Our monthly training and networking event will be held on the first Monday of the month. You can be sure of great conversation and small group discussion about landlord-tenant law.
The SWCLA Meets at the Southbridge Community Center fka Casaubon Senior Center
As we enter the spring rental market, it’s time to remind ourselves of the importance of careful tenant selection to our bottom line. In this month’s meeting we’ll be covering tenant screening with three in-depth looks from three sets of speakers. The first two segments will be “how” and the third will be “what” to look for.
Part I: Tenant Screening Refresher
We’ll start by reviewing the list of protected classes and equal housing opportunity laws. Yes, you can reject the rental application of someone who’s a member of a protected class. But no, you can’t do so because of their being in that protected class. We’ll cover federal and state protected classes, steering, and testing. We’ll make sure everyone leaves the room understanding their obligations to ensure equal housing opportunity for all.
We’ll then cover the “big three” tenant screening checks that landlords can pay for. These are in addition to the detective work we can do on our own. We’ll explain how credit scores work, one easy source of criminal data, and one free way to check eviction records.
This part of the presentation will be given by MassLandlords staff.
Part II: Criminal Records In-Depth
Criminal records have become both under-utilized and overly harsh in screening out rental applicants. We’ll explain which kinds of data sources exist, what the data tells us or doesn’t tell us about an applicant, and why we need to review criminal records on a case-by-case basis. Arrests and misdemeanors may not be housing relevant.
This part of the presentation will be a moderated discussion between staff and Jeremy Durrin, president of Background Examine.
Part III: Landlord Q&A on Screening
We’ll be putting three regular audience members in front of the room to discuss what they look for once they have a credit, criminal, and eviction history. We’ll also be asking them about checking income, references, cosigners, residence history, and many other factors.
Jeremy Durrin, BackgroundExamine.comLandlord Q&A on Screening
Have you seen our Charles River volunteer website? Market data available on rent levels for Waltham and surrounding areas. We encourage you to also take the poll on your current views of the rental market. Use the “Contact Us” form to request a login at crrha.org
MassLandlords offers attendees of directly managed events a “No Sales Pitch” guarantee. If a guest speaker offers services, their presentation will not discuss pricing, promotions, or reasons why you should hire them. We do not permit speakers to pay for or sponsor events. Guest speakers are chosen for their expertise and willingness to present helpful educational content. Your purchase of an event ticket sustains our nonprofit model.
Wednesday, April 3rd
Charles River Meeting Agenda
6:00pm Sign-in/Networking
Networking draws from Waltham, Newton, Weston, Watertown, Wellesley, Wellesley Hills, Lincoln, Dover, Arlington, Belmont, and the western ends of Cambridge and Boston.
6:10pm Pizza and sodas provided
6:40pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update
Member Minutes – Any member can have the mic for 60 seconds (introduce yourself, ask a question, share words of wisdom, etc.)
7:00pm Tenant Screening Refresher
7:25pm Criminal Screening Discussion with Jeremy Durrin
7:45pm Whole Room Discussion including Expert Landlord Q&A
Public parking lot behind Village Bank near corner of Adams and Watertown Streets (<0.1 miles).
Public parking lot at Bridge St and Linwood Ave (0.2 miles).
Food
Pizza
Soda, Water
Please feel free to bring a dinner that meets your dietary goals/restrictions
Pricing
Open to the public. Membership is not required! Seating is limited to 25. If tickets are active, seats are available. This location credit card and check only.
MassLandlords staff and volunteers will be offering free window screen repairs at the City of Worcester’s Health and Housing on the Hill Block Party! Window screen repairs are first-come, first-served while supplies last. You do not need to be a resident of the Union Hill neighborhood to participate. This event is rain or shine.
We will be patching and/or completely re-splining old window screens of most common sizes. Bring as many as you want!
Landlords are required by the state sanitary code to provide window screens from April 1st to October 30th of each year. Window screens are a critical public health requirement to prevent to spread of zika, west nile virus, malaria, and yellow fever.
Health and Housing on the Hill Block Party
Saturday, April 6th
Fair Hours
12pm Party Starts
The MassLandlords tent will be on the south end of the fair.
Short presentations on how to be a landlord and renter rights and responsibilities
We’ve changed this meeting from “Bubble and Ad Roast” to suit speaker availability and member interest.
Part I: Technology Tips
We’re going to start with two brief member presentations on software and washing machines. We have a new piece of software you may want to know about. We’re also going to be reviewing the latest hardware you should know about if you have a washing machine or hookups in your units.
Part II: Main Presentation: Emotional Support Animals
We’ve reordered this meeting to address a topic that has immediate implications for a lot of owners and managers: the rise of the $80 emotional support animal. We want to start by explaining the legitimate use cases for emotional support animals, cover the discrimination law that protects these use cases, and talk about the practical implications of a public policy where disabilities remain secret. Are they unverifiable? No, and we’ll be covering the “verification of disability” process that owners and managers should follow. Learn to fairly differentiate between legitimate emotional support animals and fake ones.
This part of the presentation will be given by Attorney Carl Lindley, Jr. Attorney Lindley is a partner at Farber and Lindley, LLC. He has been practicing law in Massachusetts for 14 years and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court and United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is also a landlord in Worcester County, a licensed real estate broker and licensed to complete moderate risk de-leading on his own properties.
Member Tech Tips: Software and W/D HookupsEmotional Support Animals with Attorney Carl Lindley, Jr.
Have you seen our Leave Stuff, Take Stuff Table?
Market your business, pick up handouts, give away an old doorknob. Everything goes on our first-come, first-served display table at all our events. Please bring business cards, brochures, coupons. And feel free to pick up your own uncollected marketing materials at the end. Everything not claimed end-of-event may be chucked.
“No Sales Pitch” Guarantee
MassLandlords offers attendees of directly managed events a “No Sales Pitch” guarantee. If a guest speaker offers services, their presentation will not discuss pricing, promotions, or reasons why you should hire them. We do not permit speakers to pay for or sponsor events. Guest speakers are chosen for their expertise and willingness to present helpful educational content. Your purchase of an event ticket sustains our nonprofit model.
Wednesday, April 10th
Meeting Agenda
5:30pm Sign-in/Networking
Networking draws from Worcester, Shrewsbury, Millbury, Auburn, Leicester, Paxton, Holden, West Boylston, Boylston, Grafton, Upton, Northbridge, Sutton, Oxford, Charlton, Spencer, Oakham, Rutland, Princeton, Clinton, and Sterling.
6:15pm Buffet Dinner by The Vintage Grille
6:40pm MassLandlords Business Update and Member Minutes
Member Minutes – Any member can have the mic for 60 seconds (introduce yourself, ask a question, share words of wisdom, etc.)
There is ample free parking in the first lot you see, in the covered garage to your left, on top of the garage (entrance further down road), and around the back of the school
Food
Cheese and crackers, sodas, water, coffee, decaf
Hot buffet dinner, incl. salad, rolls
Cookies, brownies, and/or blondies
*Dietary restrictions: purchase an early-bird ticket and email hello@masslandlords.net, we will accommodate you.
Pricing
Open to the public. Membership is not required!
Door:
Public: $24
Members: $19
Early-bird, reserve seven days prior by 12pm:
Public: $22
Members: $14
Premium Members: No charge and no need to register
Extra Credit
First time attendees: Join as a member before leaving the event, your public ticket will be credited toward membership.
Members: Bring a first-time attendee who joins at the event, your membership will be extended by one month free. No limit.
This event is operated by MassLandlords staff. Check in with your MassLandlords ID card.
Author of THE LANDLORD’S SURVIVAL GUIDE and THE LANDLORD’S KIT, the bestselling book nationwide on the subject of property management. Founder of the MRLANDLORD.COM website, that has over 1,000,000 page views every month, and the most visited Q & A Forum on the Internet by rental property owners where answers and tips are provided by fellow rental owners across North America, professional property managers, CPAs, and real estate attorneys.
Chief Executive Officer of MR. LANDLORD, INC. – A national property management consulting firm that provides coaching tips to over 100,000 landlords annually and assisting owners with 1 to 1,000 rental units. President of Home Rental Publishing – #1 national provider of information and resources for the small rental owner. Home Rental Publishing annually writes and publishes numerous books, reports, home-study courses and publications for rental owners.
Editor of MR LANDLORD, the largest circulated real estate newsletter in the country for over 25 years. Rental Property Owner – He and his wife have acquired and manage rental properties ranging from single family to apartment communities for over 25 years and have been married for 30 years with two sons whom God has blessed them with.
Graduate of UCLA, Masters degree work in Communications and has an Honorary Masters Degree in Real Estate Investing. Trainer for a property management company while holding his real estate license, Jeffrey conducts seminars and classes on property management across the nation.
Author of a dozen publications, books and reports on various aspects of property management. Jeffrey has written over 1,200 published articles on the subject of property management. He also provides articles for over 100 association newsletters. (Email editor@mrlandlord.com if your group is interested in receiving a FREE monthly email newsletter.)
Jeffrey’s been interviewed on numerous talk radio and TV shows across the country and he’s been quoted in hundreds of publications, newspapers, and magazines including: appearing several times on CNN, quoted on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Smart Money, Personal Finance Magazine, Real Estate Journal, Business Week Magazine, and The New York Times.
Conducted over 1,000 seminars and workshops and he’s assisted thousands of landlords nationwide in increasing their monthly Cash flow and Resident Retention.
In addition to speaking to real estate investor and apartment/landlord associations, Jeffrey has been requested to speak at major conferences and conventions featuring instructors such as Robert Allen, Brian Tracy, Albert Lowry, Carlton Sheets, John Schaub, Ron LeGrand, Jim Napier, and Jack Miller.
Jeffrey is a consummate researcher and shares the latest management ideas and solutions from rental owners and managers across the country each year in order to help landlords achieve maximum control of their properties, maximum rental income, maximum resident retention and cooperation and to simply make the most of the assets that God has given you!
Our Events are Held at Monty Tech
Thursday, April 11thth
NWCLA Meeting Agenda
Visit nwcla.com for any last-minute updates or changes.
6:45pm Dinner and Networking
Networking draws from 25 towns including Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Athol, Holden, Ayer, Orange, Ashburnham, Spencer, Ashby, Lunenburg, Townsend, Westminster, Princeton, Sterling, Lancaster, Shirley, Groton, Pepperell, Winchedon, Templeton, and Hubbardston.
There is ample free parking beside the school. Do not park along the fence where the busses park. Do not park in any of the handicap spots unless you have the proper handicap parking sticker.
Food
Dinner by Happy Jack’s Cantina Grille from N. Main St. in Leominster.
Pricing
Membership not required! Open to the public.
Early-bird ends seven days prior @ 12pm:
Public and Members other than NWCLA: $15
MassLandlords.net/NWCLA members: pay annual dues, then free
After Early bird or at the door:
Public and Members other than NWCLA: $20
MassLandlords.net/NWCLA members: pay annual dues, then free
Technology can save time, reduce risk, and earn higher rents by shutting off the water, giving renters keyless entry, and keeping vandals away all without us having to be there. Come see what easy and affordable steps you can take to modernize your operations, save time, and get a higher return on your investment.
Key use-cases we will be considering:
Rekeying
Streamlining access for tenants and contractors / repairs
Controlling / Reducing utility expenses
Freeze protection
Security
We will be going over smart thermostats, water leak detection and shutoff, smart locks, door and window sensors, and video monitoring.
This part of the presentation will be given by Charles Hadsell, MassLandlords member and CEO at ePropertyCare.
ePropertyCare, Charles Hadsell presentingThe Kwikset Kevo 2nd generation smart lock available at Lowe’s
Market your business, pick up handouts, give away an old doorknob. Everything goes on our first-come, first-served display table at all our events. Please bring business cards, brochures, coupons. And feel free to pick up your own uncollected marketing materials at the end. Everything not claimed end-of-night may be chucked.
“No Sales Pitch” Guarantee
MassLandlords offers attendees of directly managed events a “No Sales Pitch” guarantee. If a guest speaker offers services, their presentation will not discuss pricing, promotions, or reasons why you should hire them. We do not permit speakers to pay for or sponsor events. Guest speakers are chosen for their expertise and willingness to present helpful educational content. Your purchase of an event ticket sustains our nonprofit model.
Tuesday, April 16th
Cambridge Meeting Agenda
5:30pm Sign-in and Networking
Networking draws from Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, and Malden.
6:00pm Buffet Dinner
6:40pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update
Member Minutes – Any member can have the mic for 60 seconds (introduce yourself, ask a question, share words of wisdom, etc.)
ID required Upon entering One Broadway, you will need to check in with the lobby security. You’ll just need to show your ID and let them know you’re going to the MassLandlords event in the 5th floor Venture Cafe.
Accessing from the T
Exit the Kendall T stop on Main St.
Cross to the northeast side of Main St. with the Marriott and Chipotle and walk down the street away from Cambridge towards the Longfellow Bridge to Boston.
Cross through the plaza with the five-foot high metal globe; One Broadway is the building undergoing construction across the next street.
Cross over Broadway to arrive at One Broadway.
Parking
Just $10 at Pilgrim Parking, enter after 4pm, a two-minute walk from One Broadway, click here for details. Be careful, some garages are $30. Accessible by T (red line Kendall Square) and highway. For additional parking options see CIC Directions.
Food
Buffet, incl. salad and rolls
Water, sodas
Cookies
*Dietary restrictions: purchase an early-bird ticket and email hello@masslandlords.net, we will accommodate you.
Pricing
Open to the public. Membership is not required!
Door:
Public: $24
Members: $19
Early-bird, reserve seven days prior by 12pm:
Public: $22
Members: $14
Nametags are printed for early-bird public, early-bird member, and premium members only.
Extra Credit
First time attendees: Join as a member before leaving the event, your public ticket will be credited toward membership.
Members: Bring a first-time attendee who joins at the event, your membership will be extended by one month free. No limit.
