Natick Apartments Blog

Give the state of the economy, it can be difficult for a prospective tenant to pay first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a one month security deposit in advance. I find today that even solid applicants are tight on cash.

I recommend to my landlord clients that they weigh the merits of losing a well-qualified but cash-tight tenant over the the benefits of having that extra month.

So then the question is- Last month’s rent or security deposit? Experienced Natick landlords know that you have to put the security deposit in a special account and pay the going rate of interested but you may be surprised to learn that you also are obligated by law to pay interest on the last month’s rent.

The General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts  state:

Any lessor or his agent who receives, at or prior to the commencement of a tenancy, rent in advance for the last month of the tenancy from a tenant or prospective tenant shall give to such tenant or prospective tenant at the time of such advance payment a receipt indicating the amount of such rent, the date on which it was received, its intended application as rent for the last month of the tenancy, the name of the person receiving it and, in the case of an agent, the name of the lessor for whom the rent is received, and a description of the rented or leased premises, and a statement indicating that the tenant is entitled to interest on said rent payment at the rate of five per cent per year or other such lesser amount of interest as has been received from the bank where the deposit has been held payable in accordance with the provisions of this clause, and a statement indicating that the tenant should provide the lessor with a forwarding address at the termination of the tenancy indicating where such interest may be given or sent.

You can find more information on this topic HERE.

I an avid (though VERY average) golfer, and I often get asked by new Natick renters where to play. So here is a short list and review of Natick area golf.

Of course, we have to begin with the Town of Natick 9-hole golf course Sassamon Trace

Sassamon Trace in Natick

Located on what was formerly the Natick Dump, Sassamon Trace is actually a fairly challenging course, which I recommend walking rather than using a cart. It’s Town of Natick property, so no alcohol is permitted.

Just over the Natick line in Wayland is Sandy Burr

I like it because it’s pretty wide open and I like the overall layout. No range to warm up, but a decent lounge in the clubhouse.

A third (and unique) option is Millwood Farms in Framingham. What makes this course interesting is that it has just 14 holes- that’s not a typo! A good course for beginners and kids I think.

Natick also boasts a nice practice facility called the Natick Golf Learning Center

It has grass as well as matted hitting areas, a putting green, sand traps and a chipping area.

And finally for those who prefer their golf course with a colonial flair Natick has a miniature golf facility located on Route 9 known as Golf on the Village Green.

In the last post I wrote that it doesn’t matter whether you are right or wrong. All that matters is getting back control of your unit.

Today, I will explain the technique we have used many times to give the problem tenant an incentive to leave.

Now, you can take the legal route of eviction. My experience is that it is time consuming, expensive, and stressful. Instead of quietly packing and leaving, some tenants will exact their revenge by trashing the apartment, causing you thousand of dollars in repairs and lost rent.

Remember in the movie Jerry Maguire where the character played by Cuba Gooding Jr. (where has he gone?) shouts “Show me the money!”?

What works for us is to offer a sliding scale of financial rewards to move out on a timely basis- a/k/a “Cash for Keys”. We refer to it as “The Carrot and the Stick”.

It’s amazing how cooperative and compliant people become when there’s money at stake. Most will cheerfully accept. Some even want to be your buddy!

And why wouldn’t they? What? You’ll pay me to move?

Some landlords chafe at “rewarding” bad tenants. My thinking is what’s another $1000. to get rid of a problem when I could be losing $10,000. in repairs and lost rent?

You can be right. Or you can stop being held hostage and get your apartment so it can be rented to a good tenant who will take care of it and pay you on time.

This is the reality show known as “The Real Landlords of Natick”!

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