Posts in Property Management
New Montgomery County Law Prohibits Rent-Setting Algorithms

Your music playlist and your apartment rent have more in common than meets the eye because both often are determined using algorithms.

Montgomery County, Maryland, recently joined a growing number of jurisdictions restricting rent-setting algorithms. As these laws take effect, landlords may find themselves basing rents on their own old-fashioned market surveys, secret shoppers, and knowledge of the local market.

While algorithms can provide quick answers, they aren’t always the best answers. Playlist algorithms may impede a listener who wants to explore new artists and genres, and rent-setting algorithms may violate antitrust laws and are increasingly being outlawed outright.

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Property Management, Real Estate LawElizabeth Whitmanalgorithm, rent-setting algorithms, playlist algorithm, Bill 8-26, montgomery county maryland
Why Rent Control Doesn’t Solve Housing Problems

A DC landlord recently paid a $700,000 settlement in a source of income discrimination involving housing vouchers. However, rather than discriminating against tenants withe vouchers, DC alleged that the landlord favored those tenants because the vouchers paid higher rent that was permitted under DC's rent control law. This case highlights how rent control eventually can harm the rental housing market by interfering with the natural real estate economic cycle, which addresses both escalating rents and housing shortages by adding rental units to the market. Read the blog to learn more about how rent control can harm housing markets and communities and isn't the best way to address rent increases.

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commercial real estate, Property Management, Fair HousingElizabeth WhitmanHousing Discrimination, Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, rent control, victoria symphony, royal theatre, housing shortage
Evaluating Real Estate Investments – Planning for 2023

2023 will be a time for real estate investors and managers to focus on fundamentals, such as rent growth, increased occupancy, and asset preservation. But investors with available cash may find investment opportunities where sellers facing balloon payments decide to sell.

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commercial real estate, Real Estate Investments, Property ManagementElizabeth Whitmanreal estate investment, dvorak violin concerto, violin shifting, assumable mortgage, balloon payment
What Documentation May a Landlord Require from a Tenant With an Assistance Animal?

HUD recently charged a Kansas landlord with discrimination for requiring unnecessary documentation of a prospective tenant's need for an assistance animal. Learn what HUD claims the Kansas landlord did wrong and how what housing providers may (and may not) require from tenants requesting accommodations for an assistance animal.

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Fair Housing, Property Management, Residential Real EstateElizabeth WhitmanFair Housing, Fair Housing Act, FHA, Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, service animal, emotional support animal, HUD