Fall 2024 Newsletter
Our Reliable Service | Your Peace of Mind
Interested in partnering with Maple Leaf Property Management? Reach out to our Business Director Felicia Kaminker at (206) 618-7576 or felicia@mapleleafmgt.com. If a referral results in a new management contract, we'll send you a referral fee equal to 25% of the leasing fee.
New Law Affecting All Rental Properties Built Prior to 1978
It has long been the law that any painting done at rental properties prior to 1978 had to be performed by lead-paint-certified vendors as there is the potential for lead to be present. That rule has now been widely expanded to include any renovation or repair where lead paint might be disrupted. This includes everything from plumbing where you must open a wall to window replacement to installing a curtain rod. The fines for not using lead-certified vendors are also extreme: $37,500 per violation, per day. At Maple Leaf Property Management, we are taking this rule very seriously and working closely with our vendors to make sure they are certified. Those that decline to obtain certification will no longer be used. Unfortunately, this will also drive up the cost of repairs as the red tape for vendors increases. Please see below for more details regarding this rule.
WAC 365-230-360 Certification of renovation firms.
(1) No firm may perform, offer, or claim to perform renovations for compensation any of the lead-based paint renovation activities described in WAC 365-230-330 without first being certified by the department. All certified firms shall employ only appropriately certified individuals to conduct lead-based paint renovation activities. The firm is responsible for ensuring that its employees follow the work practice requirements for renovation as described in WAC 365-230-330.
Compensation includes:
- Pay for work performed, such as that paid to contractors and subcontractors
- Wages, such as those paid to employees of contractors, building owners, property management companies, child-occupied facility operators, state and local government agencies, and non-profits
- Rent for target housing or public or commercial building space.
“Certified firm” means a company, partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, association, or other business entity that performs lead-based paint activities to which the department has issued a certificate under these rules.
**The RRP Firm certification requirement also applies to general contractors who subcontract out all the work for the project.**
Link to EPA - Answers to Frequent Questions about EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule | US EPA
Maple Leaf Property Management Beats the Industry Average for Retention…By a Lot!
According to statistics found on LinkedIn, the average property manager stays on the job only nine months. The article sites stress and dealing with angry tenants as the number one reason for the high turnover. This is not the case at Maple Leaf Property Management. Many of the property managers have been with the company for over five years or longer. Lee Nichols has been a property manager at Maple Leaf for over ten years; Jill Allen, Jen Webster and Melissa Walsh are close to their 10th anniversary. The administrative side also shows great stability. Our Office Manager Michelle Bannister has been with the company almost from its beginning in 2010. Operations Manager Morgan Rodin just celebrated her 8th year with the company, and Business Development Director Felicia Kaminker has over seven years with the company.
Secret to our success? There are many answers to that question, but the top of the list is the sense of community and support within the company. We’re constantly communicating with each other and offering encouragement. The company also provides monthly “CPME”—continuing property management education. These sessions are in person and give the property managers the ongoing training—and confidence--required to stay up to date with all property management trends and constantly changing laws and regulations.
How was the market?
This past summer saw the usual frenzy of activity in June and July, but a more extreme slowdown in August compared to other years. For example, the average number of days on market for a condo was 25.35 in July but jumped to 43.94 in August. There are many contributing, and by now very familiar, factors affecting the slowdown: seasonality of the market, constant influx of new construction increasing supply, people holding oF on moving until they know more about interest rate changes, etc. So far for September, the slowdown has continued, especially with multi-family units. These statistics are monitored by Showdigs (Showdigs.com), the company we partner with to assist with in-person showings and inspections.
Good News for Evictions in King County
Since the Covid-era eviction moratorium was lifted, the eviction process has been in chaos. The current backlog in King County is around six months, and often longer. Fortunately, King County and the Seattle City Council are taking action to address the situation. Here are the key updates:
- New Hearing Process: Eviction cases will now be heard in the Court's Ex Parte Department, streamlining procedures.
- Expanded Calendar: The court will offer more hearing dates and times, potentially speeding up the process for landlords waiting on delayed cases.
- Increased Judicial Resources:
More judges will be available to handle the increased number of eviction cases, which have piled up due to legislative changes and eviction moratorium.
Spotlight on Relationships
One of the greatest difficulties in property management is employee retention. According to the September issue of the Rental Housing Journal, maintaining proper staffing levels was in the top three of property management challenges along with dealing with aggressive tenants and work/life balance. Earlier in this newsletter we talked about how Maple Leaf Property Management beats the trend of high turnover in property management by years, which also means our staffing levels have stayed very consistent. Our strong friendships within the Maple Leaf community certainly deserve some of the credit for this.
For instance, consider the friendship between our Designated Broker, Kit MacPherson, and our Office Manager, Michelle Bannister. They have worked together for over a decade but have known each other for multiple decades—since high school! Our go-to handyman, Dat Hoang, has known the MacPherson family since before the start of Maple Leaf Property Management. The property managers and staff celebrate each other’s joys and are there for each other in the sad times as well. We’ve thrown bridal showers and baby showers for each other, attended weddings and funerals, laughed and cried together (and danced!). This is not your typical workplace: we’re family.
