Longer Read… I need direction and positive feedback. It’s a shame that I...

Longer Read…

I need direction and positive feedback. It’s a shame that I have to preface my request this way when many of our peers tend to respond like the most disrespectful resident we all have.

Having been in the industry for a long time, I don’t know which way to go. I’m a Community Manager living in DFW at a really nice apartment community near downtown, but we have an issue with neighbors smoking in their apartments, which affects the hallways. For context, I am in a mid-rise building that is non-smoking per my lease.

I brought this up to management, letters went out, and that same day—and every day following—this person continues to smoke. Being in management myself, I always extend grace as I’m pulled in many directions, but now I feel like my kindness is being taken for weakness. If they respond, it’s two weeks later. I’ve had to email the regional manager to get a response from the Community Manager, and when they do respond, the tone of the email pretty much says that nothing can be done. In fact, in the last email, I was told that they can’t control what people do in the comfort of their own home, which is absurd, as there are rules and regulations, specifically regarding the non-smoking policy.

I don’t mind if anyone smokes weed or cigarettes, but they should do it on the balcony where others aren’t impacted. I introduced myself to the manager when they first arrived and again at a resident function, but the manager dismissed me, while the office team looked puzzled afterward. I purposefully scale back my approach because I don’t want to be aggressive or rude. When I’ve stopped by the office, the manager isn’t there, or the times I try to schedule an appointment don’t work. It’s a small management company, so the regional manager can prevent issues from escalating. The previous manager was hands on and addressed any issues I or neighbors made her aware of. There was an Issue like this before and the previous manager evicted them. 
As we know, this industry is small, and I don’t want to cause any problems. I don’t want anything to negatively impact me if I decide to move companies, as your peer today could be your manager tomorrow. If I am held accountable for not bringing my trash container in before the office opens, surely they should be held responsible for smoking in their apartment.

Longer Read…

I need direction and positive feedback. It’s a shame that I have to preface my request this way when many of our peers tend to respond like the most disrespectful resident we all have.

Having been in the industry for a long time, I don’t know which way to go. I’m a Community Manager living in DFW at a really nice apartment community near downtown, but we have an issue with neighbors smoking in their apartments, which affects the... Show more

Brent Williams

Blaise Lanzi I think, I THINK that if the property as a whole is advertised as a Non-Smoking community then you stand on a firmer ground. If it’s just the lease that says “No smoking allowed”, and smoking laws are, at the same time, governed by Federal Laws, then the waters become quite muddy so to speak - and it being difficult to say whether or not the lease prevails in this case…….. Urgg I don’t know! 🤯. I’ve been in a similar situation in the condominium community I live in (Alabama) but there’s literally only one person in the entire building that smokes, we all own our respective condos, and have just learned to live with it.

Mike Powers Is it your property or the company you work for ? If you are PM for property, you enforce rules. If company, it isn't yours. Sorry.
No different than a general resident. Decide if you want to live there. It is out of your control.

Anonymous member Mike Powers I don’t manage the community, I live at another community not under my company umbrella. I’m super nice but hold my residents accountable for their actions. They have complained on me for being tough, but my regional backs me up and residents are happy that I am visible and truly care.

Shelly Griggs Serve them with a legal notice to remedy as they are not enforcing the lease as being a non-smoking community. Send it to the PM as well as the RM. I hate the smell of cig smoke and would be pissed if I moved into a non-smoking community and had to smell it in my home and they did nothing. My non-smoking communities charge a $500 fee if they get caught then get a legal notice if it happens again, along with another $500 fee.

Alex Mann Hi! Have you identified the exact unit # that is smoking? If so, they should be able to enforce if and only if they can prove it is happening in the unit. The only way to correct a resident’s behavior if they choose not to cooperate with notices is to remove them from the premises (eviction), and the management company can only work as quickly as the law in their area allows. And while they are doing so, they cannot discuss the details of how they are handling it with you because they still need to protect the privacy of the offending resident. Hopefully they have the unit # smoking and proof.

Chris Finetto Sounds like a profit center to me, upon move-put start charging for 2 weeks of lost rent to run ozone treatments!
If you can’t join them, beat’em…

Blaise Lanzi Chris Finetto has a good idea!!! HELL YES!! Maybe if every management company began charging astronomical prices after move out due to air scrubbing and ozonating and painting, it would catch on to not be worth smoking in an apartment especially if the lease clearly states it’s forbidden.

Jesse Arriaga I can only tell what we would do as a property manager / owner. We would register your complaint and send a Notice to the tenant that was in violation notifying them that they are in violation of their lease and to stop smoking inside the apartment. From an enforcement standpoint, we would not place the lease in default and pursue termination for cause. We would claim damages against security deposit at the end of the lease and if we felt they were a problem tenant, we would not renew their lease. Most properties restrict smoking inside the apartment, but not on the grounds or they have designated locations. In my opinion, the violation is not egregious enough to place the lease in default.

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Ever sent out a project bid only to receive wildly different quotes—or worse, have a contractor who missed the mark entirely? The secret to avoiding these headaches lies in a well-crafted scope of work (SOW)In Part 1 of this series (which you can read here), we explored how to align projects, like a roof replacement or pool remodel, with organizational goals and stakeholder needs. Now, in Part 2, we'll turn that understanding into a clear, ...

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In the multifamily industry, perception is reality. Whether a prospect is searching on Google, Apartments.com, Yelp, or Facebook, the quality—and consistency—of your reviews directly influences their decision to tour, lease, or keep scrolling.That's why Online Reputation Management (ORM) should be a top priority for property teams. And the data proves it.In May, J Turner Research released its much ...

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SUPPLIERS OF MULTIFAMILY, how would you rate the "health" of the industry right now? (Owners & Operators, you can select the last option to see the results, and tomorrow we will get your perspective!)

Steven Cunningham A clear definition of health is objective, taking that into account 55% is a solid number

Guest Insider Brent Williams I love the question but would love more context. Health of the industry relative to the financials? I think it's tough. With respect to leveraging technology? It's okay... with respect to people in our industry Absolutely Amazing with a caveat. Love love love the onsite teams here -- but see increasing pressure for all industry partner and operator alike to do more with less, which I fear has some longer term consequences to consider...

Brent Williams At the end of the day, I think people will probably answer based upon their own interpretation, but from our perspective on the supplier side, "health" is relative to their own prospects - are deals closing or stalled? Are projects getting scaled back? Etc?

From the owner or operator side, this could go in a lot of directions, honestly, from challenges with flat or declining rents, higher incremental costs like maintenance supplies or construction materials, or continued struggles with interest rates.

Guest Insider With you on this. Need more context as it’s a bit too broad. Also great points you bring up. I interpreted it from my point of view and general “feelings” which is not very contextual in and of itself lol.

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Now That the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Dust Has Settled: What You Need to Know. (IMO)

(**DISCLAIMER** I’m not a tax professional and or licensed accountant)

With the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) now officially law, we’ve entered a new chapter in tax and fiscal policy that will shape...

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The financial world is buzzing about a potential Federal Reserve rate cut. What if the Fed not only cuts rates, but signals a path that drops the 10-year US Treasury yield to 3.5% from its current ~4.35% (July 2025)? This nearly 100-basis-point shift would be monumental!On one hand, it's a huge opportunity:✅ Corporate Lifeline: A significant portion of the $2.51 trillion in speculative-grade corporate debt maturing through 2028 (S&P Global Ra ...

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If you don’t know your team’s coffee order,
you probably don’t even know how they like being led 🤦🏽‍♂️

Most managers think leadership is about
check-ins, KPIs, and HR-approved compliments.
Not quite for Gen Z.

→ It’s about pattern recognition 🧠
→ It’s about energy management 💡
→ It’s about buy-in 💰

Last week I brought Starbucks to one of my student sites in Davis, CA to kick off the day.
Not to be “nice.”
→ But because I pay attention.
→... Show more

Guest Insider Love this!!

Guest Insider Thanks for sharing, Mauri

Guest Insider This hit deep. It’s never just about the coffee. It’s about connection. It’s about showing up for your team in the small ways that end up making the biggest difference⭐️

More than just a coffee order is human connection. It’s team building. It’s sympathy. It’s coming together.

Small details do matter. They shape the tone, set the energy, and make people feel seen. That’s not just leadership. That’s real leadership!

Thank you for putting this into words!🤩

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Industry Resources

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Industry Resources

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One of the most misunderstood concepts in real estate is how properties are valued. The most common myth?"Properties are sold based on their in-place income."This couldn't be further from the truth.If this were the case, a vacant 4-unit property would technically have a 0% cap rate and sell for $0. That clearly doesn't reflect reality vacant properties are almost always worth something, often significantly more than zero.So how are properties act ...

Monique

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Hello our current management company is dissolving and asset living will be taking over.

We have all been promised to keep our wages and compensation rent packages.

Our owners will still be the same. Has anyone else had to see similar experience or any experience with asset living?

Read More...

Tina Cavaco They buy mgmt companies. Have bought many

Guest Insider unit count above all else

Anonymous member I have heard asset living isn’t that great of a company but they are a large company. I don’t have any personal experience. I have just heard stories.

Christina Haney I think it really depends on what state you are in as to what you may experience, leadership is very different depending on the state.

Guest Insider I was in a similar situation where my owners decided to terminate Asset Living and go to RPM Living. Asset Living was a fine company and I enjoyed my time there, my owners just made it clear to RPM that they wanted the staff to stay on and made it worth our while financially so I followed the money. Otherwise it wasn’t a company I was looking to leave.

Guest Insider RUN.!

Guest Insider They are a great customer!

Guest Insider I've been with Asset for 7 months as a regional. I have no complaints. Yes they are growing but like any company that grows they work out all the kinks. I appreciate the support and the response time from other corporate employees.
With any management takeover I always say to go in with an open mind as that helps learning and adapting to the change.

Guest Insider I’ve been w Asset going on 4 years. It all depends on your upper leadership team.

Anonymous member Pay is good with Asset Living but corporate is a joke. Be prepared to send invoices time and time again and them still not pay vendors and be cut off from vendors for non pay.

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Apartment complexes and other multifamily dwellings are substantial consumers of energy, as they require continuous cooling, heating, and lighting to maintain resident comfort. Boilers play a crucial role in this energy demand, as they support a building’s space heating, heated water for bathing...

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Industry Resources

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Industry Resources

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Superstars do not go from ah-mazing to a problem, for no reason!If you have an employee who used to crush it, set the standard, had an incredible attitude, who is now checked out, bitter, missing deadlines, and underperforming, it's time to do some work that few leaders will ever choose to do. You see, when a superstar becomes a problem what often happens is that their bosses:Shame and guilt-trip them.Judge them.Micromanage th ...

Monique

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Paige Dalri I haven’t had a great experience with SOCi. The Genius AI scheduled posts are often way off, I end up declining over 70% of them due to irrelevant or outdated content about my properties. For example, I just had to decline a post about Christmas… in July. And it’s not the first time something like that has happened. Also, if you’re expecting the AI to handle the promised “16 posts per month,” just know that you’ll need 16 new photos every month; it won’t reuse past content. It is a lot of repetitive information, even for replies to reviews or comments.

Guest Insider We cancelled it

Philip Frost Its a great tool!

Guest Insider I love Soci!

Andrea Cosenza We used Soci. It did not prove anything advantageous but we were small 5000 units. We thought it would help control postings/brand and post more but you need a lot of content

Guest Insider We were using Soci and switched to Birdeye

Guest Insider Run!!! Worst experience ever!! We changed to JTurner.

Guest Insider Check out SatisFacts

Guest Insider Check out Opiniion!

Guest Insider Just my 2 cents, with inflation is worth about .07 cents.
With the availability of these new AI platforms, these "Reputation" platforms in our industry are going to struggle, their only means of survival will be to incorporate the AI tools that you can use for a fraction of a price. Can spend $20 a month on Gemini, Perplexity and use n8n to automate everything. Then add SEMrush social rep tool and manage everything.
Also: if everyone in our industry are using the same platforms, what competitive edge do you have?
Never run with the heard, you will never stand out.

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Do any of you seasoned veterans to the industry ever get frustrated with the lack of kindness, overall care, respect and customer service exhibited today at many properties?
I’m talking about team members who are often younger and openly rude to residents who have legitimate concerns or questions. I truly feel bad for our seniors or residents who are not tech savvy. I would be appalled and furious if someone treated my Mother this way... Show more

Guest Insider I very much agree. I also see that there is no care from corporate office or owners for the resident. All about the money.

Guest Insider I’m a resident and I overheard a Maint. Guy talking to another about programming my alarm.
I had walked outside to walk my dog. He obviously did not expect me to be there. He commented something like "needed her F'ng alarm code set, like she is going to get robbed or something." Maybe not those exact words, but close enough.
And yes, I know residents can be rude and disrespectful too. But have some common sense and don’t talk about residents in public spaces, right outside of their apt! 🤦‍♀️

Bobbi McDowell Rudeness is rampant everywhere, it's crazy

Guest Insider Yep! I have one of those in my office

Guest Insider Yes!! Management is allot of the time does not hold employees up to certain standards

Mya Estrada Wow, we've gotten many posts about rude residents but this is one of the first about rude team members

Guest Insider Mya Estrada residents can certainly be rude but it is our job and responsibility to try and get the resident calm rather than throwing gasoline on the fire. We just need to show a bit more empathy and listen to the concerns rather than immediately jumping to conclusions.

Tina Cavaco 😪

Guest Insider Wouldn't last 48 hours on my property

Chele Blair You are so right. No care for the tenants or the property. No customer service or respect.

Guest Insider It’s preached but not practiced. There’s no accountability.

Guest Insider Other way around. So sick of tenant rudeness.

Guest Insider I see it from both sides. As employees it is our job to start everyday with a nice fresh attitude and try to do our jobs as best we can. We make a difference in people’s lives.
Many times residents can be rude. We have to try our best to not take it personal.

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Pros and Cons of offering an early Lease Extension vs Lease Renewal?
Offering now to extend from October end date to February end date after 8 years of tenancy.
I'm the tenant in this scenario, but I'm curious about it from both sides.

Read More...

Chelsea Kneeland

Brent Williams Some companies try to manage their lease expirations, so having a lease end date in the middle of winter may not be ideal. That said, if someone has been there 8 years, if I were in their situation I would try to make it happen for them.

Brenda Barmann Extra months at no increase. Take it if you plan on staying regardless . It helps sites get the expirations in line to control turn costs and occupancy.

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In property management, some of the most important decisions are the ones made quietly, without fanfare, applause, or even acknowledgment. They're the choices that take place in leasing offices, during maintenance calls, or while responding to a resident's email. These moments might not make headlines, but they shape the culture of a community, influence team morale, and protect housing providers from costly legal risks.The Small Choices That Mat ...

Chelsea Kneeland

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On today's episode of I Have a house For Rent. We have a Married couple with 2 kids that have applied to rent a house together BUT the husband doesn't want his paystub information shared with his wife. LMAO 🤣

Guest Insider I would be concerned that it's blurry and hard to read on purpose and that he's trying to hide something at this point. Do your due diligence and verify everything.

Jose Maciel They brought me a clear copy. 😎

Guest Insider Maybe I'm the oddball but not discussing pay could be cultural. Also even with joint applicants, married or not, I only discuss their info with them.

Jose Maciel I think in this case it is party cultural. I just find it a little funny because he does not qualify for the house without her income...

Guest Insider Oof. Garnishment or not working the hours he says he is. That, or the wife will bleed him dry if she sees his actual take home. I try not to speculate in these things with tenants, as it could lead to subconscious judgements. Either ways it's bound to be a disaster for them eventually, but hopefully they surprise you in the best ways!

Guest Insider Maybe she spends it all 🤣😂 my dad use to put money in a separate account because my mom loved buying everyone everything. Love her but she was bad with money.

Guest Insider Such a shame...you know they would have been great residents! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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