CAM Property Management & Leasing Operations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident complains that a neighbor is playing loud music after quiet hours repeatedly. What is the manager's best first step?
- Immediately begin eviction proceedings against the offending resident
- Issue a written lease violation notice to the offending resident (Correct answer)
- Call the police on behalf of the complaining resident
- Ignore the complaint until multiple residents report it
Correct answer: Issue a written lease violation notice to the offending resident
A written lease violation notice documents the complaint, puts the resident on notice, and creates a paper trail for potential future action.
Question 2: What is a 'concession' in apartment leasing?
- A penalty fee charged for lease violations
- An incentive offered to prospects such as free rent or waived fees (Correct answer)
- A clause allowing early lease termination
- A discount given to long-term employees
Correct answer: An incentive offered to prospects such as free rent or waived fees
Concessions are incentives like one month free rent, waived application fees, or gift cards used to attract residents in competitive markets.
Question 3: A resident requests a unit transfer to a larger apartment mid-lease. Management should:
- Deny all transfer requests to maintain lease integrity
- Allow the transfer only if the current unit is re-leased and document with an addendum or new lease (Correct answer)
- Let the resident move without any paperwork
- Charge a one-time penalty equal to one month's rent automatically
Correct answer: Allow the transfer only if the current unit is re-leased and document with an addendum or new lease
Transfers should be conditional on re-leasing the vacated unit and properly documented with a new lease or addendum to maintain legal clarity.
Question 4: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Housing Act, a resident with a disability requests a reserved parking space near their unit as a reasonable accommodation. Management should:
- Deny the request because parking is first-come, first-served
- Approve the request if it does not create an undue hardship (Correct answer)
- Charge a premium for the reserved space as a reasonable offset
- Require medical documentation before considering any response
Correct answer: Approve the request if it does not create an undue hardship
Reasonable accommodations that do not impose an undue financial or administrative burden must be provided under the Fair Housing Act.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'net rentable area' for leasing purposes?
- Total gross building square footage including common areas
- The usable floor space within a unit that can be leased to a resident (Correct answer)
- Square footage of amenity spaces available to residents
- The sum of all occupied units' square footage
Correct answer: The usable floor space within a unit that can be leased to a resident
Net rentable area refers to the interior floor space of a unit that is leased to the resident, excluding common areas and structural elements.
Question 6: A prospective resident asks if any registered sex offenders live in the community. The leasing agent should:
- Confirm or deny based on internal records
- Direct the prospect to publicly available state sex offender registry resources (Correct answer)
- Refuse to discuss the topic entirely
- Tell the prospect the community is 'safe' without further elaboration
Correct answer: Direct the prospect to publicly available state sex offender registry resources
Management should direct prospects to publicly available government registries rather than making representations that could expose the property to liability.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a lease renewal incentive program?
- To increase security deposits for renewing residents
- To reduce turnover costs by encouraging residents to sign new leases (Correct answer)
- To qualify residents for government housing subsidies
- To allow management to raise rents without notice
Correct answer: To reduce turnover costs by encouraging residents to sign new leases
Renewal incentives reduce costly turnover by encouraging residents to stay, saving make-ready expenses and lease-up time.
CAM Property Management & Leasing Operations 3
A resident complains that a neighbor is playing loud music after quiet hours repeatedly.
What is the manager's best first step?