Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have inquiries regarding renting out your home? Look no further, as we have the answers you need!

About the Tenant Placement Process

Do you have an active real estate license?

Yes, I have a current CA broker license #01797775. I am also an active member of the National Association of Realtors®, California Association of Realtors® and Santa Clara Association of Realtors®

What kind of contract do I have to sign to list my rental property with you?

Following our initial phone consultation, I will provide you with a sample Lease Listing Agreement. This will allow you to review all the terms before signing. Alternatively, if you choose to engage my services for tenant placement and ongoing property management, I will provide you with a property management agreement.

Do you require a minimum contract period to engage with our services?

I operate solely on performance-based terms. You have the freedom to cancel the agreement at any time. If you decide to cancel prior to tenant placement, the only fee you'll be responsible for is $350 for marketing expenses.

How many properties have you rented in the last 12 months?

Over 35 properties. A combination of single-family homes, condos, townhomes, apartments and studios.

Do you offer a discount for multiple units?

If you have three or more units, I provide a $100 discount on tenant placement for each unit, as well as a $20/month discount for ongoing management per unit. Kindly mention this during our initial phone consultation.

How many employees do you have?

I operate without any employees to maintain low overhead costs, allowing me to pass on the savings to my clients. However, I do have a small team that assists me with the logistics of the business, and I have a network of licensed and insured professional vendors.

Do you also do property management? How much do you charge per month?

Yes. I charge $145/month for ongoing property management services.

Do you install a smart lock to show my property?

Certainly not! Let me explain why.

I conduct all property showings in person. Through experience, I've found that allowing unsupervised property viewings poses a risk to your property's security.

After signing the agreement, how soon will my property be listed on the market?

The timing of listing your property on the market depends on its vacancy and readiness for showings. If your property is vacant and prepared for viewing, I can put it on the market the same day with an initial curb shot to generate immediate interest. Once interior photos and a the video tour are available, the listing will be updated accordingly.

On how many websites will my property be listed?

On 30+ websites including major sites such Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Movoto, Realtor.com, etc.

When do I pay the tenant placement fee?

Once I receive a signed lease agreement from applicants, I will provide them with a secure link via email to submit one month's rent and the security deposit to your account. Upon verifying that the new tenants have initiated the transfer of funds to your account, I will send you an invoice for the tenant placement fee. The fee can be conveniently paid through the same secure portal.

How do you qualify applicants?

Applicants are required to meet the following criteria:

Income should be at least three times the rent (in line with industry standards).
Minimum credit score requirement of 700.
Clean rental history and background check, with no recorded evictions, bankruptcies within the last five years, or felonies.
Submission of the most current pay stubs.
Verification of employment by contacting their employers.
Contacting current and/or former landlords for insights into their tenancy history.
Provision of bank statements demonstrating sufficient funds to cover one month's rent, security deposit, and additional emergency funds.

How long does it usually take to get the house rented?

The duration for finding a suitable tenant and filling the vacancy depends on the market's response to the listing price. If the listing price aligns with the current property condition and the current market rates for the area, the process usually takes around 2-3 weeks.

Do you do short-term leases?

Indeed, the tenant placement fee remains consistent for both short-term and long-term leases. The flat fee for tenant placement is $1,450.

Who keeps the security deposit?

The security deposit is transferred directly from the applicant/tenant's account to the landlord/owner's account.

Do you recommend for the property to be rented furnished or unfurnished?

In general, vacant and unfurnished homes tend to be rented out more quickly compared to furnished homes. Most tenants already possess their own furniture. However, there are instances when tenants specifically seek temporary housing, making a furnished home more suitable for their needs.

About the Ongoing Management Process

Do you require a one year contract for ongoing management services?

I operate solely on performance-based terms. You have the freedom to cancel the property management agreement at any time by providing a 30-day notice.

Do you offer a discount to manage multiple units?

What happens if the tenants break their lease agreement?

That's an excellent and common question. If a tenant that I have personally placed in your rental property breaks their lease within the first 12 months, there is a clause in the lease agreement outlining their financial responsibility to the landlord. We will actively work with the tenants and strive to secure new tenants as quickly as possible to ensure there is no interruption in income for the landlord.

When do I pay you the ongoing management fee?

On the first day of each month, you will receive an automated notification reminding you that your monthly management service fee of $145 is due. To proceed with the payment, simply log in to your Hemlane landlord account and approve the pending transaction.

Do you conduct property inspections once the property has been rented?

Yes. We do an interior visual safety inspection of the property once a year.

Do you offer monthly income and expense statements?

Certainly! We highly recommend landlords to reach out to us, as we can provide guidance on how to effortlessly download their monthly statements directly from our property management platform. It's a simple and efficient process.

In the event of non-payment of rent by tenants, do you undertake eviction proceedings?

If tenants fall behind on their rent payments, our approach is to proactively contact them and provide resources to help them access assistance and regain stability in meeting their rent obligations. However, if tenants become unresponsive even after missing rent payments, we take appropriate action by serving the necessary notices and referring the landlord to one of the eviction attorneys within our network to initiate the eviction process.

How do you manage maintenance requests from tenants?

That's an excellent question, and it's one we frequently encounter. To streamline the process and ensure efficient handling of maintenance requests, we encourage tenants to submit their requests through our property management platform. This allows us to maintain a comprehensive record of all communications while promptly addressing the issues.

Upon receiving a maintenance request, we assess the nature of the problem and reach out to a qualified vendor from our network. The vendor contacts the tenants directly to schedule an appointment for assessment and repair guidance. For repair quotes under $300, we authorize the repair to prevent any unnecessary delays and additional expenses to the owner. Once we receive the invoice from the vendor, we promptly forward it to the owner and request payment to the vendor.

If the repair quote exceeds $300, we promptly communicate with the owner, seeking written authorization (via text or email) before proceeding with the repair. If approved, we instruct the vendor to proceed accordingly. In cases where the owner wishes to obtain a second opinion on the quote, we inform the first vendor to suspend further action and arrange an appointment with a second vendor for another repair quote. The owner can then make an informed decision on which vendor to engage. It's important to note that vendors may charge a service-call fee for property visits and diagnostic assessments.

How many properties do you currently manage?

As our business continues to expand, so does our client base. We can delve into this further during our initial phone consultation.

What areas do you cover?

We currently serve the following cities across three counties:

In Alameda County: Hayward, Castro Valley, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore.

In Santa Clara County: Milpitas, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Campbell, Saratoga, Los Altos.

San Mateo County: San Bruno, San Mateo, Redwood City, Burlingame, Daly City, San Carlos.

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