Everything you want to know
about working with us

We handle everything that comes with owning a rental — from marketing your vacancy and screening applicants, to collecting rent, coordinating repairs, managing tenant relations, and handling evictions if it ever comes to that. You stay in the loop through your owner portal; we handle the day-to-day so you don't have to.

Book a free 20-minute intro call through our website or call us at (209) 299-2100. We'll learn about your property, walk you through our process, and give you a free rental market analysis. If it's a good fit, we'll send over a management agreement — typically signed the same day.

We specialize in residential property management across the Central Valley — Stockton, Modesto, Tracy, Lathrop, Manteca, Lodi, Turlock, and surrounding communities. Not sure if we cover your area? Just call us and ask.

Yes. We handle transitions all the time. Once you terminate your current management agreement, we coordinate directly with your outgoing manager to collect keys, existing leases, tenant records, and security deposits. The process is straightforward and we've done it dozens of times.

Both. We manage everything from single-family rentals and condos to small multi-unit buildings. For owners with multiple properties, we offer portfolio pricing — the more units you have with us, the lower your effective fee.

It's our simple, three-number fee structure:

• check_circle7% monthly management fee — charged only on rent actually collected, not market rate.
• check_circle50% one-time tenant placement fee — half of one month's rent, paid once when we place a qualified tenant.
• check_circle$0 in hidden fees — no setup fee, no inspection fee, no renewal fee, no surprise charges.

None. We don't charge to onboard your property, set up your account, or take over from a previous manager. The only fees you'll ever pay are the 7% monthly management fee and the 50% placement fee when we find you a tenant.

No. Our management fee is only charged on rent collected. If the property is vacant, you owe us nothing for that month. This aligns our incentive with yours — we work fast to fill vacancies.

Yes. Owners with 3 or more properties managed by SUM qualify for portfolio pricing. Contact us directly to discuss your situation — the more units you bring, the better the rate.

No. Lease renewals with an existing tenant are covered in your standard management fee. You won't be charged a new placement fee unless we're finding a brand-new tenant.

In a normal Central Valley market, we typically place a qualified tenant within 2–3 weeks of listing. We list on 30+ platforms — Zillow, Apartments.com, Redfin, Trulia, and more — and use professional photography to generate maximum interest fast.

Every adult applicant goes through our full screening process:

• check_circleCredit report via Experian
• check_circleIncome verification (typically 3× monthly rent)
• check_circleRental history and landlord references
• check_circleEviction history check
• check_circleCriminal background report

We combine AI-powered data checks with human judgment. No algorithm auto-approves anyone — our team reviews every file.

We handle tenant selection based on objective screening criteria and present our recommendation to you. You have final say, but we'll advise you to follow fair housing laws — accepting or rejecting tenants based on subjective grounds (outside of the screening criteria) can expose owners to liability. We keep the process clean and defensible.

We send automated late notices starting on day 1 after the grace period. If rent isn't received, we escalate to a 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit — the first legal step toward eviction. We keep you informed at every stage and move quickly so you're not left waiting on a non-paying tenant.

We conduct a move-out inspection with photo documentation, compare it against the move-in condition report, and handle the security deposit accounting in compliance with California law — itemized deductions sent within 21 days. Then we start marketing the property right away to minimize vacancy.

Tenants submit requests online through their portal. We triage by urgency, dispatch from our network of vetted contractors and in-house handymen, and send you before-and-after photos when the job is done. You can see every work order in your owner portal.

No hidden markups. You're billed at actual contractor cost. We pass the invoice to you as-is and you can always see the original documentation. Transparency on maintenance costs is a core part of how we operate.

We set a repair threshold with you when we onboard your property — typically $300–$500. Anything below that threshold we handle without interrupting you. Anything above, we reach out for authorization first (except genuine emergencies like water leaks or HVAC failure in extreme heat, where we act immediately and notify you).

Yes, as long as they're licensed, insured, and reliable. We're happy to work with vendors you've already vetted. We just need their license and insurance information on file so we're all protected.

Owner disbursements are sent by the 10th of each month, following the tenant's rent collection. Funds go directly to your bank account via ACH, along with your monthly statement so you can see exactly what came in and what went out.

You receive a monthly Profit & Loss statement prepared to accounting standards, an annual financial summary, and a 1099 at year-end. All historical statements are accessible 24/7 in your owner portal.

Yes. Your owner portal gives you real-time access to rent status, work orders, financial statements, inspection reports, and lease documents — any time, from any device.

Security deposits are held in a separate trust account per California law. At move-out, we itemize any deductions, provide receipts, and return the balance (or the full deposit) to the tenant within 21 days. Everything is documented and transparent.

Yes. We coordinate the full eviction process with our attorney network — from the initial 3-Day Notice all the way through the Unlawful Detainer filing and, if necessary, the lockout. We handle the paperwork, the court filings, and the coordination so you don't have to deal with it directly.

A typical uncontested Unlawful Detainer in California runs $1,000–$2,000 in attorney and court fees. If the tenant contests, costs can climb depending on how many hearings are needed. We'll give you a realistic estimate before you authorize us to proceed.

Yes. We stay current on AB 1482 (the Tenant Protection Act), local just-cause eviction requirements, and any city-specific rent control ordinances that apply in the Central Valley. Compliance is built into our lease templates and our process — we protect you from liability by keeping everything above board.

We document damage through move-in and move-out inspections with timestamped photos. If damages exceed the security deposit, we can pursue collections on your behalf or through small claims court. Good documentation is your best protection — that's why we take it seriously on every tenancy.