San Francisco Leasing

Current California rental laws are complex, and in San Francisco, leasing a home is even more challenging. Therefore, your lease agreement must be specific to San Francisco and detailed. We use the San Francisco Apartment Association’s Residential Tenancy Agreement, which is what every landlord in San Francisco should be using.

You need a lease agreement that protects you and your property. A good lease will outline the expectations you have for your tenant and establish a professional and respectful relationship.

Including Rent Collection Policies Leads to On-Time Payments

Collecting rent on time starts with expectations and standards. Put your rent collection policy in your lease agreement to ensure your tenants understand when it’s due, how it should be paid, and how much they will owe. 

We make sure your San Francisco lease agreement includes information on late fees, grace periods, and further consequences when the rent isn’t paid on time. 

When you write this directly into your lease agreement, there can be no excuses when tenants are late. They cannot say they didn’t know when rent was due or they weren’t sure how to pay it. You also have the opportunity to discuss rental payments when you’re signing the lease together.

Leasing San Francisco rental homes in The Mission District, The Marina, Mission Bay, and surrounding areas.

Reference Maintenance Responsibilities and Standards to Eliminate Conflict

Your lease agreement must also indicate who is responsible for what tasks when maintaining the property and keeping it in good condition.

As the owner, you are responsible for the general habitability of the unit and functions of all the systems, including heating and cooling and water and electricity. Tenants, however, share some of the responsibility, and your lease must be explicit about what those things are. At Gordon Property Management, our lease agreements outline:

  • Cleaning standards to avoid pests and deterioration.

  • Upkeep of common and outdoor areas.

  • Repairs and replacements of appliances.

  • Definitions of emergency maintenance.

  • Locations of emergency exits and other safety maintenance features.

You’ll want to include information about your process for requesting maintenance. Tenants should be able to reference their lease to understand how to contact you in case of an emergency, and what they should do when routine repairs are needed. Make sure the lease agreement explains how you will inspect and maintain your San Francisco rental property so they aren’t surprised by any preventative visits from pest control companies, HVAC techs, or other service providers.

Local, State, and Federal Disclosures and Addenda are Required

We are very careful about keeping your lease agreement legally compliant and up to date with all state, federal, and local laws. We will make all necessary changes and insert any needed addenda as laws change. For example, all lease agreements in California must now reflect whether your unit is included in the new rent control laws or exempt. We include information about how and when rent increases may occur and what the limits are.

Every lease must include federal disclosures such as information about asbestos and lead paint. California leases must also disclose any bed bug issues, and provide information about carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.  

It’s very important that your lease agreement include information that’s specific to your property as well as general information that’s required by law. Not including the pertinent information could invalidate your lease. At Gordon Property Management, we make sure your lease has everything it needs to protect you and your San Francisco rental property.

Professional Property Management Association of San Francisco logo/badge
California Apartment Association logo/badge
National Association of Residential Property Managers logo/badge
SF - San Francisco affiliation logo/badge

What People Are Saying About Us

4.8/5
4.8 /5
288 Reviews
Google
5.0/5
Jul 2, 2020
Google • Gordon Property Management
Gordon Property has a great team that responds promptly to all tenant issues and communicates thoroughly and clearly with us, the owners. We have used their services for many years and will continue to do so.
Google
5.0/5
Jun 26, 2020
Google • Gordon Property Management
Gordon Property has done a tremendous job during this challenging time of COVID-19. They are very kind and very proactive in helping their clients.
Survey
5.0/5
Jun 24, 2020
• Gordon Property Management
Frankly, I don't know which maintenance this questionnaire is referring to - please add a reference number so it is more clear. But since all maintenance has been done so far is excellent, I am rating it as 5 stars. Thank you!
Survey
5.0/5
Jun 23, 2020
• Gordon Property Management
Luis is always fast and responsive.
Survey
5.0/5
Jun 23, 2020
• Gordon Property Management
The workman was punctual, efficient, and agreeable. He got the issue resolved very quickly.
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Want to Learn More?

If you’d like to learn more about our properties and what it’s like to work with Gordon Property Management, get in touch. We’d be happy to talk more about our rental properties, our application requirements, and our leasing process.

Gordon Property Management

1596 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
P: (415) 554-8812 | F: (415) 554-0488
Email: Meghan@gpmsf.com
CA DRE #01944146

 

John AguilaJohn recently joined Gordon Property Management’s maintenance team. He works with Alen in repairing and maintaining residential real estate for GPM’s clients.

Messages for John can be left with Nanette at (415) 554-8812 x 202 or by Email: maintenance@gpmsf.com

 

Nicole Russo Assistant Property ManagerNicole is our Receptionist & Assistant Property Manager who joined the team in January 2017. She communicates often with our tenants and provides support and assistance to them as well as to the other members of our office. Nicole is also in charge of the annual property surveys for our company making her very familiar with most GPM properties as well. This familiarity proves very useful when assisting Jasmine as part of the maintenance team.
Main Line: 415 554-8812 x210
Email: nicole@gpmsf.com

 

Jasmine Lenoir Miller Maintenance CoordinatorJasmine Miller is the Maintenance Coordinator at Gordon Property Management. Jasmine has been with the company since 2015. She oversees all maintenance request for the properties we manage. Jasmine has completed the San Francisco Apartment Associations CCRM series.

Main line: 415 554-8812 x205
Direct Line: 415 625-0993
Email: jasmine@gpmsf.com

 

Alen Aguila - Maintenance TechnicianAlen is a talented Maintenance Technician with years of knowledge and experience repairing and maintaining residential real estate. Alen has been with Gordon Property Management since 2004.

Messages for Alen can be left with Nanette at (415) 554-8812 x 202 or by Email: maintenance@gpmsf.com

 

Ryan Meek - BookkeeperRyan is our Bookkeeper. He handles all of the billing and rents received from tenants and assists with maintenance. Ryan has been with Gordon Property Management since 2012. Ryan has completed the San Francisco Apartment Association CCRM series.
Main Line: (415) 554-8812
Direct Line: (415) 728-0141
Email: ryan@gpmsf.com

 

Nanette Barr - Property Manager & Leasing AgentNanette is our Property Manager & Leasing Agent at Gordon Property Management. Nanette is a licensed California Real Estate Salesperson and has completed the San Francisco Apartment Associations CCRM series. Nanette has been with Gordon Property Management since 2005.
Main Line: (415) 554-8812 x 202
Direct Line: (415) 625-0992
Email: nanette@gpmsf.com
CA DRE License #01929355

 

Meghan Guerin - PresidentMeghan joined Gordon Property Management in 2004 after working in the insurance industry for many years. Meghan is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and has completed the San Francisco Apartment Associations CCRM series. Call Meghan to discuss having your property professionally managed by Gordon Property Management.
Main Line: (415) 554-8812 x 204
Direct Line: (415) 625-0990
Email: meghan@gpmsf.com
CA DRE License #01780930

Stephanie Gordon - Founder and CEO
Stephanie Gordon is an active member of the Professional Property Management Association of San Francisco (PPMA), the San Francisco Apartment Association (SFAA), the California Apartment Association (CAA) and the National Association of Real Property Managers (NARPM). Stephanie was named the 2010 Property Manager of the Year by the San Francisco Apartment Association. This award was quite an honor and a fitting testimonial to her dedication and professionalism as a property manager. Stephanie received her Master’s Degree in Real Estate from Golden Gate University in 1986. Stephanie is a native San Franciscan and loves all things real estate related.

Main Line: (415) 554-8812 x 201
Direct Line: (415) 625-0989
Email: stephanie@gpmsf.com
CA DRE License #00874781

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Call us at (415) 649-3944 during business hours.

We guarantee that a team member will be on the other end to answer any questions you may have.

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Free How-To Ebook for San Francisco Rental Property Owners
If you own a rental property in San Francisco, our eBook will introduce city-specific advice on:
〉 How to protect your property.

〉 How to provide renters with good experience.

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RENT DUE: All rents are due on the first day of the month. Some of our leases have a grace period. Any rent not received by 5:00 PM on the last day of the grace period is considered late and will incur a late fee. Rents can be paid online, mailed to us, or dropped off at our office. There is a secure mail slot to the far right of our front door where rents can be dropped off 24/7.

LATE RENT: Any rent not received by 5:00 PM on the last day of the grace period (if any) is late and a late fee of 5% will be charged. Personal checks are not accepted after the 5th of the month. If your rent is late it must be paid with a cashier’s check or money order (payable to Gordon Property Management) and must include the late fee.

BOUNCED CHECKS: If your check is returned by the bank for non-sufficient funds, or for any reason, you will be charged a returned check fee of $40.00 PLUS the late fee of 5%. Replacement checks must be paid with a cashier’s check or money order and must include the NSF fee and the late fee. Personal checks will not be accepted by any tenant who has had two checks returned by the bank.

AUTOMATIC PAYMENTS: If you choose, you can arrange for an automatic payment with your bank. You can also make online rent payments via our Online Tenant Portal. Click here to PAY RENT ONLINE NOW.

MOVING OUT: You must give 30 days written notice of your intent to move out. Once we receive your notice we will send you a move out packet with information regarding the pre-move out inspection and cleaning instructions.

MAINTENANCE REQUESTS: All requests for maintenance and repairs must be made through the TENANT PORTAL. You must give us permission to use our keys for entry or you must be home to let the repair person in.

After business hours (evenings and weekends), we can only accommodate emergency repairs. These are generally limited to plumbing emergencies, and you will have to be home to meet the repair person. For after-hour emergencies please call the office (415 554-8812) and our answering service will be able to assist you.

PLUMBING: Gordon Property Management will cover the cost of most plumbing repairs. However, you should be aware that we do not cover the costs of repairs that are due to a tenants’ negligence or lack of care.

GARBAGE DISPOSALS: Gordon Property Management will not pay to clear jammed or frozen garbage disposals. This is the most common type of maintenance request and is almost always caused by misuse or overuse of the garbage disposal. They are delicate machines and are not intended to grind up many kinds of foods or a large volume of food. Use the garbage disposal at your own risk!

LOCKOUTS: If you lock yourself out of your apartment you will have to call a locksmith at your own expense.

EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE REQUESTS: For emergency repairs you may call the office at (415) 554-8812 and then follow up by completing the form or logging into the portal.

After hour emergencies please call our answering service at (415) 554-8812.

 

Completed Rental Application – EACH applicant over 18 years of age who will be residing in the unit must complete in its entirety and sign Gordon Property Management’s Application. You can complete an application online through our listings.

Provide Credit Check and Processing Fee – EACH applicant over 18 years of age who will be residing in the unit must provide a $35.00 non-refundable credit check and processing fee. Payment methods for this fee may be online, cash, check or money order made payable to Gordon Property Management. Credit check and processing fees are non-refundable. The amount charged covers the actual cost of the credit report, unlawful detainer (eviction) search, and/or other screening reports and the administrative costs to obtain, process and verify screening information.

Provide Income Documentation – Applicants can upload income verification or provide them to Gordon Property Management via fax, email or in person.

Income documentation includes copies of your most recent paystubs, offer letters or tax returns. We will not begin working on your application until we receive all of these items.

Qualifying For An Apartment

INCOME:
In order to rent an apartment or home from Gordon Property Management, applicants must be able to show that their monthly income is equal to or greater than 3 1/2 times the monthly rent. We consider all verifiable income of all applicants in the household. Self-employed persons may need to submit tax returns and/or bank statements. Students who are receiving parental support will need to have their parents qualify and sign a rent guarantee.

CREDIT REPORTS:
The credit report is one of several factors we use in evaluating a tenant. Although a high credit rating is preferable, we recognize that many potentially great tenants have had credit problems in the past. If your credit history is less than ideal, please tell us why.

REFERENCES:
We will contact your current and your former landlords for references. The rental reference is an extremely important factor in evaluating prospective tenants, so make sure your application includes accurate phone numbers for your current and former landlords.

PETS:
Some of our properties are willing to consider pets and some will not. If we are able to consider pets our ads will clearly state that pets are negotiable. Cats must be spayed or neutered, and in some cases, they must be indoor cats. Dogs must be at least two years old and we must be able to either meet the dog or get references for the dog. Read our pet agreement carefully and make sure you are willing to comply with the terms of the pet agreement.

SELECTION PROCESS:
Selecting a tenant from several qualified applicants is not easy. We use all of the above factors in combination to choose a tenant. We will offer the unit to the first qualified applicant to submit a complete application, with the following exceptions:

1) Applicants who offer over the asking price will be given priority consideration and applicants who offer less than the asking price will be considered after those offering full price or more.
2)An applicant without a pet may, in some cases, be offered a unit before an applicant with one.

Applications shall not be considered received until they are complete.

SIGNING A LEASE:
If you are selected for an apartment, you will have 48 hours from the time we offer you the apartment to sign the lease and pay the full security deposit. All leases are 12-month leases. The first month’s rent will be due at the start of the lease and before you are given keys to the apartment. Both the security deposit and the first months’ rent must be paid through our online application or paid with a cashier’s check or money order (payable to Gordon Property Management). All applicants will be required to obtain a renter’s insurance policy prior to occupancy. Smoking of tobacco products is prohibited on the entire property pursuant to Article 19F of the SF Health code. However, some prior rental agreements in building are not subject to this regulation.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY:
We do Business in Accordance with the Fair Housing Act. (The Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988).

IT SHALL BE ILLEGAL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PERSON BECAUSE OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, (PHYSICAL OR MENTAL) DISABILITY, FAMILIAL STATUS (HAVING ONE OR MORE CHILDREN), OR NATIONAL ORIGIN

In the sale or rental of housing or residential lots
In advertising the sale or rental of housing
In the financing of housing
In the appraisal of housing
In the provision of real estate brokerage services
Blockbusting is illegal
Anyone who feels he or she has been discriminated against should send a complaint to:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Washington, D.C. 20410

 

Jordan Rugg joined the GPM team in 2018 as Leasing Agent and all-around assistant.  After 5 years as a school teacher, Jordan decided it was time to join the family business (Jordan is the son of Founder Stephanie Gordon).

Direct Line: (415) 742-8027
Email: jordan@gpmsf.com

 

Tierney SolorioTierney enjoys working part time for GPM.  She works remotely helping us with administrative tasks and showing our rental listings on the weekends.

Email: tierney@gpmsf.com