The “sequester,” which has dominated news headlines since the election, is a term used to describe a series of across-the-board federal spending cuts. At the beginning of March, the cuts began to kick in when President Obama and members of Congress were unable to work out a deal. As...
When applicants apply to your assisted site, you must give them a written application to fill out, which asks for certain required eligibility and income information. If you don’t get this information, you could end up admitting an ineligible or inappropriate household. And that could mean...
Some of the most important, and often overlooked, sources of fair housing complaints arise from maintenance operations. Sites may face allegations of discriminatory maintenance policies or procedures—for example, that requests from white members are routinely pushed ahead of those from...
The issue of mold cleanup has been on the forefront of state and federal officials’ minds as the Northeast continues to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. Mold spores can aggravate existing respiratory problems, particularly asthma—and there was an alarming increase in asthma cases after...
When households move out of a unit, they may leave behind damage that’s expensive to repair. For example, a household may damage the carpeting so badly, it must all be replaced. Although you can deduct this cost from the household’s security deposit, the security deposit may not be...
When you sign a lease with a new household, you must process certain documents. In some cases, this means that both you and household must sign the documents. In other cases, it simply involves giving the documents to the households. If you forget to give a document to a household or process a...
Screening applicants is becoming increasingly important for assisted sites. And visiting an applicant's home is an effective way to identify bad applicants. It can also help you get a head start in working with those applicants you ultimately decide to accept. At the Residences at Ninth...
During an inspection, Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspectors look at specific areas of the site for health and safety hazards. Most of these hazards can cost you points on your inspection score but don't necessarily subject you to other, more serious penalties.
Four years ago, the Insider launched a new monthly feature: The Trainer. Since then, the Trainer has asked—and answered—questions based on topics raised in each issue’s compliance articles. Whether you’re a long-time subscriber or a new one, you can test your...
All site owners at one time or another must take the unpleasant step of evicting a resident. You may have to evict a resident for one of a number of lease violations, such as nonpayment of rent, excessive noise, or criminal activity. Whatever your grounds for eviction, you want to do everything...
Sometimes contractors accidentally overbill you. Less frequently, but still too often, they may even try to cheat you. Being the victim of overbilling practices not only costs you lots of money, it can also lead to audit problems. Auditors pore over contractor invoices to make sure they back up...
Going to court with a resident can be an expensive proposition—even if you win. You may win $1,000 in back rent, but that's not a meaningful victory if you have to pay your attorney a few thousand dollars to win it for you. And without a lease clause requiring residents who violate...
