Owner FAQ

Straight answers to what owners actually ask us. If yours is not here, call 937-999-3890 or ask through the form at the bottom.

Money

What do you charge?

Ten percent of monthly rent or $75 a month, whichever is greater. A flat $750 when we place a new tenant, $500 on a renewal. No setup fee, no onboarding fee, no separate rent collection fee. The complete schedule including maintenance markup, notice posting and eviction handling is published at what we charge.

Why is there a $75 minimum?

On a typical Dayton single-family rental it never applies — ten percent of anything above $750 exceeds it. It matters while a unit is vacant, which is when our team works hardest on a property, and on very low-rent units where ten percent does not cover doing the job properly. We would rather explain that here than surprise you on a statement.

When do I get paid?

Owner distributions run on a set monthly schedule confirmed at onboarding, reconciled on your statement. See accounting and reporting.

Is the fee negotiable for a larger portfolio?

Talk to us. Portfolio and small multi-family arrangements are handled case by case; the published schedule is our standard single-family pricing.

Getting started

How many properties do I need?

One. Several of our owners started with a single inherited house and now hold a portfolio. That progression is the business we are actually in.

I live out of state. Does that work?

Yes, and a good share of our owners do. What matters is that someone competent is physically here — which is precisely the thing that fails when out-of-state owners hire a manager without real local presence.

What does onboarding involve?

We collect leases, tenant details, deposit balances, keys and vendor history, then inspect. If there is a sitting tenant we take the relationship over without restarting it. You get portal access and a first statement that reconciles. It costs nothing.

I already have a manager.

Most agreements have a 30-day out and we handle the transfer. See switching property managers, including the security deposit step worth watching.

Where do you manage?

Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Warren counties — the full list with a page for each market is on the owners hub.

Day to day

Who talks to my tenant?

We do. Maintenance intake runs 24/7 and routine issues never reach you. You hear from us above your approval threshold, which you set.

Do I approve repairs?

You set a dollar threshold. Below it we handle things and it appears on your statement. Above it we call first with a recommendation and a number. Genuine emergencies — anything threatening the property or someone’s safety — we act on and tell you immediately. More on maintenance.

Can I use my own contractor?

Yes, provided they carry current liability coverage and workers compensation and will respond inside our timelines. Plenty of owners keep a trusted HVAC or roofing relationship.

Can I still visit my property?

It is your property, but the tenant has a right to quiet enjoyment and Ohio has notice requirements for entry. Coordinate through us and it stays clean.

How do you set the rent?

From signed leases on comparable properties, not from active listings — active listings include everyone who priced wrong. We also price on the school attendance zone rather than the mailing address, which matters more than owners expect. Ask for a rental analysis.

When things go wrong

What happens if a tenant stops paying?

The delinquency process starts on day one rather than day thirty, because almost every unrecoverable arrears started as a conversation somebody deferred. See rent collection.

How does an eviction work?

Correct three-day notice, correct court, hearing, writ, bailiff, set-out, locks and rent-ready assessment. Our fee is $795 and does not include attorney or court costs, which we quote before filing. See evictions et which court covers your property.

What if the tenant damages the property?

Documented move-in condition is what makes a deposit deduction supportable instead of arguable, so we document it. Ohio deposit rules under ORC 5321.16 have real penalties for getting the return wrong, including double damages and the tenant’s attorney fees.

Insurance and compliance

Do I need landlord insurance?

If you are renting out a property still covered by a homeowners policy, you have a claim waiting to be denied. You also want loss-of-rents coverage, and you want to know what your policy does during vacancy, because most standard forms restrict coverage past thirty or sixty days. We own an insurance agency — Ingram Insurance Group writes landlord coverage across Ohio and a policy review costs nothing.

Free book: Ryan wrote Rental Property Insurance: An Investor’s Guide to Insurance because insurance is one of the most commonly misunderstood lines on a rental P&L. It walks through how landlord coverage is generally structured and, more usefully, the questions worth putting to your own agent about your own policy. Get a free copy →

What is the lead paint rule?

Federal law requires disclosure on housing built before 1978 — the EPA pamphlet, disclosure of known lead paint and records, and a signed attachment to the lease. A large share of Dayton rental stock predates 1978 and self-managing owners miss this constantly. Penalties are federal and per violation. We handle it on every pre-1978 lease we write.

Do you take housing choice vouchers?

Yes. See Section 8 and housing vouchers for how inspections and rent reasonableness actually work.

Buying more

You help owners buy?

Yes, and it is the thing that most distinguishes us. Tell us your criteria and we screen inventory against them before listing, including properties from owners we manage for who are ready to sell. Submit your buy box.

Can I run numbers myself?

Yes. The Proper Deal Calculator below uses the same formulas as our Ingram Rental Calculator app — also on Android — so the numbers agree wherever you run them.

Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice. We are a property management company. For a specific legal question, talk to an Ohio attorney.

Get a free rental analysis

Send us the address and we will tell you what it rents for today, what it would rent for after specific work, and whether you should rent it or sell it. No cost, no obligation, usually back within two business days.

Rather talk? Call 937-999-3890 or email hello@daytonproper.com. Our office is at 729 Salem Ave, Dayton, OH 45406.