Professional Management and You

This section is designed to answer some basic questions property owners have about property management. It isn’t possible to give a complete explanation on this web page of why you should be using a professional. However, some of the main reasons include:

Maximum expertise available 24/7
Many people either manage their rentals themselves, hire a tenant as an "on-site" manager, or simply get a close relative to do it. These persons can only care for the property in their "spare time." A professional manager is able to devote the entire resources of their organization to the care of your property full-time. A professional has the expertise to screen prospective tenants thoroughly, and handle tenant relations.  A professional has the tools and experience necessary to complete repairs or essential maintenance correctly.

Tenants fully expect the appliances and systems in the property to function. When they don’t, tenants also expect repairs to be completed promptly and correctly. At Guardian Property Management, we are available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week to accommodate the needs of property owners, and their tenants. We are dedicated to keeping your investment in good repair with minimal cost. Our in-house maintenance and repair personnel are experienced and skilled. In addition, we maintain strong relationships with numerous cleaning, repair and maintenance contractors, who provide their expertise when necessary to keep your property in first-class condition. All vacancies are promptly made ready to re-rent. Personal attention has always been our goal.

Now of course, you say you would never rent to a prostitute, or gang family, or a person who has an eviction in their past. However, these people are NOT living on the streets. Where ARE they living? In an apartment somewhere!  How did they get into an apartment?  Obviously, whoever screened their application did not do a thorough job.  Many landlords and managers feel that applicant screening is just too much trouble.  If you rent to one of these kinds of people however, the trouble, expense, and aggravation will be multiplied exponentially to rid yourself of these problems.

   Tenant/Applicant Screening

At Guardian Property Management LLC, applicant screening is one of the most important jobs we do. We consistently follow a list of procedures to carefully scrutinize rental applications, prior to renting a vacancy. These procedures will generally eliminate the large majority of potential problems and nuisance tenants, BEFORE they occupy your property.  We verify income, employment and rental histories, obtain a credit report, and conduct a criminal records check, in addition to talking with personal references supplied by the applicants.  It is our commitment to our clients to do our best to find good, qualified tenants for their properties.

Why is it so important to rent to good tenants?  With good tenants in your property, there are less expenses, greater income, and more peace of mind for you the owner.  In the long-run, this translates into lower rents for tenants, and with lower rents, your property is much easier to re-rent when you have a vacancy.

What do we mean by less expenses and hassles, and greater income? In the long-run, good tenants:
Stay longer - Lower turnover means less vacancies and associated costs
Pay their rent on time - Less time expended chasing tenants to pay their rent, less legal expenses, less evictions
Care for the property - Less maintenance and repair costs
Are not nuisances to their neighbors - Less time communicating with tenants about problems, less nuisance evictions
Give proper notice when moving out - Vacancies can be re-rented more quickly
Leave the property in good condition when they move - Less refurbishment and cleaning expense
Adhere to the terms of the Rental Agreement - Less time dealing with rental violations, less nuisance evictions

After choosing a qualified tenant, we use the appropriate rental agreements and other documents to protect the interests of both the tenant and the property owner.  A rental agreement is a legally binding contract.

Agency Disclosure informs the new tenant that the Manager is the representative of the Owner. There exists a contractual agency relationship between the owner and the manager, and the manager is obligated to act in the best interests of the property owner.

Uniform Residential Rental Agreement contains all of the basic terms of the agreement, such as rental amount, late fees, restriction on pets, subletting, etc.

Inventory & Inspection List is a written statement that both the tenant and the Manager sign, prior to the tenant moving in, which lists the condition of the property in great detail. When the tenant moves out, the condition of the property is checked against this list to determine if the tenant should be charged for anything over and above normal wear and tear. It is designed to protect both the owner and the tenant.

House Rules contain additional terms of the rental agreement specifically about things tenants may, and may not do with the property.

Crime-Free Housing Addendum is designed to allow the expedited eviction of tenants who are engaged in criminal activity.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure is required to be given to tenants who are renting properties built before 1978, which may or may not contain lead-based paint. We give new tenants this pamphlet and have them sign an acknowledgement that they have received the information, which we keep in our files should the EPA ever conduct an audit of our records.

Welcome Letter provides the tenants with basic information about how to sign up for utilities, pay their rent, who to contact in case of emergencies, or if they need to request repairs, etc.

Mover’s Guide compiled by the US Postal Service is also provided to new tenants, to help smooth the transition to their new address.

   Tenant Relations

We take a unique perspective on tenant relations. Many tenants are only accustomed to adversarial relationships with previous landlords. It shouldn’t be "us" versus "them". Tenants are our best customers!  Without tenants, where would property owners be? Without tenants, property owners would be unable to accomplish any of their objectives with their property. Our desire is to be emotionally generous with our residents, and smile when they call!

So, how do we keep you informed about what is happening with your property?

Each month, you will receive a detailed report on the income and expenses for the month, as well as a Cumulative Report, which is a year-to-date summary of all the income and expenses to date.

You will also receive an Activity Log Report, which shows all of the repairs, maintenance and tenant contact that has occurred during the previous month, so you will stay informed about everything that is going on with your property.

Lastly, at the end of the year, you will receive an Annual Summary, that shows the income and expenses for the entire year, broken down into months, with an annual total at the end. This Summary is designed so that you can simply take the expense and income figures from this sheet and plug them directly into an IRS Tax Form to report your rental profit.

If you're doing something that you could pay someone else to do for less money than what your own time is worth, doesn’t it make sense to hire someone else to do it? You could spend your time doing something more profitable (or more fun!). Let someone else do the work, and save money at the same time!! (That’s a no-brainer.) So ask yourself, how much time do you spend caring for your rental property?