Frequently Asked Questions

While the reasons our clients choose professional property management vary, here are some of the key reasons many people hire a professional manager over self-management:

• We handle all maintenance and emergency repairs, allowing you to sleep at night and save money.
• We enforce collection of rents and serve the proper notices upon failure to pay.
• We understand and apply the correct federal, state, and local laws, keeping you and your investment out of trouble.
• We know the local market, have an extensive network of contacts, and have advertising resources available to us at discounted rates. This allows us to effectively market your vacant home to prospective residents to get it filled.
• After you add up the increased rent we can often command, the discounts you'll receive on advertising, and the company rate we get on repairs, you'll often make more money than if you managed the property yourself!

The better condition your house is in, the better quality tenant it will attract. Your home must be left in professionally cleaned condition. Your Property Manager prefers to arrange this cleaning to insure that the cleaning guidelines are strictly followed. The carpets must be freshly cleaned and all debris and personal belongings removed from the house.

It is not necessary to paint, but you should consider painting any room that has dirty or marred walls. A neutral color is best. Your Property Manager will be happy to discuss any necessary repairs or painting with you. Neutral window coverings such as blinds should be left. Tenants moving into a rental property do expect some sort of window coverings to be provided for privacy and safety.

Tenants of single family homes are required to maintain the yard in the condition it is provided to them. Therefore, the yard should be freshly mowed, weeded, trimmed and the leaves and debris removed.

Your property, along with photos, and video, will be advertised on our website, as well as several other national third party websites. A yard sign will be placed immediately as well. A Property Information Sheet will be prepared for your property with all the necessary information. We are in frequent contact with many real estate agents in the area, as well as the relocation offices of major companies.

It normally takes two to four weeks to find a quality tenant for a home. It sometimes takes longer in the winter. A home goes on the list of available properties as soon as we receive Move Out Notice from the existing tenant and permission from the owner to re-rent.

We collect the first month's rent before move-in plus a refundable security deposit which is based on the credit report (typically 1 month security). The security deposit is intended to cover damages and any necessary cleaning at move out.

The Security Deposit is held in a Clients Trust Account, as mandated by the Connecticut Banking Commission.

Pet owners are not a protected class. However, by eliminating them you are likely eliminating up to 60% of the people in the market for a rental! Being open to pets does make your property available to more potential renters. In addition, Robert C. White & Company offers Pet Damage Assurance free of charge which will cover an additional $1000 of animal damage above the security deposit if any.  However, if you feel very strongly about this issue, we will agree not to show your property to anyone with a pet.

All of our properties prohibit smoking, in the interest of protecting your investment.

Fair housing laws were enacted to protect against illegal housing discrimination based on “protected class” status. The intention of federal, state, and local fair housing laws is to require that all individuals be given the same treatment, the same services, and offered an equal opportunity to live in a home of their choice. In other words, the same rights as everyone else--realize that all of us fall within one or more protected classes and are all, therefore, protected under the law! The only "special rights" are those provided to individuals with disabilities in order to establish equal opportunity.

Federally Protected Classes:

Race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, familial status, and disability.

State and Local Protected Classes:

Connecticut's fair housing laws include all Federal protected classes plus the following additional protected classes: marital status, veteran status, age, legal sources of income, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The rent is due on the first of each month and considered late after the tenth. The majority of our tenants pay their rent by the tenth of the month. If not paid by the 10th we charge late fees promptly and proactively reach out to the tenants.  If not paid by the fifteenth of the month, we will contact you to discuss taking the first step in the eviction process, which is to send a “Notice to Quit”.

In Connecticut, only the owner of the property or a lawyer can process an eviction.  Unfortunately we can't do this for you.  We do have a relationship with an attorney who specializes in evictions and has a very fair fee.  If an eviction is necessary we would coordinate everything for you.  Legal and other fees would be paid by the property owner.  We do have an optional Eviction Protection Plan where, if selected, Robert C. White & Company would cover all of the costs associated with an eviction.

The rental funds must have cleared the banks before we can begin disbursing funds. We begin distributing funds through direct deposit on the 9th through the 15th of the month.

The security deposit collected at move in is intended to cover tenant damage. If the tenants leave the property owing more than is covered by the security deposit, they will be billed. If they do not pay, they will be turned over to a collection agency.

We handle all emergency and non-emergency repairs.

We use a variety of contractors depending on what needs to be done. Many of our vendors have been working with us for years and are available 24 hours a day for emergencies. They work at competitive rates and are licensed and bonded as appropriate. You are billed for exactly the amount of the vendor’s invoice; we do not charge for supervision of normal repairs.

You need dwelling coverage for a tenant-occupied property. This is not the same as homeowner’s insurance for an owner-occupied property, so you will need to be sure to have it switched over or be sure to purchase the correct type. We can refer you to an agent who specializes in this type of coverage if you would like. There are many options when it comes to owning rental property, and in many cases, the cheapest possible policy will not protect you fully in case of certain unforeseen events. It is best to discuss the transition of any property to a rental with your preferred insurance agent, or we are happy to recommend someone to you.

We believe in prompt and thorough communication with our clients. Every staff member has their own telephone extension, voice mail and e-mail. We send out monthly statements to keep our clients informed. Below are some of the instances that we will initiate additional communication:

• Eviction Summary
• Acceptable applications
• Notice to vacate from tenant
• What to expect when tenant moves out
• Lease renewals
• Extraordinary maintenance items