Owner FAQs

We continuously monitor the market for current rental rates. There is no benefit to overpricing a property, it will only lead to an extended vacancy. Rental rates are determined by market demand and property condition. We will recommend a fair market value range for your property that will attract qualified tenants. If you think your property deserves a higher rate, you can price it for higher than competing properties to test the market and see what the response is like. If the market agrees with your pricing it will rent quickly. If your property gets very little interest or does not rent out within a week or two, we will recommend to you that the rent be lowered.

Leasing times vary depending on location and current market conditions. Skyline Property Management has effective, targeted marketing to assist in finding the best tenants, minimizing the vacancy period and maximizing your returns.

After price, an important factor that tenants look at is the condition of the property. First impression is extremely important so be sure that your property is in “Spic and Span” condition. Walls should appear clean and freshly painted, carpets should be clean, free of odor, tears, or loose areas. All appliances should be clean and in good working condition. Extra attention needs to be paid to bathrooms and kitchen areas. Blinds to be cleaned or replaced with new ones. Front and back yards should be landscaped and well maintained. Skyline Property Management is a full service company and will provide supervision and inspections to ensure that you are getting the most out of your renovation budget and your property is rent ready at the highest possible rent. During the time when your property is vacant for showing to prospective tenants please make sure you have regular house cleaning at least every two weeks to ensure that the bathrooms are clean and the property is free of dust and debris.

We leave that up to the property owner. If it is held by Skyline, we place it into a trust account until the tenant moves out and the deposit is returned to the tenant less any appropriate deductions for rent owing, cleaning, damages, etc. By law, the security deposit must be returned to the tenant within 21 days of them vacating with a complete accounting of any deductions including copies of any receipts. If the property owner holds the deposit, the deposit will need to be returned to Skyline in a timely manner in order to properly return it to the tenant.

No, we do not require that any funds be held in reserve. In the event of an unexpected event, the property owner will be contacted and a request for immediate funds will be made. Skyline will not advance any funds for a property repair. We do, however, recommend that property owners consider establishing a reserve account that will build up over time to cover upcoming vacancy repairs, maintenance, appliance replacement, taxes, or major improvements (i.e. new roof). It can be set up to take out the same amount automatically each month.

Yes, your monthly proceeds can be deposited directly into your bank account of choice. All we need is your account number and bank routing number.

Yes, you can request an advance copy of the lease to be sent to you to review. If you would like to personally sign the lease, we can set you up with a digital signature to sign the documents online.

In most cases, the initial lease term is for one year. After that year is up, the lease can be extended for another set term, or allow it to convert to a month-to-month contract. All of the terms of the original lease still apply.

Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, a tenant may need to vacate the property before the end of their fixed term lease. This is called a lease break. Under these circumstances, the tenant is usually held responsible for the rent until a new tenant can be located, along with any costs associated with re-leasing the property.

As a complimentary service, Skyline will conduct periodic exterior inspections (drive-by) on your property when a tenant is currently occupying the property. When it is vacant, we will usually show your property to prospective tenants 2-3 times per week. As an optional service you may order Titan’s Preventive Maintenance Inspection (PMI) annually. This highly recommended service gives us the opportunity to inspect the exterior and interior of your property. Titan’s PMI usually takes about 1-2 hours and we will provide you with written reports and pictures of the inside and outside of your property. We will also provide you a list of recommended repairs for the properties. An annual inspection is highly recommended because it will allow you to catch and repair small preventive maintenance issues before they become major costly repairs that could cost you thousands. Please ask your manager for more details.

When a maintenance issue arises at the property, the tenants will call in or submit a Repair Request online. After review, the work order will be assigned to the proper technician to correct the problem. If the issue is determined to be the fault of the tenant, the repair will be billed to the tenant for reimbursement. For all general maintenance, we recommend that you allow us the authority to spend up to a predetermined amount (approx $300.00) on general repairs without having to contact you. On non-emergency repairs that exceed the predetermined spending limit, the property owner will be consulted before any repairs are authorized. If the tenant reports an emergency situation at the property, our focus will be to protect the property and minimize any damage to the property, secondly to restore or maintain the habitability of the property. Once things are under control we will contact the property owner to advise on the situation.

If the rent increase plus all rent increases during the prior 12 months does not increase the rent by the amount over 10%, the rent increase will be effective in 30 days. If the rent increase plus all rent increases during the prior 12 months is over 10%, then the rent increase will be effective in 60 days.

There are occasions (very few), where we will have to initiate eviction proceedings. All of our evictions are handled through a California licensed attorney specializing in tenant/landlord law. There are many nightmare stories about evictions taking up to several months before the owner can regain possession of their property. Be assured this is usually not the case. Most of our evictions are "uncontested", meaning the tenant does not file an answer with the court, and possession is obtained in approximately four weeks. If a tenant does file an answer with the court, a hearing date will be set, and the tenant essentially has "bought themselves’ two more weeks of possession. In most cases the eviction process unfortunately does take 6-8 weeks from initialization. Stringent tenant screening on our behalf keeps evictions to a minimum with our company. You as the owner will be responsible for the cost of the attorney, which is approximately $750 for the entire eviction process. We will coordinate with the attorney and appear in court on your behalf, for no additional cost.

For owners of single family homes, condos, or duplexes, we disburse owner’s funds along with a detailed report typically between the 6th and the 10th of every month. If you would like, we can direct-deposit your funds directly into your bank account and email your report to you with all invoices that were paid. The only reason you would not receive funds at this time would be if your tenant has failed to pay rent. We will contact you and let you know of the pending status of your tenant’s payment. Owners of larger multi-unit properties receive their disbursements and reports at the end of the month.

As a property owner, you are potentially liable for known and unknown conditions at the property. With a competent insurance agent, your fire/liability insurance policy will adequately cover you in most cases. Your agent can recommend the appropriate insurance limit for your situation. Skyline PM’s management agreement with owners include an indemnity clause, which you will find in most other management companies, that places basic liability for all acts on the property owner. Insurance companies are aware of this and most will willingly name the property manager as either additional insured or name the manager as an interested party to the policy at no extra cost. As a property investor, it is prudent to take the necessary steps to make sure you and the property management company you hired are both protected just in case a lawsuit arises. Keeping an open line of communication and acting promptly and professionally will minimize the probability of a lawsuit.

Yes, as a service to our property management clients. Our primary focus is on property management. All of our team members are licensed Realtors. We can assist you in the sale, exchange, or acquisition of additional properties for your property portfolio.