Property Management Insights

Curb appeal is one of the most important attractors to rental property. Everyone loves looking at a home with a nicely manicured lawn. You don't have to spend a fortune fixing up the yard but while your home is on the market, it is important to keep the lawn mowed (don't ...

Screen tenants - If you are planning to manage your own property, always screen your tenants. There are tenant screening services, such as TransUnion's SmartMove that allow you to perform limited tenant screening on your own. Owners get into trouble when they allow a prospect...

As an Owner, you need to put yourself in a tenants shoes when it comes to renting your property. Make sure your home is rent ready and has been repaired. So often our new owners think they can touch up a wall and it will look fine. It doesn't. This is the biggest complaint we...

Renters look for the same things as buyers: a nice, updated home. The more updated the home, the more rent you can expect. But! You have to weigh the cost of all the brand new updates against the cost to recover. In addition, there are certainly limits to how high you can go befo...

Tip #1: Never, ever, ever, ever rent your property to family, friends, friends of family or friends of friends! They quickly take advantage of you because they begin to look at you like the rich guy. Or if you are family, you should give them a break. Renting to these people neve...

Every property owner wants to get the most rent they can from their rental property. But when is it okay to raise the rent? Before making the decision to increase a tenant’s rent, you may want to consider a few things:What is the market rate for properties in the same cond...

Section 8 has gotten a bad rap but in most recent years the Housing Authorities have worked hard to clean up this program. In the past, you could count on a Section 8 home to be a dilapidated, run-down home with messy tenants in areas you wouldn't dare go near.Today, I think ...

To many people, the eviction process in Georgia seems so daunting. For the vast majority of us, standing before a judge to defend our position can be foreign and very scary. Today, we’re discussing dispossessory action and how to evict a tenant in the Atlanta area.Marietta ...

Tenant screening is the single most important activity for landlords who want to have a successful rental experience. Many homeowners get a feeling when they’re talking to prospective tenants, and they approve a tenant who is likeable. They will do a minimal job screening, ...

Welcome to Atlanta Area Property and Management; serving the entire Atlanta Metro Area. There are very strict laws regarding the handling of security deposits. These laws can get an owner in lots of trouble, and if you make a mistake, fines and penalties can apply.By law, securit...