Austin Property Management Blog

Summer is in full swing here in Texas.  After a nice, rainy spring the heat is kicking in for our summer season.  This post will be brief, but we'll cover a few things including the 4th of July holiday, a sales tax holiday in August, and some information about summer move outs.  

4th of July Holiday

From parades to fireworks, there is plenty to do around town this 4th of July! Whether you're watching fireworks, grilling or planning on attending Willis Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic, there is sure to be something fun for everyone in the great city of Austin. 

Here is a link to some co...

When looking for a rental, the question about whether appliances are included often arises quite early on. While some properties are full of essentials, others only offer the basics or nothing. It can considerably reduce your up-front costs and day-to-day convenience as a tenant. That said, appliance availability is not always standardized. It largely depends on the property, the landlord, and local market expectations. If you know what is and what isn’t usually included, you can avoid surprises and make better decisions before you sign the lease.

Key Takeaways

• Landlords are not always required to provide appliances.
• Basic kitchen appliances are commonly included, but not always guaranteed.
• If appliances are included in the lease, maintenance responsibilities should be clearly outlined in the rental agreement.
• Appliance availability can vary depending on the property, market, and lease terms.

What Appliances Are We Talking About?

Before knowing what a landlord is required to provide, one should know what appliances are usually being talked about. As a reputable rental management company we can say that appliances generally refer to common household items used for cooking, cleaning, food storage, and laundry.

These usually include:

• Refrigerators
• Ovens or stoves
• ...

If you have rented for a while, you may have heard of a periodic lease and wondered what it means. Unlike leases that have a fixed end date, periodic leases are structured differently and can offer you more flexibility in certain situations. This type of lease can be useful to many tenants if you are not yet ready to sign a long-term agreement. That said, it also comes with a few trade-offs that are worth understanding before you make a decision. Today, we’ll walk you through how periodic leases work and what you should keep in mind.

Key Takeaways

• A periodic lease does not terminate on a specific date and renews automatically.
• Month-to-month agreements are the most common type of periodic lease.
• Tenants as well as landlords should give sufficient notice to terminate the lease.
• Periodic leases allow flexibility, but have less long-term benefit.

What Is a Periodic Lease?

A periodic lease is a type of rental agreement that automatically renews when one lease period ends until either the tenant or the landlord decides to terminate it. As a rental management company, we often explain that this type of lease continues on a recurring basis with no predetermined end date, usually month-to-month, but can also be week-to-week or year-to-year.

How Does a Periodic Lease Work?

Once a lease becomes periodic, it renews aut...

In reality, it isn't always easy to uncover the landlord of a property. Some leases mention ownership information explicitly. Others may refer to a property manager only, which can sometimes be a little confusing. If you know where to look, this information can be easily obtained from reliable sources available online. Whether you need to confirm ownership, ask a question about the property, or deal with any issues, finding the landlord can save you time and hassle. Read along as we review the steps you can take to locate the right contact.

Key Takeaways

• You can often determine your landlord’s identity by reviewing your lease documents, public records, or even conducting an online search.
• If you want to find a property owner, county appraisal districts and tax records are excellent places to start.
• When a property manager is in place, they are usually the best person to contact about any of your concerns.
• It may take a bit more work to find the landlord, especially when the property is owned by a company or investment group.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Landlord

If you want to know who owns a property, there are a few practical steps you can follow. As a property management company, we can say that most ownership details are public, but you have to know where to look.

1. Chec...