Why Should I Renew My Membership?
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02 February 2011
Each year we sit down to prepare an annual income and expense budget for our apartment units. (You do operate off of a budget, don’t you?) Right at the top of the expense stack is the Apartment Association, California Southern Cities annual dues invoice. Now this has been a tough year (a tough couple of years actually). Vacancies are up, fees and licenses are higher, ordinances and regulations are more complex, maintenance costs are increasing; my operating expenses certainly haven’t gone down. Knowing I have to make cuts in my budget, I begin to wonder if the Apartment Association has benefits that I need.
Sound familiar? We all go through that exercise every year.
Let me do what I can to help you sort it out. Here is a quick checklist of what you get for your dues and how the Apartment Association helps you manage your units more cost effectively. You may not use all of the benefits, but I’ll bet a couple will jump out at you and have you grabbing your pen to renew your membership.
FREE court approved forms – All current, all legally prepared. These forms alone can save you time and costly mistakes.
FAST and LOW COST tenant screening – This is a key tool to help you get the right tenants the first time, saving you money and time down the line.
FREE Counseling – A professional staff available to answer your questions, provide advice and guide you through difficult situations. That’s worth the cost of the dues right there!
FREE legislative advocacy and updates – The top local, county and state legislative consultants and Board members working to fight for your rights and to keep you right on top of new laws and regulations.
FREE SourceBook – “Best of Breed” product and service vendors for the rental business are listed in an easy-to-use format so you don’t have to worry about just picking someone out of the phone book. Many even provide discounts to AACSC members.
VALUABLE and useful information in our award winning magazine – Helpful articles, access to qualified vendors, legislative updates. It’s all there in one handy publication and delivered to your mailbox each month.
HANDS ON classes for your management and maintenance staff – High on practical ways to resolve issues and fix problems. They get exactly what you need to know to help you save money.
CRITICAL membership in the NMHC and National Apartment Association – Top notch support working at the highest levels to protect your valuable investment.
EDUCATIONAL free monthly member meetings – Experienced speakers sharing their professional knowledge on critical management issues. Topics range from mold to taxes to bedbugs.
HUGE free Trade Show – Leading vendors demonstrating the newest products and services, industry leaders conducting seminars on management issues, opportunities to network with others to learn from their experiences. This expo is the largest rental housing tradeshow in California!
All this PLUS vendor referral services, apartment manager referral program, and fun and educational travel seminars.
Whew, when I add all that up, I realize that:
• I can’t afford to do it all on my own
• There is no other apartment association that offers more bang for the buck
• I am a part of the top apartment association in the State.
So, now the story has been told. Not only should you renew your membership now, you should share this information with your friends who own or manage units. They will thank you for it. Membership renewed by February 15 will be exempt from the $25 reinstatement fee.
