THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Assistance Animals and Liability: Dispelling the Myths
by Victoria Cowart, CPM, NAAEI Faculty
As requests for reasonable accommodations for service and support animals continue to climb, onsite teams need to understand what’s fact and what’s fiction when navigating them. While both fit in the general category of assistance animals, the laws governing each are different. Regulations about service animals are more specific and all valid reasonable accommodation requests must be honored regardless of the community’s current restrictions on animals.
Read the article in The Multifamily Journal
Heading South: Investors Chase Migration
by Bendix Anderson
U.S. Census Bureau data is the first factor in a long equation for underwriting investments and firms must consider other factors when selecting locations. For instance, while data shows that people are heading to the Sun Belt, companies are also offering concessions to attract prospects and compete with new communities.
“Stabilization” Is Just Bad Old Rent Control
by Jason Sorens
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. With rent control getting such a bad name, proponents are trying to rebrand the concept as “rent stabilization,” but the ideology remains unchanged. Rent caps drive down the availability of housing and also put residents at risk as owners forgo improvements to counter revenue declines.
MULTIFAMILY TECHNOLOGY
How Resident Behavior Shapes the Renter Revolution
by Ron Klein
As resident preferences evolve, multifamily needs to consider rewards programs. More than 83% of consumers enrolled in loyalty programs say that earning rewards is an influence on the future patronization of a business. Creating a rewards program coupled with digital payments incentivizes residents and gives owners and operators insight into their behavior.
Read the article in The Multifamily Journal
Unique (And Successful) Marketing Campaigns
by Jessica Fiur
Multifamily marketing teams can find themselves in a rut when faced with the need to design and execute numerous marketing campaigns. Fortunately, a combination of research, data analysis and creative thinking can bring forth new creativity. The MHN Executive Council shares their advice and ideas.
Read the article in Multi-Housing News
Using Technology to Streamline Your Multifamily Due Diligence
by Laura Atallah
Every investor knows that before an opportunity can be seized, due diligence is a must. A physical inspection of a multifamily property is impossible to avoid; it’s important to see if improvements go beyond a fresh coat of paint. Technology can help identify the scope of costs and the direction an investment may go.
Read the article in Multifamily Insiders
INDUSTRY NEWS
What It Takes To Fill Philly’s High-End Apartments
by Sonja Swink
Faced with vacancy rates of 11% and rent growth of only 0.3%, owners of luxury communities in Philadelphia are turning to steep concessions to attract residents. Of the 11,000 units built in the City of Brotherly Love, the bulk were luxury units. Over the next two years, another 16,000 units will hit, adding to the glut. Communities are offering up to three months of free rent and giving additional rent credits of $1,000 or more to healthcare, education and service workers in an attempt to fill units.
NAA Assesses Rent Control Threats
by Ben Harrold
There are more than 200 rent control bills weaving their way through state legislatures, 72 of which have been introduced in the first quarter of this year. The National Apartment Association’s tracking provides valuable insight into the progression of legislation as local governments consider whether to enact these ill-advised policies.
Read the article in Apartment Advocate
Biden Administration Takes Aim at Local Housing Regulations
by Erik Sherman
To address the continuing affordable housing crisis, the Biden Administration is exploring tactics that will affect local land-use regulations and zoning restrictions. The administration wants to use public funding to influence the removal of artificial barriers to housing development, such as density limits and strict parking requirements.
Read the article in GlobeSt