Out-of-area owners
Own here, live elsewhere
Some of the properties we manage belong to owners in another state. The arrangement is the same wherever you live.
How it works from a distance
Distance changes the logistics, not the arrangement
We handle the property, the tenant and the day-to-day: marketing and showings, screening that complies with California law, rent collection, maintenance coordination with local vendors, and the monthly statement. Your statement arrives every month without you having to ask for it, and when you call or text you reach the people who look after your property.
Humboldt County has 54,922 occupied homes and 43.5% of them are rented. The median gross rent is $1,287 a month, which puts full management at $128.70 a month and a one-time placement fee of $643.50 at that rent.
Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 (tables B25003, B25064, B25077). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Why the licence matters more from away
You are relying on someone else to be compliant
When you are not in the county, California’s rules on deposits, notice and habitability are being applied by whoever manages the property, not by you. The two statutes below set the floor, and a licensed brokerage is accountable to the Department of Real Estate for how it applies them.
What the state sets
Two rules that apply to every rental in California
What you may hold as a deposit is capped by statute. California Civil Code section 1950.5 provides that a landlord “shall not demand or receive security, however denominated, in an amount or value in excess of an amount equal to one month’s rent.” An owner who is a natural person, or an LLC whose members are all natural persons, and who owns no more than two residential rental properties totalling no more than four units, may hold up to two months’ rent instead. That exception does not apply when the tenant is a service member.
Managing a rental for someone else requires a broker licence. Business and Professions Code section 10131 defines a real estate broker as a person who, for compensation, “leases or rents or offers to lease or rent, or places for rent, or solicits listings of places for rent, or solicits for prospective tenants… or collects rents from real property.” Lazzar Realty is a licensed California brokerage, DRE #00839478, and has been in Humboldt County since 1984.
Sources: Cal. Civil Code § 1950.5 and Cal. Business & Professions Code § 10131. General information about California law, not legal advice for your situation.
Questions owners ask
Do you work with owners who live outside the area?
Yes. Some of the properties we manage belong to owners living outside Humboldt County or outside California. The monthly statement, the disbursement and direct access by phone or text are the same wherever you live.
Who deals with maintenance if I am not nearby?
We coordinate with local vendors. They invoice us, and the cost passes through to you with nothing added, so no repair pays us more than any other.
How do I know what is happening with my property?
A statement arrives every month without you having to ask, and you can call or text the people who manage the property directly.
What does management cost if I live out of state?
The same as for a local owner: 10% of the monthly rent, plus a one-time placement fee of half a month when a tenant signs. There is no out-of-area surcharge.
Does California law treat out-of-state owners differently?
The rules on deposits, notice and habitability apply to the property, not to where the owner lives. What changes is that you are relying on your manager to apply them, which is why the brokerage licence matters.