Question: We have RV spaces at the front of our mobile home park on a well-traveled highway near the coast. We have been renting only to long-term RV'ers, but want to expand our business opportunities to include overnighters. Is that permissible and how do we do that?

Question: We have various screening criteria, but they change from time to time -- usually after we run up against a problem we haven't seen before. Is it OK to change our criteria, and if so, how do we do it?

Question: I understand that Oregon law governs late fees. Can you summarize it for us?

Question: I have two questions regarding submetering. When a community completes the submetering and the tenant is paying back the community for the meter and cost of installation, who owns and maintains the meters from that point on? The second question is that we have a community that was metered when it was built but the community is on a master meter and paying for water and sewer. The community wants to give the notices to the tenants regarding submtetering but keep the current meters and not charge the tenants at this time for the cost of metering. If the community chooses to upgrade the meters at a later date, can we then pass the cost on to the tenant?

So before I give you another accounting rule we are enforcing, let me say the goal is to protect your investment! We live in a very litigious society and need to be aware of potential risks and ways to protect our assets. Commonwealth employees are insured through workers' compensation policies and also provided regular training regarding workplace safety. Another area we are striving to improve risk management and compliance is in the area of hiring contractors. When a contractor is hired, the onsite manager must obtain verification that the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. In addition, a Form W-9 must be provided for purposes of reporting non-employee compensation on a Form 1099-Misc at the end of the year.

Our RV park has had problems with theft and the occasional physical confrontation between tenants and/or tenant's guests. Under Oregon law, what minimum level of security do we owe to our RV tenants? Do we need to hire a security guard?

A well management community is essential to making life easier and more pleasant for management and residents.  Here are 10 mistakes to avoid in the management of your community.  Remember - a well managed community - good property management - results in happier residents, pride in the community, encourages resident referrals and discourages the need or desire for additional landlord-tenant legislation.

So - here are ten mistakes to avoid:

On July 26, 1990, President Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (the "1991 Regulations") were shortly thereafter developed to guide new construction and alterations undertaken by covered entities and established the minimum requirements for "accessibility" for disabled persons in buildings and facilities and in transportation vehicles. After more than twenty years, the Department of Justice implemented new regulations, which became mandatory in 2012 (the "2012 Regulations.") Your state may have passed parallel laws, which could increase the protection of individuals with disabilities, e.g., the Unruh Act in California. However, this article focuses on Federal ADA compliance. Keep in mind that the ADA is a civil rights law, which addresses a number of subjects, but this article focuses on ac- cessibility (no longer called "handicap") issues only.

For better than two decades, one of the most significant and unpredictable factors influencing the bottom line of multifamily housing properties has been rising utility costs. This doesn't cause quite as much heartburn for property owners who have wisely passed such utilities through to the residents to pay in addition to their rent. However, for the overwhelming majority of properties, particularly those which were developed prior to the 90's, the rent charged typically includes any combination of utilities including water, sewer, garbage, and to a lesser percentage electricity, natural gas, cable television/satellite, and internet services.

The title of this Community Update should have caught your attention. It is not a gimmick, I have done it myself. Adam Cook's MHCO Community Update article, "Can You Afford to Keep Utilities Included in Your Rent?" from last week is spot on! My answer is no, I cannot and no longer do".