A Landlord’s Need for Organization
Rarely will you ever see a landlord who sits still at a desk. Many times, landlords are out and about – checking on their rental property, marketing or repairing properties, or looking for their next investment. While this is great for productivity, it puts a serious damper on the organizational aspect of the rental business.
The need for a landlord to remain organized is crucial. Doing so can save you time and money, as well as help you avoid (or win) any legal actions you may encounter.
Don’t let your property rentals get lost in a mix of disorganization. Here are a few tips to help you get – and stay – organized today!
Go paperless
Going paperless is not only the environmentally friendly thing to do, but it can also save you a lot of time searching for lost documents, filing documents, and otherwise managing a paper trail. If your documents are electronic or scanned into your software system, then you can have perfect organization – with all your documents in one centralized location. They can’t get lost, misplaced, or destroyed.
When switching to a paperless operation, consider this: be sure to shred the hard copy of anything you scan, rather than tossing it into the garbage. This will help you avoid any legal issues down the road. Also, never, ever forget to back up your system!
Everything has a place
Find a place for everything. In your office, take some time to get everything in a place of its own. Pay attention to how you work to determine the best way to organize your space so that you may work effectively and efficiently.
- Keep what you need, get rid of what you don’t.
- Label everything so you – and everyone else – knows where each item goes.
- Follow through with your plan. Take 5 min each to re-organize your desk.
In your car, consider purchasing one of the many organizers for mobile offices. These will help keep paper, pens, and any important documents, brochures, etc. in a specific place. Consider using applications on your cell phone for handling things such as email, calendaring appointments, etc. The fewer items you must keep track of, the better.
Online platforms
Switching to a paperless, online platform allows you to be mobile on the go. Not only will this system allow you to make notes on properties (as you make repairs or speak to tenants), but it will also allow you to access the property’s history and documents. For example, if your tenant is complaining about an issue with an appliance and they claim you have fixed it before, you can pull up your system – while at the residence – and review the history. You will be able to see if you did fix it before and, if so, what repair you did. Or, if a tenant is questioning a lease, you can also access documents concerning the property and be able to give an answer immediately.
Organization is incredibly important – and being able to access your office from anywhere can help reduce scattered notes, misplaced documents, or repeated tenant issues. Organize yourself today!
If you are interested in having an Atlanta property management company to manage and maintain your income property for you, give ALH|Podland Realty & Rental Homes Property Management a call at 404-937-1850.
Marina Shlomov, a managing partner at ALH|Podland Realty & Rental Homes Property Management is the author of many articles on Landlording, Property Management, and Real Estate Investing. A residential builder in the state of Georgia since 1999, Marina is an investor herself. Her property management company is intended “For Investors” and “By Investors” for a simple reason – she knows what investors’ goals are and she works hard to reach their goals. In her spare time, Marina likes to spend time with her family, friends, garden, read and travel. Check her out at www.alhpodland.com. You can find Marina’s articles and comments at @rentalhomesatl on Twitter, on Facebook, Google+, Blogger. and YouTube, Bigger Pockets and REI CLub and LinkedIn.
