Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers for rental property owners and residents across the Lakeshore area — how our fees work, how maintenance and rent are handled, what happens in an eviction, and what to expect as a resident. Don’t see your question? Call us at 920-305-7077.
Jump to the section you need — or call 920-305-7077 and we’ll answer it directly.
For Property Owners
- What are your costs?
- Do you pay my property’s bills?
- Do you have in-house maintenance?
- How much can I expect to pay for maintenance?
- Where do you advertise?
- How long does it take to rent a property?
- Can I be involved in maintenance decisions?
- How do I receive my rent?
- What happens if a tenant doesn’t pay?
For Residents
- When is rent due, and how do late fees work?
- How can I see my payment history?
- When should I call after-hours maintenance?
- What do I do if I’m locked out?
- Which repairs am I responsible for?
- Will I be charged for a maintenance request?
- Who handles snow removal and lawn care?
- How do I handle utilities in my name?
- What if I need to move out before my lease ends?
- How does third-party management work?
Property Owner FAQs
Pricing & Fees
We offer a tailored service platform for each owner client, so pricing is based on your specific property or portfolio rather than blanket rates — that’s the only way we can deliver the level of service we do. Once we conduct a no-cost rental analysis of your property, we provide a thorough comparable-property report along with an exact management and leasing-fee quote.
Yes. Property income/expense accounting is part of our management fee. Any bills not directly related to property maintenance — utilities, insurance, municipal charges, taxes, etc. — are paid and accounted for at no additional charge.
Yes. We bill between $45–$65 per hour depending on the scope of the work. In-house maintenance covers most repairs a rental unit needs and is highly cost-effective. Any third-party maintenance is billed with a standard minimum 10% contractor markup.
Average maintenance cost is genuinely hard to predict. After removing capital expenditures (new roofs, HVAC replacements, driveways, etc.), maintenance across our portfolio has historically averaged roughly $600 per unit per year — but this varies widely. It runs higher if a turnover occurs during the year or the property is older, and lower for newer homes or those with higher-end finishes, appliances, or warranties in place. The key point: with a reputable management firm in place, your total maintenance cost is in most cases lower than coordinating it yourself — especially once you factor in your own time.
Leasing & Marketing
Online leasing drives 90%+ of our prospective-renter traffic. Beyond our high-visibility website, your leasing fee covers syndication across 42+ third-party listing sites. We also place a traditional “For Rent” sign at the property that directs prospects to our office — and the signs offer an automated option to pull the rental’s specific information 24/7.
It varies. Our average turnover timeframe is typically around 11 days, though it can run longer depending on how aggressively we price against market rent. We discuss these factors and your goals for the property together during onboarding so we can decide how to proceed.
Maintenance & Money
Of course — it’s your property. You set a maintenance limit (minimum $300), and any non-urgent work reasonably expected to exceed it is communicated to you before it takes place. Your assigned property manager also learns your preferences over time, so for cosmetic or non-essential tenant requests they’ll often loop you in regardless of cost. You can also choose to be the primary maintenance contact and handle repairs yourself, with us continuing as your agent for rent collection, tenant contact, lease enforcement, and accounting. It’s uncommon, but we work well with hands-on “handyman landlords.”
We run three separate “check runs” per month — on the 10th, 20th, and 30th. At each, you receive an owner’s draw of all available funds in your account, by ACH or paper check. Every check run includes an emailed Owner Statement whether or not you receive a draw, so you’re always current on rent, maintenance, and outstanding bills.
Risk & Legal
The best defense is prevention through quality screening — nationwide credit and criminal background checks plus third-party income verification and housing-reference checks. The business still carries risk, so we offer an Eviction Protection Program (≈$14 per unit, per month) that covers the full cost of an eviction through the Writ of Restitution, including any Sheriff’s Department compensation for a physical removal — which an eviction very rarely reaches. Without the program, our current rate for an eviction through our legal team is $450 (subject to change).
Resident FAQs
Rent Payment
Rent is due on the 1st of each month. Late fees are charged automatically at 12:00 PM on the 6th if rent has not been received. Plan ahead for weekends and holidays when mailing payments. Please note that technical difficulties with the online payment system are not an acceptable justification for a late payment.
Your full rent payment and charge history is available any time in your online resident portal. If you have a question about an amount due, checking the portal first will usually save you time.
Maintenance
Call after-hours maintenance only if waiting until the next business day would cause harm to you or further damage to the property. Some issues can’t be resolved after hours due to part availability — for example, a heater that fails on a weekend may not be repairable until the next business day or later, in which case you’re expected to obtain space heaters or make alternative arrangements in the meantime. Neither your landlord nor RPM is responsible for inconvenience (financial or otherwise) from an unexpected maintenance issue; our job is to address it as time- and cost-effectively as possible within your owner’s preferences and constraints. Please carry adequate renters’ insurance to help with these situations.
Lockouts are never handled by RPM’s emergency response team. Please contact a local locksmith directly.
Wisconsin landlord/tenant law makes maintenance the tenant’s responsibility when the cost is “minor in relation to the rent.” RPM applies this very tenant-friendly, but the following are generally handled by you, either personally or at your own cost (not an all-inclusive list):
- Clearing or resetting a garbage disposal
- Unclogging a toilet, sink, or shower
- Replacing batteries in thermostats, smoke detectors, or CO detectors
- Re-lighting a water heater, stove, or fireplace pilot light
- Replacing lightbulbs
- Replacing water filters
- Filling water-softener salt
- Replacing furnace filters
- Resetting power to HVAC or another appliance to try to restore function
Possibly — and you may not be notified to expect a tenant charge when you make the request, particularly after hours. That determination can be made after the work is done. If a tenant charge is levied, you’ll be given reasonable time to pay it; maintenance charges may not sit on your account until move-out.
When these are your responsibility, they must be done diligently and within your municipality’s requirements — most cities, for example, require sidewalks cleared by noon the day after snowfall stops. Any municipal citation for non-included lawn care or snow removal is levied to the tenant for immediate payment.
Utilities & Moving
All utility accounts that are your responsibility must be placed in your name within 48 hours of move-in. If the transfer isn’t completed, RPM pays the utility on your behalf and bills it back to you with a $50 accounting administration fee. RPM is also notified whenever a municipal utility account becomes past due; if that past-due amount exceeds $300, RPM will pay the balance and bill it back as above. This may happen with or without prior notice.
Notify your Property Manager in writing. Once you vacate, RPM performs all normal leasing functions as if you’d moved out in due course. Your rent obligation ends when your original lease ends or when we place a qualified replacement tenant, whichever comes first — you’re responsible for rent as it’s incurred up to that point. You may also be held responsible for the actual cost of re-leasing the unit early, as allowable by Wisconsin State Statute. Subleasing may be an option, but only if the original leaseholder(s) also remain in the unit; contact your Property Manager for details.
Understanding Our Role
Our client is the owner of your rental property, not the tenant — so our contractual obligation and legal duty are to them. We still strive to treat every resident fairly and ethically, but we often need to obtain funds or permission for requests even when the answer seems obvious. If you don’t get the outcome you hoped for, or something seems delayed, please trust that we’re doing everything we can to get your issue addressed. Understanding this dynamic helps both of us have the best possible experience in your home.
Still Have Questions?
Whether you own a rental in the Lakeshore area or you’re a current resident, we’re happy to help. Reach out and a member of our team will get you a clear answer.
