Relevant Reads Archives

How to find the right roommate

Erik J. Martin did an article about what experts recommend when they give advice about how to find the right roommate.

How to find the right roommate

. . . “ask questions about compatibility, tidiness, noise, personal belongings, overnight visitors allowed, and what will happen if the rent is not paid,” says Josh Rosenthal, owner of MoveIn.Space, a Washington, D.C.-based company that helps renters prepare to move and manage walk-through inspections, who also recommends asking for and contacting references they provide.

Tech Trends in 2017: MoveIn.Space

The California Real Estate magazine’s November/December issue (page 12) noted MoveIn.Space as one of the first 3 tech trends in 2017 poised to change the way you work.

Tech Trends in 2017: Innovative tech, sites, and apps poised to change the way you work

On page 12 of the magazine by California Association of Realtors, author Dave Johnson says,

Innovations like 3D and VR may be a great peek into the future, but tech is also solving problems as old as real estate itself. In the world of property management, for example, how does the landlord or tenant prove that “it was like that at move-in”? There’s the move-in report, of course, but it’s fraught with problems. It’s on paper, for starters. And it often lacks specificity and visual evidence like detailed photos. Here’s a problem begging for some sort of high-tech solution.

We want to thank REPlexus’s Josh (@RealEstateTek) for creating this opportunity and for representing MoveIn.Space.

Buying Rentals for Appreciation and Not Cash Flow on the Rental Income Podcast

Dan Lane of The Rental Income Podcast interviewed MoveIn.Space founder Josh Rosenthal about buying [residential real estate] rentals for appreciation and not cash flow. This strategy is required in areas with high home prices, where monthly rent can not possibly follow the 1% Rule or the 2% Rule.

Excerpt from the Rental Income Podcast

Josh talks about his long-term investing strategy and renting out your backyard separately from the house.

. . . this style of investment has the same inherent renter risks as doing the cash flow strategy.

I’ve had tenants that have tried to skip out on rent. They’ve abandoned the property. They’ve destroyed the property.

You need to have the ability to wait and even sometimes lose money each month.

Helping Landlords in the For Rent By Owner Industry

Zero Commission Real Estate Today features MoveIn.Space in their article, “MoveIn.Space: Helping Landlords in the For Rent By Owner Industry“.

For Rent By Owner Industry

Zero Commission Real Estate Today helps landlords in Australia find tenants by listing the property for rent on the country’s largest website, until the vacancy is filled.

Thinking of getting into the For Rent by Owner market? Renting out your house or apartment privately can provide you with sizable extra income. And thanks to the digital age we live in, managing rental properties privately is easier today than ever before.

Social media and certain websites help homeowners who want to rent a property privately find the perfect tenant. And there’s MoveIn.Space (www.Movein.Space), a site that provides a revolutionary way for landlords and tenants to avoid future conflict. With a mission to “create peace between landlords and tenants by adding visibility to a crucial, but often overlooked and unorganized process”, MoveIn.Space comes with a walkthrough feature that turns their goal in reality.

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Tips for Moving Into and Out of Rented Property

When looking at property to rent it is easy to get caught up in the bigger details: the size of rooms, whether it has a fitted kitchen, the general state of the bathroom or if there is enough storage space. Viewings should be used to look at the finer details too, where possible – it’s equally important to check for damp patches, cracks in walls and the general condition of upholstery and fittings.

The best time to view any property is during the day, as natural light is much more revealing than artificial light. However, this might not be possible if viewings need to take place after work or during the winter months, when the light is gloomy.

Viewing is also a good time to ask questions about when the property has been decorated or renovated – of course, if the viewing is through an estate agent, it’s unlikely you’re going to get an honest answer; but if you approach it like Sherlock Holmes and try to gain as much evidence as possible, it’s unlikely you’ll need to rely on the exact answers from a letting agent.

So, now you’ve made the leap and you have the keys to your new home and the next chapter in your life.
Continue reading Tips for Moving Into and Out of Rented Property

How to Sublease Your Apartment – Prepare Your Space

SelfStorage wrote an article about “How to Sublease Your Apartment” and included MoveIn.Space as the tool to use for the important step to prepare your space by documenting it.

STEP 4: PREPARE YOUR SPACE

To save yourself time and potential hassle at the end of the sublease, Josh Rosenthal, founder of MoveIn.Space recommends doing a walkthrough of your space beforehand and documenting everything.

“Pictures are not enough. Record the condition of items and add notes. Also include model and serial numbers in case something needs to be replaced or gets replaced without your consent,” says Rosenthal.

Continue reading How to Sublease Your Apartment – Prepare Your Space

Reducing Friction Between Landlord and Renter

Real Estate Today radio show opens doors for buyers and sellers with critical and credible information on the real estate market. It’s fast paced and fact packed with experts, interviews, call-ins, field reports, and timely market conditions.

On their episode “Staying Cool”, Real Estate Today featured MoveIn.Space/walkthrough’s role in reducing friction between landlords and renters.

Real Estate Today’s Feature of MoveIn.Space

This is a company looking to end arguments involving security deposits.

It’s a cloud-based application helping both landlords and tenants prove “it was like that at move-in.”

We want to thank REPlexus‘s Josh (@RealEstateTek) for creating this opportunity and for representing MoveIn.Space.

What You Should Know About Property Inspections

TurboTenant aims to be the easiest landlord software to use. They also have a great price for landlords and property managers — 100% free.

TurboTenant Recommends MoveIn.Space

In their article “What You Should Know About Property Inspections“, they say

. . . a condition report can be as simple as a checklist that you and your tenants complete together. Plus, if you choose an online version, you can even upload photos and easily email a copy to your tenant. Websites like MoveIn.Space allow landlords and tenants to easily document the property’s condition online.

Ten Documents You Can’t Afford To Be Without In Your New Apartment

Effective Coverage is an insurance provider dedicated to renters. In their article “Ten Documents You Can’t Afford To Be Without In Your New Apartment” their first suggestion is to do a walkthrough.

#1 Proof Of Your Apartment Walkthrough

Josh Rosenthal of MoveIn.space tells us that a copy of your apartment walkthrough is absolutely one of the ten documents every apartment dweller should have on hand. The landlord probably has a check sheet, but you should take pictures as well.

Proving “it was like that at move-in” saves landlords and tenants from major headaches. It also helps insurance companies in case of loss. These reasons are why I founded MoveIn.space – a super-simple means of documenting walkthrough inspections.

The service has launched and you can sign up for MoveIn.space here right now! It’s quick and painless to use, just log in with your existing Google account and start making notes and adding pictures of the condition of your apartment. Once you’re done, copies of the walkthrough can be sent to both you and the landlord by email.

Just having a list of things that are broken or missing isn’t enough. If there’s a dispute between you and your landlord and it ends up in court, you’ll want those pictures to prove the condition of the apartment when you moved into it!

Getting What You Want From Your Landlord

Yes, you can get what you want from your landlord, despite what people say. Even if he’s the stingiest of individuals, there are ways to get through his hard shell so he can soften up enough to give in.

Fox5 Atlanta has a good article on the four ways to get what you want from your landlord. And nope, you won’t be required to do any witchcraft. It provides advice that’s really obvious but uncommonly followed by some tenants like paying the rent in full and on time, to the surprising ones like being an unofficial property monitor for your landlord.

You might find out that it takes some work before your landlord starts to favor you, but hey, nothing in life is free anymore. Just think about the days when you were still in school and you tried your hardest to become the teacher’s pet, even if it meant that the other kids won’t like you. That’s how it is with landlords — you gotta try hard (and maybe make a few enemies with your neighbors) before they attempt to consider any of your requests. Who knows, maybe they’d give you a discount for next month’s rent or let you adopt all the dogs at the shelter if you’re good enough.