Looking for a rental to call home?

We believe you have a right to privacy. We also believe that most people are Good. So that is why you do not have to pay a fee to apply and you do not need a credit check at this stage. 

We call, email, or text applicants from our list of screening applications in order to schedule in person showings. To be on that list you will need to click APPLY NOW

If you've made it to the in person showing it means your screening application is acceptable. Please then make time to come when we are available. At the very least have someone come see it for you. If not possible to meet in person we can facilitate a video walkthrough or a FaceTime call. 

As property managers we can narrow the choices for the owners to one or two applicants, so this is where we do ask you to verify all the information on your screening application. Credit, criminal history, eviction history, income, and identity will be verified before final acceptance. 

Good news, if you make it to this step you are the final choice, or you're being compared to just one other applicant. 

Everything checks out! You're on the final step. We will write the lease and share it with you so you can ask questions. Once everything is clear we will send for you to sign electronically by email. 

Its our policy to continue marketing the unit until the security deposit is paid in certified funds. Certified check or money order are acceptable. You'll want to do this as soon as you can after acceptance, because if you're late we will likely accept another applicant. 

To get keys you'll need to pay anything else that is on the lease being due prior to move in day. You'll need renters insurance which typically costs $10-20 per month. That protects your property in the event there is fire or theft and it is not optional. You'll need to accept billing responsibility for utilities as it is outlined in your lease. 

When you move in you'll need to complete the property condition form to document any defects.  

Occupancy limits: Generally speaking the number of occupants for a unit is 2 per bedroom plus 1, but the conditions may vary based on the conditions of the property including sewage, potential wear and tear, and sqft of common areas. 

Late payment policies: If a tenant falls behind on rent an eviction process will be started and will not be stopped until an owner approved payment plan is established and followed. A condition of the payment plan is a unit inspection. 

Applicant qualification: An applicant must demonstrate creditworthiness and a source of income to make the rent affordable. There are exceptions such as assistance programs or events temporarily impacting credit which will be taken into consideration as part of the whole application. 

Equal Housing: Galvanized Management LLC treats all individuals fairly regardless of their belonging to protected classes and as such we prefer you not disclose any unnecessary information which could assign you to such a protected class such as age, religion, disability, familial status, national origin, sex, color, or race.

If you're considering self managing consider these questions:

• Are you able to post a notice to quit the day after the grace period ends?
• Are you able to take time off work to file a landlord tenant complaint in the local district court and then appear in court two weeks later?
• Are you able to meet the constable for a lockout during the workweek? 

All these items must be handled during normal working hours for professionals. If you self manage you might have to take personal time off work for each event. Wouldn't it be better to work with an experienced Property Manager who can handle each of these as needed as soon as they can be done? 

We have worked with enough plumbers, HVAC techs, roofers, and excavators that we know who shows up and who does honest work. Self management means over time figuring this out for yourself and paying retail prices. Galvanized Management also has our own dedicated repairmen working for us full time who can handle the majority of repairs in house at a lower cost. 

Consider this case study, Friday at 5:30PM a tenant reports their AC is not working, what can you do? We contacted two HVAC technicians we have relationships with and one was available Saturday morning at 9AM to check the system. The freon in the system was too low so it was able to be repaired by the afternoon. The cost for this service? $350 to a consumer, but $310 to us because of our relationship with that technician. 

When an individual landlord interacts directly with their renter there are a number of factors which make the relationship personal instead of strictly business. Renters may falsely claim they lost their job, got COVID, were forced to take in a family member temporarily, or even involved in a car accident. The first time this happens an individual landlord is likely to grant some flexibility to the tenant, but when it happens again the landlord often will get angry, frustrated, or suspicious. This is natural and largely unavoidable. Without clear policies in place for dealing with these circumstances a landlord sets him or herself up for drama with renters who have their own reasons, sometimes legitimate, for breaching the terms of the lease. 

You need a professional property manager so they can cut through the drama and get results. If a tenant experiences a setback we have a policy to follow regardless of the circumstances. It's just business with us and although the renter may attempt to create drama we deal with circumstances like theirs all the time and have experience responding strategically. 

As of this writing Galvanized Management has processed over 980 applications. Each of those applicants is added to our new listing email. So when you're ready to list your rental with us we will reach out to this extensive network of renters to spread the word. We are licensed RE/MAX agents so we list it immediately on the MLS and it is then filtered down to all the  popular listing sites. Maximum exposure means you get the most applicants. Having the most applicants means getting the best and lowering your vacancy rate. 

We answer every lead and return every call in a timely manner and make it easy for applicants to apply through the convenience of their cell phone or computer. We narrow down the applicants and hold an open house where we meet the applicants in person. This helps us narrow the pool to the best two interested applications to present to you. When you've indicated a preference we will verify everything from income to references before writing the lease and collecting the deposit. We even check credit, criminal history, public court records for eviction history, and a google search. 

As the property owner you are not the only one impacted by the performance of this renter, we are too. That is why we are so thorough. 

I cannot tell you how many owner/landlords have justified rents far below market value because the tenant has been there for a long time or because they pay on time every month. But we expect every tenant to pay on time, that's no reason to limit the performance of your investment. 

The truth is most landlords do not know how to raise the rent without creating drama and resentment. Many of them just don't know what market value is for their property. But as a property management service we find renters tend to see it as part of our job to keep rents at market rates. 

Philosophically we need to balance the risk of losing the tenant with the value of the increase. In our opinion most renters are replaceable. 

I met a landlord recently who refused to rent to a couple for her own personal reasons. In conversation it was revealed the couple were a same sex married couple. I don't have to describe to you the risk that property owner was taking, but many landlords do not know the minefield they are navigating when they meet applicants and when they choose who they deem to be the best. Did you know you cannot legally refuse an applicant just because they have a child? Family status is a protected class just like ethnicity, religion, age, and disability. The state of PA actually has sting operations to catch landlords in the act of discrimination. 

As licensed Realtors we are subject to ongoing training on non-discriminatory practices and this protects you as much as it protects us. 

If you want the best tenant you need your listing to have the most exposure. You also want tenant screening. For this you will need a Realtor and the typical commission is the first month's rent. If the renter stays 1 year you've given up 8.3% of the income for the year. Promotionally we will fill your vacant property with no commission, so our fee is 10% of collected rent and that is only slightly more money than hiring a Realtor just to advertise the unit and present applications. Over the next few years with that tenant most landlords will not raise the rent, but some will increase the rent 3-5%. At Galvanized Management the expectation is that the rent will increase with market value at each renewal. In the last year rents went up 10-15%, so you can see how working with us means your investment is likely to perform better.