Davis & Co. Realtors

Once you pay the deposit you have committed to the property. If you fail to move in you will forfeit the deposit. If you have signed the lease you will be responsible until a new lease is signed with a new tenant.

When do I receive Keys?

After you and the manager have completed a walkthrough of the property and completed a written condition report and pay first month’s rent you will receive the keys.

Can I make repairs and deduct them from my rent?

No. We do not allow residents to make repairs and deduct from rent.

I noticed one of your properties on some other web site, but it Is not your web site. Why not?

Some websites like to add to their listings by copying listings from other web sites. The problem with that is that they are not updated nearly as often as we update our own site. A property we rented at 2pm will surely be removed from our website by 3pm on the same day, but could possibly still be listed on one of those sites for another week or even longer.

Why was I asked so many questions when I asked to see a Property for rent?

We show our properties upon demand. That means tenants are not forced to wait until a pre-scheduled open house to see the property. In order to save everyone time, gas and money, we make sure that the people who want to see a particular property qualify to rent it. If you qualify to rent the property, we are happy to show it to you when you want to see it.

Do you allow tenants to move from one of your properties to another?

We take it as an honor when an existing tenant desires to rent their next property from Davis Properties. The security deposit, however, would have to be paid in advance, just as it would have to be on any new property. The fact that our properties are owned by individual owners makes it difficult to transfer security deposits from one property to another. The tenant will be responsible for turning over the old rental in excellent condition.

Why do we need an appointment to sign the lease?

The lease is a legal contract between the tenant and the owner of the property. All the details of what is required when renting that particular property is included in that document. Time must be allowed to thoroughly read the entire contract and ask questions if any portion is not clear. Scheduling appointments allows us to make sure we provide the time you need and the attention you deserve when reviewing and signing this document.

How long will it take to get my security deposit refund?

The closer to the original condition you leave the property, the faster we can process your refund. If we have to coordinate work to bring the property back into good condition because of damage or cleaning that is your responsibility, your refund will be delayed accordingly. If there is no work to be coordinated, the refund could be processed in a matter of days. California law requires deposit to be refunded within 21 days of vacating.

How often do you update your web site?

Rather than do time-based updates, we find it much more effective to do action-based updates. Within 24 hours of getting a new property, it is on our web site. Within one hour of renting a property, it is removed from our web site. The action is what causes the update. That way you can be assured that the properties listed on our web site are still available for rent and the rent amounts are accurate.

Why must I have a social security number to apply to rent a property?

Your good credit history is the assurance that you provide the owner that you will be reliable in paying rent and caring for the property. That credit history is tied to your social security number.

What about someone coming to work in the United States from another country for a specific assignment?

We have rented properties in such situations. Applicants may provide work papers, a passport, a contact from their originating country. such applicants may be asked to pay a higher security deposit.

Do you base acceptance of applicants on a specific credit score?

No. Every tenant, like every property, is different. There may be reasons someone has a low Credit score while being an excellent prospective tenant. All criteria are taken into consideration and are presented to the owner of the property for approval.

Will you rent to us even if we have a bankruptcy?

We are often able to work with people who have bankruptcies, depending on the date filed, status of filing, cause of the bankruptcy and credit history since the bankruptcy. If someone with a bankruptcy is approved, they are required to pay the maximum security deposit allowed by law, which is twice the amount of the rent for an unfurnished home.

Why was I asked to pay a higher security deposit than what was listed in the ad?

The security deposit is a tenant's way of offering a kind of guarantee to the owner of the property that they intend to take care of the property and pay rent on time. When there are situations that make a tenant a higher credit risk, a higher security deposit may be allowed instead of simply denying the application. The maximum deposit allowed by law is twice the amount of the rent for unfurnished properties and three times the amount of rent for furnished. The more the credit risk, the higher the deposit asked. A higher deposit is also required when there are pets involved.

Do you allow cosigners?

Sometimes cosigners, or guarantors, are permitted. It depends on the particular property and the owner's judgment.

Why won't you rent to someone who has been evicted?

The eviction process is lengthy and costly. There are times when a tenant suffers circumstances (or causes them) that cause them to need to leave a property (sudden inability to pay the rent, massive damage to the property, bringing pets to a no-pet property, etc). They always have the option of vacating the property prior to causing the legal process of unlawful detainer, better known as eviction. If a tenant remains in the property and forces the owner/landlord/property manager to go through the eviction process once, they are more likely to allow that to happen again.

Do you accept more than one application for the same property at a time?

We will accept as many applications for the same property as people want to apply. We always disclose to anyone who is not the first applicant that we are already processing an application so that they may decide if they want to compete for the property. Many times there will be delays in processing an application because prior landlords or employers do not promptly return our calls. Another applicant may know they are qualified to rent and choose to apply, and sometimes the second or third applicant is approved and gets the house.

What must I submit with my application?

All applications must be filled in completely. They must be submitted with the credit fee, two recent pay stubs, proof of any other sources of income to be considered.

What kinds of documentation could I submit with my application?

The more documentation you provide, the faster we will be able to process the application. We have accepted bank statements, legal documents, 1099s, tax returns, leases, cancelled rent checks, deeds of trust, mortgage statements, passports, etc.

How can I apply if I live out of state or out of the country?

There are several ways. Before you do, however, make sure you qualify to rent the property of your choice. Compare your situation to our rental criteria. Then check with our office to make sure the property is not already rented. Download our application from our web site, fill it in and submit it:

by fax and pay the credit fee, at the showing of the property
mail it with the application fee (slowest method)
scan it and email it and pay the credit fee at time of showing
bring the application and credit fee to our office during working hours
drop the application and credit fee off in the drop box of our office after hours for processing the next business day
send the application and credit fee via courier, FedEx or other delivery service

Why is an applicant only given 24 hours to bring in a security deposit to secure the property?

Often there is more than one person interested in a property, whether they have all applied or not. If someone is serious about renting a property, they will have the security deposit available for when they are approved. If someone is approved, and they do not come in for the appointment to sign the lease and pay the security deposit, we cannot hold the property for them.