FAQ
What areas do you cover?
The bulk of our business is in the “Urban East Bay” – Oakland, Berkeley, Kensington, Albany, El Cerrito, Alameda, Emeryville and Richmond. We also handle the “Suburban East Bay” – Walnut Creek, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga – but our fee increases to one month’s rent for these cities that are through the Caldecott Tunnel. We cover San Francisco for clients with a $5,000 minimum.
What happens if you don’t find a tenant for me in the 6 week period? Why do I still owe you something if this happens?
The good news is – in the San Francisco Bay Area, your property is going to rent. In our current market, demand exceeds supply and there is very little, if any, reason why a property should sit on the market for 6 weeks and NOT rent, provided it is habitable and ready for move-in.
The bad news is – if your property is ready but sitting on the market it is, in all likelihood, priced too high. Even with our sky-high rents, there is a limit.
We work hard to create realistic expectations for all of our Rental Service clients. We’re in the trenches every day and have a very good idea of the market value of your home. Our 6 week contract gives us the time to start on the high side, make any adjustments that seem appropriate, and still find a tenant within our contract term. Of course, time is money and perhaps you don’t want to go for 6 weeks without rent coming in! We’ll then advise you as to the best way to get a tenant in place ASAP, and make that happen for you.
That being said, if you are unable to budge on your list price and it’s too high for the market, it’s possible we’d get to the end of the 6 weeks with no tenant. In this case, you’d owe our minimum ($3,250) for the 6 weeks of work we completed.
Are you a property management company?
Not exactly. We offer a number of individual services for property owners – but not financial management, which is typically included in full service property management.
Our signature Leasing Service is a flat rental fee based on the monthly rent of your property, with no ongoing management fees. Our Turnover Concierge Service handles upgrades or maintenance between tenants. Our Document Concierge Service is for annual lease renewals or other necessary paperwork. Our newest service – which brings us very close to property management! – is the Maintenance Concierge Service, where we receive and spearhead repair requests from your tenants.
Of course, you can always reach out to us with questions. We’re happy to be a resource!
When do you charge the consultation fee?
We charge $200 if an agent visits your property to answer questions you have about your potential rental. If you decide to sign a Listing Agreement and have us rent your property – we deduct the consultation fee from the final invoice.
Do you handle Short Term Rentals or Airbnb?
Sure, we’re happy to handle rentals with a term shorter than 1 year, but our fee remains the same. The work involved is equivalent – or more! – for shorter leases. We don’t handle Airbnb property rentals, sorry.
Do you have any local professionals you recommend?
Yes! Please take a look at our Resources page.
What are your minimum requirements for renting?
These are our minimum AR Rental qualifications. Please click here for full explanation of our resident screening policy.
- No prior evictions or unlawful detainer filings.
- All persons 18 years of age or older must complete and sign an application.
- Each applicant must submit a verifiable photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID.
- Applicants must have a minimum FICO score of 700. Applicants with FICO scores below 650 may be considered with guarantor and/or increased deposit.
- Verifiable gross income of 3 times the monthly rent. Applicants who don’t meet the income threshold may be considered with a guarantor and/or increased deposit.
- Guarantors must make 8 times the monthly rent.
- Positive references. References will be contacted.
- No prior evictions or unlawful detainer filings.
