Owner Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use a PROFESSIONAL to manage my home?

Professional management is so much more than collecting rent. Some issues you might face,
1) Maintenance calls all hours of the night, some might even be legit-Then what?
2) Good tenants that you would never expect, turn bad
3) Being overcharged by Handy men, Plumbers, and Electricians
4) Evicting a tenant legally
5) Death of a tenant, then what happens legally?
6) Tenant claims there is mold in the unit, now what?

What we handle for you, on an everyday cycle:
1) Maintenance and emergency repair, so you can sleep at night
2) Collection of delinquent rent, we take the abuse
3) Understanding and following federal, state and local law
4) The ALL important Florida Landlord/Tenant Law
5) We have Licensed Professional agents that manage your rental investment for you! Spend your time on more important issues
Barrons Property Managers manage Real Estate full time, as a profession. Don’t try and save a little when it will cost you lots in the long run

What are your fees?

Typically we receive ½ of the first months rent, as a leasing fee and 10% a month, for our management fee. You are never charged unless there is a tenant in your property What if I supply the tenant? Great! Ask about our owners discount

How do you SCREEN applicants for my property?

Processing Tenant Applications - Thorough screening is crucial to successful Property Management. BPM requires all applicants to fill out a detailed application and submit it for processing/approval.
All rental applicants will be subjected to us:
1) Contacting current and previous landlord(s) to verify rental period and payment history.
2) Contacting employer to verify employment history.
3) Self-employed applicants must provide their most recent tax return.
4) Applicant’s gross monthly income must be three (3) times the amount of the monthly rent.
5) BPM does a credit check, criminal and back round check. If unacceptable information is found, application will be declined.

What happens if the tenant doesn't pay the rent?

Tenant problems - Barrons Property Managers policy is to obtain good tenants, eliminating many tenant problems. However, even good tenants have problems. BPM treats each problem with common sense approach, follows landlord/tenant law, and uses the appropriate documentation. If the situation turns serious, BPM contacts the owner, and works to find a solution for the problem.
Legal action - Although BPM works diligently to avoid the necessity to begin an eviction proceeding, it can happen. In the event any legal action is required, BPM will contact the owner prior to taking action, discuss what is needed, and obtain owner authorization. We follow all legal guidelines for eviction. We continue to follow through until the tenant either pays or leaves.

Do you keep current Tenants?

Lease Renewals - We strive to get our tenants to renew their leases, 30 days prior to the expiration of their lease agreement. We will try to renew the tenant’s lease for another year at the same or at a slightly higher amount of rent.
We will renew the resident’s lease agreement, or re-rent the property to new residents, unless we have a 30 day written directive from you not to renew the lease the lease or re-rent the property

What if the tenant needs to be evicted?

After negotiating has not worked to rectify the problem, we start the eviction process with the owner’s approval. There are fees involved to file an eviction and the owner pays those fees.

What constitutes an emergency?

Emergencies consist of eminent damage to the home. Tenants are instructed on the how to handle emergency’s and also given a Tenant Handbook with written instructions.
Eminent physical danger, tenants are instructed to call 911
Also, Hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th in Pensacola. We will alert you via email in the event a storm is approaching the Pensacola area. We do what we can to instruct the tenant on how to handle the emergency. We have them unplug appliances, clean out their refrigerator’s, etc.
We begin inspecting properties as soon as the roads are passable and gas is available and it is safe for our employees
Sometimes, owners choose to leave materials such as pre-cut plywood, provided there is somewhere out of the weather it can be stored.

Do I have to arrange for repairs or do you?

Our property management team over sees all maintenance and repair issues. If repairs exceed the approved dollar amount stated on your management agreement we contact you for permission first. We use only licensed and insured contractors

What about maintenance?

We believe in Preventative Maintenance – Our policy and the best approach to maintenance is “preventative maintenance.” First we supply tenants with the “Tenant Handbook,” which provides instructions on the care of the property and how to report maintenance
Next, we use “preventative maintenance” techniques when work is required and utilize competent contractors. Often minor expenditures save the most money such as doorstops, new filters, checking appliances, testing smoke alarms, adjusting doors, window latches, deadbolts, and more. Many small repair items can prevent maintenance that is more expensive.

Will there be regular inspections of my property?

Property Inspections - We will conduct a “Move-In” inspection prior to new residents moving into the property. We will also conduct periodic Exterior inspections, or if we determine that checking out the property is warranted. When the residents moves out of your property, a Move-Out inspection and thorough documentation the condition of the property, according to your management agreement. Our maintenance department is trained to evaluate home status when repairs are made
Ask your manager about Extra Inspections!

Do you use direct deposit?

Yes. Barrons Property Managers offers Direct Deposit. Your money will go directly into your bank account within 24 to 48 hours of our paying owners. This keeps you from being at the mercy of the post office. To see your statements, go to the owner login page for directions

How do I access my ONLINE STATEMENTS?

 Your statement access is under the Owners Login tab.  Click on owner login for instructions, then use the email address associated with your account. If you do not have an account, please ask us and we will be more than happy to set your account up! Just let us know!

Insurance?

We require you to maintain “Owner, landlord and tenant insurance. This will protect you, the resident and us against a wide range of losses caused by unintentional hazard or unsafe conditions on your property. Your insurance company should have all this information.

What are your office hours?

The Rental Department is open Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday by appointment. Emergency phone access 24 hours a day

Do you offer Eviction Protection?

Evictions can happen to any landlord no matter how well a tenant is screened. Circumstances change in people’s lives and they are not able to pay the rent. This is especially true when people lose their jobs, go through divorce, or have a serious injury. When they aren't able to pay the rent they also find it difficult to move. When this happens the landlord has to go through a costly procedure of evicting the tenant.
Barrons Property Managers has the solution. We have a cost effective program that protect our owners from the high cost and all the time consuming headaches of evicting a tenant. For a modest $8.25 a month, a yearly billing of $99, will be added in January and pro-rated the first year. This program will cover the cost of virtually all evictions. This could save you hundreds of dollars. The only part of an eviction that is not covered is appeals and a jury trial, should that become necessary. In the many years we have been doing evictions for our clients, we have never had to go through a jury trial. If that becomes necessary, we will let you know and try to negotiate a favorable settlement in your behalf. It is standard for the Eviction Protection to be included with our property management agreement.

Can you help a Landlord needing Rescued?

YES - The tenant has not paid the rent in months, your property may be trashed, and you haven’t had to deal with evicting a tenant before. What do you do?

An eviction in Florida can be very expensive, very tedious in dealing with legal issues, and you’ll still be stuck with a lot of work when the tenant is evicted!

Barrons Property Managers has extensive experience in “rescuing” landlords from tenants who aren’t paying their rent. To put you back in control, we will do the following:
1. Get your tenant to start paying rent with an updated lease agreement --or--
2. Post notices to vacate and begin the eviction process
3. Follow through with an eviction to remove a defaulting tenant
4. Clean up the property and get it rent ready at owner expense
5. Advertise the property for rent – Screen applicants as presented
6. Place a new tenant in the home using our qualification procedures
7. Offer an owner Eviction Assurance for future tenants

How much does your Landlord Rescue service cost?

The cost for this service is a flat fee of $600 plus expenses for an eviction if it becomes necessary. After a management agreement is signed, we will engage in a legal service on your behalf to pursue collections from a non-paying tenant, or to start the eviction. Expenses for simple evictions usually run $200 to $700, depending on how quickly the tenant vacates.