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Pet Screening: Why It is So Important Not to Skip This Step

Pet Screening: Why It is So Important Not to Skip This Step Published February 20, 2020 Updated March 5, 2024 Smart landlords know that it's a bad idea to place a resident in your rental property without a thorough screening process. Did you know you should do the same thing for pets? Deciding to allow pets...

Payment Plans for Struggling Residents | Seattle Property Management Tips

Payment Plans for Struggling Residents | Seattle Property Management Tips Updated May 2, 2022. As a Seattle property management professional, we always recommend that property investors set the rental rate for their Seattle rental properties based on their unique rental analysis results. As as provider of the best...

What to Do If Residents Can't Pay Rent | Seattle Property Management Tips

What to Do If Residents Can't Pay Rent | Seattle Property Management Tips Updated May 2, 2022. If you haven't seen it yet yourself, property owners could soon experience residents struggling to pay the rent. With the current COVID-19 crisis, the state of the economy is making it hard for many people to keep their jobs and...

Seattle's Winter Eviction Ban: Seattle Apartment Managers Weigh In

Seattle's Winter Eviction Ban: Seattle Apartment Managers Weigh In Have you heard about the new winter eviction moratorium? The Seattle City Council recently passed a new law that prohibits most evictions from taking place between December 1 through March 1, despite the availability of alternative methods like...

Renting to Millennials in Seattle Is Easier Than You Might Think!

Renting to Millennials in Seattle Is Easier Than You Might Think! Is your rental property ready? Millennials are flocking to Seattle in droves—and they need places to live. According to Business Insider, Seattle is the second most popular city where millennials chose to move in 2019. The city grew by about 8,000...

Seattle's "first-come, first-served" Rental Law Rejected by Judge

Seattle's "first-come, first-served" Rental Law Rejected by Judge Judge rejects Seattle’s ‘first-come, first-served’ rental law as unconstitutional Choosing a tenant “is a fundamental attribute of property ownership,” King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien said in a written ruling. Share story Seattle’s...

Get Ready for Higher Property Taxes in King County

Get Ready for Higher Property Taxes in King County The largest property-tax increase in King County in modern history is about to go into effect:

The Seattle Rental Market – A Look Back and Forward to 2018

As we enter our 28th year in business and look forward to a new year, we certainly want to recognize and thank our owners for the opportunity to manage your properties. At last count, we have over 900 owners and ownership groups who entrust us to...

Americans Moving Less

Americans Moving Less Though you wouldn't know it based on the influx of new residents and construction of high-rise apartment buildings in Seattle, as a country, we are moving less frequently, according to this article in The Seattle Times:

How the GOP Tax Cut Affects Homeowners

How the GOP Tax Cut Affects Homeowners According to this article in Business Insider, both the House and Senate versions of the GOP tax cut will eliminate one of the biggest tax benefits for homeowners.

New Regulations for Short-Term Seattle Rentals

New Regulations for Short-Term Seattle Rentals In addition to the new Airbnb and other short-term rental taxes voted on by the City Council last month, there will now be new regulations that will limit the number of units that can be offered and will require a license to operate.

Toys for Tots at RPA

Toys for Tots at RPA Once again RPA is proud to sponsor #ToysforTots this holiday season! If you would like to participate, please bring an unwrapped (new) toy to our Roosevelt office and drop it in our donation box during business hours. (7500 Roosevelt Way NE; Monday...

Find a Home, Become a Star!

Find a Home, Become a Star! If you, or someone you know, will be looking for a home to rent in Seattle in early 2018, check out this opportunity to be a part of a new house-hunting reality-TV series. According to the president of the Casting Firm, "It’s a feel-good show that...

New Tax for Airbnb Rentals

New Tax for Airbnb Rentals On Monday, the Seattle City Council voted in favor of a per-night tax on short-term rental properties, such as Airbnb units, according to this Seattle Times article. This new tax is a part of the Council's effort to alleviate Seattle's housing...

Another Seattle Landlord Tenant Regulation is Proposed

Another Seattle Landlord Tenant Regulation is Proposed

A second group has sued the city of Seattle over their new Tenant Ordinance

A second group has sued the city of Seattle over their new Tenant Ordinance As a Seattle area property management company, we have heard many threats from landlords who are "up in arms" about the new cap on move-in fees. This article talks about this landlord group and the lawsuit against the city to overturn the ordinance....

First Lawsuit for the New First In Time Ordinance Seattle

The Seattle Times reports the first lawsuit to Seattle's new landlord / tenant ordinance. We have heard rumors of several more to follow from other individuals and organizations. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out:

Preventative Rental Property Maintenance Advice for Your Seattle Home

Preventative Rental Property Maintenance Advice for Your Seattle Home Maintaining your rental property effectively will help you preserve its condition and increase your ROI. It will also keep your tenants happy, because they want to live in a home that is well-maintained and safe. Instead of reacting to every...

Getting Your House Ready to Rent to a Tenant | A Seattle Property Management How To

Getting Your House Ready to Rent to a Tenant | A Seattle Property Management How To If you’re an investor buying a home specifically for this purpose, getting your house ready to rent is pretty easy. However, if you have been living in the property and you’re now turning it into a rental property, preparing your home for a tenant...

Seattle is #1 Housing Market - Once Again

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/seattle-chugs-along-as-americas-hottest-home-market-despite-slowing-a-bit/ As written in the Seattle Times: Even as local home-price gains slowed for the fourth straight month, the region still had...

Rental Marketing How To – Seattle Property Management Advice

Rental Marketing How To – Seattle Property Management Advice Rental advertising has evolved from placing nickel ads in the classified section of local newspapers to major marketing campaigns on a variety of platforms, including websites and social media. This is a critical part of finding a good tenant and...

Best Rental Improvements for Top Dollar Rent in Seattle

Best Rental Improvements for Top Dollar Rent in Seattle To earn top rent in the Seattle market, you need to provide a property that’s desirable and modern. While there’s no need to completely remodel your property, you should make a few key improvements that will make a huge difference in attracting and...

How to Price Your Rental – Tips from a Seattle Property Management Company

How to Price Your Rental – Tips from a Seattle Property Management Company

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know's for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property

Seattle property management companies and landlords need to follow a series of specific steps when performing a residential eviction in Washington. Brian Read, an experienced landlord and tenant attorney who has worked with RPA for several years,...

Someone found some humor in the Seattle rental market

Someone found some humor in the Seattle rental market THE SEATTLE TIMES BENJAMIN WOODARD ‘Sweet deal’: Ad for $2,000-a-month gingerbread house in Central District is the satire we all need right now For rent: a “HUGE micro house” with an “efficient floor plan” of about 1 square foot. But be warned, you...

Seattle Property Management News: What is the New “First in Time” Ordinance?

Seattle Property Management News: What is the New “First in Time” Ordinance? An important update that will soon affect landlords, property managers and owners of rental property located inside the Seattle city limits. Recently, the Seattle city council voted for and adopted some new ordinances that will affect landlords,...

Seattle's Rental Law and Unintended Consequences -- as reported by The Seattle Times

Seattle's Rental Law and Unintended Consequences -- as reported by The Seattle Times The first-come, first served renter's law has the best of intentions. But sometimes interventions in the economy can go wrong. By Jon Talton,.

As housing costs soar, Seattle becomes nation’s top roommate city -- as reported by The Seattle Times

As housing costs soar, Seattle becomes nation’s top roommate city -- as reported by The Seattle Times As living solo becomes more expensive, finding a roommate is essential for many city residents. Seattle now ranks No. 1 in the percentage of people living with an unrelated adult. By Gene Balk for The Seattle Times, gbalk@seattletimes.com.

Kshama Sawant’s Cap on Move-In Fees Gets One Step Closer to Full Council Vote - as reported The Stranger

Kshama Sawant’s Cap on Move-In Fees Gets One Step Closer to Full Council Vote - as reported The Stranger by Heidi Groover for The Stranger Over the objections of landlords who claim Seattle is burdening them with over regulation, a majority of the Seattle City Council sided with renters today and voted in favor of a proposal to limit move-in fees.

Most Home Buyers Keep Their Options Open, Consider Renting Instead -- as reported by Puget Sound Business Journal

Most Home Buyers Keep Their Options Open, Consider Renting Instead -- as reported by Puget Sound Business Journal SEATTLE, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's competitive housing market, most of those who moved recently considered both buying and renting while looking for a new place to live, according to the Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends.

Seattle Energy Benchmarking & Reporting

Seattle Energy Benchmarking & Reporting All mid-size to large apartment and commercial buildings in the city of Seattle are required to report energy consumption. If you do not report this information annually, you will be subject to a fine. One of the positive things that this does is...

Proposed Zoning Changes for the University District

Proposed Zoning Changes for the University District RPA has several buildings that we manage within the newly proposed density overlay as discussed in today's Seattle Times article. If passed, it will be interesting to see how quickly properties become assembled, proposed, permitted and constructed....

Washington Landlord Tenant Law 2016 Update | Property Management in Seattle

Washington Landlord Tenant Law 2016 Update | Property Management in Seattle Staying up to date on developments that affect property management in Seattle is one of the things we do best, so today we are talking about an important legal change that local landlords need to be aware of. Effective June 9, 2016, the state of...

City of Seattle Vs Airbnb - the future of short term stay rentals in Seattle is on the line

Over the last few years, all of us who are in the Seattle property management business have seen the proliferation of short term stay rentals increase through websites such as Airbnb. A recent study suggested that the number of active Airbnb rentals...

What is Renter’s Insurance? Seattle Property Management Education

What is Renter’s Insurance? Seattle Property Management Education Everybody has heard of the term “renter’s insurance,” but not everyone knows what it is and what it covers. We’ve invited Andrew Cowan with FirstMark Insurance to talk to us about how it can benefit both tenants and landlords in Seattle.

Landlord Insurance Policy vs. Homeowner’s Insurance Policy – Seattle, WA Professional Explains

Landlord Insurance Policy vs. Homeowner’s Insurance Policy – Seattle, WA Professional Explains A lot of our clients have previously lived in the homes they are renting out, and when you go from being an occupant to a landlord, there are several changes that occur. Insurance is one of those changes. We are joined today by Andrew Cowen with...

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property Seattle property management companies and landlords need to follow a series of specific steps when performing a residential eviction in Washington. Brian Read, an experienced landlord and tenant attorney who has worked with RPA for several years,...

Advancements in Technology for Property Management in Seattle, WA – Landlord Education

Advancements in Technology for Property Management in Seattle, WA – Landlord Education At Real Property Associates, we have been providing property management services to Seattle, Everett, Bellevue and all the cities and neighborhoods in between for 25 years. We’re taking a look back at how our industry once looked and all the ways...

Seattle Rents = 50% of San Francisco Median Rents

Seattle Rents = 50% of San Francisco Median Rents THE ZUMPER BLOG Zumper National Rent Report: March 2016 San Francisco, CA rent prices increased 2.6% this February to reach a median one bedroom of $3,590. Though up, rates remain below the peak of $3,670 seen last October. San Francisco maintains...

Jay Young speaks about RPA Property Management

Jay Young speaks about RPA Property Management

Why Hire a Property Manager

Why Hire a Property Manager

As elsewhere - RPA sees a lack of housing inventory a game changer

As elsewhere - RPA sees a lack of housing inventory a game changer For February - Depleted inventory is contributing to "overwhelming" traffic at open houses, shifts in strategies for both buyers and sellers, and escalating prices, according to officials with the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Roosevelt comes in as #10 in forecast of Nation's hottest RE neighborhoods.

Roosevelt comes in as #10 in forecast of Nation's hottest RE neighborhoods. Redfin (www.redfin.com), the next-generation real estate brokerage, today announced its annual list of neighborhoods across the country it predicts will be the hottest this year, topped by Ukrainian Village in Chicago. To rank the neighborhoods that...

Opponents decry proposed 12-story Pioneer Square tower

Opponents decry proposed 12-story Pioneer Square tower THE SEATTLE TIMES DANIEL BEEKMAN

RPA is leasing many properties for Chinese buyers - As reported in the Times

With volatility and devaluation at home, Chinese investors have become the No. 1 foreign purchasers of U.S. real estate, and interest in the Seattle area is said to be running high.

Will easing the rules for backyard cottages help or hurt Seattle livability?

Will easing the rules for backyard cottages help or hurt Seattle livability? Changing the owner-occupancy requirement for backyard cottages could create a loophole for developers to tear down houses and essentially build multifamily housing structures in single-family zones. Share story FOR decades, Seattle has pursued many...

Rents surge, but a record number of new units may slow future hikes

https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2025341798_rentsq4xml.html By Sanjay Bhatt Seattle Times business reporter The region’s runaway rent growth could ease somewhat in 2015, as developers open thousands of new apartments, according to a...

Rising rents, rising towers push out tenants of modest means

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rising-rents-rising-towers-push-out-tenants-of-modest-means/

Wall Street buyers snap up thousands of local homes for rentals

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/wall-street-buyers-snap-up-thousands-of-local-homes-for-rentals/ By Sanjay Bhatt Seattle Times business reporter Last April, amid the region’s tightest housing supply in a decade, a Wall Street-backed company...

Seattle-area apartment rents may stabilize, even dip in 2014

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattle-area-apartment-rents-may-stabilize-even-dip-in-2014/ After steep increases in 2013, rents should stay level or even decline this year as the market softens, a new report suggests.
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