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Property Owner FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Our management fees are calculated as a percentage of the annual gross rent. Our pricing is clear and transparent, and fees vary depending on the contract term length. We offer pricing for residential properties and pricing for commercial properties.

We screen applicants by following a detailed checklist of items that they must successfully fulfill. The process includes several key steps:

Complete Application and Supporting Documents:
We ensure that applications for review are complete in all sections and the required supporting documentations is received.

Income/ Employment Verification: We do a thorough review of an applicants income and current debts, and confirm their employment datils. A qualifying tenant should earn 2.5 to 3 times their monthly rent in gross income, which includes factoring any debt obligations. This provides confirmation that the applicant is able to afford the cost of rent for the property.

Credit Checks: We review credit score check to assess the financial reliability of potential tenants. This helps us ensure that they are in good standing with no history or current status of delinquencies. By factoring this into our screening process, we can determine whether tenants have the financial stability to securely afford the rent and maintain timely payments throughout the lease term.

Rental History Check: We review the applicants rental history, which includes checking the places they’ve lived, the duration of their leases, and any past issues with previous landlords. By reviewing this information, we can identify any potential red flags or concerns, such as late payments, lease violations, or evictions, to help ensure we select reliable tenants.

Identity Verification: We conduct identity verification to ensure that the person(s) named on the lease agreement are accurately identified. Applicants are required to provide a valid picture identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, to confirm that their information and name are correct. This step helps prevent fraud and ensures that we are dealing with the right individual(s) for the lease.

References: We ensure applicants provide full details of references for their applications.

Criminal Background Check: We confirm that applicants do not carry of history of criminal activities in assuring properties are secure and protected.

Once an applicant has successfully provided all the above information we conduct an interview to gather any last pieces of information or questions. These steps are essential to ensure that the applicant is reliable, financially stable, and a good fit for the property.

To find qualified tenants, we use a variety of platforms such as Pad Mapper, Rentals.ca, Zillow, Realtor.ca, Zumper, Kijiji, and MLS. We ensure your property for lease is positioned accurately in the marketplace, highlighting its key features and setting the right price to attract the right tenants. This approach helps get your property in front of as many potential tenants as possible, increasing the likelihood of finding a responsible and reliable applicants.

Our leasing-only services includes key items such as professional photographs, market rental analysis and property valuation to ensure you property is showcased at its best to get a high response rate.

Our rent collection process is designed to be convenient and efficient for tenants. We provide a few easy ways for tenants to promptly submit payments.

While our screening process ensures that we select responsible and reliable tenants, in cases where a tenant may provide payment after the 1st of the month we ensure that tenants always maintain open and clear communication to notify us prior. As part of our services we aim to foster positive tenant relations to ensure any issues is met with a quick and efficient resolution.

We carry inspections out at different stages of the lease term.

1. Move In Inspection: During lease commencement the property is inspected with the tenant present. We document and photograph the state of the property at move-in.

2. Quarterly or Semi-Annually Inspection: We conduct inspections minimum 2 times per year to carry out any preventative maintenance works.

3. Tenant Move-Out Inspection: When a tenant provide notice that they are terminating or the lease is expiring, we inspect the property to ensure that there is no damages or issues that need to be resolved. We provide a second inspection when the tenant has fully moved out to ensure all belongings and the property is returned in a clean state.

Prior to the expiry of a lease we communicate with both tenants and property owners about next steps. We handle any lease negotiations, paperwork and lease terms to facilitate the renewal.
Property owners receive their rental payments monthly via direct deposit. The amount deposited is the rent collected, minus management fees and any approved expenses for the month. We provide property owners with detailed and comprehensive statements, outlining the rent collected, any deductions, and a breakdown of expenses, ensuring complete transparency.
Property owners receive monthly statements that detail rent collected, management fees, and any approved expenses. Additionally, we can provide overall financial reporting as frequently as requested by the property owner. Our team is always available to discuss the financial details of your property at any time. While we analyze your property’s financials regularly, we provide a comprehensive financial health report every 3 months to give you a clear picture of your property’s performance and status.
We keep track of maintenance requests and issues through a streamlined system that allows tenants to submit requests easily, either online or via phone. Each request is logged and assigned to the appropriate team or contractor, ensuring a prompt and efficient resolution. We provide updates to both tenants and property owners throughout the process, keeping everyone informed. Our team also tracks the status of each request to ensure that no issue is overlooked and that all maintenance is completed in a timely manner.

We provide packages for both commercial properties and residential properties. Our Residential Package A includes:

  • Property Accounting (Owner`s Statements)
  • Rent Collection
  • Maintenance Requests
  • Tenant Management
  • Tenant and Landlord Portals
  • Move In and Move Out Inspections
  • Dedicated Property Manager Contact
  • Emergency On-Call (After-Hours)
  • Lease Enforcement

Additional:

  • Maintenance and Repair Works
  • Leasing Services
  • Rental Guarantee
  • Legal Actions & Evictions
  • LTB notices
  • Inspections
  • Cleaning Services
  • Landscaping and Snow Removal

Commercial Packages: 

Our commercial packages are tiered at different package levels depending on the property type and owner requirements. At key Grounds we customized our comprehensive services to meet property owners goals and expectations, providing a clear and transparent communication and pricing.

TMI payments are often collected in addition to the base rent. The specific process for collecting TMI payments can vary:

1. Tenant and Landlord Lease: We ensure that, if applicable, TMI payments are outlined in the lease agreement specifying the tenants propionate share.

2. Monthly TMI Payments: Tenants may be required as indicated in the lease, to make payment monthly which includes their base rent and their TMI payments.

3. TMI Reconciliation: TMI expenses are typically estimated in advance. We ensure that we collect all documentation for property taxes, maintenance and insurance to determine and set TMI rates. At the end of the year we review and reconcile these amounts.

4. Payment Methods: Similar to base rent, we offer the same convenient methods of payments options for tenants to make timely payments.

We communicate with commercial tenants and property owners well in-advance of the lease expiration date. If both parties wish to renew the lease, we handle the lease renewal process:

1. Negotiation: The renewal process may involve negotiations between the landlord and tenant regarding the lease terms, such as rent, lease duration, and any updates to the property or lease conditions. Rent adjustments might be based on market rates, a predetermined escalation clause, or mutual agreement.

2. Review of Terms: We review the lease terms and may make recommendations to the property owners, property owners may revise or add terms, and tenants may request modification to lease terms. We carry out any and all revisions and moficiations as approved by property owners prior to the lease renewals.

3. Drafting the Renewal Agreement: We draft lease renewal agreements for property owners approval and for signature.

Our staff is available 24/7 for both property owners and tenants. We ensure that are phone lines are answered at all hours. We maintain office hours between 9am – 6pm Monday to Friday. We understand that responsiveness and prompt communication with a property management company is key to a positive experience.

At Key Grounds, we pride ourselves on ensuring efficient and clear communication. We handle tenant complaints with professionalism and care. Our approach is direct, proactive, and prompt.

Our team ensures communication is noted and acknowledged. We assess the complaint, and if needed we discuss with property owners on coming up with a resolution for enhance tenant experience. We ensure the complaint is handled in compliance with legal guidelines.

While we make every effort to ensure tenants remain responsible for their lease obligations, in cases where an eviction is necessary:

1. First Notice: We notify the tenant of default, whether its missed rental payments, unapproved property alterations, or property damage. We kindly request that the tenant take the necessary steps to resolve the matter by a specific date.

2. Second Notice: We provide a second notice, if the issue remains unresolved by the tenant, we provide a secondary notice. Our focus is fostering positive tenant and landlord experiences, that why at Key Grounds we may attempts to communicate and work with tenants to efficiently and quickly resolve issues to maintain in good standing.

3. Third Request and Eviction:
If all attempts to contact the tenant are unsuccessful and the tenant remains in breach of the lease agreement, we provide a final demand letter and if necessary carry out a lock-out procedure, and provide necessary notice forms.

At Key Grounds, our mission is to ensure properties are secure, protected and continue to thrive. While we make every possible effort to provide positive tenant and landlord experiences, we are committed to ensuring properties remain in exceptional standards.