Owner FAQ

Most agents and brokerages have very little, if any, property management experience. Our professionals at Au Terre have been in the business for over 30 years, providing quality services to both owners and tenants.

We specialize in single-family homes, condominiums and townhomes and multi-family apartment buildings.

We provide property management service to the following cities in Orange County, California:
Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Coto de Caza, Cowan Heights, Cypress, Dana Point,Emerald Bay, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, La Habra,La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Lemon Heights, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Mission Viejo, Modjeska Canyon, Newport Beach, North Tustin, Orange, Orange Park Estates, Placentia, Rancho Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Red Hill, Rossmoor, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Siverado Canyon, Stanton, Trabuco Canyon, Tustin, Villa Park,Westminster, Yorba Linda

We provide property management service to the following cities in Los Angeles County, California:
Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Lakewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Norwalk, Redondo Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier

We provide property management service to the following cities in Riverside County, California:
Corona

Professional property managers save you time and money. Creating value for owners and investors by maximizing the performance of every property should be the primary goal of every property manager. Everyday tasks associated with property management include maintenance and repairs to the property, applicant screening, collecting rent, handling evictions, paying bills and leasing properties. When you hire an outstanding property manager, you can enjoy the benefits of ownership without the day to day hassles.

We provide a high level professional service at a competitive rate. You should only hire us if you feel that we are a good fit for your property. We are honest about our methods so owners can make an informed decision. This includes a genuine assessment of property appearance, condition and market rental values to ensure that our owners receive a positive return on investment. At Au Terre Properties, we engage in careful planning, aggressive marketing and open communication. Ultimately, we manage your property as if it was our own.

Our fee structure is based on the type of property, the date it was built, its location, its current condition and other factors. Please call (800) 400-4855 for more quoting information.

It is possible to use one or the other, but most of our clients use us for both.

We do not compete with property management companies that offer the lowest prices, because our objective is to provide our investors with a positive return on investment. Successful property management is dependent on how well day-to-day tasks are completed. At Au Terre Properties, we offer an unbelievable value for the rate charged. You will find that most property management companies will charge you far more and provide much less in return. Please contact us at (800) 400-4855 to find out more about how this applies to your particular situation.

It doesn't. We have owners that we have never met face-to-face due to their distance. We manage properties for owners that live out of state, and even out of the country. Our qualified local property managers promptly, efficiently and courteously handle issues that arise.

Please contact our office at (800) 400-4855 and a member of our staff would be glad to assist you.

First, we evaluate the property, conduct a market rental survey and provide a recommendation for your rental rate. We provide a comprehensive online marketing program, which includes a digital photo and corporate listing on our website with subsequent listings on high-traffic sites such as Craigslist.

Rental demand is cyclical. While we cannot guarantee a move-in date, it usually takes about 15 days from the start of our marketing campaigns. In some cases, properties have been filled the same day, and in others, it has taken up to 30 days. There is a direct correlation between unit location/price and vacancy.

We compare in-house data, data from proprietary sources and current rental rates in the surrounding neighborhood to the condition and specifications of your property. We set the rate in order to target quality tenants as quickly as possible. We use real market conditions to recommend your rental rates. It is important to note that the rental rates set are not necessarily in direct correlation with an owner's high-interest mortgage, high taxes, negative cash flow or costly association fees. Our most critical responsibility to you as the property owner is to avoid vacancies which can cripple your cash flow. Rent that is too high encourages vacancy and low quality tenants.

No keys or access codes are given out. We only show our properties by appointment to prospective tenants to ensure the safety and privacy of all current residents. Tours are given by one of our professional leasing agents prepared with the knowledge and expertise to answer questions about your specific property.

Every adult interested in living on the premises must fill out a full application. We will then run a full background check, verify income and employment and research eviction history.

Because statistics indicate that a sizable amount of renters own pets, forbidding pets significantly restricts the pool of potential tenants. People with pets tend to pay more and stay longer because they know how difficult it is to find a place that will accept them. However, every property owner has a different comfort level, and it is up to the owner to decide if pets are allowed or not. Call us at (800) 400-4855 for recommendations.

We recommend that you restrict smoking on the premises altogether. Currently, forbidding smoking inside the units is common practice in the industry, and it does not significantly affect your marketability.

It is unlawful to discriminate against families with children.

Tenants can call our office or use our integrated website to submit a request that shows instantly on our screens.

Tenants are instructed to call 911 in case of a fire and/or life or limb-threatening emergency. They are also given a special phone number for critically urgent repairs.

We walk through problems with the tenant that require a simple fix, such as the reset button on the garbage disposal, before calling a vendor.

Property owners have access to all maintenance requests via the Owner Portal.

Problems identified as emergencies are handled immediately. Owners are notified of emergencies as soon as possible, and action is not necessarily pre-approved, depending on the situation.

Our professional property managers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We have vendors available to handle emergencies day or night.

Our goal is to provide you with a balance of the best vendors for the most reasonable price. Ultimately, shoddy repairs will cost more in the long run. In our 30 years of experience, we have accumulated relationships with a variety of quality contractors to provide you with the best prices.

If there is a specific vendor you would like us to use, we will contact them and inform them of our payment policies and documentation needed. Our primary goal is to fix problems efficiently and provide the best service possible to the tenant at the time of the maintenance request.

We do our best to accommodate warranties, but only if the warranty company is responsive. We will be forced to send out a vendor if the company does not act in a reasonable time frame.

Tenants are given proper notice of infractions. If the tenant chooses to ignore the warnings, we proceed accordingly as outlined in the leasing contract.

If the damage was caused by normal wear and tear, it is the responsibility of the property owner. If the vendor determines the damage was due to tenant neglect, the tenant is billed for the repairs.

The initial security deposit should be enough to handle minor damages caused by the tenant. Quality tenants with excellent credit rarely cause significant damages to the property. If the cost to repair damage exceeds the amount left in the security deposit, the tenant is billed.

If the tenant refuses to pay, we have the right to take them to court. If the court decides that the tenant is responsible for payment, the judgment is turned over to an attorney or collection agency.

All of our owners have access to our Owner Portal that allows them to see what we see. You will be able to both run and print financial reports with this tool. A welcome email is sent before the first owner payment which specifies their financial contact to discuss the process.

Monthly statements include all income and expenses for a requested period of time. There are different, customizable formats to choose from to best suit your needs.

The deposit is retained by Au Terre Properties, Inc. and kept in an FDIC insured trust account. By law deposits must be refunded to the tenant within 21 days after the keys are returned. While security deposits are kept in a trust account, they do not accumulate interest.

Rent is due on the first of every month. Collection procedures commence on the 4th of the month if rent is not received. We issue a 3-day notice to pay or vacate if rent is not paid by the 10th of the month. After the 10th of the month, we use an attorney to file the eviction papers with the courthouse. Most evictions are due to the tenant's loss of a job.

Please review our website and send us your contact information, or call us at (800) 400-4855. We would be happy to get in touch with you to discuss your needs.

We require that you obtain a Landlord policy naming Au Terre Properties as additional insured.

The language in the policy must protect the property manager because of the possible substantial cost of litigation. At Au Terre Properties, Inc., we are able to provide our clients with competitive property management rates because the owner's landlord policy is obliged to pick up coverage for property issues and repairs.

It typically takes 2-3 business days to set up the property once the contract is signed.

All cleaning and repairs are taken care of by us before showing the property to potential residents. First, we prepare apartments with neutrally colored paint and quality flooring. In addition, we supply adequate window coverings, such as blinds or shades, and ensure that the landscaping is well groomed. We know that professionally cleaned apartments attract quality residents who take care of the property and pay their rent on time.