Owners
Brenner Property Management provides two programs for property owners:
FULL MANAGEMENT -- Leave all the hassle of leasing and managing your home to us.
- Advertising and marketing your home
- Property showings to prospective tenants 7 days a week
- Applicant screening
- Credit and background check
- Employment verification
- Rental history
- Prepare lease and other legally required documents
- Collect move-in fees (security deposits held in our trust account)
- Conduct move-in and move-out inspections
- Late notices (5% late charges)
- Incoming repair calls
- Oversee contractors and maintenance people
- Monthly owner reports
- Collect rent and distribute to owner
Fees for the Full Management program are a $395 leasing fee and a management fee of 6% to 8% depending on how many properties we manage for you and total rents.
LEASE ONLY -- We lease the property for you and you manage it.
- Advertising and marketing your home
- Property showing to prospective tenants 7 days a week
- Applicant screening
- Credit and background check
- Employment verification
- Rental history
- Prepare lease
- Collect initial rent and security deposit
Fees for the Lease Only program are 40% of the first month's rent or $850, whichever is greater.
Marketing
Your home will be advertised on our website as well as Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads and Craigs List. In addition, we can post your home on many other websites including WestsideRentals.com, Homes.com, Yahoo Real Estate Classifieds, RentBits.com and Google Base. For an additional fee we can also list your home on the Multiple Listing Service. We will place a "For Rent" sign on your property. We also have a list of tenant referrals who have asked about renting one of our properties.
If you'd like us to use the MLS to market your property, we can do that! The additional charge is 3% of one year's total lease amount. That's less than a half-month's rent.
Technology
We use an accounting and property management software called Buildium. This allows us to market properties more effectively, receive rent money faster and more securely, and handle maintenance issues more efficiently. In addition, you and your tenants will have access to your account information online through our website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to rent my home? It takes about 30 to 60 days depending on the condition and location of the property, the time of year and the demand for rentals.
How are tenants screened? We look at credit reports, income, work history and rental history. Applicants with evictions are not accepted. The rent cannot be more than 40% the gross income of all the people on the lease. Also, a guarantor and/or an increased security deposit will be required for credit scores below 620.
How long is the lease? The lease is for one year and then converts into a month-to-month lease. We can prepare leases for different lengths of time if that's what you and/or the tenant want.
What are the leasing terms? The following items may be negotiated by potential tenants...monthly rent, lease length, pets, utilities, rent increases, painting, gardener, pool service, appliances, security deposit.
How are repairs handled? Our in-house maintenance person charges $35 per hour plus materials for smaller repairs, maintenance, cleaning, etc. We cannot do any single job totaling more than $500 because we are not contractors. For larger jobs we can provide vendor quotes.
In general we will not contact you for repairs or maintenance work that costs less than $250. For anything over that amount, we will contact you for your approval, unless it is an emergency repair (like flooding) and we can't reach you.
When you sign up with us, we will ask you to give us $250 to put in a trust account as an operating reserve. This money will go to small repairs and maintenance work on your property as needed.
It is necessary to keep certain items in your home in working order so that the home remains "habitable" under law. We ask for your prompt attention to repairs that are required on the water heater, air conditioning and heating, plumbing and roofing.
What if the tenant doesn't pay? Brenner Property Management considers rent to be late if we receive it after 5:00 on the fifth of each month. We will contact the resident to determine our course of action. If the tenant refuses to pay, we will serve them a 3-Day Notice to Perform or Quit. This gives the tenant 3 days to pay the rent or vacate the premises. After the 3 days are up and if the tenant still refuses to leave, we will start the eviction process. We advise the use of an eviction attorney. Evictions are not common.
What determines the rent of my property? The rental market. We will do an analyis and make a rent recommendation, and you will determine the final rent.
What is involved in preparing my property to be rented? You should make the property move-in ready for a tenant. Please go to the "Documents" page of this website and find the item "Preparing My Property" for specific recommendations. Your property will garner more rent and will rent faster if it is in good condition.
How much is the security deposit? The tenant is required to give a security deposit equal to one month's rent if their credit score is above 620. If their credit score is below 620, they will be required to give a security deposit equal to 1 1/2 months rent. They may also be required to use a guarantor. An additional security deposit, ranging from $250 to $500, will be required if the tenant has pets. The security deposit is held in our trust account and returned to the tenant, minus any expenses for repairs and/or cleaning, within 21 days after they move out.