-
Are you licensed?
Yes our firm is licensed with the state of North Carolina. Our owners hold current North Carolina Real Estate Licenses.
-
Can I reach you after hours?
Yes! Staff members monitor voicemail after hours and are available to return calls as needed.
-
Can you put rental proceeds directly into my account?
Yes we can! Owner clients are paid via direct deposit.
-
Do I get to see the lease or sign it?
The management agreement you will sign gives GPM agents the authority to sign the lease for you. A copy of the lease will be emailed to you directly after it has been signed. Sample copies are available upon request.
-
Do you sell real estate too?
Guardian Property Management does not sell real estate. However, we will gladly refer you to qualified agents in the area. Guardian Property Management may receive a referral fee from the agent.
-
How and when do I get paid?
Owners are generally paid by the 15th of the month. If your payment will be delayed, a GPM staff member will notify you as quickly as possible.
-
How is rent collection handled?
Guardian Property Management accepts rent payments via our online payment partner Rent Track, by personal check, money order, or certified check. We do not accept cash. Late rent payments must be paid via certified funds.
-
What are the terms of the lease agreements you use?
We sign leases with terms of a period of one to three years, with the option to renew if the owner client and tenant desires to do so.
-
What amount are tenants required to pay as a security deposit?
The security deposit required from each tenant depends on the score attained by the tenant during the application process. The tenant will pay one month's rent at a minimum. As set forth by the North Carolina Security Deposit Act, the tenant can be required to pay two month's rent at maximum.
-
How soon can you start managing my property?
Management begins when the management agreement has been signed both by the owners of the property and our agent. Guardian Property Management will not sign the management agreement until a thorough walk-through has been performed and all necessary repairs are agreed upon.
-
What type of properties do you manage?
Our portfolio includes single family homes, duplexes, condos, and townhomes. We do not manage mobile or modular homes.
-
What type of reports will I receive and how often?
Owner clients receive a monthly financial statement and a statement at the end of each calendar year. Property condition reports are generated just before tenant move in, following each routine inspection during the tenancy, and after each tenant moves out.
-
Who holds the tenant's security deposit?
Guardian Property Management holds the security deposit in a trust account separate from all owner funds.
-
How can I be sure the tenant will take care of my property?
Unfortunately this cannot be guaranteed. However, Guardian Property Management does everything possible to mitigate your exposure to risk by performing regular inspections of each property.
-
Can I use your services if I already have an agent listing my home for sale?
Guardian Property Management is happy to work with your sales agent while simultaneously marketing your home for rent. If a tenant is procured first, GPM simply notifies your sales agent directly of the pending lease. If a buyer is procured first, GPM allows you to terminate your management contract at no penalty.
-
What is your pet and smoking policy?
GPM does not have a standard pet policy in place with regards to which pets will be accepted or declined, but instead allows owner clients to approve pets on a case by case basis.
It should be noted that not accepting pets will normally increase vacancy times.
Guardian Property Management does comply with all local, state and federal law regarding the number of pets allowed on a property. If your property is regulated by a home owner's association, there may be additional regulations and restrictions. Please consult your HOA covenants and/or restrictions before making a decision.
We recommend that an owner be negotiable where possible when considering pets.
GPM requires the following of tenants with approved pets:
- A non-refundable fee of $200 for the first pet and $100 for each additional pet, due upon move-in.
All GPM homes are non-smoking properties.
-
How do you handle property maintenance?
Guardian Property Management hires only licensed and insured contractors to maintain and make repairs on all managed properties. A member of our team is on call after hours and on holidays and weekends to handle maintenance emergencies.
-
What about utilities – do they stay in my name?
Until a lease is signed, utilities are required to stay on at all times and in the owner's name. This lessens the potential for major maintenance issues and ensures that the property will show in its best light.
-
What happens if my tenant doesn’t pay the rent?
Although we screen carefully to be sure we are only placing qualified tenants in your property, there is always the possibility that a tenant may fail to pay rent. Guardian Property Management enforces a very strict rent collection policy to protect our owners’ interests. All rent payments are due on the first of every month, and late on the second day. If unpaid after the fifth day of the month, we make contact with the tenant, and a late charge is assessed. At this time, we contact the owner to make them aware of the situation and explain options; served a notice of breach of the lease for non-payment of rent or make additional attempts to collect. It has been our experience, that most tenants will pay before the expiration of the notice or make contact with our office to explain the delay. If the tenant does not pay or vacate within the five days prescribed, the next step is filing an eviction complaint in Small Claims Court. This is a process we handle for you (court fees will apply).
-
What happens if our tenant vacates, and leaves the property dirty or needing repairs?
Guardian Property Management will conduct a move-out inspection of the vacant property. We then compare the move-in inspection against the move-out to determine what items are chargeable to the tenant. Repairs and cleaning that are the tenant’s responsibility are charged against the tenant’s security deposit. If the charges exceed the amount of the deposit, we will recommend either small claims action or collection action to collect the difference. North Carolina Real Estate Law does consider certain cleaning costs as part of the owner costs of doing business. We charge cleaning against a tenant security deposit in accordance with the law.
-
Do you require a maintenance fund for each owner?
We maintain a minimum reserve of $500 in your account. This affords us the ability to pay any repair bills received between the time we release your rental proceeds to you, and the next rent payment is received.
