5 Questions to Ask a Prospective San Diego Property Management Company

Experienced San Diego property management professionals, Onyx Property Management serves the entire county, including San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, and the surrounding areas. We know that when you’re choosing a property manager, you need to be intentional about choosing the best team for your rental home. 

Look for the experience you need, and look for a company that’s reputable and local. Interviews are important. They can give you a sense about how a property management company works and whether it matches your own investment goals and priorities. 

Below are a few things you should ask before hiring a property management company.

How Does Communication Work?

Property management companies should be able to make phone calls, send emails, type out a text message or send a direct message on social media. 

Communication is a vital part of managing your property, and you need to make sure it’s a priority. 

Ask the property manager how they prefer to communicate, and discuss whether it matches the way you are comfortable communicating. If you’re an out-of-state investor in another time zone, online communication might be best. If you like in-person meetings and phone calls, make sure your property manager is prepared for that. 

Discuss your expectations. Transparent communication is an important part of your relationship, and you need to know how often you’ll hear from your property manager and in what format you can expect to have information shared and questions answered. The way they communicate with you might also reflect how they communicate with tenants, vendors, and other partners.

Ask about California’s Rental Laws 

Things have changed in the legal landscape, and you want to make sure your San Diego property manager is on top of those changes and the requirements that come with them. 

Someone who doesn’t know the law will put your property at risk. You need to be compliant. With new rent control laws, just cause eviction laws, and other regulations that affect screening, leasing, and security deposits, you need to be sure your property manager understands the laws and has a plan for staying up to date.

Ask About How Technology is Used to Improve Experience

Your property management company should utilize technology and automate whatever can be automated. This supports efficiency, transparency, and consistency. So, ask if tenants can pay rent online and whether you’ll receive your rent payments via direct deposit. Find out how they handle accounting statements and maintenance requests. 

They should be using technology for things like marketing, screening, lease executions, renewal notices

and rental payments.

How Is Rent Collected? 

You need to know how rent will be collected and how it will be paid to you. Talk about the property management company’s rent collection policy. Find out when rent is due, how tenants are expected to pay the rent, and whether there is a grace period or any late fees when rent doesn’t come in on time. You also want to ask when you can expect to be paid. You’ll need to know if your payment will be deposited directly into your account or if you can expect to receive a check in the mail.

A good property management company will provide an accounting statement every month, either online or in the mail. You want to be sure you’ll understand the income and expenses associated with your rental property.

Ask About Maintenance Protocols

Find out how your property manager handles routine and emergency maintenance. Ask if there’s a preventative maintenance plan in place. Do they have their own in-house maintenance team or is all the work contracted out? You’ll need to know if licensed and insured vendors are used and how all your necessary repairs are kept affordable.