Myth-understandings of Property Management Companies

Dustin Edwards • February 14, 2020

Activities of Property Management Companies Go Beyond Collecting Rent

Home for Rent Sign
Over the years we have found that common misconceptions about the roles and duties of a property management company can lead to frustration or worse yet an owner who constantly struggles to manage a property themselves. While you certainly could manage your property/properties yourself we wanted to breakthrough myths to help you decide if a property management company might be the best fit to help with your real estate portfolio.

Myth #1: All you do is collect rent

This is the #1 item that we hear from prospective clients prior to them enjoying the service of a property management company. There is no doubt that one of our most important duties to our clients is that of collecting rent, but that is far from the only task that we handle on any given month for our client’s properties.

Consider just a few of the following activities that we complete on a given month for a property:
  • Get a tenant into a property after they lost their keys
  • Called, schedule, and coordinated three tradesman to provide proposals on a new air-conditioning unit
  • Scheduled a handyman to fix a leaky faucet (yes it happens daily)
  • Evaluate rental applications including Pet Screening and background checks
  • Perform a rental analysis to ensure the current rent is maximizing the yield for our client and helping to maintain top tenants
  • Reviewing updated housing laws to ensure properties and policies adhere to both local and state laws
And the list goes on and on. Collecting rent for our owners is a vital task; however, it is only one small item that we tackle with pride daily.

Myth #2: I'm Paying Even When There isn’t a Renter

Having a vacant property means you are taking on an added expense without the benefit of the income. If you had to pay a property management company on top of the mortgage then that really would be frustrating!

While we can’t speak for every property management company however at Beach Cities Property Management we can assure you that we don’t charge you while your property remains vacant. When your property is vacant we are not making any income and we are spending money, investing our time, and putting in effort to attract new prospective tenants. A vacant property is one where no one wins which means we are working hard to find you the best possible tenant.

Myth #3: Showing a Property isn’t that Hard, Why Should I Pay for it?

It would be nice if you could hold your rental property open for a few hours and along came a tenant that had perfect credit, presented to you their financial background and was ready to move in the next day but unfortunately that doesn’t generally happen. The reality is that finding the right tenant comes down to effective marketing for tenants, evaluation of applications and ensuring the property is available to be shown at a variety of times.

Take for example the below times we have for showing on just one of our available rentals:
Rental Property Showing Times
Now ask yourself, can you make yourself available for each of these times and maintain your current work demands?  

Along with innovative technology to make our rentals available more than most we do this as our full time job which means we make ourselves available to find the best tenants. Showing property is just one of the many tasks we complete as part of our engagement with clients.

If you have a myth-understanding we didn’t mention, we invite you to give us a call at (562) 888-0247 and we can share how we could help. When you want to see how your property could do on the rental market simply request our Free Rental Analysis.

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By Dustin Edwards June 6, 2025
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By Dustin Edwards May 30, 2025
Summer is a great time of year where people enjoy a number of outdoor activities. Though for landlords, summer brings with it a list of maintenance items and preventative care for their properties. Below, we’ve gathered three of the most important maintenance items to do before summer starts. Service your HVAC System Southern California summers are getting hotter and hotter, if you want to maintain tenant satisfaction you’ll need to have the HVAC or any A/C or cooling system properly serviced . Filters should be cleaned or replaced, and the ductwork should be inspected. For rentals with window units or mini-split systems should also be thoroughly inspected as well for optimal cooling. Doing proactive maintenance can reduce the risk of the cooling system breaking down during peak usage while also improving the system’s efficiency. This can lower utility costs for your tenants while extending the lifespan of your cooling system, saving you money in the long run. Additionally, consider inspecting your window and door seals for leaks. If the seals are broken, it allows hot air into the living space, this increases the cost associated with cooling while adding more load to the HVAC or cooling system. While not directly a part of the HVAC system, ensuring there aren’t any breaks in the seals helps extend the lifespan of your cooling system which is beneficial to your bottom line. Inspect your Roof The condition of a roof is oftentimes ignored since they tend to last over twenty years, and some property owners may not even be sure when the roof was last replaced . A poorly conditioned roof is one of the primary ways for a rental property to drive up the costs of repairs and tenant complaints. A damaged roof can inefficiently insulate a home, making it harder to keep it cool. It can also lead to water leaks during rainfall, which can lead to water damage, stains, and mold growth. While summers tend to be dry, the coastal cities such as Long Beach may see unexpected shifts in weather, which can bring sudden rainstorms or increased humidity. Fixing a small roof leak is relatively inexpensive, however, leaving said leak to grow can result in an emergency repair can cost thousands especially if a tenant has already moved in. A thorough roof inspection is a great maintenance item to do during a vacancy period especially as this can result in a positive experience with new tenants. This can lead to a long term stay with many lease renewals. Check for Signs of Pests Pest infestations are one of the fastest ways to ruin a tenant’s stay while also damaging a landlord’s reputation. Pests such as ants, cockroaches, other bugs, and rodents are common in many beach cities, especially during the warmer seasons. Being in a city, you’ll likely never truly be rid of pests, though, even a single complaint about an excess of bugs or rodent droppings can lead to bad reviews online, service calls, and in severe cases, lease termination. These pests not only create an unwelcome environment for your tenants, but they can also cause real damage to your investment property. Cockroaches are known to damage small wiring in appliances, ants can ruin food and get in everything, while rodents can chew through walls, plumbing, and even electrical wiring. Landlords should schedule regular ppest inspectionsto check for early signs of pest activity before the hotter season begins. Much like everything in this article, preventative maintenance is significantly cheaper than an emergency call, in this case to an exterminator. If you want to keep your tenants happy and your property well taken care of, preventative maintenance is a must. If you’re unsure about the signs to look for when doing routine inspections or you need help managing your Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
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