The Low-Down on Rental Insurance

May 20, 2013 – 10:05 am
Most apartment complexes have insurance to cover the cost of apartments in case of fire, natural disasters or any other disaster. Many tenants never think to get insurance for their safety because it will take away from paying their rent and utilities or it never crossed their minds. Having renters insurance is a must for renters because in case of fire, floods and disasters it can protect your personal belongings from being a total loss. Get the low-down on renters insurance by soaking in the following rental information. Each policy is made for each kind of rental property. There's one for renters, condo owners, and so on. Each policy covers many kinds of disasters ranging from fires and snow to explosions and theft to accidental damage and damages caused by someone else. What they don't tell you is that flood and earthquakes is not a part of ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

We made a mistake… and why you should too.

May 10, 2013 – 3:48 pm
Mistakes are a beautiful thing…if we learn from them.     During a sales meeting, our VP of Sales and Operations, Mike Branam once started the conversation with this, “we need to make more mistakes!” As he tells it, “the looks I received when i said that were very similar to the time I told my parents that my friend and I wanted to go on tour with Jimmy Buffett…when I was 16 years old.”  Like Mike’s parents at the time, our sales team must have thought he slipped on ice and stayed down for a while. But Mike went on to explain that the team really needed to get out there more and take some risks.  He knew we were not learning enough about our product from our customers perspective. Mike did not believe we were asking the hard questions.  You know, the type of questions that we may not want the ...

Posted in Business Tips | No Comments »

3 Steps to discovering your WHY

May 3, 2013 – 2:47 pm
  Chances are you know what you do in your business. But have you ever tried to answer WHY it is you do what you do?  It’s HARD! A few weeks ago we stumbled across this Ted Talk from Simon Sinek. We watched and then experienced a moment of pure panic. No one on the team could answer with clarity why it is we do what we do at rentbits.  So, a week later we shut ourselves in a room and after two hours, a few beers, frantic write-board brainstorming, watching a few oldschool Apple commercials, and staring at a poster of the Wright brothers( you’ll understand when you watch the Ted Talk) - we emerged with our WHY. We’ll share what we came out with in a moment, but first, a little bit about how we got there and how you can too. 3 Steps to Discover Your WHY 1. Watch this TED ...

Posted in Business Tips | No Comments »

3 Things To Learn From Extraordinary Rental Industry Pro’s

April 17, 2013 – 12:25 pm
Hello friends, This month marks our seventh birthday. After we gorged ourselves on birthday cupcakes, our glasses clinked as we celebrated seven incredible years, over 8500 customers, more than 2,000,000 rental leads generated, being honored on Inc's 500 fastest growing companies, and even having a Margarita named after us (it’s true, take a peek here) . It's been a pretty amazing ride  and we have a lot to celebrate, but would you like to know the one thing we're most proud of? You! So pour yourself a glass of bubbly and join us in a cheers as we share the most extraordinary lessons we've learned from your success over the years. Don't just set goals – create a vision Jim Cathcart, a noted professional speaker, once said, “Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy.” If we don't know and can't clearly describe exactly what it is we want, there ...

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

Reputation Management for Apartments - Right Vs Wrong

April 5, 2013 – 10:37 am
 In the most recent onsite insites magazine, they wrote an article on the Right VS Wrong when dealing with Reputation Management and Reviews for apartments. Here is what they said: Right  Take the time to respond to every review Count to 10 before firing back a response Invite the reviewer to take the conversation offline by providing your contact info What happens onsite could end up online - give residents something good to talk about Wrong Only responding to reviews from current residents Responding to a review from an emotional point of view. Closing out the review as "The Manager" and not providing your name nor any contact information Thinking a resident complaint will go no further than a phone call or letter in the dropbox

Posted in reputation management | No Comments »

Searching for Property Managers

March 18, 2013 – 11:32 am
In the United States, approximately 22% of all of the single family home rental properties are managed by professional properties managers. At rentbits, we wanted to make it easy for owners of rental properties to search for qualified property managers. We are excited to announce the launch of PropertyManagers.co, a new place to search for property managers within the single family home rental industry.

Posted in Property Managers | No Comments »

Top Five Things To Check Before You Rent

February 28, 2013 – 1:51 pm
Moving can be an exciting time in your life, but it can also be a stressful one. Whether you are moving because of a new job, because you are recently married or even recently retired, locating the right apartment means doing some research. First, you must determine how much space you need - how many bedrooms or baths. You also need to set a cost range for rental expenses that fits into your budget. Whichever city you plan to call home, there will be some excellent apartment communities in choice areas. But how do you decide, which one is right for you? In addition to size, location and rental cost, there are some other considerations to take into account when deciding where to rent. Think about what you require in an apartment - which amenities or features mean the most to you? Here are five apartment search tips to think about before you sign ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Project Jobs - rentbits on Fox News

February 14, 2013 – 1:05 pm

Posted in RentBits | No Comments »

Decorating Ideas To Make Low Ceilings Look Higher

February 14, 2013 – 11:48 am
Sometimes basement apartments and other units in modern buildings have ceilings so low that they make you feel cramped. These are apartment tips for decorating that appear to raise the roof. Buy a rug: Picking up a bold and colorful rug that will keep your attention on the floor is the easiest way to cope. Non rectangular rugs and those with carvings or a variety of fibers also help to hold the eye. Stick to verticals: Emphasize clean vertical lines everywhere. That includes upholstery, wallpaper, window treatments, and even your art and furniture. Hang everything high: Consider installing ceiling to floor curtains even if you have small windows or none at all. The long lines will create height. Position art pieces up high in a row or in orderly clusters. Keep your furniture low: You want furniture that sits close to the ground. Asian themes are one good option. Point the lights up. Steer clear ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Resident Buddy Featured on Fox News Denver

January 31, 2013 – 5:29 pm
We are very excited that our newest product, Resident Buddy, was mentioned on Fox News Denver. Our mission is to simplify the renters life.

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

Finding Rental Information For An Apartment

January 31, 2013 – 4:12 pm
A prospective renter's most powerful tool is information. Learning information about an apartment such as the safety of the local area, applicable policies/regulations and availability of services is essential. By learning how to collect and examine rental information, finding the right apartment complex neighborhood should be achievable. Take the time to check out the local neighborhood and talk to some of the residents. Look out for any obvious signs of crime. It is generally a good idea to visit the same neighborhood during different times of the day, especially at night. Search online or visit your local police department to determine the incidence of crime and police reports filed in the complex. Safety is especially an issue if you have kids living with you. Be sure to talk with the leasing agent about any concerns that you may have. According to the Texas Apartment Association, "Ask the leasing agent or the ...

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

Introducing Resident Buddy – Rental Life Simplified

January 14, 2013 – 5:45 pm
We are very excited to announce the launch of our newest product called Resident Buddy, a communication tool designed to simplify the rental life.  Apartment dwellers, Resident Buddy was designed from the ground up, just for you! The Resident Buddy team spent countless hours, finished way too many red bulls, and survived more than a few nerf wars to bring you a communication tool where every single detail was designed to simplify and improve your life. So here’s how it works! Resident-Buddy-Demo from rentbits.com on Vimeo. With Resident Buddy you can take care of the day-to-day business of being a renter 24/7 on any device with the Pay Rent and Maintenance request feature (how nice is that!?), because we know how nice it is to take care of business – quickly and with zero hassle. But the best part of Resident Buddy is that you finally have a simple, easy way to meet and ...

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

9 Colorful Alternatives to Painting Your Apartment Walls

January 9, 2013 – 7:25 pm
One of the challenges of apartment living is making your space feel like home without painting the walls. Maybe you want a purple accent wall, but your apartment is all vanilla and you’ve signed a lease that won’t let you change it. These are 9 apartment tips for alternative ways to add color. Painted furniture. A purple kitchen table or headboard may take your mind off the walls. If you’re unsure of your technique, hire a professional or practice on garage sale finds. It’s not that difficult to get great results as long as you clean and sand the surfaces thoroughly and invest in good quality brushes. Area rugs: The floor is a big part of any room. Pick a design you love and use a rug pad to keep it looking good for years. Drapes and Curtains: Window treatments are not just for windows. Use a curtain as a closet door. Install ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Making the Most of Your Apartment’s Kitchen

January 7, 2013 – 5:24 pm
The magazines may be full of dream kitchens the size of a small convenience store, but here in the real world you can still make good food for friends and family no matter what the size or shape of your kitchen. Here are some tips for using your apartment's kitchen to the full. First, think about what kind of a cook you are. Do you like preparing big, elaborate meals with many courses, or are you a one-pot sort of person? Are you attracted to recipes with an ingredient list the size of your arm, or are 3 and 4-ingredient recipes more your style? Do you love to bake and hear the word "roasted", or do you prefer stay on top of the range? Figure out what is important to you, then plan your kitchen set up around your needs. Storage can be a problem in a small kitchen, but be creative. Shop around ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Apartment Tips To Maximize Your Search On A Minimal Budget

December 26, 2012 – 11:52 am
You're in the market for a new apartment. There are so many choices out there, but you're finding that many of them are out of your price range. In a recovering economy, many landlords are feeling the effects of less income and are responding by raising prices. However, if you're looking in the right places, and by taking these apartment tips to heart, you can still find an apartment that offers you what you need at a price you can afford to pay. Consider Going Smaller How much room do you really need? If you're new to apartment hunting, you might have a misconstrued idea of square footage. Most tenants assume that bigger means better. However, considering that bigger also means more money paid out in utility bills, it's safe to say that you should do some research to find out how much space you can ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Conquering The Rental Market As A First Time Renter

December 11, 2012 – 11:05 am
Conquering the rental market as a renter can often be especially challenging, especially if you have never rented before. With how competitive the rental market has become as fewer people opt for home ownership, finding a great deal on a home or apartment rental can be hit or miss. By utilizing specific strategies and concepts, conquering the rental market should be accomplishable in no time at all. The factor of competition is making it more challenging for renters to feel secure. According to BBC News, "With the possibility of eviction with just two months' notice, and constant worries about when the next rent rise will hit, the current rental market is not giving people - particularly families - the stability they need to put down roots. With a generation priced out of home ownership, renting is the only choice for growing numbers of people," said Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb. If you ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Apartment Tips for New Renters

November 28, 2012 – 1:19 pm
Renting your first apartment is an exciting milestone in life for many people. But venturing into the unknown world of renting can be just as intimidating as exciting. Fortunately, there are a number of apartment tips out there for first-time renters to follow to make the first few months of adjusting easier. Tips for new renters include: Budget wisely. Experts suggest that your rent should be no more than 25-30% of your annual wages. Avoid unnecessary drama and disappointment by doing some quick calculations - meaning consider how much you spend on other expenses, including food, household supplies, phone, cell, car payment, car insurance, parking fees, credit card bills, clothing, cleaners, gas, Internet, healthcare, school loans, and entertainment, as well as any charges not covered by your rent - and only look at apartments that fit your budget. Don’t risk falling in love with something out of your price range. Remember the ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Tips For Saving Money In The Rental Market For Apartments

November 20, 2012 – 10:06 pm
Renting is an excellent choice for those who want to save on the cost of living. Learning how to get the most bang for your buck in the rental market can be challenging, however. Aspects such as the location, available amenities and quality of the apartment can have a drastic impact on price. By determining what you truly want as well as what you can budget for with an apartment, renting the right apartment should be a breeze. Plan out a budget before you even start looking at apartments. Your budget should be based on your current income as well as expected expenses while living in the apartment. Many people will make the mistake of renting an apartment that costs almost as much as their income, leaving little money aside for essential living expenses such as food and gas. According to U.S. News, " The conventional wisdom is to spend no ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Using Rental Information To Stay Ahead In The Apartment Rental Market

October 30, 2012 – 11:48 am
Every renter fears ending up in an apartment with noisy neighbors, lousy plumbing and repair service that takes a lifetime. While it can often be hard to find the perfect apartment as a renter, using rental information can help you avoid most of the common problems. Your first resource when considering an apartment is online reviews left by previous renters. These reviews will often rate the quality of neighbors, the amount of time maintenance required to conduct repairs and mention any problems that occurred with management. Remember to take these reviews with a grain of salt, since they are anonymous in nature. Amenities are one of the most important aspects of apartment rental information to consider. Many people choose to live in an apartment since many aspects such as their laundry, fitness and gaming needs are provided for as part of the community. Some amenities such as free internet, water, heating and ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

How To Make The Most Of The Limited Space In Your Apartment

October 17, 2012 – 1:12 pm
More often these days we are finding that we can live quite comfortably in smaller spaces. Especially in the larger cities, the typical apartment can be a space in which creativity can equal comfort and functionality. It can be a challenge to create a space that looks bigger than it really is and also feels like home. With a few simple tips, you will be on your way toward a more organized living space. Buy Pieces That Serve Multiple Functions One of the most common multi-function spaces is the kitchen that can convert into a home office when not in use serving meals. In your living area use a futon instead of a mattress so that it can serve as a seating area during the day. Create Hidden Storage Consider investing in pieces with hidden drawers such as an underbed drawer system or a foot stool with a hidden drawer or ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

What To Monitor So You Can Avoid Floods In Your Apartment

September 21, 2012 – 3:02 pm
Just recently we watched as another big hurricane came onshore in New Orleans, Louisiana. While the levees that were strengthened after Katrina held up as planned, there were other areas that were not so lucky. Families found that as the hurricane moved inland that their homes were under 6 feet of water. While flooding of this magnitude would be very difficult to prevent, there are some things you can check on to avoid a flood in your apartment, hopefully without the help of a hurricane. A common cause of plumbing failure and flooding are the washing machine hoses. Many apartments have washers or washer/dryer units with rubber hoses connecting them to the source of water. These can over time fail with bubbling and stretching which severely weakens the hoses ability to contain water. Check for moisture on the outside of the hose which could signal ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Apartment Tips: Brilliant Balcony Gardening

September 14, 2012 – 9:57 am
Do you find yourself wandering the garden department at the hardware store, wistfully eyeing packets of seeds and pausing to smell the earthy loveliness of the bagged soil? And are you abruptly cast back into reality remembering you live not on 5 acres of tilled pasture, but 500 square feet of apartment? Take heart, closet gardener: these apartment tips are all about the delicious edibles you can grow on the patio, in a pot or planter. Check with locals (e.g. that helpful sales associate at the hardware store) for precise planting times at your latitude, but here's a few ideas to whet your appetitie: Channel your inner Popeye. Fresh spinach is tons tastier than its canned cousin, anchor-tattooed sailor-man's endorsement notwithstanding. It also grows well in a small container, since it doesn't require lots of soil. It also freezes well -- after a quick blanche in boiling water. Lettuce be! It's also easy ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

rentbits Insights - Integrated. Affordable. Simple

August 31, 2012 – 9:46 am
The rentbits Insights product suite is focused on providing tools that are integrated, affordable and simple. Our customers typically save between 50% to 75% when utilizing Insights instead of implementing separate providers for their marketing, tracking and reputation management needs. Insights Highlights: Marketing Generate leads that pickup where ILS's and CraigsList leave off by taking advantage of our unique network of sites Local tracking numbers to increase call volume Post unlimited number of images and floor plans Tracking Track all of your advertising sources, including ILS's, CraigsList and print listings Assign local numbers to all sources All calls recorded and stored for up to 1 year to help evaluate lead quality and provide training opportunities Reputation Management Reviews - Centralize, monitor and respond to reviews from the most influential review sites Social - Track social mentions, number of fans and social content from Facebook and Twitter Local Content Management - Data to ensure local listings are claimed plus a key ...

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

We are hiring!

August 23, 2012 – 3:11 pm
rentbits is hiring! We are looking for Territory Sales Executives for multiple cities in the US. If you or someone you know is a good fit for this position, please spread the word!

Posted in Rental Market | No Comments »

Simplifying Apartment Reputation Management

August 17, 2012 – 4:52 pm
Managing Apartment Reviews, Social Chatter and Local sites is both time consuming and expensive. We are very excited to announce a solution to these challenges with our new apartment reputation management tool. By centralizing this data, apartment communities can track, manage and respond to reviews and social chatter from one integrated dashboard while also ensuring their local listings are claimed across various search engines and directories. Review management has never been easier. With our new tool, community or corporate personnel can monitor and track apartment reviews from sites like ApartmentRatings, Yelp, Google+, Yahoo Local and others. With a single click, communities can seamlessly respond to reviews. The local search feature allows apartment communities to see which sites they have not claimed their listings on as well as where the community ranks for specific keywords on sites like Google, Bing, Yahoo and others. The chatter features helps apartment communities find and respond ...

Posted in reputation management | No Comments »

Tips on Turning Your Apartment Patio into a Relaxing Oasis

August 9, 2012 – 1:20 pm
As an apartment dweller you have probably scoured the Internet looking for tips on how to make your rental a real home. Once you get the interior squared away, you still want to make use of the extra and very valuable outdoor square footage, no matter how small and narrow it might be. Whether it is a first floor patio flanked by a privacy wall, a second story balcony with a stunning view of the parking lot or a seventh floor deck with a city view, making the most of your apartment patio means furnishing it as you would the interior. Of course, when considering decorative elements, you must also consider the natural elements, like wind and sun exposure and rain. You also want to create privacy and a peaceful place you can relax. The fantasy outdoor space always includes a giant table and chairs, plants and maybe a pond, ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Apartment tips for Decor

August 6, 2012 – 6:31 pm
The hard thing about renting is that you are really limited when it comes to decor. You don't have the luxury of putting up permanent structures, or in some apartments, using screws or nails. So, here are some things to look for in an apartment prior to renting that will help you out in terms of decorations and organizing your things in the long haul. Built in shelves. Built in shelves will provide you with easy access to the things you love most, but it also provides a little extra space to organize your things and create a decorated space with frames and other objects. In addition, the shelves won't tip or fall, providing you with a safer environment, especially if you have kids around. Fireplaces- with a mantel. A fireplace will provide a central focal point. It draws your eye to it which naturally provides ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Zillow Earnings and RentJuice Acquisition

August 6, 2012 – 6:06 pm
Zillow will be announcing their Q2 earnings report tomorrow and it is expected to be another great quarter for the real estate search site. The site now has over 35 million unique monthly visitors and a majority of the users are coming from mobile. In fact, over 57 homes are viewed on mobile every second on Zillow. Spencer Rascoff, Zillow's CEO says that mobile users are 3 times more likely to contact an agent than on the desktop. Along with the almost doubling of every business metric from just a year ago, Zillow has been making some acquisitions to help boost their rental business. The most recent, a rental services and software company called RentJuice. In June, Zillow acquired RentJuice for $40 million in cash. According to SEC documents, RentJuice had $305,561 in revenue in 2011 with a net loss of $2.8 million and $139,447 in revenue and $897,060 in net loss Q1 2012. The $40 million acquisition price is approximately ...

Posted in zillow | No Comments »

Apartment Fire Safety

August 6, 2012 – 4:24 pm
Are you prepared if there were to be a fire in your apartment or apartment complex? Being prepared and having a plan in the event of a fire is the first step you need to take. Making a plan will help keep you, your family and your neighbors safe.  Know where the fire exits are in your building and the quickest route to get to them. Know multiple escape routes in case one is blocked by a fire. Also, have a designated meeting spot for your family in case of a fire. Fires in aparment buildings are particularly dangerous because they can quickly spread to other units, affecting the whole building and all of the occupants. More occupants are affected in an apartment fire than in a single family home. It is very important to be fire safe in an apartment building. Read through some of these apartment fire safety tips to make sure you are prepared in case of a fire! 1- ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »

Apartment Tips: Save Money, Live Better, Help the Earth

July 26, 2012 – 1:12 pm
So your apartment complex doesn't have solar panels on the roof. Your neighbor won't separate his recyclables properly. And the landlord isn't interested in letting you compost on the balcony. Fear not, green citizen, here's an apartment tip that's right up your alley: it turns out one of the best ways to save the planet is by starting with reducing your personal carbon footprint. The U.S. Department of Energy has even found a way to help renters conduct their own online home energy audit, to calculate your living space's energy efficiency -- and come up with ideas to make it even greener. The DOE's great online tool is called Home Energy Saver (HES), and it's set up to help renters -- and homeowners -- reduce energy use by estimating what they're using now, and how much energy (and money) they can save after a few recommended improvements. HES starts the process by showing users how ...

Posted in apartment tips | No Comments »