TOP MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When will I receive the rent money? Desert Realty will send you a check with an itemized report within three working days
after the tenant pays rent. You will also receive a copy of each invoice that we are
authorized to pay. How does Desert Realty screen a prospective tenant? Desert Realty requires a prospective tenant to complete a rental application. One
or more credit reports are then obtained from Trans Union, TRW, or Equifax credit bureaus.
The tenant's employment and income is verified to assure that the tenant is capable
of paying the rent amount. Two landlords are questioned to determine what kind of
tenant will be living in your property. If the compiled information is incomplete,
or we receive a "red flag", we will then check further. If a prospective
tenant does not meet our criteria, they will be rejected. What happens if the tenant does not pay rent? Desert Realty starts the eviction process five days after the due date if the tenant
has not paid rent. A "Five Day Notice to Pay or Quit" is served on the
tenant. If the tenant has not paid the rent plus costs or has not vacated, a
"24-Hour Notice" is filed with the constables office. A representative
from Desert Realty is present when the constable performs the actual lock-out procedure.
An eviction in Las Vegas will take two to three weeks depending on the judge and
constable. How often is my property inspected? Desert Realty conducts an exterior inspection every six months. A written report and
photos are sent to the owner. Owners also receive a written report of interior
inspections that are completed every 12 months. Our contractors, when on a repair
call, are trained to alert Desert Realty if the tenant is not taking proper care of the
property. An inspection is also conducted when we receive a complaint from any
source. If there is a problem, the tenant is notified of their responsibility.
We will then do the follow-up inspection to insure that the problem is corrected. Desert Realty insures that maintenance calls are handled promptly and thoroughly. The owner will be contacted for any repair that will cost more than $200. The problem will be discussed before the work begins. However, in the case of an emergency, we will do whatever is necessary to protect the property and/or human life. The owner is contacted as soon as possible. We contact approximately 25% of the tenants after repair work has been completed. We want to be sure that the work was completed in a professional manner, the workman was courteous, and their "mess" was cleaned up afterward. if the cost of the repair is over $200, we will inspect the completed work. This insures Desert Realty that the work was handled properly, and that it meets our standards and satisfaction. If not, the vendor is sent back at his own expense to do the job correctly. A vendor is not paid until we approve his work. We also use more than one vendor for each type of work. This insures that we always have a workman for a job. Desert Realty's phone number, after business hours, is an emergency phone number for
tenants. The employee that is on call is experienced and capable of handling any
problem that might arise. Does Desert Realty use in-house maintenance or independent contractors? Desert Realty has tried both methods and found that independent contractors best serve
the owners' interests. The past 15 years, we have used contractors because they have
proven the most cost-effective. We do not have to pay social security, workmen's
compensation taxes, health insurance, vacation, sick days, or overtime. There is no
investment in materials, tools, supplies, or equipment. Contractors are used only
when needed--no one is getting paid for sitting around. All contractors are required
to be licensed and insured. The bottom line for owners: the repair work is
completed properly, in a timely manner, and at a LOWER cost to the property owners. How much does Desert Realty add to each repair bill? NOTHING! ZERO! The owner pays only the actual cost of the repair work.
It is part of our service as your property manager to have repairs completed as
economically as possible. How are prospective tenants found? Desert Realty obtains 90% of the tenants from two sources: signs posted on the
property and ads placed in the classified section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal
newspaper. When a unit becomes vacant, we place a sign on the property at no cost to
the owner. The unit is also listed with the rental Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
and posted on the Internet at no cost to the owner. In addition, a three line ad
describing the property is placed in the local newspaper. The ad will run for four
or five days each week. When the property is rented, the ad is removed. This
is an expense charged to the owner. What is the procedure for making a vacated unit "tenant ready"? When a unit becomes vacant, it is inspected and a written report is completed.
The inspector will then prepare a bid sheet that will include the necessary work to make
the unit "tenant ready". Three bids are obtained. The work and bids
are discussed with the owner prior to the beginning of the job. The work is
inspected and must be up to our standards or the vendor is sent back at his own expense to
complete the job. If it passes inspection, then, and only then, will the vendor be
paid. Are Desert Realty's fees the lowest in town? Desert Realty's fees are comparable to the other management companies in Las Vegas.
We have always been competitive with our fees, otherwise, we could not have grown
from managing 12 units in 1984, to over 1,100 today. Of course, this increase is
also due to the quality of service that Desert Realty provides for the owner, property,
and tenant. We do, however, make a fair profit or we would not be able to stay in
business. If the owner's only criterion for a management company is that they are
the lowest fees in town, then the owner should look elsewhere.
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Desert
Realty, Inc. |
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