The Property Management Shop
by Marc Wilson
Q. I have an 18-unit apartment building in the Richmond District. I was up on the roof yesterday and, to my surprise, noticed that someone had installed three different satellite dishes. Each one is about two feet in diameter and all three are screwed into the roofing material on the parapet. My roof is damaged. What should I do?
A. It appears that three of your tenants have decided to expand their TV viewing options. What a fantastic idea…more TV channels. Why do Americans watch so much TV, especially when it’s so bad? Take my advice—turn off your television set. Watching television is a pitiful waste of time… and time is in limited supply.
It’s safe to say that people are not going to stop watching television soon, so I guess we should address the issue. First things first: at the inception of the tenancy, you should have any new tenants sign the standard Satellite Dish and Antenna Addendum as a part of your standard rental agreement. This document clearly defines the current rights and obligations of both parties regarding satellite dishes and is available through the SFAA. (Also, the New PPMA Lease includes language under paragraph 20 regarding satellite dishes.)
The bad news is that you cannot unilaterally deny a tenant’s right to install a dish “within” his or her leased premises. If your tenants have a backyard or a balcony that is for their sole, exclusive use—then they can install a dish there under 39 inches. A tenant cannot, however, place one in any common area, such as on your roof or on the side of the property. The key is to address this issue at the inception of the tenancy. Your average tenant probably doesn’t realize how obnoxious it is to install a dish without the owner’s consent—it’s a matter of educating your tenants. Most San Francisco apartment buildings do not have private decks, balconies, or backyards, so in most cases, if you address this issue up front, you won’t have any problems. My personal policy is to allow the installation of dishes—even on the roof—as long as the work is done by a qualified professional and does not harm the roof. You can even build a small wood-frame device designed for the placement of dishes. Put it on your roof and weigh it down with a couple of cinder blocks. This way, you have no holes in your roof and it’s movable when the roof needs to be replaced. Why deprive a media-hungry tenant in a bad rental market?
I know how unsettling it is to find a dish when you have not given prior approval for its installation. You should be able to determine who the owner is by just “following the cable.” If the installation is done with egregious disregard for my property, I simply remove the dish and associated cables. I usually hear from the tenant the next day. I just tell the tenant that I have an obligation to maintain the property. Another approach is to tell the tenant to remove the dish, however, if you go that route, it’s probably best to remove the dish yourself and then tell the tenant, returning the dish and associated hardware. If you think you will allow the dish to stay on the roof, have the tenant sign the aforementioned agreement and make sure that you amend it to read that use of the roof use is at your sole discretion, revocable at any time.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the SF Apartment Magazine. Marc Wilson has been managing and selling San Francisco apartment buildings for over 15 years. Please send your questions concerning property management issues to Marc Wilson at 1699 Van Ness Avenue, SF, CA 94109. He can be reached at 415-229-1275. © Copyright 2002.