Resident FAQs

To get started, you’ll need to set up your resident account. If you are an existing resident whose property management company is changing to Onyx, you should receive an email invitation regarding account set up.  If you don’t receive an invitation, please call our office and we can email you the link. After you set up your account, download the Appfolio App which will allow you to pay your rent, create and monitor service requests, and ask any questions about your account or rental unit.

The best way to contact us is via the online Tenant Portal or by calling us at 858-273-8800

If you do not have a smartphone or a computer, you can call us at 858-273-8800 to speak to an Onyx representative. If we are unavailable and you leave us a voicemail, we will get back to you within 24 business hours unless it's an emergency. 

A service request should be submitted when there is a physical issue in or around your home that needs to be attended to by a repair technician.

You should send a general support message for anything else. This might include questions about paying rent, regarding your lease, renewing your lease, vacating your home, or other issues that require ongoing correspondence.

You can submit a service request by using your Tenant Portal and clicking on New Maintenance Request. Please describe the problem in as much detail as possible. For appliance issues, a make and model number will be helpful. This will help your property manager hire the right vendor for the job. Once submitted, a Work Order is emailed to your property manager and a vendor will contact you within 24 business hours. Detailed descriptions that include photos and/or videos will lead to faster, more accurate service. Do not submit a maintenance emergency online. See below for instructions. 

Onyx considers the following issues an emergency:

• No electricity

• No water

• Broken or non-working exterior doors, locks, or windows

• No heat (when outside temperature is below 50 degrees)

• No air conditioning (when the outside temperature is above 90 degrees in CA)

• Toilet not working (for homes with one bathroom only)

• Flooding or significant leaks

• Inoperable refrigerator

• Fire (call 911 immediately)

• Burglary or robbery (call 911 immediately)

If you have an emergency, please call (858) 422-3022. Support is available 24 hours/7 days a week.

Yes. If property damage is caused by tenant neglect or improper use (a foreign object, neglect, hair, etc.) we are required to charge for the maintenance service. Any broken windows or clogged plumbing will also be repaired at tenant’s expense. Please refer to your lease for more specific items not covered by the landlord. Please review our Maintenance Troubleshooting Guide before submitting a maintenance request to avoid potential tenant chargebacks. 

Rent is due on the first of the month. Any rent posted on or after the 5th of the month will be subject to a $75 late fee. Rent will be considered late even if you make a partial payment and fees will be calculated on the full amount not on the outstanding rent amount.

As a convenience to our tenants, rent may be paid online. Around the time of move in, you will receive an email from Onyx Property Management inviting you to activate your Tenant Portal. Each secure portal is unique to each tenant and linked to the email provided on the lease. Once you activate your account portal, click on “Make a Payment” choose “E-check” for the free option that will pay your rent directly from your checking account. Choosing the “Credit/Debit Card” option will charge a fee. These fees are charged by a 3rd party and cannot be waived or refunded by Onyx Property Management. 

Onyx Property Management requires that all tenants carry renter's insurance. In the event of a break-in, fire, tenant liability, damage to personal property, flood or other loss issues, the tenant’s losses will not be covered without renter's insurance. The policies are fairly inexpensive and worth the small investment. If a tenant does not obtain a policy from an outside provider, they will be automatically enrolled in Onyx’s limited liability coverage which will satisfy our lease requirements, at a cost of $10.50/month plus a $3.00 administration fee.

To obtain a copy of your current lease, please submit a request through the Tenant Portal or call us at 858-273-8800.

You will receive a 30-day or 60-day notice if there are any changes to your lease, including monthly rent increases, etc.

To add or remove a person to your lease agreement, the unit will need to be re-qualified to ensure that rent will be paid. Please note that new additions to lease agreements may need to formally apply and complete a screening and background check. If we are unable to re-qualify the unit, we may not be able to make any changes to the lease. 

If you vacate the property before the expiration of the lease term, you will be obligated under the terms of the lease for the rental payments for the remainder of the term or until the property has been re-rented, whichever is less. Tenants shall also pay any rental costs incurred by the landlord including but not limited to utility charges, advertising costs, statutory costs and any leasing fees sustained by the landlord. We will work diligently to lease the property as soon as possible and keep your expenses low. It will be in everyone’s best interest if the property is in showable condition for prospective new tenants.

Unless your lease states otherwise, we do not allow you to sublet your apartment. If you have questions about our policies, please email leasing@onyxpropertymanager.com or call our office at 858-273-8800.

Rent is due on the first day of the month, unless your lease agreement dictates otherwise.

Yes, there is a late fee. Please refer to your lease agreement for specific information on the late fee amount.

Yes, this is preferred. If you already have an account set up on the Tenant Portal, you can log in and pay at any time.

If you don’t yet have an account set up, please give us a call to send you an online link.

Yes but there is a fee charged by a third party. 

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

If you are unable to pay your rent online, please try enabling Cookies on your browser. If this does not solve your problem, please give us a call at 858-273-8800.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept cash payments. You can go to your bank or post office to get a cashier’s check or money order. You can also request an electronic pay slip at 711 or CVS  which will allow you to pay cash.

We accept payment via mail. The most efficient way to pay your rent is online but if you need to pay via check, please mail it to:

Onyx Property Management

P.O. BOX 910007

San Diego, CA 92191

Include the property address and unit on your check. Please keep in mind, rent will be considered late if received after the 5th of the month at our office.

Our software system charges a third party fee for any rent paid via credit/debit card. These fees will not and cannot be waived or refunded by Onyx. Choosing “E-check” is a free option that will pay your rent directly from your checking account. 

NSF stands for non-sufficient funds. We will charge an NSF fee for a failed payment attempt if there are not enough funds in your account at the time of payment processing. The amount of the NSF fee is listed in your lease.

Upon service of the notice, you will have three business days to either submit the payment amount specified on the notice or vacate the premises. If you believe you were served a 3-Day Notice in error, please email your property manager at jason@onyxpropertymanager.com or call Jason at 858-273-8800 ext. 120.

Switching to another unit in your building is sometimes possible on a case-by-case basis, depending on both owner discretion and availability. First, we need to review your current lease agreement to ensure that you are legally able to make the change. Then, you will need to meet the rental criteria for the new unit (if different from your existing unit) and re-qualify. In addition, you will need to provide a new deposit for the other unit. 

If your neighbor is too loud, please call our office at 858-273-8800 or email your property manager. If you feel there is a safety concern, please contact your local police department.

To report pest issues in your apartment, submit a service request via the Tenant Portal. Providing thorough details and attaching relevant photos or videos will increase the likelihood of a fast and efficient solution.

We conduct interior inspections annually.  

Upon move in, you will be emailed a link to set up your Tenant Portal. If you do not receive one, please call our office at 858-273-8800 to confirm your email address and we can send a new link.