Should I Hire a Property Management Company? San Diego Landlord Education

americanheritageproperties • December 8, 2015

Potential clients often ask me if they really need to hire a professional property manager. I always answer that question by asking several of my own.

Marketing and Screening

I ask if they have the time and expertise to market and show the property. I ask if they have the knowledge and resources to screen tenants, and if they know what to look for on an application to judge the credibility of a tenant.

Once you have a qualified tenant, do you know what to include in the lease to protect your property? Do you know what to document in the property prior to a tenant moving in? The process includes taking a lot of pictures and writing a lot of things down.

Maintenance

When the tenant is there, will you be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week for emergencies and maintenance? Things will come up. You also need to know how to properly respond to maintenance requests the tenant will have during the tenancy. Sometimes, tenants will request silly things and sometimes the things they request are habitability related. You need to know how to differentiate between unnecessary things and the things you have a legal responsibility to maintain.

Tenant Relationship

It’s also important to know what to do if a tenant is late paying rent. What’s the best method to encourage tenants to pay on time? What if the tenant stops paying rent completely? Do you know what steps to take and do you have a plan?

If the tenant causes problems during the tenancy and breaks the lease, you need to know how to handle that. What if there are a lot of noise complaints from neighbors? You need to know what to do in that case and how to take the first step. What if the tenant moves out early? What are your legal responsibilities and how do you handle it? About five percent of leases end early because of a tenant leaving. There might be a job transfer or the tenants might buy a house. Maybe there’s a military transfer and a military transfer is going to be different; do you know how?

Security Deposits

When a tenant moves out, there’s a process that needs to be followed. An inspection is required and you have to know how to take back possession. Are you able to determine the difference between tenant damage and normal wear and tear? You’ll be held to high standards when you’re making charges from a tenant’s security deposit. Landlords are professionals and you need to know what to do – you’ll be held to high standards in court. There’s a lot of accountability and responsibility.

Rental Price and Business Decisions

You need to know how much to charge for rent. You can look for the going rate for homes like yours on Craigslist, Zillow.com and Trulia.com, but you have to be careful. These sites can provide ideas, but we rent about 350 properties a year and we know what rents should be, but it’s not always an exact science. You need to be able to go beyond what you find online. People can list property for whatever they want.

An important question to ask is can you make decisions solely based on business instead of emotional and personal factors? In 27 years of property management, this is the biggest mistake we see people make. Those personal thoughts influence business decisions. You might hear a sad story from prospective tenants about poor credit due to an accident or lack of income verification because they’re between jobs. People will use a variety of methods to get into your home. Regardless of the story and your level of compassion, you have to keep your decisions based on business.

These are the most important questions to ask yourself when you’re deciding whether you need a property manager. If you have any questions, please contact us at American Heritage Properties.

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How to Recognize and Avoid Rental Scams

By 1946674 • June 25, 2025

Are you a landlord worried about being the victim of a rental scam? Here’s how to recognize and avoid them!

From Landlord to Defendant: How Ignoring Rental Laws Turns Profit into Pitfall

By 1946674 • June 25, 2025

You wouldn’t perform surgery without going to med school, right? Running rental properties in 2025 without staying on top of housing law is pretty much the same kind of gamble. The difference is that the scalpel here is your livelihood—and if you slip, it’s your name on the lawsuit, your wallet that bleeds, and your business that tanks. It’s easy to think rental laws are static background noise, but they’re more like a rolling thunder that can break wide open with a single legislative vote. And lately, the storm’s been gathering. Eviction Rules Aren’t What They Used to Be If you’re still operating on the assumption that you can remove a tenant with a simple 30-day notice, it’s time to update your playbook. Cities and states across the country have reworked their eviction rules with laser focus on tenant protections. In some places, you now need just cause to terminate a lease—even at the end of its term. Others require mediation before a single notice can be posted on a tenant’s door. These new rules can delay vacancies, interrupt cash flow, and expose you to fines if you don’t play by the letter. Missing one line on a notice? That’s grounds for dismissal of your case. Multiply that by multiple units and you start to understand the stakes. Zoning Adjustments Are Changing the Game It’s not just what you do with your property—it’s whether you’re even allowed to do it. Zoning laws are morphing faster than many landlords realize. Single-family homes are being rezoned for multi-units. Short-term rental restrictions are clamping down in urban areas. Some cities are even pushing mandatory mixed-income developments. These shifts aren’t theoretical; they can instantly turn a profitable investment into a paperweight. You need to know when your area is holding planning meetings and who’s drawing up those maps. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a building the law doesn’t know what to do with anymore. Keeping Legal Documents Streamlined Amid Shifting Laws When laws change, your paperwork needs to change with it—and fast. Landlords and property managers who stay organized in this evolving landscape usually rely on systems that treat documents as living files rather than static archives. Instead of rebuilding lease agreements or legal notices from the ground up, smart operators use tools that let them add pages to existing PDFs, making updates seamless and traceable ( check this out ). This kind of flexibility turns a potential compliance headache into a manageable, routine update. Safety Compliance Isn’t a Checkbox Gone are the days when a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector meant you were covered. Safety regulations now include detailed accessibility guidelines, upgraded HVAC mandates, seismic retrofitting, and environmentally safe materials in some states. And these aren’t just best practices—they’re enforceable standards. Slip up, and you’ll find yourself neck-deep in penalties, inspection failures, or worse: a lawsuit from a tenant who slipped on a non-compliant stairwell. Every new legislative session brings tweaks to these codes , and your profitability hinges on more than collecting rent—it’s staying ahead of these ever-tightening rules. Federal Shifts Influence Local Reality Federal housing laws may seem like background noise until you realize they often serve as templates for state and local ordinances. The Fair Housing Act, for instance, continues to expand its definitions of discrimination, and enforcement actions are on the rise. Meanwhile, HUD funding decisions trickle down to influence rent caps , Section 8 program rules, and local landlord registries. If you’re not tracking these federal-level movements, you’ll find yourself reacting to laws that were in the pipeline months ago. And in this business, reacting is just a polite way of saying “scrambling.” Tenant Rights Keep Expanding It’s not just eviction protection that’s evolving—tenant rights in general are in full bloom. From privacy rules to regulations about how often and under what conditions you can enter a unit, the legal landscape is moving toward empowering renters. There are new rules about appliance repairs, mold remediation, and even limits on security deposit deductions. If you’re not up to date, you risk violating these rights without even realizing it. And in today’s digital age, all it takes is one savvy tenant with a smartphone to turn your ignorance into a viral TikTok—and a public relations disaster. Your Liability Is on the Line Let’s talk risk. Every law you don’t know is a lawsuit you didn’t see coming. Tenants have more access than ever to legal aid, tenants' unions, and social media support. Meanwhile, insurance policies increasingly exclude coverage for noncompliance with known regulations. That means one overlooked rule could leave you holding the bag —not your insurer. Protecting your investment today isn’t just about asset management. It’s legal hygiene. And the cost of getting it wrong isn’t just legal fees. It’s lost tenants, damaged reputations, and the kind of stress no one gets into this business for. Reputable Property Managers Are Your Legal Lifeline If this all sounds like a full-time job, that’s because it is. That’s where professional property managers earn their keep. Take American Heritage Properties , for example—a group that’s been managing rental properties in San Diego since 1981. These folks don’t just collect rent and coordinate plumbing repairs. They’re constantly monitoring legal developments and implementing compliant practices before the ink even dries on new legislation. Working with someone like that means you’re not just outsourcing tasks; you’re insulating your business from legal whiplash. And that kind of insurance? It’s priceless. Knowledge Is Profit in Disguise Staying informed about housing laws isn’t just a chore to check off your list—it’s a strategic advantage. When you know what’s coming down the legal pipeline, you can budget for repairs, adjust lease terms, plan tenant communications, and avoid costly missteps. You also get the peace of mind that comes from knowing your investment isn’t sitting on a ticking time bomb. Being proactive here doesn’t just protect your wallet—it protects your sanity. Running rental property in 2025 isn’t about doing what you did in 2015. The rules have changed. The risks have grown. And the smartest investors aren’t the ones who know the best paint color for a kitchen—they’re the ones who know what law passed last month in their city council. If you’re in the game for the long haul, treat legal literacy like part of your business model. Because when it comes to real estate, what you don’t know can—and will—hurt you. Discover unparalleled property management services with American Heritage Properties , where our dedicated team ensures your San Diego investment thrives with quality tenants and exceptional care.