Mark Tschetter

Companion animals are also known as emotional support animals or therapeutic animals.  Companion animals are a form of assistive animal under fair housing laws.  As a form of assistive animal, there is no difference between a companion animal and a service animal.  Recently the number of companion animal requests are going through the roof.  It … Companion Animals Not Always A Companion Animal

Abandonment is a timeless issue.  Clients never stop asking about it since abandonment scenarios happen regularly.  Because failure to follow abandonment best practices can cost you thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars, this month we want to reinforce everything you need to know about abandonment. In layman’s terms, abandonment means that the tenant … Abandonment

Does credit reporting significantly increase collections? Credit reporting does benefit collections, but its overall impact is not well documented.  Credit reporting’s impact on collections is more anecdotal (somebody wanted to buy a house so we got paid), and probably grossly overestimated.  Most collection agencies report to the credit bureaus. If credit reporting magically collected money, … Why Is Credit Reporting Important?

What is a collection rate, or collection percentage? Almost, without exception, all rental debt is collected on a contingency percentage, also known as a collection rate, or collection percentage.  You pay nothing if no money is collected.  If an agency is successful in collecting money, the agency’s fee is a percentage of the amount collected.  … Common Questions About Collecting Rental Debt

What is the most important issue about a collection agreement? The term of the agreement.  Everyone in this business knows you’re only as good as last month’s performance.  For this reason all vendor contracts can be cancelled, without cause, upon thirty days notice.  Most collection agency agreements contain this provision.  Yet, many collection agreements contain … What You Need To Know About Collection Agencies

Lease related legal costs are driven by the amount of attorney time involved.  Lease work is not rocket science, but it is time-consuming and tedious work.  Sometimes clients forget the time-consuming nature of lease work.  This can cause unrealistic expectations about lease review and drafting.  For example, clients want a lease review, but don’t want us … Lease-Related Legal Costs

Frequently, landlords and managers have just enough information to be dangerous.  One of the most dangerous statements in the business is the “I heard that under Colorado law I do not need a reason to non-renew a tenant”.  Is this a true statement? Yes, under Colorado landlord tenant law, you do not need a reason … You Do Need A Legitimate Non-Discriminatory Reason For Non-Renewing A Tenant

You run a no-pet community.  Can the guest of a non-disabled tenant bring a companion animal onto your property?  Unfortunately, the law is not clear on this issue.  Under fair housing laws, only disabled residents and prospects are entitled to make requests for reasonable accommodations.  A guest is not a tenant, and therefore not entitled … Companion Animals of Guests

Landlord tenant litigation often involves small sums of money.  We are not saying $500 is chump change, but in litigation world it is not a significant amount.  One of the reasons $500 is not considered to be a significant amount is because of attorney’s fees.  Attorneys charge by the hour, and at today’s rates, $500 … Attorneys Fees Frequently Factor the Most in Landlord Tenant Litigation

One reason a landlord can serve a Notice to Quit for Substantial Violation is when a tenant’s conduct “endangers the person of another”.  The short definition of a substantial violation is any act that occurs on or near the property and endangers either a person or property.  Endangerment does not necessarily require actual physical harm.  The … Assessing Whether Tenant Threats Qualify For Eviction