Read the exact newsletter that  was emailed

In This Issue:

• Letter from the Executive Director
• Help, there's a bat in my apartment!
• Use iCORI to Check Criminal Records
• What if a Tenant Refuses to Provide a Social Security Number?
• New Premium Content on MassLandlords.net
• Blog Articles You May Have Missed
• New Google Group for State-Wide Discussions
• Deodorize trash cans with vinegar
• Screen doors are required by law?
• How to Verify Child Support in an Application
• Remember to Register for our Summer BBQ

Letter from the Executive Director

The summer is historically a slow time for landlord group activity. Many of our volunteers take a break for vacation and travel. A few of us, however, have been busy.

Back in June I hinted at the exciting possibility that a well organized landlord group would be joining us on MassLandlords.net. Well, word has got around. We're currently having serious conversations with three different groups. Nothing is finalized anywhere, so we're not divulging details. But you can get a sense of the possibilities on our new interactive map. Just hover the mouse around. How much more could we accomplish if we were all working together? I think we're up to the challenge.

We're also exploring some new, high quality, low cost services. One of the early results of our research was a blog article written about tenant screening, for instance. It highlights the costs and challenges for small property owners. You can find that linked below. We may be able to do better.

Please plan to attend our summer barbecue at the Worcester Art , August 13, 6:00pm. As it turns out, this is the 30th year in a row there has been a barbecue in Worcester. This year's event will be our classiest, "best value" event ever. If you can make the trip to Worcester, it'll be worth it, I promise.

As always, if you see an opportunity that we're missing, let me know about it. Call my cell directly, 617-285-7255.

Sincerely,
Doug Quattrochi
Executive Director
MassLandlords.net

Help, there's a bat in my apartment!

Bats are one of those problems that rank high in the "dissatisfied customer" column. They always show up just when the tenant is sitting down in their pajamas to watch their favorite evening show with their cat. No matter whether the bat is flying or just swiveling its head from a window moulding, the moment it's seen there's a late-night panic, guaranteed.

If you're the "first responder," tell the tenant the following:

• This bat is as harmless and scared as you.
• Open a window, slide the screen away, and point a fan on high blowing out the window.
• Turn off the lights to reduce the bat's panic level.
• As long as the bat keeps flying, it will eventually locate the "cave exit" and leave.
• Bats are almost always harmless. Very rarely they may host the rabies virus. They are also believed to be the reservoir species for ebola in
• Africa. If you violently stop a bat mid-flight (e.g., tennis racket) you will aerosolize its saliva. You might as well have kissed it at point.

Using a tennis racket on a bat is probably illegal anyway. The little brown myotis, indiana myotis, and others are recognized by the Commonwealth as an endangered species. You cannot kill or harm them. Who's to say whether the bat you have is protected?

If you must take action yourself to remove the bat, wear a respirator to protect against saliva and use a frog net or a fish net to trap it mid-flight. Then release it outside, knowing that "release" is a temporary fix.

Older buildings with bat problems require "bat exclusion" to prevent recurrence. You cannot simply trap and release them. Why is this?

By June and July, bats have migrated from southern states into Massachusetts attics. They return to the attic in which they were born to find a mate themselves. They will climb in anywhere they can, including around poorly sealed air conditioners, ill fitting screens, and dime-sized gaps in your soffits and fascia boards. They will return to your attic soon after release and year after year.

A good exclusion job seals all of the tiniest holes all around the roof and attic. The pro's will leave a one-way door for the bats to exit for food, then they'll return to seal up the door.

Don't let your customers be unhappy about bats. Take action to seal inside the apartment yourself, and call the pros to seal the outside.

Use iCORI to Check Criminal Records

Massachusetts criminal information is now available instantly. Some requests (older records mostly?) require manual processing and may take a couple days.

It costs $25 to check criminal records online. You must first register as a private landlord. The process is summarized here:

http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/chsb/quick-reference-guide-submitting-a-request.pdf

Or you can call CORI Services at 617-660-4640.

What if a Tenant Refuses to Provide a Social Security Number?

Q: "If a prospective tenant refuses to provide a social security number, are they here illegally?"

A: "Maybe. Be careful they're not under a student visa or other special circumstance, in which case you want to worry about discrimination. You can ask the tenant to use a screening service that allows them to provide their social directly to the screening agency, or if you use a point scoring system, give them 'zero points' for that portion of their application."

Blog Articles You May Have Missed

Which Tenant Screening Service is Best?

Available at MassLandlords.net/blog.

Excerpt: We spoke with or researched nine agencies... If you’re a small landlord, you should be looking at either Experian or SmartScreen. But neither of those is a complete winner. Why not?

Springfield Landlords Ward Off Inspections?

Available at MassLandlords.net/blog.

Excerpt: The fees will either not cover city costs or not accomplish objectives. The proposed ordinance calls for an up-front $25 fee, $15 per unit per year, and $10 per inspection every four years. In the first four years, that amounts to $95 per inspection.

New Google Group for State-Wide Discussions

Premium members can still use MassLandlords.net/Forum to post questions, but now we're also taking questions via emails at MassLandlords@GoogleGroups.com. Past questions are visible online.

Deodorize trash cans with vinegar

Did you know you can deodorize trash barrels with vinegar and a garden hose? Pour a cup or so of vinegar in, point the hose down, and blast away! Cover your face and make sure you have some place to pour the juice afterward.

Plan the clean-up on trash day so that the barrels are empty for you. If your trash looks like this, though, you might be better off selling the property...

Screen doors are required by law?

Did you know that the state sanitary code requires screen doors?

410.552: Screens for Doors

The owner shall provide a screen door for all doorways opening directly to the outside from any dwelling unit or rooming unit where the screen door will be permitted to slide to the side or open in an outward direction, provided, that in an owner-occupied unit, the owner need provide screens only for those doorways used for ventilation.

This is one of those items you're at risk of being cited for if the Board of Health come in.

How to Verify Child Support in an Application

Q: "A tenant says they get child support. Is that verifiable?"
A: "Yes, have the tenant call 1-800-332-2733 for a letter detailing the terms of the agreement."

Remember to Register for our Summer BBQ

If you plan to come, we need an RSVP in the form of either prepayment, a reply to this email, or a voicemail at 774-314-1896.

Details and online registration are available at http://masslandlords.net/event-list/

 Note About Legal, Tax, or Other Advice:

Although we strive to provide information that is accurate, MassLandlords.net is neither an attorney nor a tax professional. You should always seek the advice of a properly licensed and qualified attorney or tax professional before taking action as a result of anything you read here.