Owners
Whether you need property management services for a condominium, single family home, multiple homes or an apartment complex, your goals are the same: to keep your property leased with reliable tenants, to minimize your operating expenses and to maximize your return on your investment.
Our founders have been investing in real estate since 1995 and know and understand what it takes to be successful. Having purchased over 500+ homes, we have the needed expertise to protect you and your investment. When working with us, you can rest assured that we will deliver results. We help you:
- Maximize your rental income
- Minimize your operating expenses
- Avoid costly mistakes
- Create long-term stability
- Stay Informed through our online owner portal 24/7
When working with us, you will have your property managed by professionals who are investors just like you.
How Property Upsurge Benefits You:
How Property Upsurge Benefits You:
- Local Experience - Rental Rates, Contractors, Handyman, and licensing
- Shorter Vacancies - Daily Marketing Campaigns and 24/7 staffing
- Excellent Screening - Credit Checks, Income Verification, Employment Verification and Rental Verification
- Rigorous Collections - To insure timely payment
- Cost-Effective Maintenance - In house staff, preferred vendors and bulk building supply discounts
- Online Owner Portal - View draws & contributions, download important documents, run key financials and much more...
- Online Tenant Portal - Helping insure timely collection of your rents
- Owner Direct Deposit - Money in your account on time every month
- Property Inspections - Semi-annual basis protecting and preserving your property
- Professional Remodel Services - Affordable option when you need it
- Highly Trained Staff - Professional, consistent and reliable
Please contact us today to discuss your individual needs and see how we can be of service.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What service do you provide in managing my rental home?
1. We personally show your home to prospective tenants.
2. We coordinate the work needed to prepare the home for rent.
3. We screen and select qualified tenants.
4. We execute up-to-date lease agreement.
5. We collect rents.
6. We provide attorney supervised evictions if needed.
7. We have an Owner portal which gives you 24 hours access to view on demand:
1. We personally show your home to prospective tenants.
2. We coordinate the work needed to prepare the home for rent.
3. We screen and select qualified tenants.
4. We execute up-to-date lease agreement.
5. We collect rents.
6. We provide attorney supervised evictions if needed.
7. We have an Owner portal which gives you 24 hours access to view on demand:
- Your history of owner draws and contributions.
- Download your management agreement and other important documents.
- View income and expenses for each of your properties.
- View actual paid invoices that are greater than $100.
- Run key financial reports such as: Rent Roll, P&L Statement, Delinquent Tenants, etc.
- And much more.
8. We provide direct deposit of all monies to your bank.
9. We inspect your home annually to protect your investment.
10. We provide you with end-of-year reporting to make tax filing easy.
9. We inspect your home annually to protect your investment.
10. We provide you with end-of-year reporting to make tax filing easy.
What type of properties do you manage?
We are experts in managing single family homes condominiums and apartment complexes.
What territory do you manage?
We mange properites in contra costa county in the cities of: Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Walnut Creek.
Are there any problems associated with having a friend manage my rental property?
There are a number of laws, rules, mandatory disclosures, etc. that apply to property management. If a "friend" is not working in the field on a full-time basis, it is very difficult to remain up-to-date on property management issues. Violation of some of the rules such as the Federal Fair Housing Act can create major problems and penalties. As the property owner, you could be liable for the actions of an unlicensed "friend" acting as your agent. Our experience indicates that the management fees saved by using a "friend" are usually expensed by the owner many times over by way of unnecessary vacancies, below market rents, uneconomical repairs, unusual expenses, incomplete or missing forms, etc.
Why should I choose Property Upsurge to manage my property?
Property Upsurge has been a family-owned boutique property management company since 2008. Our founders have been in the property management business since 1995. Since we are locally owned and operated, this allows us the mobility to offer the highest quality service to both our owners and tenants, ensure that we continually get the best value from our contractors, and ensure that we lease properties and collect rents as quickly as possible by being out in our communities on a daily basis. Not only are we hands on, we also offer the latest in technology having a real time owner portal where an owner can see all their pertinent accounting documents, reports, payments, and even scanned receipts for purchases made. You can be anywhere in the world and as long as you have a computer and internet access, you will have a thumb on your investment 24 hours a day. Put simply, if you want to ensure that your property is in quality hands, Property Upsurge is the right choice for you.
How do you establish fair rent?
Supply and demand dictate fair rent. We use our personal experience coupled with currently advertised rents and input from other property managers to arrive at a recommended fair rent for you to set.
How long will it take to rent my property?
This is probably the most common question we are asked. There are numerous factors that are involved when trying to rent a property. Many of these include the overall condition, size, and location of the property and how it is priced compared to similar properties. The time of year is also a big determinant as well. In most cases, our recommended fair rent is designed to provide you a rent-paying tenant within a three-week period. However, if within the first week of vacancy we get poor or low demand, we will call you with the feedback and recommendation. The general rental market does not take into consideration what you want for rent in order to produce positive cash flow and it will reciprocate with extended vacancies for any owners who have their properties priced too high. We do everything possible and explore all options in order to secure a qualified tenant at the highest possible rent.
How do you select or screen tenants?
This can be very complex as there are both Federal and State laws dealing with tenant discrimination. We consider this one of the most important steps in property management. Initial screening is conducted through series of questions asked of prospective tenants prior to even showing them a property. Assuming they are shown the property and desire to rent it, the next step is to have them submit a formal application. One of the key factors to us in their formal application is their rent-to-income ratio. After receiving their formal application, we conduct a rental audit on tenants using one or more commercial credit checking companies. Therefore, if the tenants have a history of late payments or other rental problems, there is a good chance it will be disclosed. We also obtain a credit report on tenants indicating if they have good credit history. The formal application requires references and the names of prior landlords; these are researched as applicable. There are also a number of intangible factors taken into account in approving a specific tenant. Our careful process helps insure obtaining good tenants. They pay on time, maintain properties, and are good neighbors. It adds up to getting a good return on your investment.
How and where do you advertise an available rental?
We have found the best source to be craigslist.com. We link all our craigslist ads to our web site, so prospective applicants can see more photos, ask a question or apply online. We also get a tremendous amount of inquiries from individuals who are referred to by our current tenants. We post all of our available listings on our web site which gets viewed by referred tenants, assisted living agencies and other housing placement agencies. We also maintain an updated prospective tenant database. We answer all prospective tenant calls 7 days a week to insure we get your home rented.
Should I allow pets in my rental property?
It is often difficult to find suitable rentals that will allow pets. Many pet owners, therefore, will pay a premium rent. On the downside, pets can destroy carpeting, yards, etc. We believe pets are an item that should be discussed on case-by-case basis. We have a special pet addendum to protect your interest if you do decide to allow pets.
How long of a rental should I accept?
Most long-term rentals are written for a one year period. In most cases, we do not recommend a rental period longer than a year for two reasons. First, the rental contract is binding. If for some reason, you want the tenant to vacate earlier so that you can sell the property or move back into it, the rental contract has precedence. The tenant has the right to remain in the property for the entire length of the rental contract. Second, fair rents may increase. You may be able to charge the same tenants an increased rent at renewal time.
Most long-term rentals are written for a one year period. In most cases, we do not recommend a rental period longer than a year for two reasons. First, the rental contract is binding. If for some reason, you want the tenant to vacate earlier so that you can sell the property or move back into it, the rental contract has precedence. The tenant has the right to remain in the property for the entire length of the rental contract. Second, fair rents may increase. You may be able to charge the same tenants an increased rent at renewal time.
What can I expect to net each month?
Your rental income will be the tenant's gross rent less our normal 10% management fee, less any expenses paid by us, less any payments (mortgage, etc.) we make on your behalf. We require all owners to maintain a minimum balance of $300 at all times for emergency repairs. Depending upon the amount of recurring bills that we pay for you (mortgage, association dues, property taxes etc.) the reserve balance will reflect the amount needed. Therefore, if we have expensed funds on your behalf (e.g., advertising), we build your balance back to $300 from rental receipts. We can provide you with a detailed investment prospectus that will outline what we expect will be your net income.
How do you handle authorized and non-authorized repairs?
We attempt to obtain authorization from owners prior to making any repairs. However, emergencies occur at times that necessitate immediate action. We have developed an excellent working relationship with a number of repair personnel, plumbers, handymen, etc. Our vendors are very experienced working with rental properties and keeping costs reasonable. They are able to provide us expert input as to whether a problem was caused by tenant abuse or normal wear and tear. Because we provide them a considerable amount of business, they are usually fairly receptive to unscheduled work that needs to be done quickly. Many of them provide better rates to us than would be available otherwise.
How do you handle the late or non-payment of rent?
(A) We have wrestled with this problem for several years balancing the rights of the owner, the legitimate reasons a tenant may have for falling behind in the rent, and the expense of taking action against the tenant. Based on our experience, we have implemented an automatic series of letters (starting with a 3 day demand letter and ending with a notice of eviction). We have found this system works well in getting the tenant to pay their rent and/or voluntarily vacating the premises. Due to our hands on culture, our due diligence when accepting tenants, and the relationship we have built with each one of our tenants, we have a history of keeping our default rate much lower than industry standards. We keep the owner informed of our actions every step of the way.
What are your hours of operation?
Our office is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. As for maintenance calls, lease inquiries, and all other correspondence, our office line is forwarded to a field member’s cell phone to ensure that we can respond to important phone calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When do you show properties to perspective tenants?
One advantage to using Property Upsurge is that we show properties when prospective tenants want to see the properties. This means offering flexibility. What differentiates us from much of the competition out there is that we will show our properties during the night hours on weekdays and on both Saturday and Sunday.
When can I expect to get paid?
Our owner payments and statements are made on the 10th of every month (if the 10th is on a Saturday, it will occur on the 9th; if the 10th is on a Sunday, it will occur on the 11th). The statements are emailed to the owners and the payments are made the same day via electronic funds transfer (and it hits your account the same day as well!).
How much are your property management fees?
Our property management fee is 10% of monthly rent and our lease signing fee is $495. There are no other advertising or other type costs involved.
How do I get Property Upsurge to manage my properties?
We are very excited to have your business, please contact us to schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss your needs.
For any other questions or inquiries, click on the "Contact Us" tab.
©Property Upsurge Inc. All rights reserved.