AZ Realty & Rentals

Answers Your FAQ's:

What Should a Rental Owner Ask Before Signing With a Property Management Company?

At AZ Realty & Rentals, we believe property owners deserve straightforward answers, transparent pricing, and no hidden surprises. Here’s exactly what owners should ask—and our answers:

1. Is there any setup/onboarding fee?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No — we do not charge any separate setup or onboarding fee. We believe owners should not be required to pay upfront simply to begin a management relationship before any actual performance has been delivered. Instead of charging an initial administrative fee just to get started, the costs typically associated with setup and onboarding are incorporated into our leasing fee (equal to half of the first full month’s rent) — and only earned when we successfully perform by securing a qualified tenant.

Owner takeaway: No setup or onboarding fee means no paying upfront for promises. By folding these startup costs into a performance-based leasing fee, we align our success directly with yours — we only get paid when we successfully place a tenant, giving owners a lower-risk, results-driven partnership from day one.

2. Do you charge a leasing fee (% of first month)?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: Yes — our leasing fee is equal to half of the first full month’s rent. This fee is specifically designed to recover the substantial upfront investment required to successfully place a qualified tenant in your property. This includes professional marketing and advertising, listing syndication across major rental platforms, property promotion, applicant screening, accounting setup, owner portal configuration, administrative onboarding, and the operational resources required to secure a lease.

Importantly, if for any reason we are unable to lease your property, we do not recover those costs. We absorb the expense ourselves — meaning we assume the upfront risk and only get paid when we successfully perform. Simply put, we put our money where our mouth is: if we don’t lease your property, we make nothing.

Owner takeaway: Our leasing fee is performance-based and directly tied to results. We invest heavily upfront to market and position your property for success, and we only earn our fee when we successfully secure a tenant — aligning our success with yours from day one.

3. Do you charge a lease renewal fee?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No — we do not charge a lease renewal fee. We believe retaining a quality tenant should be a financial win for the property owner, not another opportunity for unnecessary fees. Lease renewals are often one of the most beneficial outcomes for rental owners because they help avoid costly vacancy periods, reduce turnover expenses, minimize marketing and make-ready costs, and preserve consistent cash flow.

Many property management companies charge lease renewal fees as an added revenue stream, often billing owners simply for preparing renewal paperwork, adjusting lease terms, or facilitating a tenant’s continued occupancy — even though keeping a reliable tenant in place is usually far less costly and far less labor-intensive than securing a new one. In many cases, these fees can feel like owners are being penalized for tenant stability.

At AZ Realty & Rentals, we see things differently. We believe strong tenant retention benefits both the owner and our management relationship, so we do not charge owners extra when a good tenant chooses to stay. Our focus is on maximizing your long-term profitability, reducing avoidable expenses, and encouraging lease continuity whenever it makes sense for your investment.

Owner takeaway: No lease renewal fee means more money stays in your pocket when your property performs well. By eliminating this common industry charge, we help owners reduce operating costs, protect profitability, and fully benefit from the financial advantages of tenant retention — without being nickel-and-dimed for success.

4. Do you have a maintenance markup?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No — we do not mark up vendor maintenance invoices. We believe property maintenance should be handled with complete transparency, not used as an additional profit center at the owner’s expense. When repairs or maintenance are needed, our role is to coordinate trusted vendors, facilitate timely service, and protect your property — not inflate vendor costs with hidden surcharges or percentage-based markups.

In fact, whenever possible, we actively work to coordinate opportunities for owners to pay vendors directly. This approach provides maximum financial transparency by allowing owners to see actual vendor pricing firsthand, helps eliminate concerns about inflated repair costs, and ensures you know exactly where your money is going. Our goal is to create a maintenance process built on clarity, efficiency, and owner confidence.

Many property management companies add maintenance markups or vendor surcharges to service invoices as an additional revenue stream — meaning owners may unknowingly pay more than the true cost of repairs. At AZ Realty & Rentals, we believe maintenance should be about preserving your investment, controlling expenses, and maintaining trust, not generating hidden profits. By avoiding maintenance markups and encouraging direct vendor transparency whenever feasible, we prioritize your bottom line and reinforce a more honest management relationship.

Owner takeaway: No maintenance markup means you pay for the actual cost of repairs — not inflated invoices. Our transparent maintenance coordination model helps protect your profitability, reduces unnecessary expenses, and gives you greater visibility and control over one of the largest ongoing costs of rental ownership.

5. Do you charge inspection fees?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: We believe inspection costs should protect your property—not inflate your expenses. That’s why we offer flexible inspection options starting at the low end of industry pricing, with budget-friendly routine inspections and premium white-glove services available entirely at your discretion. Whether you prefer basic periodic check-ins, detailed photo documentation, move-in/move-out reports, or more comprehensive inspections, you remain fully in control of how often inspections occur and how much you spend. We can tailor inspection frequency, scope, and pricing to align with your budget, investment goals, and comfort level—so you never pay for more than you need, unless you choose it.

Owner takeaway: Your property protection is customized by you. From affordable essential oversight to premium full-service inspections, you control the level of service, the frequency, and the cost—giving you confidence, flexibility, and transparency from day one.

6. Do you charge vacancy fees?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No. We do not believe owners should continue paying recurring management fees when a property is sitting vacant and not producing rental income. Some property management companies charge additional “vacancy fees” for overseeing an empty property, coordinating utilities, or simply keeping the property in their system while it is unoccupied. At AZ Realty & Rentals, we avoid unnecessary add-on charges and instead focus on minimizing vacancy time through effective marketing, responsive communication, and efficient tenant placement.

Owner takeaway: You are not penalized when your property is vacant. Our priority is getting your property leased quickly and keeping your costs straightforward, transparent, and predictable.

7. Do you charge additional Advertising fees?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No — we do not charge a separate advertising fee because our marketing and advertising costs are already incorporated into our leasing fee (equal to half of the first full month’s rent). We believe owners should not be burdened with piecemeal charges for essential services that are already part of the tenant placement process.

Professional advertising is one of the most critical components of successfully leasing a property, and our leasing fee is specifically structured to cover the full scope of upfront marketing expenses. This includes professional property marketing, listing creation, photography coordination, exposure across major rental platforms such as Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Dwellsy, RentalSource, our own website, lead management, inquiry response, applicant screening, and all administrative onboarding required to secure a qualified tenant.

Many property management companies charge separate advertising or marketing fees on top of leasing commissions, creating additional out-of-pocket costs for owners before a tenant is even secured. At AZ Realty & Rentals, we take a more performance-based approach: our advertising investment is built into the leasing fee, meaning we front those marketing costs ourselves and only recover them when we successfully lease your property. If we do not place a tenant, we do not get paid — we absorb that risk.

Owner takeaway: Our all-inclusive leasing fee simplifies costs and protects owners from stacked or surprise marketing charges. Rather than charging separately for advertising, we invest upfront in maximizing your property’s exposure and only earn our fee when we deliver results — giving you comprehensive marketing without unnecessary add-on expenses.

8. Do you require an Owner reserve balance?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: No — we do not require owners to maintain a standing reserve balance. We believe mandatory owner reserves are often an outdated industry practice that can unnecessarily tie up your capital without delivering meaningful modern-day advantages. Historically, reserve requirements were more common when payment processing was slower, banking options were limited, and property managers needed to hold extra funds on hand to cover urgent repairs or vendor invoices before owner reimbursement could be arranged.

Today, with modern banking technology, digital payment platforms, same-day transfers, online owner portals, electronic invoicing, credit card processing, ACH payments, and immediate communication tools, requiring owners to keep a fixed reserve balance sitting idle is often far less necessary than it once was. Owners now have faster, more flexible ways to approve and fund repairs when needed, making large mandatory reserve accounts less practical for many property investors.

At AZ Realty & Rentals, we believe your money should remain in your control until it is actually needed. Rather than holding your funds preemptively, we prioritize communication, transparency, and timely repair coordination so maintenance decisions can be handled efficiently as real situations arise. This approach allows owners to preserve liquidity, maintain greater control over their capital, and avoid having funds unnecessarily parked in reserve accounts that may sit unused for extended periods.

Many management companies require reserve balances primarily for administrative convenience or to create a financial cushion under their control, but this can reduce owner flexibility and create avoidable cash drag. We believe a more modern, owner-friendly system is one built around real-time transparency, fast payment solutions, and direct owner oversight — not blanket reserve mandates.

Owner takeaway: No owner reserve requirement means your money stays where it belongs — with you — until it is genuinely needed. This gives you greater financial flexibility, improved cash flow control, and more direct oversight of your property expenses, while still allowing for efficient maintenance response through today’s faster and more convenient payment technologies.

9. What is your property management cancellation policy?

AZ Realty & Rentals Answer: We believe property management should be built on trust, performance, and a strong long-term partnership — not long-term lock-in contracts. If at any time you are unhappy with our management services, you may cancel your agreement with us.

Our cancellation fee is equal to one month’s rent when the property is occupied and generating income, as this helps cover transition coordination, administrative processing, tenant communication, and account closing responsibilities. However, if the property is vacant, there is no cancellation fee or penalty. In our view, if a property is sitting vacant, then the focus should be on improving results and getting it leased — not charging the owner additional fees. That’s simply not how we operate at AZ Realty & Rentals.

Owner takeaway: We want every owner relationship to be built on confidence, transparency, and results — not obligation. Our goal is to earn your business every month through exceptional service, responsive communication, and performance you can trust.

AZ Realty & Rentals

TUCSON AND PHOENIX #1 CHOICE IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

We redefine the standards of property care. From responsive communication to meticulous maintenance, we provide an unparalleled experience for owners and tenants alike.