Questions to Ask a Rocklin Property Manager Before You Hire

Go into the interview with a short list

You are about to hand a stranger the keys to a house you may still be paying for. Most owners interview two or three managers, often in the weeks before a move, and the calls start to blur together. A written list of questions keeps each conversation on the same track and makes the answers easy to compare later.

The questions below follow the order that matters most: first the license and the money, then the Rocklin details such as your HOA, then day-to-day service, and last, how you get out if it does not work. Write the answers down during the call. If a manager will not put a key answer in writing, treat that as an answer too.

License and money questions

In California, anyone who rents out property or collects rent for another person for pay generally needs a Department of Real Estate (DRE) license (Business and Professions Code 10131). The DRE's quick guide for landlords says the license must be valid and active to collect rent and manage your property, and that a salesperson must work for a broker. You can check any name on the DRE Public License Lookup, including past discipline.

Money questions come next, because a broker who holds your rent and your tenant's deposit is holding trust funds. Under Business and Professions Code 10145 and DRE regulation 2832, that money goes to you, to a neutral escrow, or into the broker's trust account no later than three business days after it is received. DRE rules also require a separate ledger for each owner and a monthly reconciliation of the trust account.

• What is your DRE license number, and who is the responsible broker?
• Do you hold rents and security deposits in a trust account, and in what name?
• Who will hold my tenant's security deposit, and how will it be returned at move-out?
• When each month will my distribution reach my bank account?
• What insurance or bond does the company carry?

Rocklin HOA questions

Many Rocklin rentals sit inside an HOA, and the HOA has rules your tenant must follow. A manager who has worked in planned communities will already know to ask for gate codes, pool and clubhouse fobs, the HOA management company's contact, and the current rules for tenants. Ask how violation letters reach them and how quickly they pass a warning on to the tenant and to you.

California limits what an HOA can do about renting. Civil Code 4741 bars an association from banning or unreasonably restricting rentals, though it may prohibit stays of 30 days or less. A manager should know these rules well enough to spot a problem, and should tell you when a question belongs in your CC&Rs. Our guide to HOA rules when you rent out a Rocklin home covers the details.

• Which Rocklin planned communities have you managed rentals in?
• How do gate codes, pool fobs and mailbox keys get to a new tenant?
• What happens, step by step, when an HOA violation letter arrives?
• Will you read my CC&Rs and tenant rules for leasing limits before you list?

Screening and fair housing questions

Ask to see the written screening criteria before the manager lists your home. California fair housing law protects applicants on many grounds, including source of income, which covers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and familial status, which covers families with children. The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) says housing providers cannot announce a blanket ban on anyone with a criminal record, and its rules bar decisions based on arrests that did not lead to a conviction.

Also ask how applications are processed. Under Civil Code 1950.6, a screening fee may be charged only when the landlord either reviews applications in order and approves the first qualified applicant, or refunds every applicant who is not selected. A manager who can explain which method they use, and why, has thought about compliance. Ask how they handle assistance animal requests, which are not the same as pets.

Inspections, statements and emergencies

Service questions tell you what the next few years will feel like. Ask how often the manager visits the home, what an inspection covers, and whether you get photos. SPMG describes its annual rental property inspections as covering the exterior, interior, HVAC and safety devices, with documentation and photos. Ask any manager for a sample inspection report.

Then ask to see a sample owner statement. SPMG's financial reports page describes a monthly income statement, a cash flow statement and owner portal access. The DRE suggests watching for copies of invoices as proof that expenses were incurred and paid. Finally, ask who answers the phone at night when a pipe bursts, and at what dollar amount the manager must call you before approving a repair.

• How often will someone visit the home, and will I get photos each time?
• What does the owner portal show, and when does each monthly statement post?
• Will every repair on my statement have the vendor's invoice attached?
• Who takes tenant calls after hours, and when will you call me about an emergency?

How the contract ends

The last questions are about leaving, and they are easy to skip when a call is going well. The DRE advises that a management contract should have a clear termination date. Under Business and Professions Code 10176(f), a licensee can be disciplined for collecting a fee under an exclusive agreement that lacks a definite, specified termination date.

Ask how much notice you must give, whether any fee applies if you end early, and what happens to a tenant the manager placed. Ask what you will receive at the end: your funds, the deposit, ledgers, leases, keys and photos. The guide to switching managers shows what a clean handoff looks like. When you are ready to talk with SPMG, schedule a meeting at your property.