may have had to upgrade to a better Internet service, they may have ordered more ser- vices. It’s possible it’s remained the same. But I’m expecting Internet penetrations to be higher than they’ve ever been.” Laundry rooms are another small but
reliable revenue source for Morgan, and Richman is expecting to see an uptick — again, because people are spending more time at home. Trion’s Sharkansky also is bullish on
laundry. Trash collection, water usage, pest control and sewage fees are also looking up. “Ratio utility billing [RUBS] is huge,” he says. “Although I don’t know if you can qualify that as ancillary income; it’s more of an expense reimbursement, but it’s on the income side of the P&L.”
DOGGY DAY CARE The pandemic has been a huge boon for pet adoption, according to a number of sources. The consensus is that people who had been putting off getting a dog or cat because they didn’t spend enough time at home suddenly have no excuse. In April, Kitty Block, CEO of the Humane Society, told the Chicago Tribune, “I think it’s a combination of reasons. We’re going through a global pandemic, and its anxiety-provoking and it’s isolat- ing. Those who are fortunate enough to work remotely are doing it from home, so people have the time now and the desire to open up their homes to a pet, to give that animal a chance.” The trend is confirmed by the num-
bers Trion Properties is seeing. “In April, May and June we had an uptick in pet fees,” Sharkansky says. “Looking at year- over-year for June, portfolio-wide, we did about $9,400, and last year [it] was around $7,000, so we’re seeing a 34 percent in- crease.”
But even enforcing pet fees will likely
get some pushback from residents, dem- onstrating, once again, that at this point in time, fees are a touchy issue “I don’t know that the first thing a resi- dent does when they get a pet is call the office and let us know,” says Richman of Morgan Properties. “We’re trying not to be intrusive to residents about being in their apartments. We’re not doing walk-throughs of each apartment; it would be very hard to do that.”
Scott Sowers is a freelance writer.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
By Jerry L'Ecuyer and Frank Alvarez
WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO THE HOLIDAYS, WHICH MEANS GUESTS, COOKING AND POSSIBLE EMERGENCY CALLS TO YOU FROM RESIDENTS ON THANKSGIVING DAY ABOUT A CLOGGED SINK OR NON-WORKING OVEN AND AN APARTMENT FULL OF GUESTS WAITING FOR DINNER.
Dear Apartment Owners: We are getting close to the holidays, which means guests, cooking and possible
emergency calls to you from residents on Thanksgiving Day about a clogged sink or non- working oven and an apartment full of guests waiting for dinner. This scenario can ruin both yours and your residents’ holiday. The answer? Preventive maintenance. Before the holiday season begins, check each stove and oven for proper operation.
Many residents only turn on their ovens at this time of year, and the problem may be as simple as a pilot light being out. Also, check the oven’s temperature calibration with an oven thermometer. Because of heavier-than-normal use of the plumbing, it may be a good idea to snake out your main plumbing lines. Sending a note to all residents on the proper use of the garbage disposal will be use- ful, too. Explain what they should and should not put down the disposal unit. A few items
to include on this “No-No” list are: banana peels, potato skins, coffee grounds and any stringy food. Also make sure that they turn on the water before using the disposer and put down small amounts of food at a time. Tell them to not use the disposer as a trash can and then turn it on when full; it will clog. On Halloween and other holidays more people than usual walking on your property.
Is your property safe? What are some of the liabilities to worry about? Check trip and fall hazards. Sprinkler heads sticking up above the grass or landscape near sidewalks. Use pop-up heads to solve this problem. Look for sidewalks that have been pushed up by tree roots. This can be solved with a concrete grinder or replacement of the section and removal of the tree root. Cut any low hanging tree branches and look for branches that may break in heavy winter wind or rain. Check your decking for cracks or damage and inspect the exterior stairways for wear and tear. Inspect all your garage door springs, winter wind and rain may make them heavy causing the door to close or fall unexpectedly. As a precaution, always replace both garage springs at the same time and throw away any used springs. Never install used garage springs. Check all property lighting and timers. Remember: Preventive maintenance is cheaper than emergency maintenance!
8 APARTMENT ADVANTAGE 33
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