Blog Author: Elly Johnson

Packing up and making the move from one home to another can be a stressful experience, and while most people automatically think about how they can make moving less inconvenient for themselves, few people take the time to consider how moving impacts the environment.  Indeed, moving (be it to a new house or new office) produces an average of 17 to 18 kilograms of …

A render, or rendering, is a visual tool used to demonstrate the spatial qualities of a product. Renderings are better than sketches, drawings, and blueprints because they provide a geometrically accurate and photorealistic representation of an object, but because they are produced in 3D rendering software, they allow unlimited variation in how the object can be presented, without the difficulty and limitations of photography …

2023 has been the hottest year on record, with countries all over the world reporting unusually high temperatures. It’s been a particularly hot and sweaty summer in Reno, where the city’s highest ever temperature was recorded on July 16th. That’s 108 degrees Fahrenheit, or 42 degrees Celsius for you metric system fans. One thing we can all agree on is this: that’s a little …

Governor Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 611 on July 6th — a bill that imposes rent increase caps and additional limitations to landlords in Oregon. In the state of Oregon, landlords aren’t allowed to impose rent increases exceeding 7% plus inflation. With soaring inflation in recent years, this limit has allowed rent increases as high as 14.5%. In response, legislators are changing the way …

As a homeowner or multifamily owner, you’ve probably heard a lot about the benefits of solar panels. They claim to save you money and reduce your carbon footprint by producing all the electricity your property needs from the sun. Many landlords wonder if they’re a good investment for rental properties. As environmentalism becomes more prevalent every year, many tenants are drawn to properties that …

A new bill proposed in the California legislature could put a stricter limit on security deposits. The aim of the bill is to make housing more accessible to lower-income families and individuals. Many renters are finding themselves stuck in living situations that are unsafe, overcrowded, or unsatisfactory, and are unable to move. With California’s already skyrocketing rents, a large percentage of tenants struggle to …

A landlord and property manager in California is facing legal repercussions for breaking rent control laws set forth by the legislature before the COVID pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Tenant Protection Act, a rent control law in 2019 that protected tenants from excessive rent hikes and arbitrary or unwarranted evictions. Authored by Assembly member David Chiu, the act limited rent increases to …

This week, Los Angeles city council members proposed a bill that would aid tenants facing eviction by providing them with a free attorney. This is a concept that has been pushed by renter activists for many years but hasn’t seen major legislation beyond a few pilot programs. Councilmember Nithya Raman explains that the council is able to get support for the new bill thanks …

There are two main ways that the terms and conditions of a rental arrangement are agreed upon between tenant and landlord: a lease and a rental agreement. Any rental arrangement should always be formalized in writing, although in some cases a verbal short-term rental agreement can still be legally binding. Leases and rental agreements serve the same general purpose, and the two terms are …

As short-term rentals are taking the rental market by storm, municipalities are responding in different ways across the country. Some cities, particularly those that value tourism and want to encourage revitalization of urban areas, are embracing the short-term rental trend, while others are imposing more strict regulations in order to preserve neighborhoods with single-family homes.  The goals of a municipality in terms of a …