Frequently Asked Questions

What needs to be done to my house before it is ready to rent?

The better condition that your property is in, the higher rent we can charge and the better quality tenant that it will attract. Your home must be left in professionally cleaned condition as the tenants will be responsible for professionally cleaning upon their move out also. Your Property Manager can recommend quality cleaning companies to ensure that the cleaning guidelines are strictly followed. The carpets must be freshly cleaned and all debris and personal belonging removed from the house.

It is not necessary to paint automatically, but you should consider painting any room that has dirty or marred walls. A neutral color is best. Your Property Manager will be happy to discuss any necessary repairs or painting with you. Neutral window coverings such as blinds should be left, but not curtains that match a particular bedspread or couch. Tenants moving into a rental property do expect some sort of window coverings to be provided for privacy and safety.

The tenants are generally requested to maintain the yard in the condition it is provided to them. Therefore, the yard should be freshly mowed, weeded, trimmed and the leaves and debris removed.

We know the importance of answering the phone every time it rings, especially when it comes to renting properties. We answer the phone and show properties 7 days a week from 8 am till as late as 8 pm. This is one of many reasons we have the lowest vacancy rate in the San Antonio. We actually have most properties rented before the current Tenant has even moved out!

But, in some rare cases, and depending on home condition and market condition, it may take longer to rent your home. Your home is marketed within 24hrs after we receive your signed Owner Contract or a 30-day notice from an existing tenant. We always show your property while the current Tenant is on their last 30 days.

Pet owners are not a protected class. However, by eliminating them you are likely eliminating up to 75% of the people in the market for a rental house! Being open to pets does make your property available to more potential renters. Additional deposits for pets generally run $300 for up to a maximum of 3 pets. However, if you feel very strongly about this issue, we will agree not to show your property to anyone with a pet.

All of our properties prohibit smoking, in the interest of protecting your investment, as well as the health of the neighborhood.

Children come under the protected class of “familial status” and it is not possible to discriminate in this way. Our application forms do not ask number or ages of any children.

While the reasons our clients choose professional property management vary, here are some of the key reasons many people elect professional management over self-management:

•We handle maintenance and emergency repair calls 24/7, allowing you to sleep at night and save money.
•We enforce collection of rents and serve the proper notices upon failure to pay.
•We understand and apply the correct federal, state, and local laws, keeping you and your investment out of trouble and out of court.
•We know the local market, have an extensive network of contacts, and have advertising resources available to us at discounted rates. This allows us to effectively market your vacant home to prospective residents to get it filled.

Your lease rate is going to be determined by several market factors including the condition of the property, location, demand, and the rental rates for competing homes in the immediate area. The markets that dictate lease rates vary vastly from the markets that influence value of properties. Please contact us and we can determine what your property would rent for in order to help you make a decision.

Rooftop offers a proven system with specialized research for purchasing investment properties. We have specially designed investment data sheets used to determine the financial soundness of a potential investment property purchase. We represent your interests and advise you on different properties around San Antonio. We also have discounted rates for listing your property making the selling process smooth and affordable.

Rooftop Property Management will require security deposits, usually an amount that is close to one month’s rent, from all residents. These funds are held in a separate escrow account at an insured Bank. Security deposits cannot be disbursed until the resident vacates and at that time, can only be disbursed to the owner or the resident.

We do not enter the property and recommend the owner not enter the property except in emergency situations or when repairs have been requested by the resident. Rooftop will conduct interior inspections of the property every six months. History has shown that repeated disturbances prompt residents to become unhappy and not be as willing to renew their leases. By law, we give our Tenants 24 hours notice before we enter.

Our lease states that the Tenant needs to give a 30 day written notice before vacating the property.

In order for us to begin the process of managing your property we need the following:

•Executed property management agreement
•Keys to the property, including mailbox keys, if applicable
•Garage door openers, if applicable
•Certificate of insurance, with Rooftop Property Management, LLC as an additional insured
•IRS W-9
•ACH Authorization•
•Lead-Based Paint Form, if the property was built prior to 1978

Management fees are deducted from your monthly rental collections.

We practice protective property management and use proactive management to identify and communicate to owners about issues affecting their property.

10% monthly management fee on average

Protect property Owners from unseen liabilities, manage Tenant relationships, manage property repairs, collect rent, enforce lease, assess Tenant charges, and much more!

Usually an Owner signs a contract with management company for a specific property and time period. The company handles advertising, finding and managing quality Tenants, repair requests, and the Owner receives financial reports of activities every month.

Management companies make money from monthly management fees, leasing fees, and renewal fees.

Switching property management companies usually requires at least a 30 day notice. Most management companies require a 12 month contract term and depending on the time frame of original contract signed, you may have to wait until contract expires or pay out the remaining term meaning; the rest of the monthly management fees that would have been earned if contract was not cancelled.

Texas Real Estate Commission

To become an approved vendor for a property management company they usually require liability insurance that covers their business in case of an issue with the work they performed. Then they can be added into system as an approved vendor.

Normally you can negotiate a resolution with the property management company. If all else fails, a person can file a complaint online with the Texas Real Estate Commission. Once a report is received, they will call the property management company and find out more details to see if the report goes any further. They will recommend mediation or take action if needed.

Contact us with your property and real estate needs.

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