Owner resource
How to choose a property manager for your San Jose house
The right questions make management proposals easier to compare.
A low monthly percentage tells you little on its own. Ask who will handle the house, how the rent is set, what happens when something breaks, and what the agreement actually costs over time. Use this checklist with any company you are considering.
1. Who is responsible for the property?
Ask for the name of your day-to-day contact and the supervising broker. Who answers when you call? Who can approve a repair or explain a statement? Check the relevant California license record rather than relying on a badge alone.
Blake's answer: Blake Hunter is the named broker at Property Management of California LLC, DRE #02080766. He answers his own phone and returns missed calls within an hour. Meet Blake and check his license through the California DRE.
2. How will you set the asking rent?
Ask which nearby available homes informed the range, how condition and timing affect it, and when a listing price would be revisited. A portal estimate can be a starting point but should not replace a review of the specific house.
Blake's answer: He reviews comparable rentals near the address and returns a practical range through the free rental analysis. The range is an estimate, not a promised lease price.
3. What will the full fee schedule look like?
Compare the management-fee base, leasing fee, renewal fee, vacancy charge, repair markup, and charges that arise only in certain situations. Ask for a sample cost at your expected rent and the current agreement before signing.
Blake's answer: The published routine fees are 6%* of rent collected for the first year of a tenancy (8% after that), a placement fee quoted per property when he sources and places the tenant, $200 for renewal, no management fee during vacancy, and no maintenance markup. Repairs and agreement-specific fees can still apply. Read the pricing details.
*6% of rent collected during the first year of a tenancy, 8% after that.
4. What happens when a repair is needed?
Ask how vendors are chosen, whether invoices are marked up, what threshold requires your approval and what emergency exceptions apply. A dollar threshold without the exception can give a false sense of control.
Blake's answer: Maintenance coordination is included in the management fee and he does not mark up vendor invoices. He asks for approval before a single repair over $750, except for emergency or habitability work.
5. What will you see each month?
Ask when owner statements and distributions arrive, how invoices are recorded and whether there is a year-end property statement. If you live away from the rental, a predictable record matters as much as a friendly phone call.
Blake's answer: Monthly statement and distribution by the 12th, with a year-end statement per property.
6. How is the tenancy documented?
Ask how applicants are screened against consistent criteria, what move-in and move-out records are kept, and what an interim visit actually covers. No manager can guarantee a trouble-free tenant.
Blake's answer: The service includes applicant screening, dated move-in and move-out photos, and a six-month safety check. See the service scope.
7. What does the agreement say about leaving?
Read the term, notice period, cancellation charges, handling of records and tenant funds, and any special fees. Ask the manager to show the clause, not summarize it from memory.
Blake's answer: Ask for the current agreement. It sets the term, notice requirements, any during-term cancellation charge and other conditions for your property. Review those provisions before signing.
Bring the checklist to a real conversation
For each manager, write down the answer and the clause or sample document that supports it. Then compare the proposed plan for your house, not just the headline percentage.