Owner FAQs

Answers to your frequently asked questions

Management Basics:

• What Is Your Management Fee?

  Our monthly management fee is 8.7% of the total monthly rent. Click below to view our pricing of what is included in your full-service package and what is an additional charge.

  View Our Pricing

• Are You Licensed?

  Yes, we have licensed Realtors and a licensed broker. We also carry a business license and are members of: The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM), Utah Apartment Association, and the Utah Board of Realtors.

• What Types of Properties Do You Manage?

  We manage single-family homes all the way up to apartments. We also manage small commercial buildings.

• How Long of a Lease Do You Sign?

  Our typical leases are 12 to 18 months depending upon the time of year.

• How Soon Can Envy Start Managing My Property?

  We can start the process immediately.

• Am I Required to Make My Property Available to Section 8?

  No. You can choose whether you would like to make your property available to Section 8 candidates. This policy is subject to change due to local, state and federal laws.

• When Can I Expect to Be Paid When Bringing on a New Property?

  The time it takes to get your property ready will vary from property to property and depends on the rent-ready status and condition of the property. There are several bills that will need to be paid with the first month's rent and occasionally the second month. When we collect the first full month of rent, the leasing charge will be billed. This charge is half of the first full month of rent. Once all upfront bills have been paid, you will then begin to receive your monthly owner’s distribution.

Renting Your Property:

• What Will It Take to Make My Property Rent Ready?

  When prospective tenants view your vacancy, Envy wants the property to look its best to compete with any other rentals in the area. Envy will conduct a new property inspection and rental analysis and will discuss with you the details of making your property “rent ready.” Envy does not list properties that are not ready. When you market a property before it is ready, the property does not look good in pictures for advertising, the property sits on the market longer, there’s potential for the property to become “stale” for being on the market too long, and the property attracts tenants who are ok with the “ugly” home and they turn out to be less desirable residents.

  Below is a checklist of our Rent Ready requirements:

  • Rekey all doorknobs and deadbolts to Envy key system (to be completed by Envy)
  • Sinks, faucets, drains, and drain plugs properly installed and in good working condition
  • Yard maintenance including, but not limited to mowing and edging the grass, weeding all flower beds & garden areas, and snow removal
  • Countertops free of major damage and all imperfections documented
  • Yard sprinkling system & timer in good working condition, free of broken lines or sprinkler heads
  • Cabinets and hardware in working condition with any cosmetic damage or flaws not to be fixed documented
  • All of the building's exterior must be in good working condition and void of any major damage or missing brick, siding, stucco, soffit, fascia, etc.
  • All outlets and light switches are in good working condition with cover plates properly installed and free of safety hazards. Any outlets within 6’ of a water source must have proper GFCI installation
  • All exterior doors and garage doors in good working condition
  • Any tile, laminate or hardwood flooring free of major damage including but not limited to large chips, cracks, and warping
  • All windows in working condition with no broken or cracked glass
  • Closets equipped with proper shelving, closet rods, hardware and closet doors
  • Blinds (no curtains) installed on all windows and in good working condition, free from broken slats/wands
  • All opening windows equipped with window screens in good working condition, broken items replaced and any minor damages or flaws documented
  • Roof in good condition with no missing shingles or leaks
  • All plumbing equipment including but not limited to water heaters, water softeners, toilets, showers, and bathtubs properly installed and in good working condition free of leaks or major damage. Minor damage or flaws documented
  • Raingutters properly installed and in good working condition on all roof eaves over all driveways, sidewalks, porches, patios and decks
  • Carpets professionally cleaned and blacklight tested. Any stains or damage from animal or bodily fluid treated or replaced
  • All concrete, porch railing, fencing, and deck materials are in working condition, free from safety hazards
  • Property free of previous personal items including, but not limited to food in refrigerator, cleaning supplies and toiletries in cabinets or closets, garbage free of debris and garbage
  • Interior walls, baseboards, and moldings: free of large marks, holes (including nail holes), major damage, and repaired with matching touch-up paint
  • Entire property rent-ready (deep) cleaned including but not limited to inside drawers/cabinets, fridge, stove, microwave, etc. and behind and underneath all large appliances. (We recommend allowing EPM approved vendors take care of this)
  • Smoke detectors installed in every bedroom, hallway, and main living areas (not needed in kitchens)
  • All mechanical equipment including but not limited to furnaces, air conditioning units, swamp coolers, etc. functioning properly with new filters installed
  • All light fixtures and fans in good working condition. Replace burned-out light bulbs
  • Mailbox must be properly labeled and in good working condition
  • Appliances in good working condition and any damage or flaws (that do not affect the appliances from functioning as designed) not to be fixed documented

• What Will My Property Rent For?

  Our licensed realtors will run Rental Market Analysis or “RMA” which is a report to compare rental prices in the area of similar square footage and bed/bath options. We will inform you of the starting rent we recommend and rents will be set.

• Do I Have to Re-Key My Property?

  Yes, it is Utah law to re-key every property in between tenancies. Envy uses a special key system for the hundreds of doors we manage. Our locksmith is able to rekey our properties using this system allowing us to keep our master keys with us at all times in case of emergencies.

• Will I Get a Key to My Property?

  No. Due to security and liability reasons we do not give out keys to anyone except for the tenants. If owners need to get into their property Envy will serve the tenants a 24-hour notice to enter. If the property is vacant and has already been rekeyed by Envy, we will typically place a lockbox on the property for the use of vendors, etc.

• How Long Will the Property Be Vacant?

  There is no way to predict how long a property will remain vacant, even in the best market conditions. Envy works diligently to rent the property as quickly as possible to a qualified tenant. It is important to remember that our main objective is to have “a quality tenant” who meets our screening guidelines.

• What Are the Tenant Screening Qualifications?

  Thorough screening is crucial to successful Property Management. Envy requires all applicants over the age of 18 to fill out a detailed application and submit it for processing and approval. Our company conducts a careful review of their credit, income, debt to income ratio, and tenant history or ownership.

• Should I Allow Pets?

  Allowing pets is completely up to the owner, although we highly recommend it. We have found that allowing pets opens up a much greater pool of qualified tenants. We enroll all properties into our Pet Guarantee program when an owner chooses to allow pets in their property.

  Service Animals for handicapped or disabled persons are NOT pets by Federal Law. Owners cannot discriminate against handicapped or disabled persons with a service animal. Fair Housing legislation does NOT allow owners or property managers to collect pet deposits or pet fees of any kind for service animals.

  Tenants with service animals are not exempt from any of the Envy House Rules Addendum they are required to sign at lease initiation. Any infractions from tenants with service animals are subject to the same warning and process of eviction if necessary.

• What Do You Do to Advertise My Property For Rent?

  Envy has invested in a complete and modern software solution allowing us to more effectively market your properties and fill vacancies sooner. This modern software allows us to quickly advertise vacancies online, post to our website, and over 50 other popular listing sites. When appropriate we also display “For Rent” signs at the property. Applicants can also apply right from their smartphones allowing us to quickly receive qualified tenants for your investment.

• How Do You Show My Property?

  Envy provides state of the art rental property showing software, offering both in-person showings as well as self-showing options. Envy ensures the home is in show-ready condition oftentimes, having water available, and other special touches to make your property feel like home to prospective tenants.

• How Do Prospective Tenants Submit an Application?

  Envy utilizes an online application submitted via our website. Any prospect who would like to submit an application can do so 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Funds:

• What Expenses Can I Anticipate When Handing Over My Property For Management?

  Envy prides itself on offering tenants a clean safe home to live in. We have found we attract more qualified tenants who will take better care of your home when it is handed over to them in a clean and safe condition. Because of this, we require new properties to be “Rent Ready.” To understand what we consider “Rent Ready,” please refer to the “Rent Ready Checklist” above.

• How Are My Funds Distributed?

  Upon commencement of management, Envy will set up an online Owners Portal. This will allow us to set up your bank account and funds will be disbursed via ACH direct deposit. This account can be changed inside your owner’s portal at any time. Envy disburses available funds to owners via ACH direct deposit on the 10th of every month. If this day falls on the weekend or Holiday we will issue funds the next business day.

• Monthly Statements

  Envy uploads monthly statements to your owner portal at the time owner distributions are made. You will receive an email stating your new statement is available to view on your owner portal.

• End of Year Procedures

  At the end of each year, Envy is required to file 1099’s for income received over $600. This amount is for “total income received,” and not the yearly total of owner disbursements. The IRS dictates the “total income received” requirement. Your tax professional can assist you with further questions regarding your 1099 and write-offs for your investment.

The Tenant Move-In:

• What Is the Process for Collecting Rent and Security Deposits?

  By law, security deposits are not the owner’s money, it is a deposit on the property. Envy holds the security deposit in our trust account for the duration of the lease agreement. If you are holding the security deposit on an existing property, you will be required to send it to Envy once we take over management.

  Tenants may pay their monthly rent on their online tenant portal or by cashier’s check in our office. Envy does not accept personal checks prior to renting the property and does not allow payments on security deposits – we require all funds paid in full at the time of lease signing. This eliminates prospective tenants who really do NOT have the necessary funds for renting.

Working with Your Tenants

• How Do You Collect Rent?

  Rents are due on the 1st day of the month and a late fee is automatically assessed if rent is not received by 5 pm on the 5th day of the month.

• How Do You Handle Tenant Problems?

  Our policy is to obtain good tenants, eliminating many tenant problems. However, even good tenants sometimes have problems. Envy treats each problem with a common-sense approach, follows landlord/tenant laws, and uses appropriate documentation.

• What Happens If You Need to File An Eviction?

  Envy will make every effort to avoid filing an eviction, however, there are times an eviction cannot be avoided. Envy uses attorneys well versed in landlord/tenant laws whom we keep in constant contact with when the eviction process has been initiated.

• What Should I Do If a Tenant Calls Me?

  Always be courteous, but kindly tell them that you have hired a professional management company to manage the property. If they state they have tried contacting the management company but no one will ever pick up the phone, understand that this is a ploy to engage you. They feel that when they are talking to the owner, they can negotiate whether it is maintenance or rent payments. You hired us to manage your property and ultimately to create a firewall between you and the tenant. Allow us to do our job for you.

• How Do You Handle HOA Violations?

  Residents are responsible for most HOA Violations. Owners must supply Envy a copy of the HOA CC&R’s to provide to the tenants when they move into your property. When Envy is notified of an HOA violation, the tenant will have five days to resolve the issue. The tenant will need to show proof by taking a photo and emailing it back to their property manager. We will then let the owner know that the HOA Violation has been resolved.

  If the issue is not addressed or resolved, Envy will then address the issue and the invoice will be invoiced back to the resident.

  If the owner is ever fined for any tenant caused reason, then that fine will always come back to the tenant.

• What is Your Lease Renewal Process?

  We start our process 60-90 days before the expiration of the lease. Once you have been notified, if you do not want us to renew the lease, please contact us immediately. If you do not let us know and we renew the lease you will have to abide by that legally binding document.

Notifications

• How Often Am I Notified About My Property?

  Not only is our system set up for notifications, Envy truly believes in transparent customer service. Keeping our owners informed about their properties is key, but also giving our owners peace of mind that they don’t have to do anything about it.

  Our policy is to notify our owners on many aspects of their properties. Many of the things we will notify you for are: lease expirations, lease renewals, new tenants are placed, an owner’s statement has been published, tenant move-out notification has been received, and maintenance requests.

• How Do I Contact My Property Management Team?

  The quickest and most effective way to communicate is via our SMS messaging system. Our SMS messaging number is 251-333-0909 you can send us a text message to this number anytime.

  During our normal office hours, someone will respond within an hour. If you need more immediate assistance you can call our office line at 801-337-4337.

Maintenance

• Do You Perform Property Evaluations?

  Envy will perform a thorough move-in property evaluation to document the condition of the home prior to the tenant moving in. In addition, the tenant will also be required to perform their own property evaluation. We use both evaluation reports when the tenant moves out of the property to process their security deposit.

  Envy performs periodic evaluations based on the frequency the owner chose during owner agreement signing. This goes beyond overseeing normal maintenance, the purpose is to check the property thoroughly during each inspection in order to perform necessary or preventative maintenance. The main purpose for periodic property evaluations is to keep you informed as to how the tenants are maintaining the property and if they are abiding to the lease, check the level of normal wear and tear, see if any urgent maintenance needs to be carried out, inform tenants to fix any new damage they have caused, make suggestions for on-going maintenance, and ensure that all additional terms of the tenancy agreement are being kept. We will always reach out to you prior to scheduling your property evaluation, if you would like to defer to the next quarter, you may do so.

• Do You Offer Preventative Maintenance?

  Yes. The best approach to maintenance is “preventative maintenance,” and this is our policy at Envy. Envy has educated the tenant by, completing a detailed Rental Agreement, which includes addendums that outline what the tenant responsibilities are regarding maintenance, having the tenant complete a move-in property evaluation documenting the condition of the property before the tenant takes possession, and supplying the tenants with the “Envy Tenant Handbook” which provides additional instructions on the care of your specific property and other useful information.

• What Is Your Maintenance Request Procedure?

  The resident can enter a maintenance request through the tenant portal 24/7. The resident can also call our emergency maintenance line by dialing our main number and selecting the emergency extension. Envy will contact the resident within 24 hours for a non-emergency and within 2 hours of an emergency. Envy will send our in-house maintenance staff or a licensed and insured vendor for any work. The Envy management team will send the residents and owners updates regarding the work being performed.

• How Do You Handle Maintenance Emergencies?

  Our tenants have a special phone line they can call for emergencies. Our property manager will determine if the call is truly an emergency, if it is, EPM maintenance staff or a partner vendor will be dispatched ASAP. Dispatch typically takes about two hours.

  If the emergency is under $500 to fix, the property manager will approve the work. If the emergency work is more than $500 then, the property manager will contact you via phone, email, and text. If the owner does not answer, the property manager determines if the issue can be patched up for a short time to relieve the issue. This will give us time to work with the owner and receive the funds to fix the emergency completely. If the issue cannot be patched, the property manager will make a decision based on numerous factors. Per the management agreement, Envy does have the right to approve any maintenance emergency whatever the cost. However, we do everything we can to make sure you are part of the decision process.

• How Do I Know You Will Not Spend Money on Large Repairs Without My Approval?

  Envy does not spend any amount greater than $500. This is our contracted price and our vendors have been trained to contact Envy for any issue that is going to cost more than $500.

  The property manager does not approve any work greater than $500 without written approval from the owner. Furthermore, the property manager will typically not approve the work until the owner deposits the money into the property account.

  Only during a maintenance emergency where the property manager cannot contact the owner will the property manager approve work greater than $500.

  To prevent the owner from incurring a service call, we always try to contact the owner while the vendor is at the property to complete the work.

• Do You Provide Multiple Bids?

  Envy has been working with many of our vendors for years and there is a trust that has been built up. We verify that our vendors are giving us competitive pricing and that they are evaluating the situation correctly. However, there are times when a second or even a third bid makes complete sense. Examples are larger projects such as: AC system needs to be replaced, a new roof needs installed or an underground pipe needs to be replaced.

• I Want to Use My Own Vendors, Can I?

  We prefer you to use Envy’s list of licensed and insured vendors, however, we are willing to vet your vendor if you have a working relationship with them and they are licensed and insured. We will need a copy of their business license, insurance, and W9 to begin the vetting process. Please contact us if this is something you would like to explore.

• I Want to Handle the Maintenance Myself, Can I?

  No. We only use our in-house maintenance team and qualified vendors. We are not able to use you for liability reasons to perform work on your home unless you are licensed and insured.

  Our reputation, with both tenants and owners, is largely determined by how well we handle maintenance. Our in-house maintenance and outside vendors are a big part of our team. They are insured, bonded, licensed, and have gone through training and an approval process on how to work with Envy. This ensures that work orders will be done quickly and to Envy’s guidelines.

• Can I reach you after hours?

  Our after hours line is for maintenance emergencies only. Emergencies include fire, flood, gas, heat if temperatures are below 50 degrees and air conditioning if temperatures are above 85 degrees. For all other inquiries please send us an email or contact our office during normal business hours.

When the Tenant Vacates

• What Is the Process When the Tenant Moves-Out?

  Once tenants have given us notice to move out we send them a move out packet. This gives them all the information they need for properly vacating your property.

  Envy conducts a move-out property evaluation immediately after the tenant vacates. We will record any maintenance required and disclose a list of damages to the vacating tenant. An inspection report is recorded when the tenant moves out to document the condition of the property and support any deductions from the security deposit.

  Once all tenant bills have been paid for, our property manager will mail the tenant their refund for the security deposit. If the resident does not have enough funds to cover all of the charges, we do our best to first work with the tenant. If we are unable to collect from them we then send them to collections to cover the rest of the charges.

  After the assessment of the tenant move out, Envy advises owners of any routine or normal wear and tear maintenance required to re-rent the property.

• How Do You Collect If Damages Exceed the Security Deposit?

  If collecting damages is required, Envy will attempt to collect on our own for 30 days. After this time, Envy will refer the matter to our attorneys’ office for collection, supplying them with the necessary documentation needed to collect.

Cancellation of Management

• Do You Require a Minimum Contract?

  No. We want you to be completely satisfied with our services. Therefore, we only require a 30-day written notice by either party in order to cancel management.

  It is the goal of Envy to satisfy your management needs and engage in a successful business relationship, but all things do change over time. Owners sell properties and people give notices. If this happens, the Envy cancellation policy is to resolve your account in a professional, timely, and pleasant manner.