Spring 2022 Newsletter 

Our Reliable Service | Your Peace of Mind

Spotlight on Property Managers: Melissa Walsh

Melissa has been with Maple Leaf Property Management since August 2015. She started as an assistant and soon obtained her real estate license to become a property manager. In 2021, Melissa completed her "covid quarantine goal" of obtaining her managing broker's license. Melissa loves being involved in an industry that's so essential and so relatable to everyone: housing. From the first stages of touring a new home, to helping people move in and taking care of the property, there's always something to learn and satisfaction both from helping people find a place to live and also from maintaining the owner's valuable asset. Melissa also enjoys being involved in different facets of the company, including writing the quarterly newsletter and serving on the board of the recently formed Maple Leaf Foundation.


Melissa grew up in the Northwest (Lake Stevens) and got her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She and her husband spent several years outside of the Seattle area while he was in the Air Force, including time in England. While in England, Melissa had her first experience in property management, working for a government agency that provided housing for senior citizens. Melissa also took advantage of the Air Force years to obtain a master's degree.


Melissa's "weekend gig" is playing the harp with local community orchestras, and she also plays at tons of weddings as a member of the Seattle String Quartet. She loves travel and looks forward to all pandemic restrictions being a thing of the past. In the meantime, she and her husband spend weekends at their youngest daughter's crew regattas, visiting family and spending time with friends.

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Why Use Licensed Vendors?

While we all work through the challenges of the labor shortage, it’s important to remember why we only work with licensed, bonded and insured vendors. It could be tempting to do the work yourself or have a friend help, but if you do, you might end up paying for much more than just the repair. Consider these important reasons to hire licensed vendors.


Financial Protection: Licensed contractors must carry insurance to cover any damage to your property or any injuries caused by the contractor. They must also carry workers’ compensation insurance for their employees.


Access to a Bond: When a contractor is “bonded” this means they have access to a bond to provide payment to a customer in the event of poor workmanship.


Government Requirements Met: Licensed vendors are required to make sure all work is up to state and local building codes.


At Maple Leaf Property Management, we only work with licensed/bonded/insured vendors. We have a lengthy vetting process, including a vendor contract that requires a copy of the license and tax information. We’ve also recently added proof of Covid vaccinations as one of our requirements for the peace of mind of the residents. We continue to require masks for anyone entering a property, regardless of vaccination status.

Rental Housing Terminology 101

Property management comes with myriad rules and regulations that can be difficult to follow. It also comes with its own vocabulary. Intent to rent? Compliance notice? Here are just a few of the more common terms:

Intent to rent: After an application is approved, the intent to rent is signed. This is a legally binding promissory note that spells out the “nuts and bolts” of the lease, such as lease start and end dates, rental amount, and parties to the lease. The intent to rent becomes part of the more detailed full lease, signed after the intent to rent is complete.

Fixed Term Lease: This lease has a definite beginning and end, unlike a month-to-month agreement. A month-to-month agreement does not have a specific end date and automatically renews at the end of each month.

First-in-Time (FIT): This regulation requires housing providers to offer tenancy to the first qualified, completed applicant.

Compliance Notices: A written document required by law to be physically delivered when a tenant violates the terms of the lease. Compliance notices were not allowed during the Covid moratorium and have very specific guidelines for serving.

Just Cause: This regulation requires housing providers to identify a specific reason why they are terminating, or in Seattle, not renewing the lease. Just cause reasons for terminating/not renewing tenancy must be carefully documented and include failure to pay rent, noncompliance with lease, and illegal activity.

Always feel free to reach out to your property manager if there’s a word or phrase you’re unfamiliar with in any of our documents or communication.

Why Is My Property Still Vacant?

The rental market is cyclical. The rental season peaks in late spring and early summer, and fall and winter are traditionally slower. Having a property on the market in the winter--and during another wave of the pandemic--can be discouraging. Here are some things to consider to help attract new tenants. *Rent is too high. If your property goes on the market in January, you might have to "seasonally adjust" the rent amount. There are fewer people looking for new homes in the winter, making it more of a buyer's market. The lower rent amount could just be for the first few months, with a built-in rent increase starting in the spring when the market gets busier. *Curb appeal. When was the last time you painted the exterior of your property? Had the landscaping professionally cleaned? Just like home buyers, home renters want to move into an appealing home. *Undesirable features. While there are some home features that cannot be easily fixed, such as room size or lack of parking, think about refreshing the interior paint and flooring or updating the appliances. It's also worth considering pets. Over 75% of renters in the greater Seattle area have pets. If your property advertises a "no pet" policy, this could deter the vast majority of renters.

It's also important to think about what renters in today’s market are looking for. According to the Rental Housing Journal, the number one amenity is space. Even as Covid restrictions start to ease up, people continue to work from home and will probably continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Designated office areas are a huge perk for many renters. Renters also value in-unit washer/dryer, air conditioning (Seattle’s summers are getting hotter!), soundproof walls, and access to high-speed internet, and they’re often willing to pay more rent for these amenities.

COVID 19 Court Orders - A Refresher Course

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly two years since the first Covid-related rental moratoriums. Since Washington’s first court order on Feb. 29, 2020, there have been multiple extensions and updates at both the state and local level. Most recently, Seattle’s Mayor Harrell extended the city eviction moratorium through Feb. 28th, 2022. It’s also important to remember that a lot of these restrictions have an automatic add-on clause. For example, Seattle bans late fees, interest or any other charges associated with non-payment of rent during and for one year after the Mayor's civil emergency period.

The Rental Housing Association of Washington is an excellent resource for the latest updates on these constantly changing rules. For more details, visit www.rhawa.org/covid-19
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