Back in the mid-1980’s Cliff and his wife Monica had saved up to buy their own home. During their search, they came across a multi-bedroom housing property that was renting bedrooms out to college students for $150 each. It dawned on them that they could own a house and rent it out to make money. They found a three-family property on Nicholson Avenue in Lakewood. The third-floor efficiency apartment was being rented for $200 a month, and the second-floor two-bedroom apartment was rented for $475. The $88,000 purchase price meant a payment of $750 a month. They realized they could live in the first-floor unit and get all but $75 of the cost paid for by renters! Of course, the property needed some repairs and landscaping, but a friend was able to help him get it taken care of. And this is how Cliff Wise found his career in rental properties at age 27.

Today, Wise Properties owns and manages four rental properties in Lakewood and two in East Cleveland. All but one of those properties is completely paid off. “Taxes are high in Lakewood, but they are pretty reasonable in East Cleveland. My profit margin is doing really well,” he notes.

Cliff takes pride in his role as a housing provider. “I take good care of my properties. I dive in and make sure all the repairs are made. If I don’t know how to do it, I pay reliable people to take care of it. All of my units are clean, rent-ready, and immaculate. I always ask myself, ‘Would I want my daughter to live here?’”

Fifteen years ago, Cliff met with a potential renter who had an EDEN rental voucher. He did his homework and talked to the rental managers at EDEN. He decided it was a good program, it was more relaxed than Section 8, and he liked that the tenants would get help from EDEN and their case managers if it was needed. Accepting participants of EDEN’s long-term assistance programs, such as Shelter Care Plus, was a really good experience for him.

“I’ve rented to participants who were able to beat their addiction because they didn’t have to worry about having a place to stay and they were connected to support programs. They knew that if they messed up, they would lose their housing, so they were motivated. Right now, I have three EDEN participants living at my properties and they are really good tenants—two have been there for three years and one is reaching his five-year mark. My average tenancy is 18-24 months, but EDEN tenants like to stay in their units longer because moving can be too stressful for them.”

“Everyone is different, so I need to consider this a business. Tenants are your customers, and you need to take care of them. I treat EDEN tenants just the same as my other ones. I can have tenants who don’t fit in and have some anger management issues, but I have to think of my other tenants. So I tell them I will refund their deposits if they want to move. I even offer to help them find another place. When case managers reach out to me to tell me the tenant wants to move, I agree to a 30-day notice—and then I go into ‘Zillow mode’ and look for new tenants.”

Cliff just recently heard about incentives for housing providers. When asked if he had to do any repairs to pass an inspection, he immediately had an example. “Edna Wisniewski said my driveway was a tripping hazard because the gravel wasn’t covering it enough. I bought $200 of gravel and hired a couple of guys to spread it out.” He was delighted that he could get reimbursed for that. He then signed up for a session to learn about more incentives.

Cliff asked really good questions during the session about the incentives for housing providers (available at www.EDENcle.org/form/incentives).

• What if a tenant damaged a stove or refrigerator? If you complete the incentive form and send in all required documents, EDEN will send you funds to cover a used appliance up to a certain amount (such as $250).
• What if the tenant falls behind in paying their portion of the rent? First, be sure to notify EDEN if a tenant is two months behind so our Stability Specialists can connect with them to see if they need additional support. EDEN can pay up to 3 months of missed rent; simply complete the online incentives form. Be sure to tell the tenant that this is a one time only assistance, and if they need further help, they should work with their case manager to avoid future issues.
• What if a tenant wanted to bring in a cat or dog? Even if a lease says "no pets," landlords are required to make what is called a “reasonable accommodation” to allow pets who serve as assistance animals, which includes both service and emotional support animals. In addition, landlords may not charge extra deposits or monthly fees for these animals, although they can charge for any actual damages caused.
  
  If the animal does not serve in this capacity, you can ask the tenant to pay a minimal pet deposit. You can also ask EDEN for a second security deposit to cover any additional damage that may occur.
  
  Even if the pet was a service animal, if the tenant moves out and the pet damaged your floor boards or other structures, you can apply for the repair of damages that exceeded the security deposit(s).
• What if a tenant is living in a unit without central air and they want a window air conditioner? First, the tenant can call 211 to see if they qualify for a new air conditioner unit. If not, you can call EDEN and talk to either a Community Housing Agent or a Stability Specialist. They can apply for a used air conditioner for the tenant through EDEN’s Homeless Prevention & Diversion Fund.
• What if a tenant doesn’t have a bed? Again, call EDEN and talk to either a Community Housing Agent or a Stability Specialist. They can apply for needed furniture through EDEN’s Homeless Prevention & Diversion Fund.
  

All of this is contingent on submitting required documentation: a completed W9, the tenant’s lease, a completed Landlord Assistance form, and itemized receipts and photos of inspections and repairs.

“I really like working with EDEN," Cliff concludes. When I have issues, Khaz Ra’el returns my calls. We work together to make sure both me and the tenant are happy.”

Communicate with us!

We value our partnership with you. EDEN cannot fulfill its mission of providing housing solutions to people facing the challenges of housing insecurities and homelessness without the support of property owners and managers like you. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our Community Housing Agents at the information line 216-503-6369 or email EdenLandlordInfo@edencle.org and we will do our best to offer solutions or refer you to the person at EDEN who can help.

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