Most owners with 15 to 40 rentals hire a property manager when the portfolio starts acting like a second job: vacancies sit longer than a few weeks, maintenance calls take over your evenings, or you are no longer sure every lease, notice and rent increase follows California law. With flat fee management, a year of fees on a typical single family home costs less than one month of vacancy.
Owners at this size are usually sharp operators. You bought well, you know your numbers, and you may have managed every home yourself for years. The question is not whether you can do it. It is whether your time is better spent on the next acquisition than on the next leaking water heater.
Signs you have outgrown self managing
- Turnovers drag. Homes sit empty for a month or more between tenants.
- You are the after hours line. Every repair, lockout and noise complaint comes to your phone.
- Screening is inconsistent. Different criteria for different homes is a fair housing risk.
- Rent follow up slips. Late notices go out when you have time, not on day six.
- Tax season is painful. Receipts and statements for 20 or 30 homes live in three different places.
- Rent increases feel risky. You are not sure which homes fall under AB 1482, a city rent ordinance, or neither.
What it actually costs
Skybridge charges a flat monthly fee per home, not a percentage of rent:
| Property type | Monthly management |
|---|---|
| Single family home | $149 |
| Condo or townhome | $99 |
| Duplex to fourplex | $99 per door |
| ADU | $99 |
Leasing is 50% of the first month’s rent when we place a new tenant, lease renewals are $200, there is no onboarding fee, and you can cancel with 30 days’ notice. For larger portfolios, ask us about portfolio pricing. A year of management on a single family home is $1,788, which is less than one month of rent on most homes we manage. Compare your current numbers with our fee calculator.
What a manager should do for a portfolio owner
- One point of contact who knows every property, not a call center.
- One statement per property and one combined payout, so your books are clean for your CPA.
- Written screening criteria applied the same way everywhere. Ours is a 720 credit score, income of 2.5 times the rent, and no prior evictions, and we have had one eviction in the last eight years.
- Fast leasing. Homes we price correctly typically lease in 7 to 21 days, shown through self showing lockboxes on weekdays and weekends.
- Compliance handled: rent increase limits, required notices, and local registration where it applies.
Questions to ask before you hand over 15 or more homes
- Who exactly will I talk to, and how fast do you reply?
- How do you price rent, and how long do your vacant homes sit?
- What are your written screening standards?
- What is every fee, including leasing, renewals and cancellation?
- Can I start with part of my portfolio?
- How do you handle the handoff from me or my current manager?
How the handoff works
Existing leases stay in place. We collect the leases, deposits and keys, set up your owner portal, and notify tenants of the new contact and payment information, which California requires within 15 days of a management change. If you are moving from another company, here is how switching managers works. If you only want help filling vacancies, compare lease only and full service.
Frequently asked questions
How many rentals before I need a property manager?
There is no fixed number. Most owners hire help when vacancies, repairs and compliance start taking more time than finding the next property. For many investors that happens somewhere between 10 and 20 homes.
Can I hire a manager for only some of my properties?
Yes. Many owners start with the homes that are farthest away or turn over most often, then move the rest once they like the results.
What does property management cost for multiple properties?
At Skybridge, $149 per month per single family home and $99 per door for condos, townhomes, ADUs and duplex to fourplex buildings, plus 50% of the first month’s rent for new leases. Larger portfolios can ask about portfolio pricing.
Will my tenants have to sign new leases?
No. Existing leases stay in effect. Tenants get a notice with the new contact and payment details, and the leases are renewed under our process when they come up.
Do you manage small apartment buildings?
Yes. We manage duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes at $99 per door per month across Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire and Orange County.
Ready to get your time back?
Call (909) 610-9780 and tell us about your portfolio. When you call, a real person picks up.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Pricing is current as of November 2026.
