Contact us for a no obligation, Realtor prepared, professinal, Rental Market Analysis of your property.
With over 30 years of local experience,
“We’ve earned our landlord’s trust”.
410-729-2770
1120 Benfield Blvd.
Millersville, MD 21108
1. Who decides on the monthly rent?
The decision as to the amount of monthly rent is always made by the property owner.
However, VPM can be of great assistance in this area by providing the owner with MLS and other “state of the art” information sources on similar properties which have recently rented in the area.
The goal is to seek the maximum monthly rental without pricing the property "out of the market."
2. How do I know that I will get my rent on time?
The key to receiving rents on time is to have efficiently screened the tenant's credit and financial background before entering into a lease agreement.
It has been consistently proven that tenants who have handled their past credit and rental obligations well will continue to do so in the future.
Unfortunately, the opposite of this also holds true much of the time.
VPM has instant computer access to the major credit reporting bureaus and can review a prospective tenant's credit and other financial history in a matter of minutes.
3. What happens if the tenant does not pay the rent on time?
VPM has a strict, but fair, policy on rent collections. All rents are due on the first day of each month.
Tenants have a five-day grace period in which to pay. On day six, no matter what the reason or excuse, the rent is late and VPM starts a District Court proceeding against the tenant.
The local Sheriff then serves the tenant a summons to appear before the Court. The Court hearing usually takes place between the 14th and 20th day of that same month.
In most cases the tenant will have made the late rent payment before the scheduled Court date.
In the rare event that the Court process must continue, actual eviction will usually take place during the second or third week of the following month.
Eviction is a very unusual event at VPM, as our pre-lease screening has indicated that the tenants are people who value their good credit rating.
4. How will I know if the tenants are taking good care of my property?
Inspections, inspections and inspections. VPM conducts an in-depth, outside-and-inside, room-by-room inspection of the property prior to the tenant moving in. The tenant is then provided with a copy of this inspection and invited to add any additional comments.
Every 180 days throughout the course of the lease term, VPM will be back at the property to complete a detailed inside/outside inspection (Copies will be provided to you).
These 180-day inspections will help keep you advised of how things are going. These inspections also give the tenant a chance to point out items to VPM which may be in need of attention about the property.
At the time the tenant moves out, VPM conducts a final inspection to determine if there should be any deductions from the tenant’s security deposit for items over and above normal wear.
5. What happens if a tenant damages something?
The repair or replacement of an item which is damaged or neglected by a tenant is handled in one of two ways.
If damage comes to VPM's attention by way of the tenant, or during a routine inspection of the property, VPM will arrange for the repair, or replacement of that item.
Initially this repair will be paid for from the owner's management account reserve fund. However, the tenant is then immediately invoiced for the cost of the repair.
In the event the tenant does not pay this invoice in a timely manner, this will be treated the same as late payment of rent.
In the event the tenant-caused damage is not detected until the tenant has moved out of the property, the cost of any repairs will be deducted from the tenant's security deposit.
6. How does VPM take care of minor repair items?
Typically we would anticipate that the majority of repairs necessary for the upkeep of a property would be of the smaller, routine, "handyman" nature.
It is expected that the property owner allow VPM the leeway to make these smaller day-to-day repair decisions. $350.00 will be set aside from the owner's first month's net rent in order to establish a reserve fund to cover these smaller repair items.
VPM will provide the property owner with a detailed accounting each month of all monies collected and expensed, along with copies of any repair item contractor invoicing.
VPM strongly discourages the purchase of home warranty policies by our landlords, as past experience has demonstrated that the contractors hired by these warranty providers rarely meet VPM’s minimum quality standards.
In the event you have purchased a home warranty, we will attempt to follow up on any warranty repairs to ascertain that the repair was completed in a workmanlike manner.
All contractors used by VPM have passed our vetting process, including necessary licensing, insurance and corporate tax filing requirements.
7. How does VPM take care of major repair items?
Almost every property will at one time or another be in need of a repair of either an "emergency" nature, or require a repair or upkeep of an item which does not fall into the normal routine.
Repairs of an emergency nature such as burst pipes, water heaters flooding, or anything which would leave the tenant without a vital utility will be immediately handled by VPM in a way which will lessen any further damage to the property and allow the tenant the continued, uninterrupted use of the dwelling. VPM will also attempt to notify the owner by phone, email, etc.
When larger repair items which are not of an emergency nature, such as new carpeting, deck staining, exterior trim painting, become necessary, VPM will contact the property owner with the nature of the needed repair and obtain bids from the various contractors with whom we deal on a regular basis.
The property owner will then make the decision as to when and how to go forward with the needed repair.
8. How do the mortgage payments, condo/HOA fees, etc. get paid?
If the property is currently tenant occupied, VPM will make the monthly mortgage payment each month on the owner's behalf.
However, if the owner prefers to continue making the mortgage payments, VPM will deliver all monthly net rents to the owner in a timely manner.
All reoccuring payments to third parties, such as condominium fees, homeowner's associations, front foot, capital facility payments, rental licensing, any service contracts, etc. can be made by VPM on the owner's behalf, as these items become due.
The handling of the above payments on the owner’s behalf is included in VPM’s monthly management fee (No additional fees to the owner).
9. How do I receive my monthly funds from VPM?
VPM's monthly bookkeeping cycle is as follows: All payments authorized by the property owner for mortgages, condo/HOA fees and the monthly management fee to VPM are paid on, or about the first part of the month in which they are due.
Rents are collected during the first five days of the month. On the sixth and seventh days of the month any additional expense items which may have accrued are paid.
On the eighth day of the month two things occur. All net rents which are due to the property owners are electronically transferred from VPM's CapitalOne Management Account directly to each owner's individual bank or credit union account by way of ACH electronic transfer.
This usually makes these funds available to the owner on the next banking business day.
Additionally, detailed monthly statements, along with copies of any repair invoices, etc., are made available to our property owners by way of each owner’s private, individual Internet Portal.
10. Bookkeeping & end of year tax reporting.
An important management function, which property owners sometimes tend to neglect, is good record keeping of the numerous income and expense items related to the rental property, throughout the course of the year. This usually results in a “mad scramble” to get it all together come tax time.
Remember that just about every rental related expense which you will incur (including VPM management fees) may result in a personal tax deduction for you.
If you are not fully aware of the value of these deductions, think about discussing this with a professional tax consultant.
VPM provides detailed monthly income/expense statements, along with an end of year financial report, including Form 1099, so that you, or your tax consultant, can take advantage of every deduction which is due to you.
11. How much does all of this cost me?
All of the owner services which have been covered in this web site, with the exception of procuring new tenants, are provided for in one low monthly management fee. This tax-deductible fee is 7.9% of the monthly rent (Minimum $89.95/month).
Maryland Dept. of Licensing and Regulation/Maryland Real Estate Commission. License #16793
Vantage Property Management
Got some questions. Give us a call at: 410.729.2770
Laurel
Elkridge
Hanover
Severn
Fort Meade
Bowie
Severn
Columbia
Glen Burnie
Pasadena
Millersville
Severna Park
Crownsville
Crofton
Davidsonville
We’ve
Earned Our
Landlords’ Trust
In These Nearby
Communities
For Over
30 Years
7.9%
Some recent comments from our Property Owners and Resident Tenants.
Google ***** Danny C., Hanover
I’ve been a tenant with VPM for about 2 months. I just got a new job and was moving into MD rather quickly. I looked at 9 properties over the course of 2 days and I selected the property managed by VPM. So far the relationship with VPM is going well. Hannah was very helpful in getting all of the lease requirements situated up front as I was traveling between states. She is responsive as I had many questions initially due to how quickly I had to move in and I’ve received the assistance and support that I needed quickly with a few maintenance issues. I’ve rented homes for years. I think as long as you understand the terms of your lease, do a good move in inspection and submit to VPM on time, you won’t have any issues.
Google ***** Savannah P., Pasadena
Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness
Google **** Katrina H., Glen Burnie
VPM is the best! Hannah and team are professional, responsive, fair, helpful and great at what they do. Very few places we've leased have had mgmt companies that consistently delivered service with the integrity and quality that we've received through VPM. We definitely would consider them first as a mgmt company if we had a property to lease in this area!
Google ***** Nikitha D., Hanover
We recently listed our property on VPM, and Hannah was our agent. She was great at communicating and getting everything set up, and provided accurate financial estimates. Definitely recommend.
Google ***** Vash P., Columbia
Our experience with Vantage Property Management has been excellent. They have been very responsive and professional . Their staff members are always amazing and welcoming . I 100% recommend Vantage property to manage your property.
Google ***** Jordan M, Glen Burnie
VPM has been so informative and helpful. Their response time and customer service has outstanding. So glad I chose to work with this company.
Google ***** Zach P., Laurel
The VPM team was an amazing help! Whenever there was an issue they were on top of it and always had great communication. Shout out to Hannah and the team for such a stellar job. If you're a property owner and want someone reliable to look after your property they are definitely worth considering. Thank you VPM for taking care of my property.
Google ***** Karen J., Hanover
I have been renting a property from VPM for over 4 years. 2 years ago, I rated them less than a star. Now, I give them 5 stars. I feel that they are very attentive and responsive now. Hannah is AMAZING and extremely knowledgeable.
Google ***** Nicole E., Severn
VPM is a true delight to work with. The ladies in the office are super polite and professional. From a contractors perspective we would highly recommend Vantage Property Management!
Google ***** Joshua L., Orchard Beach
I can’t say enough good things about the customer service department at VPM. It’s such a pleasure to work with them! Hannah has been so responsive to all of my questions and always addresses any concerns I have with various properties. Highly recommend VPM.
Google ***** Sam S., Orchard Beach
VPM has been very responsive, courteous, and understanding. Whenever we bring a problem with the property to them, they respond promptly with next steps and have an excellent set of maintenance/repair contacts that they send out. The leasing process was simple and they're always available for questions. They've been an excellent company to rent from!
Google ***** Larry K., Laurel
We've been working with VPM for over 20 years. The entire staff is professional, efficient and truly a pleasure to work with. VPM responds to all our requests/inquires within 1 business day and always provides the highest level of customer service. I highly recommend working with Jim and his team! (Huge shout out to the AMAZING Hannah!)
Google ***** Esther N., Glen Burnie
I moved in September 2020 and the staff has been great. I had some difficulties but man they were still always kind especially Hannah. I have never met the owners but they have also been very understanding as I needed to live out early and they were willing to let me leave their home early with out penalties. VPM has been wonderful and always responsive and respectful and I would recommend them to anyone.
Google **** Destiny M., Crofton
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value.
Hannah from VPM has always been extremely professional and as accommodating as possible. She is friendly and always has excellent response time. Her dedication, incredible workmanship and understanding nature has kept us here! Thanks for all you do
Google ***** Tom D., Odentonn
Hannah from VPM has always been extremely professional and as accommodating as possible. She is friendly and always has excellent response time. Her dedication, incredible workmanship and understanding nature has kept us here! Thanks for all you do!
Google ***** Jed D., Crofton
I have used Vantage Property Management for 14 years now for my house in Odenton, and I have always received quick and polite service. They have on many occasions worked with me on paying the annual property taxes, or on repairs.
Google ***** David T., Odenton
We recently sought VPM out to manage our property based on our colleagues' recommendations. VPM was able to secure a tenant for us in JUST 3 days. We were thoroughly impressed with their landlord-tenant agreement as well as a strong property manager agreement. We especially like that they would regularly inspect the property to look after our property. Since we had just signed up with VPM, we'll reserve other comments/reviews until later date. However, thus far, we're glad we chose VPM. If you are looking for a property manager, we would recommend VPM and we look forward to continuing to do business with them.
Google ***** Danielle K., Glen Burnie
Positive, Professionalism, Responsiveness
Google ***** Kara G., Columbia
Positive: Professionalism, Quality
We've had a great experience with VPM as homeowners. Our situation was somewhat difficult since we don't live in the area, but Hannah was very helpful and willing to work with us online to complete all the documents. The service and communication has been excellent. We would recommend this company for property management.
Google ***** Phyllis T., Columbia
VPM is a wonderful management company! My husband and I have NO worries with our property in Columbia since they take care of everything. There was a hot water tank leak at the end of last year and they stepped right in and took care of everything. The tenant was happy and we never had to get involved. Super service! We have another property on SC that is managed and there is NO comparison. VPM is more affordable and they take care of HOA and other annoying routine payments....not so with our other property - which costs more and does less for us! We are so glad that we found VPM! They really CARE!
Google **** Robyn J., Odenton
Vantage Property was very professional throughout my entire process. They were accessible when needed. Hannah was always friendly, efficient and supportive!
Google ***** Billie R., Glen Burnie
Excellent service Vantage Property Management, that gets the needs of the property owners taken care of! When an issue arises, I immediately get a quick response and helpfulness is always welcomed. They are very automated and up to date with their financial reports as well. My entire family is grateful.