You Don't Need a Property Manager

You don't need a property manager to rent out your house. You don't need a certified public accountant (CPA) to file your taxes, either. And in California small claims court, you can't even bring a lawyer. It's just you, the judge, and whatever paperwork you walked in with.

I've stood there many times over the years on security-deposit disputes, and I win most of them. Around 2003 I lost one. The reason wasn't bad faith or bad math. California had just started requiring landlords to tell tenants they had the right to a pre-move-out inspection, and I hadn't caught up to it yet. The judge didn't care how long I'd been in the business. I've never missed that notice since.

That's the point. The rules change constantly, and not knowing them costs real money.

What's Changed Recently

• Security deposits: Most California landlords can now collect only one month's rent as a deposit. But there's an exception many owners don't know about: individual owners with a small portfolio may still qualify to collect two months, with limits.
• Deposit deductions: You need dated photos at move-in, before repairs, and after repairs to back up any deduction.
• The Tenant Protection Act (Assembly Bill 1482): Many single-family homes owned by individuals can be exempt from its rent caps and just-cause rules, but only if the lease includes specific exemption language. Miss it, and ending a tenancy for a no-fault reason like selling or moving back in can cost you a full month's rent in relocation assistance.
• Source of income: Refusing a Housing Choice Voucher holder can be a fair housing violation.

None of that shows up on Zillow's rent estimate.

What You Get with County Property Management

• Leases written to protect you, including the Tenant Protection Act exemption language where your property qualifies. That one clause can save you a month's rent in relocation assistance later.
• The right deposit, every time. We know when the one-month cap applies, and when you qualify for the small-landlord exception to collect more.
• Move-in and move-out documentation built to hold up in small claims, because no attorney can clean it up for you there.
• Every required notice, on time, including the ones that changed last year.
• When rent doesn't get paid, we act fast and by the book. From the first notice to the final hearing, we handle nonpayment the right way. In nearly 50 years of landlord-tenant work, we've never lost an eviction.
• Tax time made simple. You get a year-to-date statement and a 1099 from us, so filling out Schedule E (the Internal Revenue Service form for rental income and expenses) takes minutes instead of a weekend of sorting receipts.
• Proven processes and procedures, refined over decades and thousands of tenancies, so nothing depends on memory or luck.

Could You Do It Yourself?

Sure. Plenty of owners do. But one missing clause in your lease can cost you a month's rent before you even know it's there. When your rental is one of the biggest assets you own, that's not the place to learn the rules the hard way.