Use the form to the right to send us your information. We will get right back to you.
As a Red Umbrella client you will receive our guide “Getting Your Home Ready” to help you through the process step by step.
To help you get started with Red Umbrella Management you will find some frequently asked questions below. This information is expanded upon in our “Getting Your Home Ready” guide.
Depending on your situation you would typically need the below to start management:
Please keep utilities on until the new tenant moves in (water, electric, gas, trash etc.)
Keep the account in your name but call up the utility companies and have them add “c/o Red Umbrella Management” to the name and change the mailing address to “Po Box 2242, Merrifield VA 22116.” You should do this for all the utility companies (gas, electric, water.)
Discontinue phone, cable, internet service and trash when you leave.
When available, we will typically set up a revert service after the first tenant move-in that switches the utilities into our name for any service interruptions in the future.
We will need a copy of the rules and regulations for any HOA/Condominium/Cluster the home is a part of. That includes rules and policies for things like pool usage, parking, pets, trash pickup and use of common elements (if any.) We will also need the contact information for each association.
Forward all payment books needed if we are making payments. Inform the association that we are managing the property and to forward all correspondence to Red Umbrella Management. They likely will need a copy of the management agreement.
Let your neighbors and friends know our contact information in case they notice of hear of any issues with the property.
Contact your insurance company and change your insurance to a fire and liability type policy. Make sure you discuss the various policy options and requirements (vacancy, deductibles, coverage etc.)
Add on “Red Umbrella Management” as an additional insured and give them our mailing address “Po Box 2242, Merrifield VA 22116.”
If you have service contracts that you wish to keep, please notify the firms that Red Umbrella Management will be managing the property and provide them with our address and contact information (lawn care, pest control, HVAC service contract etc.) Then forward us a copy of the details and contact information.
If you have a Home Warranty service that you would like for us to use, please be aware that we have found home warranty companies to be hard to deal with. While that becomes our problem, it could impact the tenant experience negatively. The home warranty company may not come out as soon as regular companies we use for urgent issues, and the company may require 3 repair visits before they will replace a system we would normally replace. Repeated visits and delays may turn an otherwise great tenant relationship into a sour one. This is especially a problem when dealing with broken refrigerators and HVAC systems in the summer.
Even if your home is in a great condition, the home may still need some preparation before we turn it into a rental home.
While most tenants will treat your home with respect, some fixtures and features are more tenant friendly than others.
Our “Getting Your Home Ready” guide will give you some information to start with. In addition, during our site visit, we will walk through the home and identify suggested improvements and repairs. We will arrange for the repairs – or you can arrange for them yourself or perform them yourself if you are handy.
We often take over homes to manage where the owner is already out of the area. That is no problem – we will do a site visit, agree on updates and repairs needed, and then arrange for the updates.
