Frequently Asked Questions

For tenant-occupied homes, tenants submit a maintenance request via their online tenant portal or our 24 hr maintenance hotline. Our portal allows tenants to submit a work order request by providing a description of the issue and, when appropriate, uploading photos of the issue. Owners receive the same notification of the request that we do once it is submitted. Our goal here is full transparency of everything going on with your property. Tenants can also track the status of their request online.

When a request comes in, we assess it to determine whether it requires immediate dispatch or can be proactively addressed with the tenant. There are many common repair requests that our team is trained to troubleshoot. If the issue needs to be fixed, we assign the work order to one of our preferred vendors.  We utilize third-party vendors / independent contractors for all work. We ensure the repair cost is fair and the work is completed satisfactorily. The management agreement allows us to approve any repair under $500 without bothering our clients. Larger repairs over $500 require owner approval, so we will contact the client in those cases. Exceptions to the $500 approval rule include emergency maintenance and habitability issues. If we have to act quickly to protect persons or property, we will do so to protect our owners’ best interests.

Just as the real estate market determines sale prices, the local rental market determines rental rates. There are three factors that contribute to how much your rental property will receive in rent each month.

1. Availability and rental rates of comparable properties
2. The features and benefits of your property
3. The marketing exposure for your vacancy

Once we receive the above information, we will complete a market analysis and set a starting price. We evaluate all vacancies under our management weekly, making adjustments to pricing or our marketing strategy to rent them as quickly as possible.

Our marketing program and leasing services are second to none. That being said, there are many moving pieces to leasing. Asking price, local inventory levels, and even the current season are all factors in how quickly a vacancy is filled. In most cases, however, we can find a qualified applicant and fill vacancies within 30 days.  Ask us about our rental guarantees.

We solicit feedback from potential renters when showing a home and share this information with you.  If our marketing efforts are not getting the expected response, we will adjust our strategy, re-examine the asking rent, and/or re-evaluate the condition of your home. The feedback received from showings will guide us in the right direction.

Getting properties rented efficiently is pivotal to our success and to happy client-owners; we must generate as many qualified leads as possible. We achieve this by syndicating marketing efforts to the top rental websites (over 30+). We also pre-screen prospective renters and inquire about who will be living with them, the number of adults and minors, and whether they have any pets. We also ask how long they have been at their current employment. Our software enables us to follow up with and gather feedback from every interested party.

Any call into our office is also answered live during business hours, Monday through Friday. This is crucial for getting homes rented quickly because if they do not speak to someone, they go elsewhere.

All showings are scheduled by appointment and conducted in person or virtually.  Either way, one of our leasing consultants is on hand to highlight your property’s features, address objections, and answer any questions. We can fill vacancies more quickly by building rapport with prospective tenants.  We also schedule weekend showings.

All prospective tenants must comply with an extensive screening process. First, nationwide background checks are completed. This checks criminal backgrounds and the sex offender registry. After that, eviction databases are referenced. Next, we ensure they qualify financially by reviewing their credit report, verifying employment, and reviewing pay stubs and/or tax returns. Finally, we review their rental history by contacting their previous two landlords for references. This process is conducted for all renters residing in the home who are over the age of 18.

Statistics show that over half of all renters have pets. Being open to pets will increase demand across the entire prospective rental pool. We collect an additional pet deposit. If maximizing rent is important to you, you might consider allowing pets. If you would rather play it safe, it is okay to say no pets. If you are open to a pet, we always say, “pets considered on a case by case basis.” That means we may approve the right pet, not all pets.

Our rigorous tenant screening process usually prevents these issues; however, if a problem does arise, we respond promptly and aggressively.

Rent is due on the 1st and is late on the 4th. If rent has not been paid, the eviction process begins promptly on the 6th of the month in question. The eviction process is started with a 3-day notice to pay or move out. Nuisance issues are handled similarly, with one warning before a notice is posted.

We work with a local attorney to address eviction and collection issues and to provide legal advice when necessary.