WHEN YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO

A Professional Property Manager is an Asset

BCI Properties, LLC is a Professional Property Management Company, dedicated to selecting quality tenants and keeping your investment in good repair with minimal cost. We want your real estate investment to be profitable and successful.

BCI Properties, LLC will act as your agent and work in your best interest in the management of property. This section will explain our management process of how we lease and manage your rental property. The following is an outline of some of the benefits and services that you can expect from us automatically:

1. Placing a "For Rent" sign on your property!

2. Listing your rental property with it's very own website, plus listing on the Northwest MLS, Craigslist, Postlets, Trulia, Zillow and on up to 13 different websites, we are Nationally Syndicated.

3. Notifying Ft Lewis and McChord Air Force Bases, Military Relocation Network, Puyallup Nations Housing Authority, and Pierce County Housing Authority of the availability of your home or complex.

4. We use a professional screening service to sort out the good tenants from the bad, this includeds but is not limited to the following.......  (A $45 fee is paid by the applicant)

      A. An eviction search of public records and tenant history to ensure that the
         applicant has not been  evicted within the last seven years.

      B. Verify former landlords references with phone calls to past landlords to check
           payment history, and calls to employeers to ensure job status.

       C. Verify employment or income.

       D. Criminal records search.

       E. Drive by inspection of their current residence is optional, if screener feels it is needed.

5. We issue two annual "Letters to Tenants" which outline their responsibilities in regards to maintenance needs of the rental, cautions and reminders.

6. We have random unscheduled drive-by inspections of all properties either monthly or as deemed needed by the landlord, plus a free annual physical inspection of the inside and outside of the rental property. Along with photos this full report will be emailed to owners. - Note: during random inspections, if we notice anything out of the ordinary or unkempt....we will knck on the door or do an immediate inspection.

7. We arrange for Landscaping services for those owners who wish to have top care for their yards or who have strict HOA rules which requires such cost. Otherwise we expect tenants to do all yard maintenance on single family homes. We provide yard cleanup and/or landscaping services for multi-family residences greater than a duplex, at a minimal cost to owners.

8. We survey and recommend to owners yearly spring and winter prep needs, which include winter freeze protection for pipes and outside water fawcetts.

9. Basic and extended maintenance plus remodeling when required is offered to all owners at our discounted prices which we negotiate with Licensed Bonded Contractors and handlymen.

10. We will give the applicant possession of your home and execute the lease agreement after the screening process has been completed and they have paid the required fee.

11. We will conduct a "Move-In" property inspection and notate the findings on the inspection sheets

12. You will be notified by our company that your property has been leased quickly upon receipt of funds and an executed lease contract.

13. We will re-key locks on the home each time it is vacated FREE...., yes at NO COST to owners, if and when Kwickset Smart-Key locks are present on the rental. We use & install Smart Key!
*See more info about this at:  http://www.kwikset.com/SmartSecurity/Re-Key-Technology.aspx

Lease Expiration

We will conduct the following property inspections on your property:

Timing is crucial when it comes to rent collections. To avoid any misunderstandings, our policy regarding delinquencies is brought to the new tenants attention. Late charges are heavily imposed to avoid any delinquencies. Our policies are as follows:

 Accounting 

• Rental payment check and the monthly statement will be mailed to you as soon as tenants check clears.
  
• A monthly report, as well as an annual report, of your income and expenses of your property will be sent to you.
   
• Mortgage payments and/or homeowners association payments will be mailed if you instructed us to do so.
  
• In the last month of your tenants lease, we will hold additional funds in your trust account to protect you by insuring that adequate funds are available to make your rental "rent-ready".

All tenants are required to submit all maintenance requests in writing. However, in order to preserve the value of your property and maintain a positive relationship with the tenants, the home must be properly maintained.

A. You can expect that BCI Properties, LLC will not do any repairs to your property in excess of amount agreed upon on page 2 of the Exclusive Rental Agency, Employment Contract and Power of Attorney without first obtaining your approval.

NOTE: This excludes emergencies and repairs that are required by law.

BCI Properties, LLC will inspect the property to see if it needs repairs, improvements and cleaning. These are the areas we will be considering looking at. Remember, that in order to rent the property quickly and obtain good quality renter, we suggest the following:

We highly recommend it to be cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning company

This is a must! In order to attract better tenants, the house should be spotless inside and out. All garbage and debris must be removed! Areas to consider are floors should be swept and mopped, all appliances, especially ovens and fridge are clean, cabinets are emptied and wiped cleaned, bath tubs and sinks are scrubbed, windows and window sills cleaned, etc. We can make recommendations of people who are able to do the work.

Please make sure that all rotten boards are replaced. You may want to paint or stain it for protection. Decks should be up to code. If your deck is over three feet off the ground, it must have a railing. If there are more than three steps, it must have a hand rail. To avoid the potential of high liability, check the spacing of the rungs on older deck railings. If you are replacing any railings, a good rule of thumb is to be sure that you cant push a pop can through the rungs.

If youve had a short, or if a few outlets dont work, have it checked out now! Replace any cracked or missing outlet covers. Make sure the breaker box is covered and labeled properly. Make sure there are no exposed wires anywhere.

Most people prefer to rent houses that have a fenced back yard. If the fence exists when the tenant moves in, it must be repaired or replaced during their tenancy.

- You must have a 2-1/2 lb ABC fire extinguisher located within 20 feet of a rental unit. It must be mounted permanently on the wall, high enough so that little children cannot reach it. Suggested place to mount it is inside the garage or the utility room, but not under the sink.

- Floors must be swept clean and clean up any oil spills. It must be totally empty of any tools, old paint, oil, or any hazardous chemicals. If there is an automatic garage door opener, please make sure that it works well.

Baseboard heaters and in-wall electric fan heaters need to be cleaned and dusted thoroughly. If they are outdated and rusted, it may be necessary to have them painted or replaced. If they are the old cadet heaters that were recalled, please make sure that they are replaced. If you have the gas or electric forced-air furnace, filters must be replaced or cleaned. It would be a good idea to leave a few extra filters for future use. If you have an oil or propane forced-air furnace, the filters also need to be cleaned or replaced and, in addition, you must have at least 100 gallons of fuel delivered. We will have the oil measured when your tenant moves in and when they move out. The tenant is expected to have the same amount when they vacate the premise. An adjustment will be made to reimburse them for the oil or propane left.

An annual inspection must be performed by a professional from a reputable company that deals with hot tubs, saunas, or swimming pool. It would be a good idea to have an inspection and cleaned prior to the tenant moving in. Securing the perimeter of the swimming pool to keep little ones from falling in is a good idea.

(To avoid lawsuits by tenants)

• There are certain things you can do to limit your liability when renting your property.

• Are you up to date on the law? See the Landlord Tenant Act.

• Do you know The Law of Real Estate Agency and legal requirements?

• Make sure that there is no debris in or around the unit.

• Be aware of mold issues and the law regarding it.

• Ensure that there are no missing broken or loose walkways, steps, railings, doors or flooring.

• Ensure that all utilities are in good working order.

• It is vital that all doors, locks and windows open and close properly for ingress/egress, and for security.

• Make sure all rooms have a smoke detector in good working condition.

• The law on Lead Based Paint on units built prior to 1978. Please make sure that there is NO loose, chipped or flaking paint due to possible lead based paint causing illness. We have a booklet on this free of charge.

• All appliances supplied by owner must be in good working order

• All property owners must carry basic "liability" insurance on a rental. Its the law.
  

Lighting

All burned out bulbs should be replaced and all sockets should have a light bulb. There should be lighting both inside and outside to prevent accidents and acts as deterrent to keep criminals away. Good lighting inside means you have two-way switches at the bottom of all stairs and that the tenant shouldnt have to walk across a dark room to turn the lights on. Good lighting outside means that the steps going up to the front door are well lit. Your house number should be well lit and can bee seen from the street. We suggest a motion sensor light be installed to light up your backyard.

The Landlord Tenant Law requires that all rental properties be equipped with "reasonable" locks due to safety reasons. This is an area of high liability for landlords. All exterior doors must have a deadbolt lock. Sliding glass doors must have locking bars or pin-locks. All windows must lock, especially ground level windows. Keyed locking doorknobs on interior doors must be removed. Passage locks, such as those found on bathroom doors are allowed. We will need a minimum of two sets of keys. Please make sure that they all work. After the tenant moves in, we will re-key all the locks for the tenants security.

A nice clean, white paint job throughout will give the house a clean look. We recommend you use a good white, latex semi-gloss paint. If you are not able to do it yourself, we can recommend someone to do it for you.

- Everything in the house must be in good working order. All appliances must be operational. If a dishwasher, microwave, or washer and dryer are provided, they must be in good working order, repaired or replaced when they breakdown due to normal use. Toilets and faucets must have no drip.

They must be cleaned and in good condition. Depending on the location of the house, they may need frequent cleaning, such as if its underneath a pine tree. Otherwise, they need cleaning on a yearly basis.

If there is one on your property, make sure you write out the instructions on how to use it and also the code. If its a monitored system which you subscribe to, please contact that company by means of a letter that you will be vacating the property and find out if the tenant can take over the payment or restart a new account. You need to give them our name, phone number and address and that we will be representing you as Property Manager. We will notify the company when then new tenants move in.

Septic tanks must be pumped every four years. It would be good to have a map drawn of the location of the tank.

There must be working smoke detectors in the home. There should be at least one smoke detector on each floor of a multi-level home. There must be one for each bedrooms or sleeping area and in hallways leading to the sleeping areas. We make sure that the batteries are replaced prior to the new tenant moving in. You must do this as this is required. Otherwise, this will be a charge to your account.

It would be a good idea to draw out a plan of the system showing where the pipes are laid. Please make sure that your system works well. We also need instructions for "winterizing" your system.

Power and water are necessary so please DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING SHUT OFF!!! Notify the power company that you want a "never discontinue" or "never disconnect" on the property. This will insure that the utilities are not shut off when the tenant vacates. You need to decide whether you want us to handle the payment of the vacancy utility bill. If so, this amount will be deducted from your account. If you have oil or propane heat, please leave about 100 gallons or one-months worth of fuel usage. If you have a maintenance contract with your fuel company, they may require that fuel be purchased from them. Please inform us of the companys name. If you have Pierce County Sewer, notify them that we are your Property Manager. Make sure that you discontinue garbage service, cable t.v., telephone, high speed internet and newspaper subscription.

It is recommended that you have blinds or drapes cover windows, specially in the bedrooms. We would not want the tenants to cover the windows with sheets and blankets, which is not the look that we want to present to your neighborhood.

Curb appeal is what will draw potential tenants to the house. Grass should be cut, weeds pulled or killed, and areas of gravel and beauty bark cleaned. Any tender care needed on special plants such as roses, please let us know and point these out during a walk through. If there are holes on the ground, make sure that they are covered to avoid any possible injuries. Also, if there is a swing set, it would be a good idea to remove it, or you may end up replacing it in the future, or be sued because a tenants child is injured. If your yard is beautifully landscaped, it is recommended that you use a professional yard maintenance company. We can recommend some good companies who are able to do this. The lawn must be cut when it is vacant. We can hire someone to mow it during the vacancies.

Hopefully, you will consider that a well maintained home is easier to rent.

Donald Jay Leske II and wife Emiliana Leske provide management for property owners.  Married for over 42 years and have been in the property management field for over 30 years. They are both members of the Olympic Rental Association (ORA), the NWMLS, NARPM, and the Board of Realtors.

Donald is a Licensed Real Estate Agent/Broker, Owner & Designated Broker at BCI Properties, LLC. He is very knowledgeable with building codes and all phases of home maintenance, repairs as well as Landlord Tenant Law.

Emiliana has expertise and training in the accounting and office management field. She is a licensed real estate agent in Washington State. She has worked for large corporations as an accountant for over 25 years. She has done extensive collection and investigative work for rental properties.

BCI Properties, LLC take pride in specializing in the management of single-family homes and multi-family units in Pierce County. We want to make sure that the homes we maintain are in the best shape they possibly can be. All in house maintenance performed are managed and supervised by BCI Properties, LLC.

We understand how difficult and stressful moving can be and what a burden it can add to your finances having to maintain another home. Our commitment is to rent the home as quickly as possible with good quality renters who will take care of the property and value it like you have. We advertise our rentals locally and nationally and work with the Military Relocation Network and Section 8 services.

We strive to have good personal relationships with our clients and tenants.

We can also assist you in finding rental properties and also assist owners to sell their home. As a real estate agent, we come in contact in a lot of people looking either to buy or rent.

In summation, our goal is to...