Frequently Asked Questions about Property Management in Fresno, CA

We hope this page answers many questions as to the process of our services, and benefits included with Edinhart Realty & Design. The purpose of this website serves to address any questions in regards to what a homeowner can expect as they decide to rent their home. Communication and great customer service are a key element to a smooth process and we hope to have the opportunity to serve your property management needs. Our high ratings and reviews from current and past clients are treasured and we intend to uphold the highest of industry standards.

How does Edinhart keep track of all communications between tenants?

Edinhart has an amazing portal in which both the homeowner and residents will have access each with their own profile login. All tenant communications must be done through the tenant portal. This includes all repair requests, questions, 30 day notices, lease related questions etc. The on-call representative will then be ready to produce an efficient plan in order to proceed with assessment in a timely manner.

How quickly does Edinhart respond to online portal requests from tenants?

Edinhart strives to respond within 24 hours but often times we respond much faster within minutes of the request submission

What is the website to the tenant portal?

https://edinhart.managebuilding.com/Resident/portal/login

What process do we use to arrange for repairs and requests to move along quickly and save money to the homeowner?

We encourage our tenants to upload pictures of the requested repair. Uploading pictures may decrease the waiting time for repair to be accomplished. If repair involves any appliances we ask for them to take a picture or write down the model number of the broken appliance. This will ensure to cut down on the amount of service calls, obtain needed parts as quickly as possible and get the correct company out to proceed with repair.

How do we decide if a repair must take place or not?

All requests are reviewed to make sure they fall into the “Health and Safety” category. If in question we may choose to forward the incoming request to the homeowner in situations such as a cosmetic or cleaning request. Final decision will be determined by the homeowner in these cases and will then be communicated by us to the tenant.

Will all Health and Safety repair requests be automatically taken care of?

As long as the request total repair cost is within your pre-approved amount determined in your contract then yes we will automatically send someone out to take care of it

Are all repairs taken care of in the order received?

Urgency of repair will often dictate the time frame in which repair will be assessed and/or completed if approved. If approved it will then be given a category of urgency as either: LOW, NORMAL or HIGH priority.

*California law gives homeowners 30 days to fix habitability problems, less if the circumstances warrant prompter attention*

Do we only have 1 person that does all repairs or do we work with many different companies?

If a repair request is approved then a work order will be opened and a repair company will be assigned. We work with many different companies in order to give us the best outcome for quick and proper repair based on their specialty. The assigned company will then be provided all known information about the request as well as tenant contact information. Tenants will also be provided with the assigned company's contact information.

Who pays for the needed repair?

Once the issue is assessed by the repair person then it will be assigned as “tenant responsibility” or “landlord responsibility” and billed appropriately according to the final determination by the company addressing the repair issue.

How are tenant payments made?

Most of our tenants agree up front during their application to enroll in our auto debit rent program. This in turn makes the process more efficient and decreases chances of rent delinquency.

When do most homeowners receive their rent?

Most of our homeowners will receive their rental income funds directly deposited into their account by the 15th of each month. The tenants have a 5 day grace period and then the rental income will go through a period of bank confirmation which takes about a week to ensure that the funds won't bounce. Once the wait period is over, our accounting team will pay all needed bills on behalf of the owner if applicable. The homeowner will also receive a monthly rental income statement.

Do we charge a fee to process each repair?

No, our services are mostly in the category as "All Inclusive" and we do not charge a fee for processing service repairs

Do we add a processing fee to the invoices that our repair vendors send to us?

No, we do not add on any fees of any kind to the invoices we receive. There will not be any extra charges for coordinating repairs as we consider this a part of our service already included into your monthly fee

Is it possible for Edinhart to use a company selected by the homeowner for repairs?

Yes, if the homeowner makes us aware of what company they would like to use then we can make arrangements. We encourage homeowners to use qualified repair companies that are licensed and insured.

Have we used the same rental agreements since we started Edinhart back in 2014?

No, it is important to use the most updated agreements that contain information with the most recent law changes. For this reason our company is a part of the Fresno Association of Realtors and our forms are automatically updated by the California Association of Realtors Legal department to ensure accuracy. Laws change often in California for Property Management and it is crucial to keep up with those changes as we represent the best interest of our homeowners.

Where will the rental properties be advertised?

As a real estate brokerage we have access to the Fresno Association of Realtors MLS system. This is very important as this is the main website where other realtors will look at when searching for both properties for sale as well as for rent on behalf of their clients. Most of the clients also have their own access to the MLS search and will get rental listings automatically emailed to them. We also list rental properties in a large variety of secondary and popular sites with high traffic.

What is the first step to getting started with property management at Edinhart?

If circumstances apply, and you are located within the Fresno area, we will then set up an in-office appointment at Edinhart Realty & Design to review and have you sign the Property Management Agreement. We will also provide to you an overview of what our included benefits are. This can also be done over email/phone for out of town owners.

What are the next steps after signing a property management agreement at Edinhart?

Once we have received the fully executed property management agreement and Property Management Expectations and Overview of Benefits form, we will need for you to fill out and return back to us the set of documents listed below in order to complete your file, and be ready to make payments to you once we secure a resident for your property. The below will be due back to us within 1 week of receipt.

• Direct Deposit Form
• Copy of ID
• W9 Form
• Property Information Form
• We will need to collect from you 3 keys to the property, mailbox keys, garage remote, gate remote (if applicable) or gate code, and anything else you will need for us to pass on to the tenant.

When do we start marketing the home?

Once you have given us the green light that home is ready, we will go ahead and arrange for pictures to be taken. This process typically takes a couple days, and once pictures have been edited and received, we will go ahead and list your home in the MLS. Our advanced MLS systems filter through to ensure very high marketing visibility from large websites.

Do we provide professional photo sessions to market your home?

Yes, a professional photo session will take place in order to market your rental property as best as we can and capture high interest.

What happens after the home has been listed?

Once the home has been listed, we start coordinating showings with potential residents in order to give them a tour of your home - pointing out those special features your home has to offer. We will then encourage prospects to go ahead and submit an online application to properly start the qualifying process, and confirm that they are indeed eligible to rent the home.

Do we properly qualify the interested tenants?

Yes, this step is absolutely crucial! During the application process we will be asking the potential resident to also submit the following items:

• 1 application for anyone over the age of 18 living in the home
• Latest paycheck stub or equivalent for income verification. If starting a new job, then they will need to submit the contract that includes compensation plan and start dates. If self employment with no paycheck stub, then we will need the last 2 years of taxes to determine income plus the last 3 months of bank statements to confirm that income is still continuous as a substitute to paycheck stubs.
• Pictures of any applicable pets
• Copy or picture of valid Government ID

We have an advanced property management system that will run the potential residents’ credit check, eviction check and background check. Once we have received all needed documentation and completed the application process, we will then be given a recommendation by the system, and together with our expertise, we will discuss options and present this information to you. Together we will assess if we would like to accept this application and proceed with a lease. Final decision will always be made by you, the homeowner/landlord of the property. We will then communicate your response to the potential resident and proceed as needed. It is always recommended to require the residents to pay their rent via our EFT system in place, as they are more likely to pay their rent on time if it automatically comes out of their account. If residents have any special requests for the home, we will ask for them to include this in their application for review during their qualifying process. Sometimes residents will have specific cleaning requirements, and it is better to know these up front.

What is the next step once we have found a qualified tenant for your home?

Once all parties have agreed to proceed, we will go ahead and produce a lease agreement to put all the terms in writing and make it official. We will have both parties review the agreement to make sure terms are acceptable for all parties. We will then collect a deposit from the potential resident once the lease has been signed, in order to hold the property for them until move-in date. All deposits are held in the broker's Trust account. Prior to move-in, we will also collect a prorated rent amount from the move-in date until the end of the month. They will then start their regular rent payments on the 1st of the month.

How is the tenant move-in date handled?

On move-in date, we will meet residents at your home to provide them with keys, garage remotes, etc. We will then go over the move-in form, explain to them how to use their resident portal, if they are not already familiar with it by this point, and we will take general pictures of the current condition of the home.

How do we implement a move-in checklist?

Residents, at their own risk, will decide if it is necessary for them to fill out and turn the move-in form back in to us within 24 hours if they have any concerns they want to address in writing. The purpose of the move-in form is for residents to share their comments regarding the condition of the home, as well as any areas that don’t meet the “Cleaning Checklist.” This way they don’t get charged against it when withholding funds from their deposit at move-out time if turned back within the same condition, minus common wear and tear. We ask residents to provide us with a picture of each of their concerns to be able to properly confirm the condition of their concern. Unless the owner/landlord hires a weekly deep cleaning service in between tenancies, it is common for homes to accumulate dust or dirt. This form confirms move-in conditions for all parties to be aware of. If no form is turned back to us, then the resident assumes the landlord/owner could charge against the “cleaning checklist” at the move-out time frame. Landlords will not be expected to make any repairs or address any of the listed issues, unless they choose to or if they fall into the “Health and Safety” California law requirement of habitability.

How much income can I expect to receive once the tenant has moved in?

The first rental payment to you will likely consist of one full month plus the prorated amount of the previous month when the residents moved in. We will, from the rental income, deduct the regular property management fee, as well as the placement fee, as agreed upon in your property management agreement. Placement fee will only be collected upon each new tenancy change.

Do we charge a monthly property management fee when the home is vacant?

No, management fees will NOT be collected if we are not collecting rental income from a tenant (Example: in between tenancies). We, as much as you, want to do our best to maximize your investment, and constantly be collecting funds; otherwise we do not consider property management income as “Earned” by Edinhart.

Do we serve notices to tenants?

As needed, or per your request, we may serve a notice to the resident if they are late with the rent, or in breach of contract per their lease agreement. Residents will typically be given 48 hours to fix the issue. *Please note this is subject to current laws as they are constantly changing and requiring longer time periods for notices. Notices required to evict a tenant may require an attorney.

What happens once a tenant moves out?

During move-out we will ask the residents to refer back to their move-in documentation and cleaning checklist to remind them of what we will be looking out for. We will have them turn in all keys, remotes, etc. We will then provide you with general move-out pictures of the home, so that together, we can come up with a final assessment of charges against the deposit, if any, keeping in mind the move-in condition of the home, as well as the cleaning checklist. It is important to be cautious of improper “wear and tear” charges, as this is one of the number one reasons landlords get sued. If you have questions regarding charges, it is advised to seek legal counsel, as Edinhart Realty & Design does not practice law. As an alternative, we can assist with placing a call to our California Association of Realtors’ legal department, per your request, on any issue you may want us to check out, and we will be happy to provide you with their answer. As realtors abiding by higher standards of practice, this is one of the benefits we are given, which are passed on to you. We will have you approve the final, itemized list prior to us sending it to the resident. We will have 21 days from move-out to provide the resident with a final, detailed itemized list of charges in addition to their refund check. It is required to have a receipt for each of the charges implemented.

How do we turn over a property once the previous tenant has vacated?

Once residents vacate, and we make any needed cleaning or repairs to the home, we will start marketing the home once again, conduct showings and automatically start the placement process all over again, unless otherwise indicated by you. This is also a good time for the Landlord/owner, together with the property manager, to discuss any increases in rent prior to marketing again, if appropriate.