What are Be Smart Forms and how can they help your landlording business? Since December 2022, I’ve been working on getting Sharmane Watt’s “Be Smart” forms into an editable format and available on my website (www.neldaschulte.com). Now that they’re finally done and available online, I want to introduce you to them, tell you why they’re valuable to you, and give you a link to access them.
I’m offering one for free so you can see what a great time saver they are for your landlording business.
What are they?
“Be Smart” forms are the brainchild of Saskatchewan multi-family landlord Sharmane Watt. Years ago, she had a tenant who was a stay-at-home non-English-speaking mom/newcomer to Canada. Sharmane was worried that if her tenant had an emergency, she wouldn’t know how to call fire, police, or an ambulance. As a solution, Sharmane wrote her first Be Smart Emergency form, complete with pictures and the apartment address.
That first form worked so well that Sharmane realized she could save time and money by educating all her new tenants with the self-same information. Over the years, she developed 11 Be Smart forms.
Sharmane told Nelda about the Be Smart forms on the Ask Nelda Almost Anything (now Alberta Landlords Watch) Facebook live show. Nelda and Sharmane decided to collaborate to offer the Be Smart forms in a digital/editable format on Nelda’s website (www.neldaschulte.com/offerings), and voila! Here they are.
What forms are in the Be Smart Landlord Forms package?
Be Smart editable forms include 11 editable documents, which include:
- Emergency Fact Sheet -includes aneditable rental address, which number to call for any emergency (complete with pictures), fire door fact sheet, and fire code policy.
- Be Balcony Smart – what not to put on the balcony to prevent hazards and how to prevent your building from becoming an eyesore. Balcony etiquette is also included.
- Bed Bug Prevention – information and instructions on how bed bugs get into buildings, how to prevent them from entering/ spreading, and how to report the issue once they’ve been spotted.
- Cockroach Prevention – good home hygiene practices in eight areas that help prevent cockroaches from spreading.
- Be Dishwasher Smart – what items belong and do not belong in the dishwasher, and who/how to report maintenance issues.
- Be Humidity Smart – how to produce less moisture, how temperatures affect humidity levels, high and low humidity causes.
- Be Mail Smart – how to keep the mail your tenants receive safe, how to keep the mail they send safe, how to forward mail to a new address after moving.
- Overnight Guests and Guest Parking – guest rules (editable)and parking rules. No more – “you didn’t tell me.”
- Pest Smart – how to prevent ants and mice from moving in and taking over.
- Be Property Smart – where to place the shower curtain while showering to prevent water from spreading, mold and moisture prevention, to dispose of garbage properly, what does and does not go into the garbage and recycling bins, where to put trash and recycling, and how to prevent fire from spreading.
- Be Sewer Smart – what can and cannot be disposed of in the sewer system (contains a detailed list) and reiterate that reporting issues are everyone’s responsibility.
Why do I need “Be Smart” Editable Forms in my Landlording Business?
You can’t assume your tenants know everything you know or that they’ll follow the hygiene standards you grew up with. People come from various backgrounds, cultures, and upbringings. The better you educate your tenants, the better the chance they will take good care of your property and help you keep rental costs down. Also, as landlords, we know documentation is necessary to prove due diligence.
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
Landlords are busy enough with day-to-day operations to set aside time to create tenant documents. With the Be Smart editable forms, you don’t have to. It doesn’t matter what province your properties are in, theses forms work everywhere. They’re done for you and ready to use immediately!
Are you ready to save time and money? Buy your forms today! Click this link.