Owner FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions by Property Owners
Getting Started
What does SJA Property Management need to start managing my property?
We can start the management of your property immediately.
We need a few documents from you which can be completed and signed electronically.
- Signed management agreement and detailed property, utilities, and marketing information.
- Reviewed and signed rent-ready instructions and checklist. (This will go over exactly what will need to be done to get the property ready for professional management.)
- At least 3 of each key, fobs, and garage remote, including the mail key, for the property.
- IRS W9 form (we will provide)
- Certificate of landlord’s insurance with SJA Property Management named as additional insured.
What type of insurance do I need to get for my property?
The best protection an owner has in the event of a lawsuit brought in conjunction with their rental property, is a landlord insurance policy.
We require that our owners carry at least one million dollars of coverage.
We also require that SJA Property Management be named as an “Additional Insured” on the policy. Property management agreements require owners to name the property management company as additional insured because the management company does not hold title to the rental property and therefore cannot acquire general liability insurance on property. Without this coverage, a company would be exposed to liability from defects (such as faulty wiring) in the home, resulting in a lawsuit. Often there is no extra premium charge to the property owner to add the management company as additional insured.
Leasing
When should I start advertising my rental property?
The timing of when to put a property on the market will depend on a couple of factors.
Ideally, SJA Property Management would like to start advertising the property about 2 to 3 weeks before the property is vacant. This ensures that we have the best chance of having a tenant move in immediately and avoid a prolonged vacancy period. It also allows us to test the market and get the best possible rental rate.
To advertise the property, it needs to be in good show condition for prospective tenants. If you are still packing, keep the main areas of the house clean by establishing a packing room (garage or bedroom) where you can keep boxes, etc. We can also assist in coordinating any repairs, cleaning, etc., that may need to be done. Once the house is vacant, our team will do a full Rent Ready inspection to ensure everything is ready for the new tenants.
How do you market my rental property?
After we have a signed management agreement, the Client Success Team will contact you to discuss your marketing plan.
Once ready, the property is added to the available properties section of our website and over 25 other online sites. We also work with local relocation companies, helping them place their transferring employees and executives. In addition, we are receiving approximately 70 to 100 phone calls a day from prospective tenants. This ensures that all SJA properties receive the maximum exposure and rent as quickly as possible. A landlord’s most important expense item is the vacancy rate. We have the resources to keep that as low as possible.
What needs to be done to prepare a property for the market and a tenant?
The property should be in the best condition possible.
This will help ensure the property rents for the most money possible, a quality tenant is found quickly, and your days on the market are low. The property should be “hotel clean”, and all the carpets should be professionally shampooed. The paint should be in good condition, with dirty and scuffed areas touched up. We recommend that bright colors be repainted to neutral tones. All personal items should be removed from the property. Everything in the home should function as intended, and the outside yard should be in good shape.
How is the rental price determined?
In order to determine the fair market value of a rental home, we first check what comparable properties in the area have rented for, both in our current portfolio as well as other properties on the market. We also factor in a particular neighborhood’s demand and the time of year the property is being marketed. We are professionals and we’ll be able to determine the right price for the property fairly quickly.
Should I accept pets in my rental property?
This will depend on your comfort level. SJA recommends that you consider accepting tenants with pets. Statistics show that around 75% of tenants own a pet, and therefore by not allowing them, you are at a disadvantage in finding a tenant quickly. We use a third-party service PetScreening.com to verify our pets. We require all pets to be licensed in accordance with State and City regulations and have an additional pet liability clause for “restricted breeds.” We do not accept puppies under one year old or any animal with a screening score lower than 2. Additionally, we request a pet deposit when applicable and offer an Animal Protection Guarantee. All SJA Properties are smoke-free.
How do you ensure that only quality tenants rent my home?
Our screening process is very thorough and effective.
We personally verify all our screening requirements are met to ensure only the best tenants rent our properties. We check for credit, identification, criminal history (when allowed by Law), debt/rent ratios, past rental history, evictions, job status, income, sex offender status/or registry, providing false information, and bankruptcy. Because of our thorough screening process our default rate is one of the lowest in the industry.
How long should the duration of the lease be?
SJA Property Management requires that all our leases be in writing.
As the owner’s representative, we can execute the lease on their behalf. To maximize the appeal to potential tenants we recommend that the lease duration term be at least twelve months. With the owner’s approval, we may increase the lease term or accept leases for less than one year, in order to have the lease expire during a more active time of the year.
How long does it take to rent a property?
We understand that vacancy is one of the biggest expenses for a landlord and we work diligently to rent our properties as soon as possible and we have the horsepower to find tenants quickly. Price and market conditions will also drive vacancy periods. Our goal is to have every property rented within one month from when we started marketing. Currently, we average 14 days to fill a vacancy, which is well below the industry average.
What happens if the tenants do not pay their rent or break the lease?
SJA Property Management establishes a strict business relationship with their tenants, which contributes to us having an industry-leading low default rate.
We ensure that all our tenants adhere to the executed lease document. Rent is due by the first of the month and late if received after the sixth. If a tenant has yet to pay, on or around the seventh of the month, we will post a 14 Day Pay or Vacate Notice and a Payment Plan option (per applicable laws). This ensures that our owner’s timelines are preserved if an eviction is necessary. Most of the time, a tenant will comply with the notice and pay rent. However, we can prepare the necessary paperwork and start the eviction process utilizing a third-party company if they still need to do so.
We will utilize best practices to help protect Owners from needing to evict a tenant. If in the rare case an eviction is necessary, SJA will not charge for their time to manage the process on behalf of the Owner and will waive all monthly management fees incurred during the eviction period.
Maintenance
How will I know my property is being taken care of by the tenant?
We take several steps to ensure our owners’ properties are being well maintained.
Our screening process is very thorough and ensures only the best applicants are approved for our properties. We have well-written leases that protect our client’s best interests and we require large security deposits. At our move-in walkthroughs, we utilize technology to accurately document the home’s condition with many photos and descriptions.
We will also perform an initial Rent Ready inspection of the property and then another exterior/interior 40 point review of the property, on a yearly basis. We verify that all the major systems in the house are working properly and that there are no lease violations. We compile an electronic report complete with pictures and send it to our owners, along with our recommended action steps, if needed.
What happens if there is an emergency on the property?
SJA Property Management provides a 24hr emergency service 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
We handle the late night calls so you don’t have to. Through an extensive network of vendors and contractors we take care of any issue OR all issues quickly and efficiently.
How are property repairs handled?
The landlord-tenant laws are very specific regarding how repairs need to be made, and we ensure that our owners comply. We have dedicated team members coordinating maintenance, who are responsible for troubleshooting and approving all maintenance requests from our tenants. Our tenants submit requests in writing through our online portal to ensure proper documentation.
Our policy is to gain owner approval for all repairs over the “Authorized Repair Limit.” Any repairs made will either be charged to the tenant or deducted from the owner’s funds on account and will be reflected on the next month’s owner’s statement. To minimize our client’s liability, we require that all our vendors are licensed and insured. We also receive preferred pricing from our vendors and pass those savings along to our owners.
Accounting
How will I receive my rent funds?
We disburse all rent funds into our owners’ accounts through ACH automatic payments.
Along with the payment, owners receive an email notifying them of their ACH disbursement and the availability of their itemized statement detailing all activity on their account. Owners will also receive their own personal log in information, where they can log into our cloud based system and review any past statements.
General Questions
Why would an owner use a property management company over doing it themselves?
There are several reasons investors hire a quality company like SJA Property Management rather than go it alone:
- We handle all repair issues 24/7, saving you time, money, and stress.
- We have the local market knowledge and rent our homes quickly (under two weeks on average) for more money, saving you thousands in lost rental income.
- We reduce your liabilities by being educated on and correctly applying all the relevant and ever-changing Federal, State, and City landlord-tenant laws and regulations.
- We make tax time easy by providing you with detailed monthly and yearly statements tracking all expenses and deductions.
- We treat your property like a business, enforcing rent collection, properly serving notices, and acting quickly on lease violations.
In the end, it’s a lot of work to do it correctly. After owners consider the time, effort, increased liability, and inconvenience factor, they are happy to have us take it off their plate.
What are your qualifications?
SJA Property Management has been in business since 2009.
Over that time, we have managed thousands of rentals and tenants. We previously sat on the board of the National Association of Residential Property Managers. We are current board members of the Rental Housing Association and belong to Washington State Bar Association, and the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. We have earned a knowledgeable reputation in the industry through consistency in service and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
What makes SJA Property Management different from other property management companies in the area?
Here at SJA Property Management, we differentiate ourselves in many ways.
Here are just a few reasons we are the industry leader in our market.
- Proven track record of success with over 15 years of local knowledge and expertise
- 8 exclusive owner Happiness Guarantees including no long-term contracts, eviction protection, and more!
- A strong employee-based (not contactor) team model, providing each owner with a single point of contact
- Fully documented policies and procedures, utilizing a workflow system that is repeatable and consistent
- One of the highest rated and most reviewed PM companies in Washington with a stellar reputation for integrity and protecting our client’s interests
- True 24hr 365 property protection with in-house maintenance coordination, using our database of trusted and vetted vendors
- Dedicated leasing agents incentivized to rent our properties quickly
- Industry-leading low vacancy (below 5%) and tenant default rates (98% receivables rate)
Still have a questions?
Have a question or need help managing your property? Reach out to us today — we’re here to help.