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A background check is part of tenant screening used to evaluate a rental applicant before lease approval. It may review identity information, credit or financial history, criminal records, eviction history, income or employment, and prior rental history. The goal is to help the operator assess whether the applicant is likely to meet lease obligations and care for the property.
Learn moreBad debt is rent or other resident charges that were billed but are not expected to be collected. In multifamily operations, it usually starts as delinquency and becomes bad debt when the balance is determined to be uncollectible and written off. It may involve current or former residents, including unpaid balances after move-out.
Learn moreBalance collection is the process of pursuing unpaid amounts a resident or former resident owes, such as rent, fees, damages, or other lease-related charges. In multifamily operations, it often starts with a delinquent balance on an active lease and can continue after move-out if the security deposit does not cover the final amount owed. If the balance cannot be recovered, it may eventually…
Learn moreBank linking is a verification method that lets an applicant connect a bank account directly to a screening workflow, usually with consent-based, read-only access. Multifamily teams use it to confirm income, account history, and transaction patterns without relying only on uploaded documents. It can support faster decisions, but it is typically used alongside other screening steps because not…
Learn moreBed bug treatment is the process of inspecting, confirming, and addressing bed bug infestations in apartment homes and nearby units. In multifamily housing, it usually involves a pest management professional, resident preparation and education, and a mix of chemical and non-chemical methods such as heat, steaming, vacuuming, encasements, or interception devices. Effective treatment often requires…
Learn moreBenchmarking is the practice of comparing a property's or portfolio's performance metrics against internal history, similar properties, industry standards, or the broader market. In multifamily operations, it can apply to financial results, leasing, maintenance, energy performance, resident service, and staffing efficiency. Useful benchmarks should be based on comparable data so leaders can make…
Learn moreA biometric ID/liveness check is an identity verification step that compares a live selfie or video selfie to the photo on a government-issued ID. The liveness part checks that the applicant is a real person present during the process, rather than a static photo, recorded video, mask, or other spoof. In multifamily leasing, it is often used alongside document validation, income verification, and…
Learn moreA booking type is a scheduling setting that determines whether an in-person apartment tour is booked at the building/community level or with a specific agent. Building-level booking uses the property’s shared availability, while agent-level booking routes the tour to an available staff member. If agent-level booking is used and no agent is available for a time, that time should not be offered to…
Learn moreBreach notification is the process of informing affected people, regulators, or other required parties when certain personal information may have been accessed, acquired, or exposed without authorization. The exact trigger, timing, content, and recipients depend on the applicable laws and the type of information involved. In multifamily operations, this can include resident, applicant, employee,…
Learn moreBroadband deployment is the planning, installation, and activation of internet infrastructure so residents can access high-speed service in a multifamily property. It can include permanent building infrastructure such as cables, fiber, wiring, or wireless systems, plus coordination among the property owner, provider, and residents. In multifamily housing, deployment is often more complex than a…
Learn moreA budget variance is the difference between what a property or portfolio budgeted and what actually happened for a given revenue, expense, cash flow, or capital line item. In multifamily operations, variance reports are commonly reviewed monthly or periodically to compare actual spending or revenue against budgeted amounts. A variance can be favorable or unfavorable depending on whether the…
Learn moreBudget-to-Actual is the process of comparing a property's planned income and expenses against what actually happened during a month, quarter, or year. The difference is called a variance, and it shows where performance was better or worse than expected. Operations teams use these comparisons to understand revenue, expense, cash flow, and NOI trends.
Learn moreBuild-to-Rent (BTR) is purpose-built rental housing developed to be rented, not sold. In the U.S., it commonly refers to professionally managed communities of single-family homes, townhomes, cottages, or similar low-density units where residents generally do not have another household above or below them. Many BTR communities operate more like multifamily assets than scattered single-family…
Learn moreBuild-to-Rent (BTR) is purpose-built rental housing, most often single-family homes or townhomes constructed to be rented rather than sold. BTR communities are typically planned as rental communities and professionally managed, often with shared amenities and maintenance services. In operations, BTR blends single-family-style living with many multifamily management practices.
Learn moreBuilding systems are the physical systems that keep a property safe, functional, and comfortable, such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lighting, life safety, security, utilities, and telecommunications. These systems often depend on one another, so a problem in one area, like electrical service, can affect other equipment or resident services. In multifamily operations, managing building systems…
Learn moreA building-specific shift is a technician shift that applies only to selected buildings or sub-buildings within a community. It defines when that technician is available and limits assignment rules to the locations they are meant to cover during that time. This helps teams match maintenance coverage to the physical layout of a property.
Learn moreBulk billing is an arrangement where a multifamily property owner or operator contracts with a service provider for all units in a community, instead of each resident buying the service individually. In rental housing, it is most often discussed for internet or internet-plus-video service, and the cost may be included in rent or community fees. The goal is to use the property’s full unit count to…
Learn moreBulk internet and video is a property-level service arrangement where a multifamily community contracts for internet access, and sometimes video service, across many or all homes instead of each resident buying service individually. The cost is often included in rent or community fees, similar to an amenity. These arrangements may be structured as bulk-to-the-unit service, managed Wi-Fi, or a…
Learn moreBusiness Intelligence (BI) is the practice of bringing data from multiple business systems into a shared view so leaders can understand performance and make better decisions. In multifamily operations, BI often connects property, leasing, maintenance, financial, and capital planning data into dashboards or reports. It can be used for basic reporting, deeper analysis, and, in more advanced cases,…
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