Property Management Blog

How to Price a Rental in a Cooling Richmond Market

The Richmond rental market has shifted. After several years of aggressive rent growth, increased inventory and stronger competition have given renters more leverage. Many landlords respond by holding firm on last year’s pricing, waiting for the right resident to eventually ...

Rental Scams Targeting Renters in Richmond, VA

Rental fraud in Richmond is often discussed in abstract terms, but for renters it is experienced personally and urgently. Money is lost. Personal information is compromised. Housing plans collapse at the last minute. In many cases, the fraud is only discovered after the renter be...

Rental Fraud in Richmond, VA: How Common It Is, How It Works, and How to Avoid It

Rental fraud has become a persistent and increasingly sophisticated problem in Richmond, across Central Virginia, and nationwide. What was once limited to obviously fake listings has evolved into a wide range of schemes that exploit competitive housing markets, remote transactio...

Landlord Maintenance Responsibilities in Virginia: Legal Duties, Risk Management & Best Practices

Property owners in Virginia have both legal and operational obligations to maintain rental properties in a safe, livable condition. These obligations exist regardless of whether a property is self-managed or professionally managed, and they cannot be waived through informal agree...

Richmond’s Multifamily Shift: How New Construction, Institutional Investors, and Rising Expectatio...

Richmond has long been regarded as one of the strongest midsized real estate markets in the United States. Steady population growth, a resilient job market, diverse employers, and relatively attainable housing costs have positioned the metro as a favored target for both institut...

Why We Charge a Maintenance Coordination Fee (And Why It Saves You Money)

As a property owner, you want to understand every line item on your statement. That's smart business. One question we hear occasionally is about our 10% maintenance coordination fee, and it's worth explaining not just what it is, but why it exists and...

The Rent-Ready Partnership: Setting Your Richmond Property Up for Success

When you transition your property from owner-occupied to tenant rental, or from one tenant to the next, you're making a critical decision: deliver it in peak condition now, or pay significantly more at every future turnover.After managing properties throughout Richmond, we...

The Virginia Smoke Alarm Gray Area: Why § 55.1-1220 Creates Legal Confusion

In Part 1, this series covered why professional property managers install bedroom smoke alarms regardless of legal requirements: insurance carriers expect them, fire safety science proves they work, and the cost-benefit analysis is obvious.Part 2 addresses the question that actua...

Why Every Bedroom Needs a Smoke Alarm: The Insurance and Liability Reality

When a tenant is injured in a residential fire, insurance adjusters do not start by asking whether a property technically complied with the minimum code requirements in effect decades ago.They ask three different questions:Did the property meet current industry standards?What wou...

Understanding Wear and Tear vs. Damages: A Guide for Property Owners

As a property owner, one of the most common sources of confusion when managing a rental property is distinguishing between normal wear and tear and tenant-caused damages. Though somewhat subjective and ambiguous, understanding the difference is essential for maintaining good tena...