Should You Sell or Rent Out Your House When You Move?
Moving doesn’t automatically mean selling, or renting. Here’s how to run the real numbers, keep the home-sale tax exclusion in view, and make the call on purpose.
Mice Move In When It Gets Cold: How to Keep Rodents Out of Your Rental This Fall
When nights turn cold in the Black Hills, mice start looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Here’s how to seal your rental, who handles what, and how to clean up safely.
Is South Dakota Landlord-Friendly? What Out-of-State Investors Should Know
South Dakota gets called landlord-friendly for a reason. Here’s what the statutes actually say about deposits, evictions, and rent control — and what still costs you money.
Montana Landlord-Tenant Basics for Billings Owners
Billings owners need Montana’s actual timelines, not a South Dakota playbook. Here’s a plain-English look at notices, deposits, and why winter turns make the process slower.
Let Tenants Pay to Break the Lease
“They can’t just break their lease!” is usually an owner’s ego talking. Once a tenant has decided to leave, they’re leaving, so the smart move is a paid, clean way out.
What We Find When We Take Over a Property (and How We Fix the Last Manager's Shortcuts)
When an owner hands us the keys to a property another company managed, it usually looks fine from the curb. Then we walk inside. Here's what we typically find, and how we fix the last manager's shortcuts.
What an Eviction Actually Costs in South Dakota
One recent uncontested eviction we handled in Rapid City cost $986.11, and we had possession of the home back within two weeks of filing. In a lot of states, that sentence would sound like fiction.
The True Cost of a Vacant Rental (and How to Keep Your Days on Market Short)
Most owners think of a vacant month as a month without rent. That's only half the picture: the mortgage, insurance, utilities, and snow removal keep coming, and a vacant day can never be made up later.
Who Shovels the Sidewalk? Snow Removal Rules for Rapid City Rentals
Rapid City's code says the sidewalk in front of a property has to be kept free of snow and ice "at all times," and it puts that duty on the owner or the person in possession. In a rental, that's two different people.
Is a Property Manager Worth It, or Should You DIY? The Honest Math
Is a property manager actually worth it, or would you be better off doing it yourself and keeping the fee? Here's when self-managing works, when hiring pays off, and how to run the math.
You Don't Want the Tenant Who's Willing to Overpay
Earlier this year, we were hired to take over a small multifamily property that was 100% occupied at rents about 40% over market. On paper, it looked like a home run. In reality, the owner's pursuit of higher rent had cost him $28,000.
Property Manager Not Responding? Why It’s So Common, and How We Do It Differently
Start typing "property manager n" into Google, and one of the suggestions is "property manager not responding to emails." Here's why that happens so often, and how we handle communication instead.
How to Switch Property Management Companies (Without Upsetting Your Tenants)
Most owners stay with a property manager they're unhappy with because they assume switching will be a mess. It doesn't have to be, if you do it in the right order.
Please Put In the Maintenance Request
At a renewal inspection this month, we found a kitchen faucet running a steady stream. The six-year tenant’s honest answer when we asked why he hadn’t reported it: “Nah man, didn’t want to bother y’all.”
Winterizing a Rental in the Black Hills: The Owner's October Checklist
In half of past years, Rapid City has already seen its first 32-degree night by September 26, according to the National Weather Service. If your rental isn't ready for winter yet, the clock is already running.
Late Rent Is Contagious: How One Lax Manager Can Wreck an Entire Property
We took over a 21-unit building where almost half the tenants were behind on rent. They weren’t always behind. Here’s how lax enforcement spreads delinquency.
What Is Holdover Rent?
Stay past the end of your lease without a renewal and you may be in holdover, often at 1.5 to 2 times the prior rent. Here’s what holdover means and how to avoid it.
What to Do When a Tenant Passes Away
When a tenant passes away, it’s one of the hardest situations a landlord can face, legally and personally. Here’s how to handle it carefully, respectfully, and correctly.