Owner FAQ

Why should I use a realty management company to manage my home?

Advantage Property Management clients choose our services for a variety of reasons, yet below are just a couple reasons why people choose professional realty management over self-management: 

• We handle all maintenance and emergency issues, 24/7 everyday of the year.
• We handle all rent collections and monthly rental tax payments and address any NSF issues.
• We handle all eviction paperwork, preliminary filings and the necessary steps needed for non payment of rent.
• We are familiar with Federal, State and Fair Housing Laws.
• We handle all the move in and move outs.
• We reduce Vacancies & Turnover
• We find and secure quality tenants
• Reduce maintenance costs through our extensive vendor network
• Maximize your ROI
• Protect and preserve your rental property and many other factors!

• Collect the rent
• Keep accurate reports for your property and send monthly statements
• Be the sole point of contact for the tenant about the property
• Deal with the situation when the tenant doesn't pay the rent, all the way through eviction and collections if necessary
• Correspondence with the tenant regarding notices of violation or other problems
• Provide 24/7 service to handle emergency repairs at the property

• Trips to the property to file police reports or meet insurance adjusters
• Trips to court to handle litigation with tenants
• Emergencies related to fire, flood, hurricanes, etc.
• City and insurance compliance matters
• Housing Assistance Program (Section 8) inspections

ADPM provides property management services in the Boston and metropolitan areas, South Shore, Essex County and Southern New Hampshire.

Upon receiving the owner's signed authorization.

At ADPM, we lease your home on average of 2 to 3 times faster than our competition.  Of course, the rental market varies depending on market conditions or condition of the property, however in recent years it has averaged less than 30 days! This is due to our aggressive marketing and advertising your rental home the moment it becomes rent ready. In addition, as soon as the current residents give us their notice of their intent to move out, we immediately market the property.

ADPM has an Emergency Hotline Number that is answered after business hours This number is for fire, flood or life threatening emergencies only. Tenants are instructed to first call 911 and then our emergency hotline number at 978-388-9890 x5.  ADPM will notify you immediately as well via call, text and/or email within 24 hours.

ADPM performs a move-in and move out inspection. We inspect all systems in the house to make sure everything is working properly. This is crucial to sustain well maintained and safe properties. Additional inspections (i.e. 6 month or yearly) can be performed at an additional cost, please contact the Rental Leasing Agent at rentals@adpminc.com to schedule.

Yes, we can pay your mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and utilities for an additional fee.

Yes, we charge a management fee if the property is vacant under a few circumstances.  If we are overseeing repairs, renovations, and marketing the unit.  With new contracts, we do not start charging a management fee until we find you a tenant that you accept.

A property will rent quicker and for a higher rate the better it looks. Getting a property rent ready typically requires touch up painting, carpet cleaning, good working appliances and a thorough professional deep cleaning. ADPM can conduct an initial inspection, recommend any improvements, and provide resources to handle any necessary repairs.

The rent is due on the first of each month and late fees assessed if rent has not been paid by the first business day after the 3rd of the month. If we have not received payment, we will contact the tenant and then update you about the date we may expect payment. 

Owner's distributions are typically ACH transfers (at no charge) between the 5th and 15th of the following month, depending on when the funds are received.

As a property management company, we understand that placing the right tenant is the single most important step in the rental process.  Each applicant is run through a battery of checks and reports that include but are not limited to:

• Previous Rental History
• Possible Evictions
• Credit Score & Credit Report
• Criminal Record
• Non-sex Offender Verification
• National Terrorism List
• Reference Check
• Income Verification

We partner with other listing platforms such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Rentals.com, Craigslist, Facebook and more, to ensure your property is receiving the exposure it needs to stay occupied to showcase your property with professional videos and photos.  When homes are market-ready, we are able to market within 48 business hours of the listing appointment!

For existing clients, we start marketing your property within 30 days prior to the tenant moving out to keep the vacancy of your home at a minimum.

• Provide current Rental Market Analysis
• Advertise the property on multiple third-party listing sites
• Show property to potential tenants
• Maintain contact with potential tenants
• Manage an 8-step background/screening process
• Monitor market shifts including price, condition and seasonal factors

Tenants are offered a variety of ways to pay rent, so you can get your money as quickly as possible - the vast majority of our tenants pay their monthly rent through our easy-to-access Tenant Portal. In addition, we treat each tenant with respect as a positive relationship with a tenant leads to timely rent payments as well as better care for your property.

We expect that tenants pay by the first day of each month (bank holidays and weekends may sometimes delay rent collection).

We track incoming rent payments for each property and if there are any delays we proactively serve a 3-Day Notice and reach out to the tenant for payment.

When necessary we will turn delinquent residents over for an eviction to be filed with your approval, as owners are responsible for fees.

We have an extensive network of vetted subcontractors in all trades such as painters, electricians, plumbers, carpet installers, HVAC specialists, and appliance technicians. Because of the volume of work our company requires, we are able to receive quality service at fair prices. This saves you time, money and headache!

• The inspection that is done prior to the residents moving in is known as the “move in" inspection.  This is where we conduct a detailed inspection documenting the current condition of your property on our move-in inspection form. 
• When the residents move out of your property we do another detailed inspection known as the "move out" inspection. The move out inspection is done to ensure that the residents returned the rental home back to us in the same condition as when they first rented it.  If damage is found, then we impose a claim on the Tenant's security deposit, if no damage is found, then we promptly return the security deposit to the former residents.

Tenants know routine maintenance requests are required to be made online, so we have a documented record of work that’s done on your home.  We always inform the property owner of any expense based on your contract and confirm your  approval, prior to beginning any work.  Maintenance scheduling is included at no additional charge to the property owner.

Each owner has a secure folder in our Appfolio owner access portal which includes video inspections of the property and downloadable copies of the management agreement, the lease, paid vendor invoices, and monthly and annual financial reports – all available for download.

Tracking payments, expenses, and all other property related finances can be time consuming and confusing. Our team uses Appfolio to track and manage these for you, so they can be organized clearly and reported to the owner.

• Owners are paid by direct deposit to their chosen bank account by the 15th of every month.
• Owners will receive a 1099 form at year-end for tax preparation.
• We also provide an annual summary owner statement per property.

• Monthly and Year-End Accounting Statements Provided
• Monthly Financial Statement Analysis and Auditing
• Bill Payments – Mortgage, Insurance, Taxes, HOA, Utilities, etc. (Additional fees may apply)
• Security Deposit Escrow
• Delinquency Monitoring and Control
• Implement a 1, 3, and 5 Year Increased ROI Plan

Tenants are held responsible for all damages that exceed normal wear and tear.

Responsibility of lawn care is generally the tenants, but some owners will include this service, especially if it is a large yard or needs extensive care. We can advise you if we think providing lawn care should be included in the rental rate.  While the property is vacant you will want to make sure the lawn is being cared for and it looks good since this is the first impression prospective tenants have of your property. 

We will begin marketing the property for a new tenant and the current tenant will be responsible for the rent until the next tenant moves in. 

For information about your monthly statement please contact the Bookkkeeper at bookkeeping@adpminc.com

Unless otherwise requested by the property owner, our leases are for 1 year. At the end of the initial lease term the contract becomes a month to month tenancy. We will typically contact you 30-60 days prior to the lease expiration to inquire about offering the tenants another one-year lease or keeping them on a month to month agreement, we will also recommend any rent increases that we feel are justified.