduce labor costs by automating some of the back-office administrative work of property management.

Considering Economic Factors

During rising inflation, property managers must constantly monitor and reduce costs wherever possible. Additionally, the new year is a great time to focus on scaling up the business by implementing growth-hacking strategies and considering refinancing options to take advantage of potential federal interest rate cuts.

For 2024, although there is no guarantee, sources predict the Fed will continue to reduce mortgage interest rates. Savvy property managers and owners will poise themselves to refinance more expensive loans and leverage the increased value and higher equity in existing properties to make additional investments. Lower interest rates often stimulate economic activity, which may create opportunities to improve occupancy rates and achieve higher rents, especially if the rental market remains tight.

Political and Regulatory Challenges

Taxes (and Other Costs) Go Up While Loopholes Disappear

Commercial property management trends in 2024 include strategies to offset the effects of rising taxes and closing financial loopholes for commercial property landlords. Property managers can expect changes such as government measures attempting to capture more real estate-related revenues. Governments may pressure property managers and landlords to lower or normalize rents to aid housing crises in higher-priced housing markets.

Additionally, landlord insurance for rental properties is undergoing changes that affect tenant evictions and other issues while becoming more costly. Commercial property managers can potentially lower the cost of the policy by increasing the deductible, prioritizing as many safety features on the property as possible, and requiring renters to carry renter’s insurance. Safety features include updates like carbon monoxide sensors, tankless water heaters, and fire-resistant roof coverings.

Political Motivations

Politicians may focus on a growing homelessness problem and the lack of affordable rents in many areas. Leading up to the 2024 election, some politicians may highlight a need to enforce regulatory compliance among landlords and property managers as part of their platform.

A Consolidating Industry

The entry of large corporate property management companies may challenge independent or smaller property management firms. Sometimes, these larger companies have more extensive resources to provide cost-effective services, increased marketing resources, and value-added options such as financial reporting for multi-unit properties or property portfolios. These firms may also offer lead-generation services and additional brand-building for properties under their management.

Win by Staying Ahead of the Changes

Successfully navigating the changing climate of commercial property management relies on property managers recognizing trends and proactively embracing and managing them. While preparing to take your properties into 2024, consider these trends and how to extract opportunities from them to improve and grow your business.

From integrating technology that automates operational work and provides additional tenant amenities to anticipating and staying ahead of economic shifts, vigilance is critical. Reducing costs by outsourcing work to commercial restoration services and other third parties is one of many strategies that can help you leverage innovation and position your business to handle the changing landscape in property management more effectively.

Stay agile and informed; the coming year of challenges and opportunities will reward your property management business with success and prosperity. At SERVPRO of Pasadena North, we can help you with water damage cleanup, mold remediation, cleanup from fire and other damage, and general cleanup. Call us today at (626) 447-4111!

Insurance Coordination

12/12/2023 (Permalink)

Our general manager, Amy Moufarrege, discussing claims with an insurance adjuster.

SERVPRO of Pasadena North works closely with insurance companies to streamline the claims process for our clients. We assist in documenting the damage, providing accurate estimates, and communicating with your insurance provider to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience. Our goal is to alleviate your concerns and make the restoration process as seamless as possible.

A Summer At SERVPRO

12/11/2023 (Permalink)

We're issuing monthly newsletters for our fans (pun intended!) to stay up to date with our latest events, jobs, and blogs. 

Here in this August Newsletter, you will be able to read up on a special employee of the month, find out what they do and how they help make the dream work.

You will also learn about some of the bigger jobs we've completed for the month of August. 

Keep reading and our marketing team is featured on what they've been doing to keep the company active!

Click the link below to be redirected to our Newsletter! 

See what we've been up to!

Guide to Prepare for Hurricane Hilary - Southern California

8/18/2023 (Permalink)

Preparing for a Category 5 Hurricane: A Comprehensive Guide

When a Category 5 hurricane is on the horizon, time is of the essence. These powerful storms bring with them catastrophic winds, torrential rain, and life-threatening storm surges. Preparation is critical not only to protect your property but, more importantly, to ensure the safety of your family and yourself. Here's a concise guide to help you prepare:

1. Stay Informed:

• Monitor local news and weather channels. Trusted sources such as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) will provide regular updates and advisories.
• Download weather apps. These can give real-time notifications and tracking.

2. Evacuate if Advised:

• Listen to local authorities. If they recommend or mandate evacuation, do so promptly.
• Plan your route. Know multiple routes in case one is blocked.
• Inform someone. Let a family member or friend outside the danger zone know where you're headed.

3. Create an Emergency Kit: Stock up on essentials including:

• Water and non-perishable food for at least three days (one gallon of water per person per day).
• Medications and a first aid kit.
• Flashlights, extra batteries, and a battery-operated radio.
• Important documents (insurance, medical records, bank account numbers) in a waterproof container.
• Cash (as ATMs might be down).
• Chargers for your devices, possibly solar or battery-powered.

4. Secure Your Home:

• Install storm shutters or board up windows using plywood.
• Clear your yard of any potential flying debris such as lawn furniture, tools, and toys.
• Secure doors.
• Consider installing a sump pump if flooding is a concern.

5. Plan for Pets:

• Have a pet emergency kit with food, water, and medications.
• Ensure your pet has a secure carrier or leash.
• Know pet-friendly shelters or hotels on your evacuation route.

6. Protect Your Vehicle:

• Fill up the gas tank. Gas stations could run out or lose power.
• Store it in a garage or secure area if possible.
• Avoid parking under trees or in low-lying areas prone to flooding.

7. Communicate:

• Establish a communication plan with family. Everyone should know who to contact and where to meet if separated.
• Use text or social media to let others know you're safe. Phone lines might be jammed.

8. Be Cautious After the Storm:

• Stay indoors until local authorities declare it's safe.
• Avoid floodwaters. They may be contaminated or electrically charged.
• Inspect your home for damage. Document any issues for insurance claims.
• Be wary of fallen power lines and report them to the utility company.

A Category 5 hurricane is an extreme weather event, but with thorough preparation, you can significantly increase your chances of weathering the storm safely. Remember, while possessions can be replaced, lives cannot. Safety first!