Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Can you help if I want to buy additional investment properties?

  A: Plumas Lake Properties is a full-service brokerage and licensed by the DRE to sell as well as manage properties. If you are interested in purchasing additional rental properties, one our agents would be happy to help you find your next investment.

• Q: Can you take over a home that I currently have occupied by a tenant?

  A: Yes, we can take over your existing tenant and rental.

• Q: Do you handle evictions?

  A: In California landlords are required to use a court process to evict a tenant. The legal process is referred to as an Action for Unlawful Detainer and is a complicated process controlled by state and local laws. As such, property management companies are not qualified to, and should not handle, these legal proceedings. We use the services of a local legal firm to handle evictions on your behalf.

• Q: Does Plumas Lake Properties, Inc. obtain owner approval before doing any repairs?

  A: Our property management agreement with you determines the answer to this question. Our current threshold is $200.00. Any amount above that will require consultation with the owner. In general that allows PLP to handle most minor maintenance issues without bothering the owner. However, in the event of an emergency we may have to act immediately to insure the safety of the tenant and your rental property.

• Q: How do you advertise my home for rent?

  A: We advertise your home in several ways. We utilize online resources such as our website, Facebook, AHRN, and Craigslist. Our website posts to several of the top real estate sites that renters are using today. We also post a yard sign in front of the house.

• Q: How do you screen applicants?

  A: We perform a credit check, criminal background check and past evictions check. We will also call the last landlord to verify that the prospective tenants paid on time and honored all the terms of the lease. We follow all federal, state and local fair housing laws.

• Q: How does Plumas Lake Properties, Inc. choose contractors and vendors to work with?

  A: We maintain a vendor list with a number of licensed and insured contractors. Vendors who consistently perform professionally and provide good customer service at a good overall value are those who remain on our vendor list.. While repair and maintenance costs must always be managed, we do not seek out "discount" contractors over those who focus on quality, professionalism and provide good value. Remember, our duty to you is to maximize your cash flow while protecting and preserving the value of your investment, and most times a discount service ends up costing more.

• Q: How much can I rent my home for?

  A: There are a number of factors that determine the optimum rent that you can charge, which are largely driven by the local market conditions such as supply & demand, and competition. However, there are many other factors that can influence the amount of rent that your home will yield including the interior and exterior condition, upgrades, amenities, location in the community, and even its curb appeal. We perform a thorough analysis and give you professional opinion on how to obtain the best rent price possible. In some cases, we may recommend some improvements to the home based on a cost / benefit analysis.

• Q: How often do you inspect the property?

  A: It is critical that you have someone keeping an eye on your investment. We perform two levels of inspections on your property while we are managing it; our drive by inspections and our annual walkthrough evaluation. Quarterly we drive by the front of the property to check landscaping and exterior of the home condition. If we notice anything that needs to be taken care of, we notify the tenant. Annually we do an interior evaluation of the home to check condition in addition to health and safety issues such as smoke detectors and furnace filters.

• Q: What happens if my tenant needs after-hours emergency maintenance?

  A: We handle all emergency calls throughout the day. Afterhours we have a designated employee who receives the calls, determines the severity, and decides on a course of action. A true emergency, such as a fire or flood will be taken care of immediately. Other maintenance requests will be handled during business hours.

• Q: What happens when the tenant doesn't pay rent on time?

  A: If rent is not received by the 5th of the month the tenant is contacted to remind them that rent has not been received. If on the 7th rent has still not been received we send another reminder. If we still have not received the rent by the 10th of the month, we will serve the tenant with a three-day notice to pay or quit, which starts the clock for a possible eviction. If rents have not been received by the 20th, we will discuss options with you, including eviction.

• Q: What is a reserve account and how much do you maintain in it?

  A: A reserve account is an account with funds to handle repairs on your property between the time the rent has been sent to you, and the next month’s rent is received. The amount required will be based on several factors, but is generally equal to the amount Plumas Lake Properties is authorized to spend without authorization.

• Q: What type of insurance coverage do you have?

  A: We carry Professional Errors & Omissions insurance as well as a General Commercial Liability insurance policy.

• Q: What types of properties does Plumas Lake Properties, Inc. manage?

  A: We manage single family homes in our niche communities, including Wheatland, Plumas Lake, Edgewater, Olivehurst and Linda. By specializing in these markets we are able to keep our costs down and pass those savings on to the owners.

• Q: When do I receive my rent check?

  A: The closing cycle of our monthly accounting is on the 15th of each month. If the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, payment will be sent on the nearest business day prior to the 15th. In order to expedite the process, we pay all owners via direct deposit or ACH payments that go right into your bank account. Please note that these transfers can take 1 – 4 business days to be processed.

• Q: Who holds the tenant's security deposit?

  A: Security deposits will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account by Plumas Lake Properties. Security deposits are held in the brokerage account until the lease is terminated and funds are either released to the owner or refunded to the tenant in accordance with the terms of the lease and applicable federal and state laws.

• Q: Who pays for repairs at my rental home?

  A: The homeowner is generally responsible for all maintenance and repair costs of their rental property. Tenants are responsible for damage they cause beyond normal wear and tear, and for consumable items that wear out such as light bulbs, air filters, and smoke detector batteries.

• Q: Will I need to change my insurance coverage?

  A: We require current proof of Landlord Insurance to be on record in our office for all the properties we manage, with Plumas Lake Properties, Inc. named as additionally insured. There are important differences between a Landlord policy and Homeowners insurance. We advise all our property owners to consult directly with their insurance agent to be certain they are carrying adequate insurance for their property needs.