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The Benefits of SFAA Membership
By Maria Shea
The San Francisco Apartment Association recently celebrated its ninetieth anniversary representing San Francisco rental property owners. SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel helped to put on a highly enjoyable event recently celebrating that anniversary, which honored firms, employees and properties that lead in our industry. It was a showcase that gave recognition to San Francisco’s rental housing community, from the small independent owners to the property management companies and leasing consultants.
Currently, over 3,000 owners, managers and property management companies are members of SFAA. As a full-service, nonprofit trade organization, our services include tenant screening, housing advice, membership meetings, property management forms and legislative lobbying.
SFAA is a trade organization that protects property investment. When joining SFAA, there are three different memberships to choose from: Regular, Management Company and Associate Membership. Associate Members have the benefit of targeting our members with their products and services. Over the years, our members have consistently relied on SFAA to provide quality, reliable vendors. As an Associate Member, you are able to network with our other members through the SFAA website (www.sfaa.org), SF Apartment Magazine and by attending our monthly meetings, which give Associate Members the opportunity to pass out marketing information about their businesses and have one-on-one time with our Regular Members.
When you become a Regular Member of SFAA, you reap the benefits of a staff that is up to date on current laws governing rent control. SFAA offers assistance through: unlimited property management advice, counseling either over the phone or in person (however, staff cannot offer legal assistance); rental forms that can be downloaded free from the California Apartment Association website or bought at our offices; a subscription to the monthly SF Apartment Magazine, which addresses topics that are important for landlords; educational courses; monthly member meetings, which address your needs as a property owner and provide a free legal panel prior to the meetings and guest speakers; government representation; fundraising; community outreach programs; referrals to industry partners (Associate Members); and tenant screening through the Credit Bureau Associates.
When joining the association, property owners also become part of the National Apartment Association (NAA) and CAA. CAA monitors and advances legislation at the State Capitol. The organization also disseminates information as it relates to changes in state law and incorporates that information into a comprehensive education program, forms and management systems. NAA lobbies in Washington D.C. on behalf of property owners. It provides a nationally recognized education certification program and is involved in fair housing, Section 8 and tax issues affecting owners at the national government level.
The staff of SFAA focuses on assisting Regular Members with tenant issues, from small situations, such as the allowable rent increase, to bigger ones, such as citing building and fire codes. Our members are at ease knowing that they have a resource that they can call. Many of our members call to ask questions to verify something that they have heard or read in past magazine articles. SFAA also educates members everyday when it comes to the proper use of forms. On a day-to-day basis, our staff deals with a broad range of questions that can be as simple as security deposits and allowable rent increases or as complex as nonpayment of rent and how to proceed. It is important for our members to take advantage of our services so that they are always on top of the correct procedures.
When owners aren’t proactive about getting answers, small problems can spiral out of control and require an attorney. But these issues often could have been solved with a simple call to our office. The SFAA staff is here to assist you and put your mind at ease, by answering and advising to the best of their ability. Luckily, SFAA is staffed with employees who have a background in property management. In a city that is mostly tenant occupied, it is nice to call an organization and know that they are there to help, listen and advise. San Francisco is a city that differs from most due to the complex nature of rent control and ever changing laws. SFAA exists, in part, to keep our members informed. We are here to protect the interest of our members. If it gets to the point where that advice is above and beyond our area of expertise, we are the first to give a referral, so you still get the correct information in a timely fashion.
A good example of everyday questions that the staff of the SFAA deal with is how to handle the security deposit once the tenant is ready to end the tenancy. We tell property owners that they have exactly 21 days to return security deposits, along with estimates and receipts. Once the tenant has vacated the unit and you take possession, the security deposit must go out as soon as possible; if you hesitate to return the security deposit, it is possible that your tenant might take you to small claims court. This means that you are looking at paying penalties, or in some cases triple-net damages, all because you didn’t return the security deposit check in the designated time.
SFAA is continually looking out for the members of our organization. This is why we are constantly trying to reduce dues and assure that our members are more satisfied with their membership. Starting this month, SFAA will be cutting costs by sending out mass emails instead of postcards to remind members about our meetings, as well as posting more information on our website. SFAA also lobbies for its members at San Francisco City Hall to protect the rights and interests of landlords. Our desire to serve your interests was clear when we developed and released a very thorough lease. SFAA is aware that laws are continuously changing and that is why our attorneys meet to revise the lease agreement so that it specifically reflects the interests of owning property in San Francisco.
One of the most beneficial items that SFAA offers is education, from lease review classes to the CCRM series, which takes place in the spring and the fall. The CCRM series is a property management course that walks individuals through a tenancy. This course is taught by individuals who are experienced in the property management field. Students who participate in this course become more knowledgeable and are able to apply this information to their everyday tasks in property management. This is a course that is highly recommended to new property owners, as well as long-time owners; it is a series that will teach the basics of property management in a ten-week course.
SFAA is a strong organization that is growing more and more everyday thanks to our dedicated staff and respected members. We would like to thank you for your continual support and faith in the SFAA. We encourage you to become more active and participate when tackling issues of the rental market in San Francisco. Again, we thank you for your membership and loyalty towards our cause.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or SF Apartment Magazine. Maria Shea is the member services coordinator at SFAA and can be reached at 415-255-2288. Copyright © 2008 by SF Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.