What is top of mind in these strangest of times? Quite a lot. In this edition:

  • Message from Daniel Bornstein
  • For easy reference, we’ve put together a one-page PDF that summarizes key components of the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020. You can download it here.
  • In our recent article we dub, “the art of the tenant buyout deal,” we explain some strategies to broker a deal and see the deal through its course. Once an agreement is reached, it raises the question of when funds should be paid out, a topic we take on here.
  • Although new law has given landlords more flexibility in pursuing rent debt accrued during the pandemic through civil courts, this is not an attractive debt to chase. We explain why and offer what might be a more attractive option here.
  • There are several core aspects of property management, and one big one is knowledge of the law. In this article, we pose the provocative question of whether your property manager is versed in new laws or if they are tethered to an attorney. 
  • When asked about presidential politics recently, we wiggled around the question. We just can’t see that far. In our latest blog, we share what we really want to see in the immediate future.
  • Our friends at the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute have put together another gangbusters newsletter you can download here.
  • September 30th marks a deadline for serving an important notice that preserves your right to enforce collection of rent debt during the most crucial period of the pandemic. To ensure your notices and documentation is up to date, contact our offices.

From the desk of Daniel Bornstein
We hope that our valued clients, colleagues, referral partners and other friends are in the best of health and spirits. 

As we commiserate in our latest blog, rust-colored skies may be a fitting metaphor for landlords and tenants. We wish economic prosperity for all, and that none of us wake up to a dark horizon. 

Slumbering courts are beginning to slowly awaken, but compromise is still the order of the day. At the risk of redundancy, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Property owners are reminded that unlawful detainer actions for unpaid rent will continue to be an exercise in delay and frustration for the foreseeable future and that come springtime, a judgement issued from a civil court when the tenant fails to pay COVID-related debt may not be worth the piece of paper it is printed on - the debt still must be collected. We make some not-so-rosy predictions here.

For those of you who rely on property managers to put your rental business on autopilot, we want to ensure that they are well versed in the law or tethered to an attorney who practices landlord-tenant law on a daily basis. In this article, we get back to the basics of property management and share an “oldie but goodie” webinar on the top 10 pitfalls of property management. 

In parting thoughts, we are heavy consumers of industry news, much of it factual and newsy in nature, but often the human element doesn't shine through.

“Better together” is the theme for this heartfelt micro-webinar hosted by the National Apartment Association and if you have 10 minutes, we suggest you listen to a courageous person in the rental property industry talk about his battles with mental health and how to collectively help residents, prospective tenants, co-workers and others deal with the stress and anxiety during the pandemic. 

Dedicated to helping you emerge from rust-colored skies, 
AB-3088 in a nutshell

The recent legislation is 20,000 words long, but we've summarized some key bullet points in this one-pager.
Delving deeper into tenant buyout agreements
In a two-part series, we explore how to ethically and properly broach the subject of a buyout with a tenant, and how to cross the finish line.
Are your property managers versed in the law or tethered to an attorney?

There are several orbits of property management, not the least of which is knowledge of the law. 2020 has been the most complex time in landlord-tenant law ever, making it imperative that property managers are well grounded in the ever-changing legal landscape.
If you don't 'use it, you lose it.
September 30th marks an important date. In order to preserve a property owner's right to enforce collection of rent debt owed between March 1st and September 1st of 2020, you must serve tenants a statutory notice with specific language. Do not fret - we have the notice prepared, but time is ticking.
While we are dedicated to educating the rental industry on new laws and rules, we don't work on an island.

Thanks to our friends at the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute for publishing our article proposing sensible solutions for financially distressed landlords and tenants.

Their September newsletter is chock full of other information landlords need to survive and thrive in a complicated regulatory regime.