(916) 596-1665
Serving Sacramento County Since 1998
(916) 596-1665Switching Property Management Companies
Switching Property Management Companies in the Sacramento Region
If your current property management company is not meeting your needs, switching is simpler than many owners expect, and your tenants do not have to move.
Changing managers is mostly paperwork, and Alpha Property Management handles most of it for you. We collect the leases, tenant ledgers, deposits, and keys, tell your tenants where to pay rent, and take over the tenancy without moving anyone out. Alpha charges no setup or onboarding fee to switch.
When To Switch
Signs It Is Time To Switch Property Managers
Any company can have a difficult month, but a repeated pattern is different. If two or more of the signs below sound familiar, it may be time to switch.
Calls And Emails Go Unanswered
You have trouble getting answers about your own property, and your tenants report the same difficulty reaching the office.
Statements Are Late Or Unclear
You cannot match the money in your account to the rent the tenant paid, or the monthly statement arrives weeks late.
Repair Bills You Cannot Trace
Invoices arrive without the vendor's original bill, or the markup is not stated. You should see what the work cost and what the manager added.
The Home Sits Empty
Weeks pass between tenants with no clear plan on price, photos, or showings, and no one tells you why.
Fees You Did Not Expect
Your statements show renewal fees, administrative fees, or a percentage fee that grows each time the rent goes up. Add up the fees on your last 12 statements to see the full cost.
Tenant Issues Go Unaddressed
Late rent and lease violations are not followed up, and you are not kept informed about what is being done.
Before You Switch
What To Have Ready Before You Switch
A few items on hand make the handover faster. Gather what you have, and Alpha requests the rest from your current manager.
01
Current Manager Contact
The company name, your contact there, and the phone number and email we should use for the records request.
02
Property Details
The address, the property type, the number of units, and anything our team should know about the home.
03
Tenant Contact Information
Names, phone numbers, and email addresses for each tenant, so our written notice reaches them.
04
Lease Copies
Any copy of the current lease and addenda you already have. We request the full file from your current manager.
05
Recent Owner Statements
Your most recent monthly statements, so we see the current rent, any balance owed, and open repair items.
06
Keys And Access
Any keys, remotes, or codes you hold, plus a note on which ones your current manager has.
Missing an item is not a problem. We flag anything outstanding and follow up with your current manager until it arrives.
The Handover
What Gets Handed Over When You Switch
The lease, the tenant ledger, and the deposit records tell the next manager what the tenant owes, what you owe the tenant, and what the home looked like on move-in day.
Alpha sends your current manager a written list of everything below and follows up until it arrives. Anything missing gets flagged to you, and we rebuild what we can from you and the tenant.
Leases And Addenda
The signed lease, every renewal and addendum, any notices provided with the lease, and the move-in inspection report with photos.
Tenant Ledgers
Payment history for each tenant, any balance owed, late fees charged, and rent paid in advance.
Security Deposits
The deposit funds held for each tenant, plus a record of the amount collected.
Keys, Remotes, And Codes
House keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, mailbox keys, and lockbox or alarm codes.
Vendor And Warranty Records
Open work orders, appliance and home warranties, HOA contacts, and which utilities are in your name.
Owner Funds And Statements
Your reserve balance, the final owner statement, and year-to-date income and expense records for your taxes.
Getting Started
What Alpha Does In Your First 30 Days
After you sign with Alpha, we work through the steps below in order. Timing depends on your handover date and how fast your current manager releases the records.
01
Handover Date
We set a handover date with you. Every step below works from that date.
02
Records Request
We send your current manager a written request for every lease, ledger, deposit, key, and open work order, and track each item until it arrives.
03
Tenant Notice And Rent Setup
We send your tenants written notice of the new payment details and set up how they pay.
04
Property Walkthrough
We tour the home, document its condition with photos, and flag repairs. With a tenant in place, we give written notice before entry.
05
Lease And Deposit Check
We match the deposit and the ledger to the lease.
06
Owner Portal And First Statement
You receive owner portal access and a monthly statement showing income and expenses.
After the handover, your home gets the same full-service residential property management every Alpha owner gets: rent collection, maintenance coordination, lease renewals, and monthly reporting.
Tenants In Place
Your Tenants Stay Put
Alpha takes over management with your tenants in place. For them, a switch means a new place to pay rent and a new team to call.
Your tenant gets a written notice from Alpha with the new payment details and Alpha's phone number. Maintenance requests go to our team from day one.
The 12-month tenant guarantee covers tenants we place in a property under our full-service management contract. A tenant already living in the home when you switch is not covered, but if that tenant later moves out and we place the next one, the guarantee applies to the new tenant. Read how it works on our tenant guarantee page.
Pricing
What Switching To Alpha Costs
There is no cost to switch. Alpha charges no setup or onboarding fee, and no lease-up fee for a tenant already in place. Once we take over, you pay the flat monthly rate for your property type, billed occupied or vacant.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Setup or onboarding when you switch | $0 |
| Lease-up fee for a tenant already in place | $0 |
| Single-family home management | $99 / month |
| Duplex management | $125 / month |
| Fourplex management | $225 / month |
| Lease-up fee when Alpha places a new tenant | Half the first month's rent, billed separately |
| Repair and vendor invoices | Cost plus 5% |
| Annual inspection with photo report, optional | $125 / year |
| Eviction support for a tenant Alpha did not place | $250, in addition to your monthly management fee. The owner pays the court costs. |
If a tenant we've placed in a property under our full-service management contract breaks their lease within the first year, we will place the next tenant with no additional lease-up fee. Normal cleaning, repair and vacancy costs still apply. Full details on each fee are on our property management fees page.
Common Questions
Switching Property Managers FAQ
Can I switch property management companies in the middle of a lease?
Alpha takes over management of homes with tenants already in place. We collect the lease, ledger, deposit records, and keys from your current manager, then send your tenants the new payment details.
How long does it take to switch to Alpha?
Timing depends on your handover date and how fast your current manager releases the records. Alpha works through the handover steps during your first 30 days after you sign.
Will my tenants have to move or sign a new lease?
Alpha does not move tenants out or ask them to sign a new lease as part of a switch. We send them written notice of who collects rent, how to pay, and how to reach us.
What happens to my tenants' security deposits?
We request the deposit funds and records from your current manager. We match each deposit to the lease and ledger during the handover.
What does it cost to switch to Alpha?
Alpha charges no setup or onboarding fee, and no lease-up fee for a tenant already in place. Management is a flat $99 a month for a single-family home, $125 for a duplex, and $225 for a fourplex, billed occupied or vacant.
Does the 12-month tenant guarantee cover my current tenant?
No. The guarantee covers tenants we place in a property under our full-service management contract. If your current tenant moves out and we place the next tenant, the guarantee applies to that new tenant.
What if my current manager is slow to hand over records or funds?
We follow up in writing, and we keep you copied so you have a record. Anything still missing gets flagged to you, and we rebuild what we can from you and the tenant.
Ready To Switch Property Managers?
Send us the property address. We will recommend a rent and walk you through the handover, or you can call Sally at (916) 596-1665. See everything in full-service management on our owner services page, or compare costs on our property management fees page.
(916) 596-1665 · sally@alphapropmanagement.com
Alpha Property Management, 2377 Gold Meadow Way #100, Gold River, CA 95670
