A: Your rental home is a mess and the tenant says that “it was that way when we rented it”. Who’s going to win if they insist on going to court? That depends on the care that was taken to document the condition of the home when the tenant actually began their lease. We take dated photos and/or video of each home, inside and outside, in addition to a detailed room-by-room inspection checklist of the home’s condition. These exacting and accurate records make it very difficult for a tenant to win in falsified or exaggerated damage suits. We do this for each property because we are committed to protection and support for our owners.

A: The plumber says the whole faucet needs replacing. The electrician wants to wire a whole new line. The roofer says you need a completely new roof. You don’t know if these repairs are really needed. It could be as simple as replacing faucet washers or it could be you need a new water faucet. It could be adding a new circuit or it might be replacing the circuit breaker.

It could be a new roof or a few replacement shingles. We have spent years developing relationships with repair services that are fair, honest and honorable. They know that we demand fair and economical pricing on fully warranted work. They want our continued business and know their bills will be paid promptly. We only contract for necessary repairs at economical and fair prices.

A: An owner of a rental property faces the prospect of major lawsuits in any home fire situation. In some San Diego County areas, the law states that Smoke Detectors are to be checked every six months. The Fire Marshal contacts the owners and Management Companies to check and verify the inspection records.

Do you want to leave your “First Line of Defense” to fail and leave yourself legally viable? Let us help you to maintain the safety features and integrity of your home. We offer to inspect the properties we manage inside and out every six months for potential problems and place a full inspection report in the owner’s file.

A: If your hot water heater falls during an earthquake and the resulting broken gas line causes a fire, you could be liable for any and all of the tenant’s losses resulting from that fire. If a leaky roof results in water damage to the tenant’s property, you could be liable for any and all of the tenant’s losses related to water intrusion. All agents at Rancho Mesa Properties are familiar with the “Landlord” safety laws and help our clients meet and understand them through individual consultation and biannual inspection reports.

After your home is rented and the rent starts flowing, who is keeping an eye on the property? Is the yard being watered? Is the shower dripping or spraying on the floor? Do they have a hidden pet? Are the drapes or blinds damaged?

Rancho Mesa Properties offers to inspect the inside of every home we manage every six to seven months for potential problems and tenant safety issues. Biannually a full inspection report documenting the condition of the home is placed in the owners file and sent to the owner. We also strongly encourage tenant feed-back and communication. This helps minimize the possibility of accumulating deferred maintenance.

A: You could rent or lease your home to two people and the next week there would be ten or fifteen people living there. You as owner have no legal means to remove them unless your lease contract contains the very important little words: “For Sole Use Only”. This clause is included in all rental agreements used by Rancho Mesa Properties.