Managing Your Property: FAQ

Managing rental properties can be challenging. A lot of time, energy, patience and knowledge are necessary to manage rental properties well. Most owners have too many other things on their plate to manage a property well. We can help you: Market your rental property to minimize vacancies and maximize income Fill vacancies with the best possible tenants Maintain and keep your rental property in good condition (We handle and coordinate routine repairs as well as emergency repairs. We have the experience to avoid unnecessary repairs to save you money) Track income and expenses to determine profitability Negotiate rental agreements Collect rent and track tenant deposits Comply with federal, state and local laws Respond to tenant requests and deal with problem tenants In short, we help you to make the most from your rental property and we can save you time and money.

Yes. The old saying, “you get what you pay for” is always true. There are other companies that charge less than we do. There are some companies that charge more. We are somewhere in the middle. Our full service management fees, for residential properties are typically 10% (or slightly less for multi-family properties) of the gross collected rent each month. All repairs are passed on to the owners. We feel we offer a comprehensive service package and our rates are very competitive.

Often good tenants will only rent through a reputable property manager because everything, from initially viewing the property, to negotiating and signing the lease agreement, to dealing with maintenance and repairs, to making rental payments is more streamlined. We focus all our efforts in finding good tenants through our professional screening, which include credit history, criminal background, rental history, verifiable employment and income.

Typically bad tenants will target owner-managed rentals because they can’t handle our professional screening services. They know when a property is for rent-by-owner the rent will be less and there will be less scrutiny of their financial situation. Our strict screening is designed to weed out the bad tenants.

Yes! While it may be inconvenient for you to take time to show your property and deal with potential renters who may not show up for their appointments, it is our job to respond quickly to requests from potential renters to view a property and property managers can also pre-screen potential tenants.

Yes we can handle the financial operations of the property, ensuring that rent is collected and that mortgages, taxes, insurance premiums, HOA fees and maintenance bills are paid on time.

We negotiate contracts for janitorial, security, grounds keeping, trash removal and other services. When contracts are awarded competitively, we solicit bids from several contractors and recommend to the owners which bid to accept. Then we monitor the performance of the contractors and investigate and resolve complaints from tenants when services are not properly provided. We also purchase supplies and equipment for the property and make arrangements with specialists for repairs that cannot be handled by regular property maintenance staff.

Yes! Our policy is that the security deposit is approximately one month’s rent plus $100. Pets are not allowed without your permission. When pets are allowed there is an additional pet deposit charged.

Yes! We will communicate with you throughout our contract. We will contact you at reasonable times to discuss repairs and notify you of any tenant requests to vacate. Plus throughout the contract, we will keep you aware of any other issues that may arise.

We market the vacancy as soon as we receive notice from the tenant of their intention to move. We will place a sign on the property. We then advertise the property on various internet sites. We also receive referrals from current and former tenants and owners and from the other agents with whom we network.

Tenants are given our number when they move in, and in the case of emergency, they are directed to call us. We will talk to the tenant to determine how best to proceed. Many times we can handle to problem over the phone.

$45 in the form of money order or cashiers check, or $50 online

Yes. We will gladly contact the companies or individual(s) you specify as long as they are actually licensed, bonded, and insured and in the business of performing the required work.

We will gladly pay expense and repairs for you. There must of course be enough cash flow from the property to cover such expenses, and we require you to set a reserve fund for this purpose.

No. We can sell your property if you would like us to, but it is not a requirement of our management contract.