Prospective Owner Q & A
Q. How much do property management services cost?
A: The minimum management fee is $60 per month or ten percent (10%) of the rental amount whichever is greater. In addition to the monthly management fee, an owner should expect $195 marketing fee per each new tenancy for advertising, lease-up referral commissions, photo tours, internet marketing, etc.
Q. If I place my home in property management, how much control do I have in making management decisions?
A: As much or as little as you want, take for example maintenance decisions. We require $300 to be placed in an operating account to be used in case of minor repairs. Thus, you don’t have to be notified every time a faucet leaks. However, if there is a more expensive repair, you may want to be contacted and involved in evaluating the bids and choosing the vendor.
Q. Do I need to worry about bad tenants damaging my property?
A: This is the biggest fear in having a renter! Pinal County Properties, LLC puts all applicants through an extensive credit check, background check, employment check and past landlord verification. It is important to know that if we place the best-qualified tenant into your rental property it will definitely minimize the chances of having the property returned in poor condition. We also have found through many years of experience that a person with good credit will apply that type of responsibility to other areas of their life hence, less chance of them damaging your property.
Q. How do I get paid and when?
A: Pinal County Properties, LLC receives the rent from the tenant, pays any bills including the management fee for that particular month, and then disperses the owner a check no later than the 15th of each month unless it falls on a weekend.
Q. Do I need to leave any money in my account as a reserve?
A: We ask that you leave $300 in your Property Management account for general repairs while it is occupied. When your property is coming vacant, we request our owners to increase their reserve to $500 to cover normal turnover cost.
Q. Do I authorize the repairs prior to being done?
A: Yes. Depending on the cost of the repair and the emergency behind it, we will contact the owner for all repairs that may exceed $300 in cost.
Q. Do I need to be present to sign a lease on my home and how long is the lease usually signed for?
A: No. Pinal County Properties, LLC has full authority to sign a lease on behalf of the owner once the Property Management Contract is signed. The tenant’s lease on the property is usually for one-year minimum unless the owner requests otherwise. One-year lease is standard in the industry.
Q. How long is the contract between myself and Pinal County Properties, LLC and can I cancel at anytime?
A: The Management contract is established for one year. Unless you cancel the agreement, we will send you a renewal letter which renews the contract automatically on an annual basis thereafter. If you should need to sell your investment property, we have terms that can allow the contract to be immediately cancelled. Pinal County Properties, LLC is interested in being your property manager for as long as you own your property. Therefore, we desire to produce the best service and care for your property while under contract with us.
Q. How does Pinal County Properties, LLC advertise their rentals to prospective tenants?
A: Pinal County Properties, LLC advertises many different ways. Here are only a few – Multiple Listing Service, extensive Internet Marketing, Signage at the property, and other Realtors in the industry. Also, since we are complemented by a full Real Estate Sales Division, we receive inquiries daily from individuals in need of rental housing.
Q. At the end of my agreement with Pinal County Properties, LLC can I sell my property to the tenant or put it on the market to sell?
A: Absolutely! Pinal County Properties, LLC will take control of the sale of your investment for no additional costs other than typical brokerage fees.
Q. What are the features that seem to be the requirement of prospective tenants?
A: In general, people want to rent clean quality homes in good neighborhoods. We have found that 3 to 4 bedroom homes between 1500 to 1900 square feet in size are the most desirable. Amenities such as nice window treatments, ceiling fans, landscaping with some grass and shrubs, automatic sprinklers, along with the ever popular tile flooring, instead of vinyl, will lease the quickest.
Q. Can you handle maintenance issues?
A: Maintaining your property and its investment value is a priority for Pinal County Properties, LLC. Any service needed for your home can be handled by one of our contractors and technicians. However, if you have a specific vendor you would like to use, we will be happy to use them.
Q. Who is responsible for yard work, pest control, air filters, light bulbs, etc?
A: The tenant is responsible for all of the above based on their lease agreement. Some owners elect to continue to have the yard maintained at their own expense or have a quarterly service to make sure it always stays in top condition. Our lease agreement has a nuisance clause that states that the tenant is responsible for any maintenance charge under $50 that they could have taken care of themselves.
Q. How often is my home inspected?
A: We inspect the home one time a year at the request of the owner. This one time inspection is recommended to be done in the first four months of tenancy. The reason for this time frame is to make sure we have a caregiver residing in the home and no additional residents. Any additional walk through inspections will be done at the owners request at a fee of $35.00. Please note that during the course of the lease, maintenance and staff are often doing a drive-by or entering the property. We are required to give a 48-hour notice before entering the property. (Usually requiring, 2 days for the mailing of the notice and 2 days for the notice period.) Owners are welcome to be present at any scheduled inspection.
