Owners FAQs

Good question and the answer is, it’s up to you. We always recommend that the owner pays for landscaping as well as pool service. We can build this into the rent. No matter how good a tenant is they will not go out and weed your garden. So, to avoid any HOA violations or expensive repairs to re-sod, we recommend that you keep control of these. We can invoice the tenant and pay the vendors directly so you do not need to add it to your monthly obligations.

Yes. Right after you sign our Property Management Agreement we perform an “Onboarding Inspection.” This thorough inspection is designed to ensure that the house is rental ready and pinpoint any maintenance issue before they become problems. Prior to a tenant moving into the house we do two additional inspections. The first one is a safety and liability inspection. This includes checking smoke detectors, making sure there is an up to date fire extinguisher, checking for any leaking water supply lines and several other items. We also do a “Move in Inspection.” This is a very thorough inspection done to document the exact condition of the home. It is done with a room by room checklist, over 200 photos, and our software will compare it to the “move out” inspection done when the tenants move out. During the tenancy we will conduct at least one additional inspection to check on the overall condition of the home and correct any lease violations we may find.

The owner will pay the mortgage, HOA fees, taxes, and insurance. The PMA that you signed makes us the point of contact for your HOA so that we can handle any violations that may arise or assist in getting keys for the pool to the tenants, etc.

The owner is responsible for regular normal maintenance and repairs. This is handled by Remi Emerson Residential on your behalf. We will withhold $500 from the first month’s rent which is kept as a repair reserve. Out of this reserve we will pay any handymen, plumbers, AC techs, etc. that need to be dispatched to the home. Any repairs under $500 we simply take care of. Anything over that we consult with you, get multiple estimates, and take whatever course of action you chose. We don’t add a mark-up to repairs and maintenance at Remi Emerson Residential. We don’t think it’s right for Property Management Companies to profit from your losses. If our repair techs find that the work order was due to damage or mis-use then we will charge the service call, back to the tenant. Examples might be an AC service call due to an unchanged filter, a plumbing back up due to a diaper getting flushed down the toilet, or a cabinet door getting pulled off of the hinges.

The short answer to this is no. The pet policy is up to you. We have found, however, that most families who are looking to rent single family homes have pets. A reasonable pet policy is good marketing to get the best tenants. Our recommended pet policy is that cats and dogs are allowed. If someone has a pet or pets we charge an extra $20 - $50 per month rent. Through proper screening of tenants and their pets, we have had very little issues with damage anyway, whether it’s done by people or animals. The other thing to consider is that it’s very easy these days for a potential tenant to get an “Emotional Support Animal” letter from a healthcare provider. About 20 minutes on the internet can produce one. Once the tenant produces an ESA letter we are not allowed to charge extra rent or even enforce a “no pets” policy.

You are responsible to provide the house to the tenants free of pests. So, we do watch for any infestations during the vacancy time and get that taken care of. Our tenants participate in a Resident’s Benefits Package. Among other things it includes on demand pest control so if they see bugs they can call the number and get it treated. If you choose to do any exterior pest control for your lawn or for termites we are happy to help coordinate that for you.

We believe that the better shape a house is when a tenant moves in the better shape we can expect it to be when we get it back. Our policy is that paint and carpet should be five years old or less and in good condition, that all systems in the house work properly (AC, plumbing, etc) that the landscaping be properly maintained, the house is completely empty of all belongings, and the property is safe. We will perform a safety and liability inspection to check for any unsafe conditions. We check all smoke detectors, make sure there is a CO detector and a fire extinguisher among other items. A copy of this inspection report is made available to you.

We pay out by the 15th of each month. We also publish a statement for each property prior to that. The first month’s payout can often be disappointing. That’s because we charge the 50% tenant placement fee as well as hold the $500 reserve from that first month’s rent.

In the State of Florida, we can only charge tenants for cleaning if it includes “extraordinary” cleaning. We usually need to do a deep cleaning between tenants. We also inspect the home and while we do charge the tenants for any abuse or damage, anything that has suffered “normal wear and tear” will generally need to be taken care of.

During the vacancy period Remi Emerson Residential is happy to put the utilities on our master account. We will then bill you for the cost but it’s generally easier for us to set up utilities than it is for you. Once a lease is signed, the tenant is informed that before they receive the keys to the property they must have moved all utilities into their name and they will pay utilities during their tenancy. If the utilities are in your name during the vacancy, you will not need to schedule them to be turned off. They will be moved into the tenant’s name and your account will be canceled automatically when this happens.