Owner FAQs

General Company Information

• What services does Residential Renters offer?

  We specialize in tenant placement, tenant screenings, marketing, property showings, and lease agreement preparation. If you are in need of services beyond leasing, we do work with reputable property managers who can assist depending on your needs.

• How long has your company been in the leasing industry?

  We’ve been helping property owners lease their homes and manage tenant placements since 2014 and have experience that extends beyond 24 years in the industry.

• What types of properties do you lease?

  We lease single-family homes, apartment complexes, duplexes, and condominiums.

• What areas do you serve?

  Our agent network extends throughout SE Wisconsin.

Tenant Placement and Screenings

• How do you find potential tenants for my property?

  We use professional marketing strategies, including online listings, social media, and partnerships with relocation services.

• What does your tenant screening process include?

  Our screening process includes a background check, credit check, employment and income verification, rental history review, and reference checks.

• Can I be involved in the tenant selection process?

  Absolutely! We’ll provide you with a shortlist of qualified candidates and assist you in making the final decision. There will be a written screening criteria that must be agreed to prior to listing.

• What happens if the tenant you place doesn’t work out?

  Once the lease is signed, the tenant relationship becomes the owner's responsibility. While we thoroughly screen tenants to minimize risks, we do not provide a guarantee or offer replacement services. However, we are happy to assist with tenant placement again if needed, under a new agreement.

Marketing and Showings

• How will you market my property?

  We create high-quality listings with professional photos, descriptions, and advertising on popular rental platforms like Tenant Turner.

• Do you offer virtual tours or in-person showings?

  We offer both! Virtual tours attract more tenants, while in-person showings help secure serious applicants.

• How do you handle scheduling and showing the property?

  We manage all inquiries, schedule showings, and ensure the property is secure during and after viewings.

• How long does it usually take to lease a property?

  The timeline depends on market conditions, property location, and price, but on average, it takes under 2 weeks from list to lease.

Lease Agreements and Legal Compliance

• Who drafts the lease agreement?

  Our leasing agents draft legally compliant lease agreements tailored to your property and local regulations.

• What legal requirements must my property meet to be rented?

  We ensure your property meets all local, state, and federal requirements, including safety codes and fair housing laws.

• Will you help me set the rental price?

  Yes, we conduct a comparative market analysis to recommend a competitive rental rate.

• What happens if a tenant violates the lease?

  We’ll provide guidance on resolving disputes, issuing notices, and initiating legal action if necessary.

Fees and Payment

• What are your fees for tenant placement services?

  Our fee schedule is as follows:

  1. 1-6 month lease: 15% of total lease;
  2. 7-17 months: 1 months’ rent;
  3. 18-23 months: 1.5 months’ rent;

• When do I receive the security deposit and rent payment from the tenant?

  Once the lease is signed, tenants pay the security deposit directly to you or your property manager via a platform you have set up for automatic payments. The first month’s rent is typically paid directly to Residential Renters. Thereafter, all tenant rents go directly to the owner or the property management company.

• Are there any additional costs I should expect?

  There is a required upfront marketing fee to pay for premium marketing positions on rental sites. Other costs may include professional cleaning, repairs, and renewal services if requested by client.

• How does Residential Renters help property management companies or building owners?

  It really depends on their objectives. If a property owner or management company is interested in attracting a larger pool of ready, willing, and able renters to reassure best terms and best price, we are a great fit. Our clients benefit from our dominant marketing presence, social media exposure, relocation relationships, proactive representation, market feedback, and a structure that guarantees 100% performance.

  Property Management Groups also work with us to supplement their in-house leasing operations without the overhead costs. Not only do they immediately benefit from all of our marketing exposure, we are also taking on calls, following up and keeping showings coming through the doors when management is “off the clock.”

  If a property has room for improvement we engage with the objective of eliminating vacancies and increasing quality results.

  Most renters want to eliminate the time and hassle of the rental process and prefer working with our team. In a competitive marketplace, property owners and management who have yet open the doors to these efficiencies are at a significant disadvantage and their only options are to reduce rents and/or increase marketing budgets. Neither of which guarantee quality results.

• What properties do you work with?

  We focus strictly on rental accommodations including single-family homes, duplexes, condos, and apartment buildings throughout the Greater Milwaukee area. Furthermore, we are selective and make peace with the fact that we don’t work with everyone. In order for us to represent a property, we thoroughly evaluate condition, terms, and favorability factors to minimize renter remorse scenarios.

• What neighborhood resources do you have?

  See below for our neighborhood resources.

  General Milwaukee Neighborhood Resources:

  • Milwaukee Neighborhoods
  • On Milwaukee Neighborhoods
  • Discover Milwaukee

  Visit Milwaukee

  On Milwaukee

  Milwaukee Magazine

  Neighborhood Resource Links:

  • Bayside
  • Bay View
  • Brady Street
  • Brewers Hill
  • Brookfield
  • Brown Deer
  • Caledonia
  • Cudahy
  • Delafield
  • Downtown
  • Eagle
  • East Side
  • Elm Grove
  • Fifth Ward
  • Fox Point
  • Franklin
  • Glendale
  • Grafton
  • Lakefront
  • Lower East Side
  • Menomonee Falls
  • Mequon
  • Milwaukee
  • Oak Creek
  • Oconomowoc
  • Pewaukee
  • Racine
  • River Hills
  • Riverwest
  • Shorewood
  • St. Francis
  • Thiensville
  • Third Ward
  • Walker’s Point
  • Waukesha
  • Wauwatosa
  • Whitefish Bay

• Apartment vacancies are reportedly near record highs. Do you see that continuing?

  With rental appreciation outpacing home value appreciation and the apartment development boom continuing to produce an abundance of new inventory, it will certainly be an interesting and uncharted rental market ahead. Some of the property management groups are already raising rents and pulling their rent concessions off the table. But with so many new options for renters to explore, we feel the properties that will do best will be the ones most accommodating to secure ready, willing, and able renters. If a reasonable win-win deal cannot be negotiated, renters are simply able to apply elsewhere. Then there are those management groups desperately offering two or three free months of rent. With so much competition out there, it will be a survival of the fittest. Those with superior customer service will have lower turnover ratios and vacancy rates.

• How does Residential Renters help property owners and managers keep their buildings occupied?

  It starts with us maximizing “effective” marketing exposure not only on our website but across many of the new and most popular online social media venues. While renters use a variety of sources to browse for accommodations, we know that the vast majority will discover the rental property with the assistance of a Leasing Agent and the Internet. That is why we combine a powerful combination of hyper-local agent representation and a dominant online presence. With approx. 92% of renters using the Internet as part of their rental search and an ever increasing number of searches being done on mobile and tablet devices, it’s smart to partner with an innovative team that understands how to reach today’s renters with an effective marketing strategy to back it up.

  Our agents have an abundance of market intelligence and renters most often want to work with someone that is eager to help them find the right fit. In turn, property owners and managers also value the market insight we have. Although we don’t share or disclose client confidential information, we do share market dynamics in a consultative manner.

  Lastly, we supplement the property owners existing rental procedures with unmatched availability. Essentially, we work around the clock providing tours so that building owners, landlords, and managers don’t have to. This ensures no renter is left behind when the phone is off or the doors are closed. Nights, weekends, holidays, we are here to help.

• Any risks for a building owner and prospective renter choosing to work with Residential Renters?

  For property owners the challenge is to embrace outside help without negatively disrupting their existing procedures. Our goal is to work as a team, yet having outside agents renting more units than the onsite management can create competitive pressure. Ultimately, it’s a great way to conduct split testing and run parallel operations to learn and adapt to best results. By engaging and consulting with onsite management or the landlord to ensure the objective of securing a ready, willing, and able renter is not compromised, we minimize the risk of competitive pressure.

  For renters, we simply may not have what they are looking for and the search comes to a dead end. We embrace the notion that we are unbiased and selective. Our agents know that if the criteria doesn’t match what we have available, we either show them ways to conduct effective searches or try to point them in the right direction. This additional support and genuine dedication has led to some really great online reviews!

• How did Residential Renters take form?

  Years ago when I was moving to Milwaukee to attend UW-Milwaukee, I remember my dad and I heading down to apartment shop. It consisted of relying on the newspaper and driving around calling numbers on yard signs. We had no idea what we were doing, frustrations were high, and no one was answering the phone. We ended up renting the first apartment we toured. Despite overwhelming odors and being outdated by a good 30 years, I made it my home.

  While attending college, my friends became building managers for one of the larger East Side property management groups. Through these connections, I quickly learned that I could manage a property as a building manager, receive a rent credit, and help other people find places to rent. They handed me the keys to roughly 5,000 units and said go get ‘em. So I jumped on my moped and became obsessed with the rental market. Shortly after, I began working with Marcus & Millichap where I learned the art of the multi-family investment industry and decided to test my real estate, marketing, and entrepreneurial skills in Silicon Valley. During this transition to San Jose, a few friends in Milwaukee who worked in property management wanted to pick up where I left off and we decided to create what is now known as Residential Renters. Adam Schroeder is now Director of Operations managing the daily operations of the company while I oversee marketing initiatives and investor relations.

• What’s next for Residential Renters?

  There’s been such a favorable market response to our presence that our business is opening the doors to a whole new realm of opportunity and innovation. Our challenge will be to accommodate increasing demand with an expanding team environment. It’s truly an exciting stage to be a part of and requires the hiring of creative people with complementary skill sets to produce a synergistic effect.

  We are constantly on the lookout for entrepreneurial mindsets who have a passion for helping people find a great place, thrive in the world of social media and marketing, or simply enjoy team leadership. We are also collaborating with the local universities and colleges to provide internship opportunities for students who want to build upon their skill sets, gain needed work experience, and take a career test drive, all while earning credit depending on eligibility. Various positions include Marketing Associate, Social Media Associate, and Leasing Agent Services.

• Am I required to accept emotional support animals?

  Yes, you are required to accept emotional support animals (ESAs) under federal law. ESAs are considered a protected class under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As a landlord, you cannot reject an applicant solely because they have an ESA. Additionally, you are not allowed to charge a pet deposit or impose additional pet rent for an ESA. However, it's important to ensure that the tenant provides proper documentation from a qualified mental health professional to verify the need for the ESA. While ESAs have certain protections, they are not the same as service animals, and they do not have the same access rights in public places.

• Can I reach you after hours?

  Yes. You will have direct mobile numbers to those assigned to your property.

• Can you put the money directly into my account?

  Yes, at your request.

• Who approves the applicants?

  The Landlord is provided the complete tenant screening package for their review and approval. They are expected to respond with a decision within 24hrs. If the Landlord does not respond timely and the applicants meet or exceed the agreed upon screening criteria, the Landlord may be held liable for success fees and damages.

• Do I get to see the lease or sign it?

  Yes. You will be responsible for the final review & e-signing.

• Do you sell real estate too?

  We do not, but we work with local real estate agents who do. Let us know if you would like to provide a few recommendations.

• How and when do I get my checks?

  For self-managed, checks/payment is coordinated upon lease signing.

• How is rent collection handled?

  For tenant placement (lease-only), you coordinate preferred methods directly with tenants.

  For full-service management, residents are provided an online portal to submit monthly payments electronically.

• How long of a lease do you sign?

  We typically default to 12 months but it depends on the seasonal cycle and the accommodation type (i.e furnished vs. unfurnished).

• How much security deposit do you charge the tenant?

  Typically we suggest 1 month’s rent. Other considerations would be for pets, furnished units, etc.

• How soon can you find a renter?

  This is one of the most common questions we encounter.

• What type of properties do you manage?

  We work with Single Family, Multi-Family Apartments, and Condos.

• What type of reports do I get and how often?

  Weekly rental activity report with agent follow-ups.