Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What needs to be done to my rental property?
  2. How will you find tenants and how long will it take?
  3. Can I say whom I want as tenants for my house?
  4. When do I get my money each month?
  5. Who does the repairs on my property?
  6. Can I use my own contractor?
  7. What happens if a tenant does damage?
  8. What happens if the tenant leaves before the end of the lease
  9. Does HMS have any properties for sale?

 

  1. What needs to be done to my rental property?
    The better condition your property is in, the better quality tenant we will attract for you. This means that the property should be clean, walls should be painted (a neutral color is best) if they are dirty or marred, and things should be in good repair. It is best to have window coverings on the windows, such as blinds. Depending on the time of the year, lawn care should be done during periods of vacancy and prior to the new tenant moving in. Upon taking over management, we will go through your property and make note of the condition and what we would suggest being done. Any safety or liability items must be taken care of prior to tenant move in. You would instruct us on any other items that you would like to have done. We recommend you use H.M.S. for cost effective maintenance, renovation, and make-ready work.

  2. How will you find tenants and how long will it take?
    Once we start management, a rental file is created. Your property is added to our list of available properties. This list is distributed weekly to our list of real estate companies and businesses that are in constant search of rental properties for their clients or employees. Your property is also listed on the Internet and entered on our 24-hour rental hotline voicemail where prospective tenants can hear information about your property 24 hours a day. A newspaper ad is also placed. We pass along to you our contract ad rates. We can also put up a rental sign, and provide a 'talking house' that will transmit a description of your property to curbside on an AM frequency. The time of the year and the condition of the property will determine how long it takes for your property to rent. Generally, it takes up to one month to lease a property in good condition during the spring and summer months.

  3. Can I say whom I want as tenants for my house?
    You can specify whether or not you want tenants with pets or even tenants who don't smoke. All our leases contain a non-smoking clause. You cannot discriminate against any protected class under the federal fair housing or local fair housing laws, such as saying you don't want children or single people. Because of this, it is best that you stay out of the selection process. We are professionals in leasing and have specific criteria that every applicant has to pass in order to rent your property.

  4. When do I get my money each month?
    Rents are due in our office on the first of each month. Our leases specify that if rent is not received by the 3rd of the month, a late fee is assessed. In a recent audit, the California Department of Real Estate has recommended that funds not be released to the owners prior to the 25th of the month. This is due to the banks taking up to 20 days to process a check with non-sufficeint funds. It is a violation of trust accounting laws for your account to go into a negative balance. We will collect the rent, pay the bills and then at the end of each month, provide you detailed monthly statements showing all the income and expenses for the month along with payment of any excess funds. This means that you will need one month's worth of property expenses as a reserve.

  5. Who does the repairs on my property?
    The tenants do have responsibility for some of the maintenance on your property. They have to replace burnt out light bulbs, change furnace filters, and change batteries in the smoke detectors. Tenants are usually responsible for the lawn care unless they are in a multi-unit property, one that has a homeowners association with that responsibility, or owner provided gardening service. When repairs need to be done outside the scope of the tenant's responsibility, one of our in-house maintenance technicians or one of our sub-contractors handle the job. Anyone doing maintenance on your property is selectively screened and insured for liability and workers compensation to protect you from unnecessary exposure. Files are kept in our office on all sub-contractors with copies of insurance and licenses. Our workers are available for your property maintenance needs 24 hours a day and their work is guaranteed. Because of the volume of work we do with them, we usually get lower rates than you would get if you called them directly. The 1099 required by the I.R.S. for any person to whom you pay $600 or more per year in sent by H.M.S. for you. We also send the required documentation to E.D.D. (Employment Development Department).

  6. Can I use my own contractor?
    We can use your contractor if you wish; however, as protection for you and us, they would need to provide HMS records for liability and workers compensation insurance & tax ID #'s before a check could be issued.

  7. What happens if a tenant does damage?
    A security deposit taken at move-in is usually adequate to handle most damage that a properly screened tenant may cause. Tenants with good credit and prior rental of ownership history seldom cause much damage. The horror stories you may have heard about a property being "trashed" generally are less expensive properties that have been rented without the proper application and screening process. Our screening process checks credit, rental and ownership history, income and employment, and there are specific acceptance guidelines for each. Should the tenant leave your property owing more than is covered by the deposit, they will be billed. If they do not pay, they will be turned over to a collection agency.

  8. What happens if the tenant leaves before the end of the lease?
    The tenant is responsible for the rent for the duration of the lease. If they choose to leave prior to the termination date of the lease, they will be charged for the rent until the property is re-rented again. They are also responsible for paying H.M.S. a re-leasing fee and the owner for advertising costs .
  9. Does HMS have any properties for sale?
    Yes, HMS occasionally has properties for sale. Please check out our Sales Listings page for more information.

In this section

Contact Us

Call H.M.S Today!
Santa Clara County
(408) 997-7100
Fax: (408) 997-9260

Santa Cruz County
(831) 601-3358