Before you delve into the how's, let's first understand why you would want to get in touch with a landlord directly.
Some landlords prefer to distance themselves from the work of collecting rent, doing repair works, and evicting tenants who fail to make their rent payments so they're just content to run things behind the scenes.
If this is the case and you're looking to rent a property, then it's better to talk with the property management company that the landlord has assigned on their behalf.
With the proliferation of scams, it is always better to verify the property ownership before jumping into a deal and handing over your hard-earned cash.
There are stories of would-be buyers conned into dealing with unscrupulous individuals posing as the property owner and then running off with the money.
Are you one of the neighbors constantly bothered by unruly tenants next door?
For example, they love hosting parties until the wee hours of the morning during weekdays, or they're stinking up the place by not following rules on garbage disposal.
In this case, it is advisable that you contact the property manager first and then take it from there.
Some landlords prefer to be anonymous, but if you really need to get in touch with them, there are several ways of finding their contact information.
With the help of the internet, we have unprecedented access to information right on our fingertips.
You can start simply by typing the property address on a search engine and going from there. Websites like Zillow or Trulia contain records of recent real estate transfers, where you can find the names of both the buyer and the seller.
Once you have the names, it's a matter of doing a social media search where you have a high chance of success, especially since 75% of Americans are on Facebook these days. Some people even put their phone numbers on their profile, making it easier for you to contact them directly. If not, you can use online phone directories.
When you lease out a property, it isn't simply watching your bank account fill in with that sweet passive income every month.
It is a full time job, requiring a person to be the accountant, the maintenance guy, the marketer, the collector, and the customer service representative all rolled into one.
If one wants to scale up the rental business by having multiple properties, the responsibilities also increase exponentially.
It is therefore far simpler and easier to just hire property management companies to run things, so the landlord can focus on finding deal after deal to grow their property portfolio.
Property managers' usual compensation is one month's rent for each rental they manage. Just imagine how much they get paid especially if the landlord is renting out an apartment building with several units!
That said, if you're looking for the landlord's contact info, they're the best source.
If you're interested in acquiring a unit or whole apartment buildings, maybe you're wondering who could provide information about the property owner. There's no one you'd better ask than the people living in the neighborhood.
Better yet, interview the tenants in the building. Since they have a business relationship with the landlord, it's likely that they have the landlord's phone number as well.
The county clerk keeps public records pertaining to properties, such as transfers of ownership, tax records, appraised value, and renovations such as expansions or property additions.
On top of these, you can also find the owner's personal history, such as a bankruptcy filing or a divorce, which, even though personal, is part of public information recorded by the city.
To search the city's property records, you only need to have the property address.
You can either phone the records office, do your search online on the county website, or visit the city hall to conduct your search in person.
Once you pull up the property details, the landlord's name will usually turn up.
Some counties may allow you to search using the owner's name so that you can see their other properties. Do note that if you're looking for the landlord's address, the city may only have their tax mail address on file and not their real address, especially if they are a business entity or a corporation. As for the landlord's phone number, not every county may have it, so you may have to try other channels, such as social media, to establish contact.
Don't hesitate to ask for assistance, these are all public records, so staff at the county records office should be able to readily help you.
A successful real estate agent knows a huge number of people.
If you describe a property in the area and where it is located, chances are they might be able to tell you who owns it. What's more, if you're in the market for a property, such as single family homes you're looking to invest in as a rental or as a flip, they can surely put together a deal for you!
Before prospective tenants are allowed to rent a property, landlords usually screen them by calling references, running a credit check--an overall background check.
On the other side of the coin, there are websites that help tenants screen their potential landlords before they sign on that rental agreement.
These websites have an online database containing owner and property information, as well as a system for online apartment ratings so that tenants can help other tenants in their decision-making.
When purchasing a house, rental or otherwise, one of the must-do's in the process is running a title search. Doing so saves you the headache and the heartbreak of the deal not pushing through because of someone else showing up with a lien, or a claim on the property.
A title search could tell you details of the property owner, as well as the clouds on a property's title, such as notices of default, unpaid tax bills, unpaid HOA fees, and other debts that may hamper the real estate transaction.
For a small fee, an attorney or a title company can do the title search for you. Alternatively, you can get it for free by DIY-ing the process and seeking the records out on your own.
If a landlord can't be located through any of the ways mentioned above, you can do a skip trace. This is a method employed by real estate investors, journalists, debt collectors, private investigators, law enforcement, and bounty hunters to track down a person's whereabouts.
And though the involvement of the last two professions may sound ominous, skip tracing is popular in real estate circles, where it is used to find buyer and seller leads. Additionally, this is particularly helpful for landlords who have had trouble tenants who skipped town (that's where the term comes from!) and left the rental property in a mess.
Well, you can also do the reverse with a skip trace. This time, you can use it to obtain a landlord's address, as well as their phone numbers and other contact information.
By far this is the most expensive option of the lot. It can cost as much as $350.00 per trace!
Looking to buy a property but you can't seem to locate the owner?
There are many ways for you to obtain this information. It can be free or paid. Ultimately, it all depends on what you'd like to invest to get the information you require: time, energy, or money?
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