Philosophy/Goal/Guarantee
Trust
Turnover process and how we protect your property
Pets
We work hard to rent your property
How we achieve low vacancy rates
Code of Ethics
Cost Comparison
Premium marketing plan
Rent collection process
Tenant Screening
Approved Maintenance
Inspections
About Us
Owner Statements
Other Services
We have been working in the Utah Residential Real Estate market for over 10 years, servicing hundreds of Clients with their residential needs. We have learned that we are what we repeatedly do, and that to become an Expert in anything means that you have to be 100% dedicated in making our careers a statement of excellence. We are not the typical company that focuses on buying and selling homes and takes on the occasional property to manage on the side, as a side business. We make property management our priority, our first and only form of real estate and we are committed to Excellence.
We come from a construction background and know what it takes to maintain, and not over pay on unnecessary maintenance bills while managing your property. At the same time we know that good ready to rent properties invite great tenants, and we want nothing other than keeping your property rented, maintained and cash flowing. We make money when you do, vacancies are bad for both of us.
Turning the care and management of your home over to a property manager in Northern Utah is a big decision that deserves careful consideration. Much like using a good accountant or financial planner, a good property manager will protect your investment, provide professional service, reduce your costs, and increase your income.
The feedback we have received shows that with our services, owners worry less and their properties do better since they joined our services. We invite you to take a moment to familiarize yourself with our services and recognize the benefits of having our company professionally manage your Northern Utah property.
No matter which company you choose to manage your rental home in Northern Utah, make sure you pick a qualified property manager who is serious about the profession of property management. Many property managers operate as a sideline business or an afterthought to their sales business, and make no effort to stay educated or updated on landlord/tenant laws or current industry practices. In fact, some property managers in Northern Utah are not even licensed real estate agents.
We manage safe, well-maintained homes that attract good quality renters. We oversee residential, single family homes as well as duplexes and small properties from 5 to 100 units.
We like to keep the majority of our portfolio in Davis and Weber counties, although exceptions can be made, upon approval, for owners with multiple properties.
We have found turnover and vacancy to be the biggest expenses for property owners. While most companies profit from your loss, we have set up our pricing to be not only affordable, but owner-friendly. We make money when your property makes money. We are therefore motivated to find good, long-term tenants, as shown by our fee structure.
Screening is the most important service a property manager provides. A problem tenant can be very costly in terms of time, money, and frustration. While no background check can completely eliminate risk, our extensive screening process will substantially lower the possibility of future problems. Once a potential tenant completes the application, we perform the following:
While it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or familial status, it is absolutely acceptable to turn down applicants for poor credit or rental history.
We require tenants to provide at least two years of good verifiable rental history (or proof of home ownership), good credit, and verifiable income at least 3 times the monthly rent. That’s it in a nutshell, but a lot more goes into the screening than just those three items, such as:
Most good applicants will sail through the screening process and be approved. Otherwise, the screening process may reveal “red flags” which we look into further. Commonly, an applicant may qualify based on income and rental history, but have poor credit. In some instances, if we think the applicant is a reasonable risk, we will offer them approval with additional security deposit equal to at least one month’s rent.
In all instances we are very thorough with our screening of tenants, probably more so than many other property managers, and will never let an urgency to rent diminish our screening requirements.
At our company, property management is our business, not something we do on the side. It is completely, 100% our main focus. We believe that you hire a property manager to manage your rental home, not to assist you in managing it yourself. We offer a turnkey style of property management service which is most appreciated by those property owners who prefer to have their focus on other personal matters. We make it our goal for owners to secure long-term tenants and residents who will pay their rent on time, help maintain the properties, and act as good neighbors.
If you are a tenant or resident, our goal is to provide you with a clean, well-maintained living space. We will always respond to your maintenance requests within 48 hours and develop a long-term relationship in which we can participate in a happy, successful tenancy.
For tradesmen and vendors, we will pay promptly at a competitive rate, for a high level of workmanship with the focus on doing it right the first time. The property will remain available and welcoming, with the least amount of intrusion to the resident and the least hassle for the tradesman.
We focus on giving both owner and tenant peace of mind. All of our daily activities, procedures, and operations are focused toward the following goals:
Guaranteed Rent Payments – West Property Management guarantees that a tenant that we place in your property will pay their rent, every month, or you pay nothing for our management services for that month.
Guaranteed Lease Performance - if for any reason a tenant that we place in your property breaks their lease, we will re-rent your home to new tenants for free.
Our Family owned business has been serving investors now for over 20 years servicing hundreds of Clients with their residential needs. We have learned that we are what we repeatedly do, and that to become an Expert in anything means that you have to be 100% dedicated in making our careers a statement of excellence. We are not the typical company that focuses on buying and selling homes and takes on the occasional property to manage on the side, as a side business. We make property management our priority, our first and only form of real estate and we are committed to Excellence.
Each time your home comes up for rent, we will perform a market analysis to determine how much homes similar to yours have been renting for recently. Once we determine a starting value, we add or subtract based on the time of year, competition from other available rentals near yours, the condition of the property (older vs. newer carpet, age of appliances, floor plan, etc.), and other relevant market factors.
We then track the number of calls, showings, and applications we receive and review the listings and prices weekly to make adjustments as needed. This way we are able to get the property rented quickly and at a good market price. If your property is listed too high then it will take longer to rent and in most cases the extra rent you were trying to get was lost in the time the property was vacant.
Some owners want to increase the rent to cover their mortgage. It is great when we are able to do this but please understand that your mortgage payment has little to do with the rental market. Our system is set up to make your renting experience as lucrative as possible in current market conditions, NOT to waste time sitting vacant.
If a property is not rented within 30 days it is typically due to rent, show ability, or marketing. In order for us to manage the vacancy issue with the property we go over these details:
Rent: We will review comparable properties in the current market and recommend a rental price based on that information. We also track the number of calls, showings, and applications, and adjust the price as needed.
Show ability: We will make recommendations based on our experience as well as feedback from showings. If the property needs improvements such as cleaning or repairs that will aid presentation, we will discuss these items with you.
Marketing: Our management program offers extensive exposure through many vehicles. In addition to using internet sites, including our own top-ranked website, we use local media, a tenant-referral program, and yard signs. For even more exposure, ask about our premium marketing plan, which we highly recommend. More exposure gives us time for extensive screening, increasing the bottom line. Most of our new owners that have converted to our system have noticed a decline in vacancies, which increased their bottom line.
As a general rule, we believe it’s a good idea to price your rental property at a competitive current value. Sometimes owners get hung up on trying to squeeze out a little extra rent, but we will council you against being too optimistic.
Take for example, a home with a market rent of $1,195, if placed on the market for a more optimistic price of $1,250, only has to remain vacant for about 2 weeks longer than it otherwise would have to completely erase the additional $660/year that the $1,250 would have achieved. Aggressive, positive marketing always pays off in the end.
When possible, we target leases to end in spring or summer, when the market is the best, rents are higher and homes spend less time vacant. For homeowners who plan on eventually selling their property, a lease expiration date at this time will allow them plenty of opportunity to evaluate the market and put their house up for sale.
Property owners are able to see all activity pertaining to their property: statements, maintenance requests, work orders, lease information, expected rent, etc. This service is available 24/7 and is accessed through a personal login and password.
Our comprehensive inspection program protects your investment and holds the tenant accountable for damages and lease violations. Even good tenants can sometimes unintentionally let a small problem, like a drip under the sink, get out of hand. If small problems are not addressed, they can become expensive.
Regular inspections are essential to identifying potential problems before they progress. We have found that routine maintenance can save thousands of dollars. Our property inspection program consists of:
For a small fee, typically $30-$45, a preventative maintenance survey can be performed during the fall and spring inspections, or more often as requested. We highly recommend this optional service and have received positive feedback from our homeowners. Items like a drip can lead to expensive sub-floor and cabinet damage, our inspections help in keeping costs down.
Tenants are given three days following inspection to repair any damages found (including lawn care and other exterior maintenance issues.) If they do not comply, we will line up the repair and bill the tenant.
We are flexible when it comes to paying property owners. We are confident that we can find a method that will work for you.
We collect all payments from the tenant. Each month you receive a detailed statement that accounts for all payments and expenses on your property. All rents and other payments are deposited into a trust account. We will deduct our management fee and any other expenses that have been authorized and send the balance to you. We post statements and process payments each month. Payments are sent to owners by direct deposit and statements are sent by e-mail and/or accessed through your web portal. Owners can access custom reports and previous statements anytime online.
We strictly enforce the lease agreements, including late fees, pet policy, unauthorized occupants, vehicle limits, lease term, and all other stipulations and conditions. If we become aware of a violation, we will promptly issue a violation notice. If the tenant does not correct the violation, we will then take further action.
Rent is due on the 1st of each month, with a grace period until the 5th. If rent is not received by then, we adhere to the following procedure:
*We have designed a firm collection system because a tenant who falls behind in rent by more than one month is rarely able to get caught up. We can help tenants with legitimate problems or special circumstances find assistance from various organizations, but if they cannot pay rent, we will find a tenant who can.
For tenants who are thinking about moving, we offer incentives to stay with our company. If you are interested, please let us know. Most of the time there is no need to complete another application and we can give you extra time to move from one property to the other.
If you are planning to move, the first thing you need to do is give us at least a 30-day notice. You may either e-mail this notice to us, or submit it through your online portal. Once we receive your notice, we will issue you an informative Move-Out Packet, which includes a cleaning checklist as well as information you will need to get your full deposit back.
Sometimes due to unforeseen events, such as a job transfer or divorce, tenants need to move before their lease is up, and we have developed options to make this possible. You will need to review the options agreement and select the one that works best for your situation. Once you have completed the agreement, we will begin the process and provide you with a Move-Out Packet if necessary.
Tenants are required to give us a written 30-day notice prior to moving out. When we receive this notice the tenant is given a Move-Out Packet. This packet gives them detailed instructions on how to leave the property in great condition. It includes a cleaning checklist, key and utility instructions, charges for needed cleaning and repairs if necessary, and deposit return procedures. Tenant security deposits are held in a trust account until the tenant moves out.
Once the tenant moves out, we perform a total property inspection and use the deposit to cover any damages or cleaning that is needed to return the property to its rent-ready condition. We return the remaining deposit money to the tenant with a full accounting of what was performed. We love it when we can return a full deposit to the tenants because this means the property is ready to be rented again.
Whether or not to allow pets is your decision. We have found that over 40 percent of renters don’t have pets and 60 percent do. If you choose not to allow pets, please understand that it may take longer to rent the property. Conversely, by not allowing pets, you lower the risk of damages. If you decide to allow pets, we recommend that you set a limit of two pets and set weight restrictions according to your property size. We also recommend adding a $300-$500 pet deposit per animal. Our inspection process always includes a careful search for pet damage and smell. Generally speaking, good, clean people have good, clean pets.
*It should be noted that if a tenant has proper documentation for a companion animal as allowed in the Fair Housing Act then we are obligated to allow these animals. The tenant is still responsible for any damages caused by the animal.
Some owners want to be contacted about every maintenance issue while others only want to know about major items. To accommodate our owners we have a maintenance approval amount that can be adjusted if necessary. The standard amount is $250. This means that if the repair is going to be under $250, we will take care of the issue, keep your tenants happy, and you will see it documented on your statement. If the repair is going to be over $250 then we contact you to discuss the options and get approval.
Our vendors are trained to look for warranties when possible. We are also able to negotiate better prices and services because of our volume and experience. Sometimes we do not know the cost to repair an item until it is diagnosed. When this happens, we will contact you with details and estimated costs as soon as the issue is diagnosed.
Per the lease agreement, tenants are instructed to report all non-emergency repair requests through our Tenant Portal. We strive to respond to and complete most ordinary repair requests within three to five business days.
Repairs and property condition issues tend to be the greatest source of friction between landlords and tenants. A property manager coordinates between the tenant who wants things fixed ASAP and the owner who is concerned about expenses. Keep in mind, a happy tenant is likely to renew the lease, and it is to your advantage that they enjoy a well-maintained home in which everything functions as designed.
In many instances, communicating with the tenant over the phone will solve the problem. For example, a tripped breaker or an inoperable garbage disposal can often be fixed with a simple reset. A heating or air conditioning problem can result from the thermostat being improperly set, a loose filter door, or a blocked intake. Because of our construction background, we offer a more professional level of troubleshooting, diagnosis, and repair than many other property management companies.
No, we only use our qualified vendors. We are not able for liability reasons to use your friends or relatives to perform work on your home unless they are in fact licensed vendors (see below).
We will be happy to invite them to join our vendor list, if they are qualified and insured, but we can't promise that a specific vendor will be dispatched to your home for certain repairs.
Nothing affects the reputation of a property management company more than the manner in which repairs are handled. Tenants judge us by almost no other measure. It therefore makes little sense to entrust vendors we don't know, whom we have no relationship with or control over, with the reputation of our company and the relationship with your tenant. Instead, when repairs are needed, we will send our trusted vendors with whom established relationships and excellent communication exists, and they will provide the quality service we require in a professional and timely manner.
Owners save time and money in vacancy and turnover costs when good tenants renew their leases. We begin offering incentives to tenants within 60 days of lease expiration. We may also raise the rent at this time, depending on the property, market, and time of year.
When possible, we target leases to end in spring or summer, when the market is best. Rents are higher and homes spend less time vacant. For homeowners who plan on eventually selling their property, a lease expiration date at this time will allow them plenty of opportunity to evaluate the market and put their house up for sale.
The average owner experiences a loss of approximately $250 each week their property is vacant. To reduce vacancy rates and keep advertising costs low, we have developed a marketing plan for our owners. We use software that allows us to advertise vacant units on over 15 high-traffic rental websites. With the premium marketing plan we are able to leverage our volume and pass the savings on to our owners. The cost to run these ads individually would be over $325 a month.
For a home with $1,000 per month rent, $250 a week is lost in vacancy. If we can save you just one week of vacancy with our Premium Marketing Plan, you are $55 ahead. If we can save you two weeks, you’re $305 ahead. It makes sense to market your home with video tours. In most cases, the home is vacant only one week for final inspections and making it rent ready for the new tenant through this system However in some cases it does take a little longer depending on the situation. Look for more details in your owner packet.
Do you want your property to rent faster with increased exposure?
http://www.narpm.org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics.htm
We are flexible when it comes to paying property owners. We are confident that we can find a method that will work for you.
We collect all payments from the tenant. Each month you receive a detailed statement that accounts for all payments and expenses on your property. All rents and other payments are deposited into a trust account. We will deduct our management fee and any other expenses that have been authorized and send the balance to you. We post statements and process payments each month. Payments are sent to owners by direct deposit and statements are sent by e-mail and/or accessed through your web portal. Owners can access custom reports and previous statements anytime online.
For people who enjoy the challenge of managing their property on their own. First and foremost we recommend that you do the proper research to find out what liabilities you are taking by managing your own properties in Utah.
We offer 3 distinct forms of services
At West Property Management we hope that we can make this an enjoyable smooth process for any one of the 3 plans. Whichever plan you elect to choose we will do our best to accommodate you in every way possible. With that in mind be make sure your clear on the duties and tasks that we will fulfill based on the plan that you wish to move forward with.
Full Management Plan: Is our most popular plan, this is our full service package for the client that wants a turnkey style of management for their investment portfolio. Our entire business model is built around this concept. After our meeting at the property, filling out our Property Data Sheet and signing the agreement we will simply take it from there. For details on this plan please download our Owner Packet. By choosing this plan you receive our Premium marketing plan at a discounted rate which is covered in the owner packet. Our fees and a cost comparison of our local competition are also found in the owner packet.
Marketing and Lease Only Package: This is our plan for the client that wants to do it all on their own but would like to have a professional to advertise and do the paper work. We will screen and approve tenants based on our approval system. We cannot discriminate based on familial status: (While it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or familial status, it is absolutely acceptable to turn down applicants for poor credit or rental history. We are*obligated by the Fair Housing Act to allow a tenant with proper documentation to have a companion animal; however, the tenant is responsible for any damages caused by the animal.) We provide a video tour and pictures of the property. We also provide a detailed credit, criminal, income and employment background search. Guarantees on future rental payments are not included. We simply provide a service for the owner the owner takes on full responsibility and liability. This plan is provided for a onetime fee of $375.00 and is not due until the tenant pays the deposit and first month's rent. We will then deduct our fee out of the monies that we have collected on the owner's behalf and give you the rest.
Tenant Screening Only Package: This is our plan for the client that wants to do all of the marketing and managing on their own but would prefer not to engage in any part of the lease or tenant screening. While it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or familial status, it is absolutely acceptable to turn down applicants for poor credit or rental history. We are*obligated by the Fair Housing Act to allow a tenant with proper documentation to have a companion animal; however, the tenant is responsible for any damages caused by the animal. . Guarantees are not a part of this package. We simply provide a service for the owner the owner takes on full responsibility and liability. This plan is provided for a onetime fee of $175.00 and is not due until the tenant pays the deposit and first month's rent. We will then deduct our fee out of the monies that we have collected on the owner's behalf and write you a check for the rest.
Either plan: If the owner elects to switch to our Full Management Plan within 2 months of the lease initiation we will convert the applicant over for free and credit the account 50% of the fee that was charged. If owner elects to switch after 2 months we will convert for free but no credits will be issued.
