Frequently Asked Questions

We specialize exclusively in single-family homes, townhouses, condos, and up to 4-unit multi-family within DuPage County, Illinois. By focusing entirely on local residential properties, we know the area’s market trends, rental laws, and neighborhood demands inside and out. This hyper-local expertise ensures your investment is positioned perfectly for maximum return and total compliance.

No. We do not partner with every owner or property that comes our way. We intentionally limit who we work with so we can dedicate our full focus, resources, and standard of care to our existing clients. We partner exclusively with owners who value a professional, system-driven approach to protecting their investments.

We believe in transparent, straightforward pricing with no hidden costs. Our fee structure is designed to align our success with yours:

  • Monthly Management: 8% of the monthly rent (collected only when the property is occupied).
  • Lease Renewal: $150 (covers market rent analysis and executing lease extensions with existing tenants).
  • Maintenance Coordination: A 5% markup on repairs, which covers our 24/7 coordination, vendor vetting, and quality oversight.

Finding and vetting the right resident is the most critical and strenuous part of owning a rental. This fee covers the intense workload required to protect your asset, including aggressive marketing, conducting all showings, running rigorous background and credit checks, and executing lease. 

  • Tenant Placement: 1/2 of the first month’s rent (covers comprehensive screening and lease execution).
  • Marketing Fee: $150 (charged only when actively listing a vacancy to cover photos and other marketing expenses).

No. We only charge our monthly management fee when the property is occupied and collecting rent. Our success is directly tied to yours, so we are fully incentivized to find a high-quality tenant and get your property cash-flowing as quickly as possible.

Yes. We routinely manage properties within Homeowners Associations. While owners remain responsible for paying their monthly HOA dues, we handle the day-to-day headaches, including all communication, rule enforcement, and correspondence with the HOA board, to ensure your property stays in perfect standing.

No. All of our management agreements run on a flexible, month-to-month basis. We believe in earning your business every single month through exceptional service and transparency, rather than locking you into a restrictive, long-term commitment.

Yes. We will handle the entire transition seamlessly. Including reviewing the current lease, transferring the security deposit, notifying the tenant, and setting them up in our system. You can switch to professional management without any disruption to your rental income.

Yes. We use Buildium, an industry-leading platform, to provide you with a secure, 24/7 online Owner Portal. Through Buildium, you can view real-time financial statements, track rent collection, download tax documents, and review invoices. This ensures total transparency and oversight of your investment at any time.

Our management agreements run on a flexible, month-to-month basis with automatic renewal, meaning you are never locked into a restrictive long-term contract. You can cancel at any time by simply providing a 30-day written notice. In most cases, the actual transfer process takes significantly less time than that, allowing us to wrap up services and hand everything back to you quickly and smoothly.

We use a data-driven approach designed to maximize your total annual revenue, not just your monthly rent. Our process includes:

  • Comparative Market Analysis: We analyze active listings and properties that rented within the last three months, matching exact features like bedroom count, parking, and recent renovations.
  • Turnover Strategy: For properties with low turnover (like 3–4 bedroom single-family homes), we may price higher to maximize long-term gains over multiple years. For high-turnover units (like condos or 1-bedroom apartments), we price more competitively to eliminate costly vacancy days.

Ultimately, we will provide you with multiple options on a personalized rental analysis report, walking you through the pros and cons of each so we can choose the pricing plan that best suits your specific real estate goals.

We ensure your property gets maximum visibility by syndicating your listing across all major rental platforms, including Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Apartments.com, and many more. To make your property stand out, we use high-end photography and clear, compelling descriptions. When applicable, we also place professional yard signs to capture local traffic. Our comprehensive marketing strategy is designed to drive high-quality leads and fill your vacancy as quickly as possible.

High-quality screening is the best way to protect your investment, and our process starts the moment a prospect calls with questions. We pre-screen applicants during that initial conversation before they even step foot on the property. If they apply, they must pass a rigorous vetting process that includes:

  • Credit & Financial Check: Evaluating credit history and debt-to-income ratios.
  • Background Check: A comprehensive criminal history screening.
  • Employment Verification: Confirming steady job history and sufficient monthly income.
  • Rental History: Contacting previous landlords when possible to verify past payment history and property care.

By holding applicants to these strict standards, we ensure we place reliable, responsible residents in your property.

Rent collection is entirely digital and automated. Tenants submit their payments securely through their online tenant portal. Once the payment has cleared and been received, the funds are processed and sent directly to your account within a few days. This streamlined system ensures consistent, hassle-free collection and fast payouts straight to you.

Yes. In the very rare case we need to proceed with an eviction, we handle the entire process. We work closely with a qualified real estate attorney to ensure all legal proceedings are filed correctly, protecting you and your property from start to finish.

We do. We securely hold all tenant security deposits in a dedicated escrow account in accordance with state and local laws, ensuring total legal compliance and protection for you.

Tenants are only responsible for a $40 application fee (to cover screening costs) a $100 move-in fee, and the security deposit. We do not charge tenants any hidden administrative fees, or lease-signing fees, which keeps our properties highly competitive and attractive to top-tier applicants.

No. To ensure total compliance with Fair Housing laws and eliminate any risk of discrimination liability, we handle all final leasing decisions. We screen every applicant against a strict, uniform set of background and financial standards.

Yes. We handle thorough move-in and move-out inspections for every tenancy. We fully document the property’s condition with detailed photos and reports before a tenant moves in and right after they vacate, ensuring your asset is protected and any security deposit deductions are backed by clear evidence.

Yes. We maintain a $500 maintenance reserve for your property. These funds are held securely in your account to cover minor, everyday repairs quickly without delaying necessary service to your tenant. Any funds used are simply replenished from the following month’s rent.

Tenants submit maintenance requests 24/7 through their online portal, allowing them to upload photos and details instantly. For routine issues under $500, we dispatch our vetted, insured vendors immediately to protect your property and keep the tenant happy. For any major repairs exceeding $500, we troubleshoot the issue, gather quotes, and contact you for approval before work begins. You can track every work order and invoice in real time through your owner’s portal.

To protect your time, we do not notify you for routine repairs that fall under your $500 maintenance reserve. Instead, our team handles these minor issues automatically to keep your tenant happy and your property maintained. However, you will have total transparency—every single work order and invoice is uploaded directly to your Buildium portal in real time so you can review them whenever you like. For any major repairs estimated over $500, we will always contact you for approval before work begins.

We regularly price-check and vet our trusted network of vendors to ensure you always receive competitive, fair pricing. For large, major projects, we will always gather multiple quotes to get you the best value. However, for minor maintenance and everyday repairs, pausing to get multiple quotes isn’t cost-effective and unnecessarily delays service to the tenant.

Yes. As long as your preferred vendor is fully licensed and insured, we are happy to use them. We will just have them fill out a short information form and can designate them as the primary contact for that specific service on your property. This allows you to keep working with the team you trust while we handle the daily coordination.

Yes. We are fully licensed to help buy and sell real estate, and we routinely assist our property owners with expanding or liquidating their portfolios. Please contact us directly for further information so we can discuss your specific investment goals.

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