Accessibility Features in a Rental Property

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Baby Boomers are quickly approaching retirement age, and with that change the United States is seeing a rise in the elderly population that will only continue for the next twenty years or more. 

As a result, we are entering a time then when accessibility features may actually increase the value of your home

Rising Demand for Accessibility

The Population Reference Bureau indicates that “the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population will rise from 16 percent to 23 percent.” 

Combine that with the fact that 72% of homeowners over the age of 65 have indicated they want to remain in their home in their old age, and you  can expect a continuing increase  in the demand for  housing  with accessibility features for the near future. In fact, market thus suggests that desire for accessible homes will only rise over the next 40 years.  

Demand is increased by the growing number of children who are taking elderly family members into their own homes.The Panel Survey of Income Dynamics shows a 20 percent rise between 1988 and 2007 in the number of middle-aged women (who tend to be caregivers for the elderly) who had both a child and a parent under their care.  

Additionally, because Boomers are more likely to have divorced than other generations, there is a higher percentage of elderly men and women who live alone and may eventually need their child as a caregiver.  

Universal Design Benefits Accessibility

When thinking of renovating your home for accessibility, many people make standard modifications such as ramps for wheelchair access, widening doorways to 36 inches, installing grab bars near toilets and showers, and lowering light switches.  While these features can be value added changes to your home, there’s a whole additional world of accessibility renovations that can increase resale value.

 “Universal design” has become the term for fashionable new features that make sense not just for the elderly or disabled, but also for any homeowner.  

Thresholds that are even with the floor, for example, create easier wheelchair access, but also reduce tripping hazards for any homeowner.  Additionally, lever door handles and rocker light switches are designed for easier use and are actually a popular trend in today’s homes.  Even increased size of door openings fit well into the continued popularity of the open floor plans of today’s homes (and who hasn’t had trouble fitting some piece of furniture through a door?).  And because wheelchairs move more easily on harder floors, that change to hardwood or tile isn’t just an upgrade; it’s universal design.

Accessibility features in a living room.

You should also consider the number of innovative technological features, such as automatic faucets and lighting, that have become the cutting edge of home design.  These “new age” features not only make the home more accessible, but also create added benefit in energy savings.  

Features designed to protect those who are frail or absent-minded are just as likely to protect, say, children.  Induction stoves, for example, only heat the metal of the pan, so users are less likely to burn themselves on a burner left on, nor is the fire hazard nearly as high.

Weighing Your Accessibility Options

We are moving toward a period where accessibility is in demand.  Single story houses are already in higher demand than the market can support.  

In fact, according to one realty company’s survey exploring accessibility features, 55 percent responded they sought  at least one bedroom on the main floor, and 39 percent added they’d like wider hallways and grab bars in the bathroom.  That’s demand!

If you are considering adding accessibility features to your home and are trying to decide if it’s a good investment, there are a few things you’ll want to consider. 

First is what we’ve already covered: do the features I add offer use beyond that of accessibility?  Large walk-in shower with lipless entry are all the rage in home design and can be fitted with removable benches for the elderly.  

Accessibility features in a bathroom

There are so many wonderful accessibility options today that don’t even have to be built in.  Lift chairs, shower seats, and even rails can now be installed with either no impact on the structure of your home, or only some small amount of installation that is easily reversible.

With that being said, the second thing you might consider is how easily reversible your renovations are should a potential home-buyer want to change them.  Lowered light switches (for wheelchair accessibility), for example, can be reset at a fairly low cost while lowered countertops and sinks will be more expensive to reverse.  

Finally, you will want to consider the demand for accessibility in your area.  In the Midwest, for example, accessibility features may increase your  home’s value since that area’s market is defined by elderly homeowners whose kids have moved away. On the other hand, if you live in a starter home neighborhood where young families tend to buy, accessibility features may not increase home value.

In Conclusion: Are Accessibility Features Worth the Investment?

There’s no reason today, with the rise of universal design, that you can’t create an accessible home that is comfortable for all ages and is also a wise investment.  Modifications to a home that are completed tastefully and in tune with the overall decor of the house can increase value, particularly if you find the right buyer.  Research suggests that buyers 35-55 are in the prime range to see universal design features as a boon.  So assess your needs, investigate the best ways to incorporate your desires, understand your area’s market, and create a home that will suit you and appeal to a future buyer when the time comes to sell your home.

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Enhanced Reporting

Your portal includes a selection of extremely useful reports. Reports are available in the “Reports” section, and are distinct from the financial statements. Unlike financial statements which are static records, Reports are dynamic real-time records that will update with current data every time you view them. 

Scroll down to learn more about Reports:

Navigate to the "Reports" module in your portal:

Owner Portal Reports
  • Keep in mind, these reports are dynamic records. They will refresh to display current information every time you view them. 

Enhanced Rent Roll Report:

Enhanced Rent Roll Report
  • The Enhanced Rent Roll Report will show the rent amount, last payment date, move-in date, lease expiration date, and security deposit amount for each of your tenants. 
  • It will also show a portfolio summary with occupancy percentage, vacancy loss, and more!

Unit Comparison Report:

Unit Comparison Report
  • If you own multiple units (or buildings) with Nomadic, you’ll get access to the Unit Comparison Report. 
  • This report enables you to quickly compare financial performance between your units at a glance without toggling between individual reports. 

Income Statement Month-Over-Month:

Income Statement by Month Report
  • The Income Statement Detail – Monthly Report serves as a month-over-month record of portfolio performance. You’ll see itemized income and expense categories and can track monthly. This report will update with fresh data every time you view it. 

Financial Statements

Financial statements will be published to your portal on a monthly basis. The statements are found in your Documents library, and provide a historical record of all financial performance. The statements serve as a snapshot of financial performance over a given period, and are static documents (unlike Reports, the statements do not update/change in real-time). 

Scroll down for more info about the Financial Statements in your Documents library:

The Documents area contains monthly financial statements:

Owner Portal Documents
  • The statements in the Documents are are static documents. They are posted to the portal once a month to serve as a historical record of financial performance. 

Download a statement to see month and YTD financials:

Owner Portal Property Statement

You'll also find a month-over-month operating statement:

Month over Month Statement

Portal Communication Tool

You can use your owner portal to communicate with our team. Any messages you send through the portal will go straight to your Account Manager. When we reply, you’ll get an email notification and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

Here’s an overview of using the communication platform:

Click "Communications" and navigate to "Conversations":

Commincation Dashboard Screenshot
  • The communications module will contain a record of all messages that you create through the portal. 

Click the "New Message" button and send your message:

Owner Portal New Message Screenshot

Responses will show up in the conversation ticket:

Portal Conversation Response Screenshot
  • You’ll get an email notification whenever you get a response, and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

You can reply in-line using the comment box:

Owner Portal Comment

Each conversation will be logged in its entirety:

Portal Conversation Snapshot

Understanding the Ledger

Your portal includes a ledger with all transactions. The ledger is populated with data in real-time as transactions flow through our accounting software. Much of this information is also available in the Reports area, as well as the Statements in your Documents library, but the ledger is the most comprehensive resource for diving into the details. 

Please scroll through the sections below to get a better understanding of how to interpret the ledger. 

By default, transactions are sorted chronologically:

Owner Ledger Dates
  • The date reflected in the lefthand column is the actual transaction date, not the “bill date”. This is the date the transaction was actually processed. 

If you have multiple properties with Nomadic, you'll see the address for each transaction in the "Location" column:

Ledger Property Column
  • You can filter the ledger to look at just one property, all properties, or specific sets of properties. 
  • If you only have one property with us, you’ll just see the ledger for that property. 

The Description column displays the transaction type:

Owner Ledger Description Column
  • BILL: this is an expense transaction, such as for repair costs or management fees.
  • CHARGE: this is a transaction  billed to the tenant, most typically a rent payment. 
  • NACHA EXPORT: this is a credit we processed to your distribution account. This type of transaction is how you get paid! 

The Amount column shows the dollar value of each transaction:

Owner Ledger Amount Column
  • Positive Amounts: if an amount is positive, it reflects a transaction that is payable to you. Typically, this will be a rent payment that we collected from your tenants. On occasion, a positive number could also signify a journal entry or credit adjustment. 
  • Negative Amounts:  if an amount is negative, this is a transaction that is either payable to Nomadic or is an amount that has already been paid to you. Typically this will be for repair costs or management/leasing fees. Owner draws (net distributions into your checking/savings account) also reflect as negative amounts, since they have already been paid to you. 

The Account Balance column shows a sum of positive/negative transactions at a given point in time:

Owner Ledger Account Balance Column
  • Account Balance should always equal zero after a net distribution has been processed. When the balance is zero, this means that all expenses have been paid and you’ve received the remainder as net operating income, leaving a balance of zero (meaning: no one is due any money, as all funds have been distributed appropriately). 

Navigating the Propertyware Owner Portal

Your portal includes some extremely useful features that help you understand your property’s financial performance at a new level, with real-time transparency into every transaction.

Scroll through the snapshots below for an overview of portal navigation! If you need more help or have specific questions about using the portal, you can reach out to your Account Manager any time for a screen share. 

You can filter all info by date range or property:

PW Portal Filters

View a snapshot of income and expenses on your dashboard:

PW Owner Dashboard View

See every transaction in real-time on your ledger:

Owner Portal Ledger View

Statements and forms will be posted to your documents library:

Owner Portal Document Library

View a suite of real-time financial reports:

Portal Reports View

See a running list of all bills, and drill down for more detail:

Owner Portal Bills View

Under Bill Details, you'll find dates/descriptions/amounts and more:

Portal Bill Details

You can also communicate with your Account Manager through the portal:

Owner Portal Communication Tools

How do net distributions work?

Net distributions keep your accounting clean and simple. Each month we’ll collect rent from the tenants, deduct any repair expenses for the previous month and any management/leasing fees for the current month, and credit the remaining net operating income to your account. 

Net Distribution

You’ll receive a statement via email each time a net distribution is processed, and can view all transaction details in your Propertyware owner portal.