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Four Secrets to Rental Success
15 Plays3 months ago
🎧 Welcome to Thoughts For Rent — the podcast where real estate gets real (and local)!
Hosted by Jenni McKenna, a Las Vegas born and raised seasoned broker, and Owner of McKenna Property Management, this show is your inside look at what’s really happening in the Vegas property management and real estate world. With over 20 years of experience herself - Jenni brings not just knowledge, but heart to the conversation.
Whether we’re talking market trends, property tips, community happenings, or just the everyday quirks of Vegas living, this podcast is all about keeping you in the know.
💬 Real talk. Local stories. Professional insight – provided from a company who has their boots on the ground and hearts in the community.
In this episode, we’re covering some of our favorite pieces of advice for renters who want to have the most successful rental experience.
McKenna Property Management, proudly managing Las Vegas homes since 2005 (and loving every minute of it).
Hit subscribe and comment down below to join the conversation! 💛
✨ Stay connected with us!
Instagram: @mckennapropertymanagement
Facebook: McKenna Property Management
TikTok: @TheMcKennaTeam
Website: McKennaPropertyManagement.com
Phone: 702-434-HOME (4663)
Owner/Broker: Jenni McKenna B.29819
#ThoughtsForRent #McKennaTeam #LasVegasRealEstate #JenniMcKenna #PropertyManagement #MarketTrends #PropertyTips #Community
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Thoughts for Rent'
00:00:20
Irelynn Zurflueh
Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of Thoughts for Rent, Realtors Keeping It Real. I am Ireland and this is Jenny McKenna, owner broker of McKenna Property Management. Here in Las Vegas, Nevada or Southern Nevada.
00:00:36
Irelynn Zurflueh
We do Henderson too. We do. And some some Boulder City. North Las Vegas. Yeah. Just Southern Nevada. Southern Nevada is a good one. So what are we going to talk about today,
Challenges in First-Time Renting
00:00:45
Irelynn Zurflueh
Ireland? We are going to pivot because I feel like recently we've been giving a lot of owners tick tips and tricks for success. So now we're going to give um future potential residents some tips and tricks to success.
00:01:00
Irelynn Zurflueh
So I'd like to say we're going to do four secrets to successful renting that are all landlord approved. How about that? Yeah. We like that Sounds good. All right. So we all know that um when you are applying for a new rental and you've never done it before, it can be pretty daunting.
00:01:20
Irelynn Zurflueh
You really don't even know where to start. Do you hire a real estate agent? Do you have to do it on your own? Do you go through Zillow? I mean, what do you do when you're trying to to apply for an app, ah you know, to apply for a
Utilizing Third-Party Websites for Rentals
00:01:33
Irelynn Zurflueh
rental?
00:01:33
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah, that's right. it's It's definitely scary because not only are you having to figure out all of those items, but then we also get to a place where every single property manager is different too. So some people want um you to come into their office and write in your application. Some people want you to submit it online.
00:01:51
Irelynn Zurflueh
Some people want you to use the Zillow application. Other people want you to use their application. So I would say yeah immediately start off. Use reliable websites. I would say Zillow is reliable. There are a couple other ones, rent.com, apartments.com.
00:02:06
Irelynn Zurflueh
Once you get to those sites, because they are third-party sites, always check and see if there is an actual main website connected to whoever is renting it out. Sometimes if they're self-managing, they won't have a website. That'll just be how you communicate with them is through the third party.
Avoiding Rental Fraud and Scams
00:02:23
Irelynn Zurflueh
But other times, if it's a landlord or a property manager who is pretty big in the industry, they'll have their own website and that'll be available on those third party sites. And you want to do that because there is a lot of fraud out there.
00:02:37
Irelynn Zurflueh
So we've been we've had, we've seen some of our properties that ah somebody had taken the address, the information, and it was a $1,700 single family house.
00:02:50
Irelynn Zurflueh
And they used our photos and they used the, um you know, where it was in the neighborhood, all of our verbiage. And they started advertising it for what, $1,400 or something like that.
00:03:01
Irelynn Zurflueh
It's always different amount, but it's always like super high or super cheap. Yeah, it's usually super cheap so they can get a bunch of activities. And then when the, you know, the, we'll call them the victim, when the victim calls them up or inquires about that property, the scammer will say, oh yeah, yeah, there's three other applications
Timing Your Rental Search
00:03:22
Irelynn Zurflueh
in on this.
00:03:22
Irelynn Zurflueh
You need to send me $200 right now you want to hold it or $400 if you want me to hold or four hundred dollars if you want me to hold it All of that, big red flags. So what Ireland's saying is exactly right. Just kind of, you know, dig a little deeper. And and if it, about the only time there wouldn't be an actual website would be if it's self-managed.
00:03:42
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I think you could tell that right away because you'd be talking to the owner. So you could always verify the owner's name with who owns the property. And that's one way that you could verify that. So I'd like to say secret number one is timing is everything.
00:03:58
Irelynn Zurflueh
And what I mean by that is there's a lot of people that will know that they're moving out of their rental into another rental and they'll want to start looking 60 days before the move date.
00:04:09
Irelynn Zurflueh
And that's just not practical. no owner is going to hold their property off the market for longer than two weeks. So in reality, you really shouldn't start looking for your property till it's about 30 days out.
00:04:22
Irelynn Zurflueh
Because if you go more than that, you find that perfect rental, guess what? They're not going to hold it for you. Yeah. It's definitely a game of playing refresh. Once you find the specific third-party site that you really enjoy or even if you find the specific landlord that you enjoy and they have their personal website, they're going to be updating that information daily.
Transparency in Rental Applications
00:04:42
Irelynn Zurflueh
Things are coming on and off the market every single day. and so it really is a matter of when you're waking up and you're making your morning coffee, head on to the website, have it bookmarked and refresh the page because you are going to want to move fast and then the system itself will move fast. There's going to be A lot of the properties may, you might re-see them, but a lot of those new ones that maybe you really like or really desirable, they might only be on the website for maybe three days, if not potentially even go faster.
00:05:14
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I think your mid-month is kind of the golden hour because what we find is everybody, most management companies will have the residents move out at the end of the month. It's just kind of the way to manage move outs.
00:05:26
Irelynn Zurflueh
So everybody will leave at the end of the month and then there's a walkthrough that is performed. And then that property usually gets back on the market anywhere from like 10 to 14 days later, sometimes earlier, but for the most part, 10 to 14 days.
00:05:40
Irelynn Zurflueh
So that's why I say mid month is kind of your perfect time. That's when the new inventory will start coming on. And that's when you can be really actively involved on trying to find that property. Awesome. And then so that your first, you know, tip for success would be that you got to get the timing right. Just like everything, life is all about timing.
00:05:59
Irelynn Zurflueh
um But the second secret that we have for you today is how to really nail your application, how to make it perfect. The very first thing I will say, and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, is never leave a section of your application blank.
00:06:13
Irelynn Zurflueh
Even if you're stay-at-home mom or a stay-at-home dad or even if you're receiving um benefits from the government or however you're receiving income, whether you receive it or don't, don't leave
Application Key Information and Regulations
00:06:24
Irelynn Zurflueh
the income section blank. If you're not making any income because you're a stay-at-home mom, write that you're stay-at-home mom and write that your income is zero. yeah Because that's going to answer so many questions that will ultimately delay your process if we're going to have to seek out those answers from you. right Blank is...
00:06:41
Irelynn Zurflueh
Never good. And there will be applications out there where some parts aren't required. Obviously, that little red asterisk that we're all familiar with on the websites. Even if there isn't a red asterisk next to it, still fill it in.
00:06:54
Irelynn Zurflueh
Give as much information as you can because that's presenting a 100% full application is going to make everything go by faster. Right. And what do you look for? i mean, we're going to speak under McKenna property management's criteria, but we're we pretty much follow in the same ah path as all the other Southern Nevada property managers.
00:07:16
Irelynn Zurflueh
What are we looking for, for a really good approved application? We're looking for ah rental history. So even if you are living at home or even if you're in a roommate situation where you're not paying the full rent, but you're paying a portion of it, fill that in. Don't leave it blank.
00:07:34
Irelynn Zurflueh
ah Part of that rental history that we're looking for is how long you've been there, how much you've been paying. And if anyone can provide ah referral, your previous landlord or your previous property manager, that information is something we're looking for to get that referral.
Understanding HOA Regulations
00:07:49
Irelynn Zurflueh
We're looking to verify your income. So we're looking to see not only how much you make, but how long you've been making it. um If you've been with the company for a while, a lot of people love to share, you know, if they are going through a job transfer, they'll be transparent.
00:08:04
Irelynn Zurflueh
Some people love to share that they're looking to receive an increase because it's that time for them or they're getting a promotion in their company. So that's always something great to share. We are looking for people to be transparent, obviously, about how many people are going to be living in the home.
00:08:20
Irelynn Zurflueh
Transparency on emotional support animals and animals in general. We're looking for transparency on also this is probably a very niche one. but We're also looking for transparency on your vehicles because our HOAs here in Nevada are, as we've mentioned before, crazy. And that helps with parking passes and parking permits. And if there's assigned parking in the complexes.
00:08:44
Irelynn Zurflueh
So all the previous ones and then the
Improving Application Approval Chances
00:08:46
Irelynn Zurflueh
parking ones. Yeah. And some of ah individuals work vans aren't going to be allowed in some of the HOAs. So it would be great if we knew that when you were putting in the application, not to say we would deny you on it, but we could say to you, hey, your work van doesn't work with this HOA. You're going to have to park it outside of the complex.
00:09:05
Irelynn Zurflueh
And some are like, okay, I'll just work. I'll just, I'll bring a car to work and then park it there and whatever. But if they weren't told that, that could really be a stumbling block when they tried to move in. And a lot of our HOAs also have requirements.
00:09:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
Some HOAs can actually determine what pets are allowed in the community. So some people also will apply um with animals that don't match the HOA criteria. And that's great for us to know because had you moved in without knowing that, then a violation might be issued.
00:09:33
Irelynn Zurflueh
Same thing. We also have 55 and up communities here. So ah your age is important because if we have a 55 and up community and you're not within that criteria, then that's also going to cause problems.
Personal Touch in Applications
00:09:46
Irelynn Zurflueh
Right.
00:09:47
Irelynn Zurflueh
I just think the biggest thing is be honest and leave no blanks. Yeah. Be honest and leave no blanks because the management companies, I can speak from McKenna Property Management, we want you to get approved. We are hoping you get approved.
00:10:04
Irelynn Zurflueh
So we're going to do everything we can to look at the so in the light of approval. We're not just looking to so get you denied. But if you leave things blank or if you leave things where we have to track you down to get the answers as far as what kind of dog, the poundage of the dog, the vehicles, yada, yada, you could lose out by another application coming in and the other application being approved before we got the answers for you.
00:10:30
Irelynn Zurflueh
Absolutely. This is also a very niche one, but it just happened with me this week, which is why it's on my mind. If you are moving into a place with multiple bedrooms and those aren't going to get filled kind of in the stereotypical way people think of, explaining what you're using the bedrooms for is also great. Again, just like full transparency because the very first thing people are going to think is, oh, they're going to sublet out those bedrooms.
00:10:55
Irelynn Zurflueh
This is risky. I don't know if I want to proceed with this. The answer that I got back... when I was dealing with it this week, she literally just wanted a gym, a home office and a guest room. And that's why she had all the extra rooms. yeah So it just full transparency, full honesty. You think it might not be a small thing, but the more honest, the better, the better you felt the application.
Preparing Documents in Advance
00:11:15
Irelynn Zurflueh
Don't leave anything blank.
00:11:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I also think, and I know you don't have to do this, but this is kind of like the cherry on top, a brief, polite introduction of who you are. I think it makes your, because we always like to say your application is kind of your resume, right?
00:11:31
Irelynn Zurflueh
So it just makes it to where we know a little bit more about you. And if that particular applicant had said, oh yeah, I'm looking for this four bedroom for a gym, ah home office and whatever, we would have already known that and we could have presented that in such a great light to the owner rather than having to call back, get the answer. And then the answer is great. It's fine, but it's not fluffed up. You know, it's not like the story.
00:11:59
Irelynn Zurflueh
I think we're all humans. And so the other person that is the landlord, they're looking for a good human to rent their property. And so that's always helpful. Yeah. I also say, at least in Southern Nevada, this might be different in a couple other states, but in Southern Nevada, you've got to be prepared to act fast.
00:12:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. So like Ireland said, if you've got that bookmark and you see something that morning and you get the opportunity to go look at it that day and you like it, you got to be ready to put the application in, which means have your driver's license ready, you know, have your proof of your income already ready, right?
00:12:35
Irelynn Zurflueh
have all your pet documentation ready, have your references ready to go. Those are the things that you're going to need anyways when you fill out the application. So do that before so that when you find that rental, you can act quickly.
Communication During Application Process
00:12:50
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. Especially if you know that you're going to be moving out and a lot of people want to start the process right on day 60, what you can do within those first couple of days or first couple of weeks is prep the paperwork and prep all that information and prep the referrals so then when the time comes to actually hit submit on the application everything is ready to go
00:13:11
Irelynn Zurflueh
And then when I was thinking about this to try and come up with the the secrets to to help anybody that's out there that's going to be putting in an application, i thought about something that I always say to the leasing department when they bring me an application.
00:13:25
Irelynn Zurflueh
If there's something that's kind of on the cusp and they need me to give that final approval, the first question I always ask is, how good has that applicant been about communicating?
00:13:38
Irelynn Zurflueh
Because I feel like if you are communicating and you are on top of it, it shows that you're responsible and that you care. And that means a heck of a lot when we are looking at multiple applications.
00:13:51
Irelynn Zurflueh
Or if we're looking at an application that might have a little bit of a hiccup and we we want you to get accepted, we're the question I'm going to say is, hey, Ireland, how good have they been at communicating with you?
00:14:02
Irelynn Zurflueh
And if Ireland says, oh, they've been great, they text as soon as I text them or they email me back, whatever I'm looking for, right away, you're more than likely going to get approved if it was on the cusp.
00:14:13
Irelynn Zurflueh
Absolutely. we We like to send confirmation notifications when the app gets ran and the people who respond back with a thank you or awesome or even if they follow up with a question because they have one, just knowing that there's someone that exists on the other side of this paper application that we're looking at is reassuring. And that they care.
00:14:34
Irelynn Zurflueh
They care enough to respond. So even a thumbs up, just so that we know that you got whatever it is that we are sending out. And then the last secret is kind of a secret that's more of an industry secret.
Negotiating Move-In Conditions
00:14:48
Irelynn Zurflueh
We get a lot of residents that will move in and then be upset about something right away. And evidently they, they knew about it before. So I'll give you an example.
00:15:02
Irelynn Zurflueh
a resident moves in and the carpet wasn't as clean as they wanted it to be clean or as, as clean as they'd like it. They saw it when they went and viewed the property, but in their mind, they assumed that there was going to be a cleaning done to the property before they moved in.
00:15:18
Irelynn Zurflueh
So they did an assumption We all know what assuming is, making an ass out of you and me, or as Max would say. Ass out of you and umption. Yes, which doesn't always make sense to me, whatever.
00:15:30
Irelynn Zurflueh
So what I am going to recommend as our secret number four. If there is something that is in the property that you want to see get addressed before you move in negotiate it with the owner at the time of the application.
00:15:45
Irelynn Zurflueh
Because there is nothing that makes an owner more upset than when there is a move in. And then all of a sudden there's a big laundry list of all the things that the resident wants done, that the owner had no idea that resident wanted done.
00:16:01
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. You know, because they all assume that when it goes on the market, it's clean it's clean at that time. The carpets are done at that time. Everything is ready to go, but then it rains outside and there's two showings. And so there's tracked in a couple of little, you know, footprints.
00:16:16
Irelynn Zurflueh
Don't assume that that's all going to get cleaned up before you move in. Now, if you were to ask for that with your application. Now the owner's happy because a he's got a good application he's looking at.
00:16:30
Irelynn Zurflueh
So he's like, Oh good. I'm going to get the property rented. It won't be vacant. And two, if you just ask for a light, you know, floor cleaning, He's not going to say no to that. He's to be fine with that.
00:16:42
Irelynn Zurflueh
Or if the toilets, if somebody had used the toilets and the bathroom has them splash up on the mirror, you know, we don't want somebody to move in necessarily to quote unquote a dirty house.
00:16:54
Irelynn Zurflueh
But we also don't know that it is dirty if you don't say something in the application. yeah So that's one thing that people don't explain or help applicants with.
00:17:06
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I think that when they move in, their set of expectations is of one thing, and then they get disappointed because it's not
Importance of Asking Questions
00:17:15
Irelynn Zurflueh
met. Absolutely. And I think a lot of times...
00:17:18
Irelynn Zurflueh
it can It can feel very hard and it can feel very jaded and that's obviously because everyone's different and it's all legal contracts and it's a lot of money. So anyone's going to feel that type of way. But usually asking the question does result in positive answers, even if it's just clarification.
00:17:36
Irelynn Zurflueh
i have a lot of people they want to know about our lease and i can send them a sample copy. But if you don't ask, you're not going to get that sample copy. You're just going to get the lease that you need to sign when it's ready to move in. So even just asking questions about how do i pay or what's the lease or would they be open to cleaning these carpets, asking those things before ah anyone's asking to put money down or before anyone is telling you that you have to move in helps relieve a little bit of that stress and that pressure that can come with.
Virtual Showings for Out-of-State Movers
00:18:08
Irelynn Zurflueh
signing a contract. So, and I also think, and I've been doing this for over 30 years. I really have not heard a stupid question from an applicant. I really haven't because we understand that this is all new for you. We've been doing this daily. So, i mean, obviously this is second nature, you know, the leases, the contract, the money, the security deposit, yada, yada, yada.
00:18:31
Irelynn Zurflueh
But we understand that you may have never rented a property. And there's a question out there that you have that we're never going to think is stupid.
00:18:42
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. We'll just answer it. We'll be like, yeah, that this is the answer to that question. Do you have any other questions? and And they might have something else that, you know, we've said a lot. We know a lot. It's kind of common sense for us, but we never...
00:18:55
Irelynn Zurflueh
judge the person on the other line because we know that they may have never done this in the past. Absolutely. And if you are transferring from out of state because Nevada is growing all the time and we get applications from people who aren't able to view it in person,
00:19:11
Irelynn Zurflueh
do not or how do I say this? Make your person, whoever shows that to you, whether it's a family member or professional or whoever who's doing that showing for you, make them turn on the sinks and make them turn on the ceiling fans and make them open every single closet and every single drawer.
00:19:27
Irelynn Zurflueh
If you have to do a virtual showing, um really just just make them, give them that extra work and then send them a coffee or tell them thanks or you know, You know, just make sure that if you are coming from out of town because that is what happens and you want to make sure the property is great, do a virtual showing and then ask them to open the blinds and ask them to turn all the lights and ask them to stick their head in the fridge to feel if it's cool or not. And they'll happily do that because nobody wants anyone to move into property that they Don't love. Right. Because you're already moving, which is already stressful.
00:20:00
Irelynn Zurflueh
So nobody wants you to move into a property that has problems right away. So if that was determined when they put the head in the refrigerator and it was warm, then that can get fixed before the individual comes in to to move into the property.
Secrets of Successful Renting
00:20:15
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah, I agree 100%.
00:20:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
So just kind of a quick recap on our four secrets. One, start your search no earlier than 30 days, because if you find the right one, it's probably not going to be there with your timing. yeah So as Ireland says, timing is everything.
00:20:33
Irelynn Zurflueh
Number two, treat your application like a resume. Do not, I liked when Ireland said blank is bad. Do not leave anything blank.
00:20:44
Irelynn Zurflueh
Put it in there and then be transparent and honest, right? yeah You do not want to start a relationship with any kind of deceit. By the way, The owner or the management company, they're going to find out if you have a dog or a cat. So don't try and lie to them about it.
00:21:00
Irelynn Zurflueh
And they are going to find out. Half the time it's like a neighbor or like someone. It's not even like the landlord or the owner. It's like a third party that's narcing on you. Exactly. So it's not even like it's not even in their control. Just be honest, right? Be honest. And then that way you don't have to worry about hiding any of that.
00:21:18
Irelynn Zurflueh
Let that little family friend be part of your family. Put it on there. And then the last is, you know, get ready to move fast. Because like we said, Southern Nevada, good rentals go fast. So you want to make sure everything is prepared ah even before you start the application.
00:21:35
Irelynn Zurflueh
And then I'll let you do the last question. And then just make sure you ask your questions. Don't be afraid to speak up. Don't be afraid to submit requests. It's better to submit those requests and get those answers before you get approved than it is to be in the house with the keys and not getting those questions asked. So make sure that you don't don't be afraid to speak up for yourself and your questions.
00:21:56
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yep. Well, that is our podcast today. I hope that you have enjoyed it. If you have, please remember remember remember to subscribe if there is, or to share it. If you've got somebody that might be going out there to look for a rental ah in any state, these four things are are pretty good secrets to give to anyone.
00:22:16
Irelynn Zurflueh
And then if there's anything that you want Ireland and I to talk about, ah We are open to suggestions. We always want to give you the information that you guys want. And again, I'm Jenny McKenna and you are? I'm Ireland and we're just keeping it real with you guys. Absolutely. See you next week.