Our Process
How we Lease & Manage Properties
1836's Proven Process
Step 1
We start with your goals,
not just your property
Every successful investment starts with a plan. Before we ever list your Austin rental, we take time to understand why you’re investing and where you want this property to take you. Here’s how we build your roadmap.
1. Discovery Call
It starts with a quick call with one of our property management specialists. We'll discuss your property, your timeline, and the goals driving this investment, because your answers shape everything we do next.
2. Rental & Market Analysis
Our team compares your property against current Austin market data to build your rental estimate. We live and invest in this market ourselves, so our numbers reflect what's actually happening on the ground.
3. Your Go-to-Market Plan
You'll receive a custom strategy including your recommended rental rate, make-ready recommendations, and a marketing plan designed to attract quality residents quickly. You'll know exactly what to expect before signing anything.
4. Agreement & Paperwork
Every great partnership needs clear rules of the road. We'll send your management agreement and required disclosures for electronic signature, so we're on the same page from day one.
5. Introduction to Onboarding
Once signed, you'll meet your dedicated team of two property managers and get an overview of our process. From here, we handle the heavy lifting.
Step 2
We get your property
rent-ready, fast
Once your agreement is signed, your onboarding team gets to work. We handle the details that get your property funded, compliant, and looking its best before it ever hits the market.
1. Keys, Utilities & Reserve
We collect keys, codes, and remotes, confirm utilities are on, and fund your maintenance reserve. Your onboarding specialists handle the setup so nothing slows down your listing.
2. Owner Portal Setup
Within one business day of receiving your signed agreement, your account is live across our systems. You'll get login credentials for your 24/7 owner portal with real-time access to every dollar in and out.
3. Initial Walkthrough
Our maintenance team walks your property, documents its condition, and places lock boxes. If repairs are needed, we'll complete them from your reserve or send a formal estimate for approval.
4. Repairs & Make-Ready
This is where your property gets "hotel room ready." Clean, functional, and up to our make-ready standards, because vacant, ready homes lease faster and at higher rents than occupied ones.
5. Existing Residents? No Problem.
Already have residents in place? We'll collect the security deposit from your prior property manager and hold it in trust per Texas law, with an optional itemization list for a clean handoff.
Step 3
We market your property
where renters actually look
A great resident starts with great marketing. Once your property passes our make-ready standards, we launch it with professional visuals, competitive pricing, and maximum exposure across the Austin rental market.
1. Professional Photos & Video
Every property in our portfolio gets a professional photographer. Top-notch imagery makes your listing stand out, attracts more applications, and helps your property lease faster and at a stronger rate.
2. MLS & 60+ Rental Sites
Your property is listed on the Austin MLS and syndicated to over 60 top rental websites worldwide, plus marketed directly to clients our partner brokerages represent. Maximum exposure, zero effort on your end.
3. Data-Driven Pricing
We price your rental using real market data, not wishful thinking. The right rate gets a quality resident in place quickly, and we historically beat industry averages on days-on-market.
4. Weekly Tuesday Updates
Every Tuesday, you'll get an email with showing counts, applicant feedback, and applications received to date, along with our recommended actions. You're never left wondering how your listing is performing.
5. Priced to Adjust
If the market talks, we listen. Based on weekly performance data, we'll recommend pricing or condition adjustments to meet demand, so your property never sits stale on the market.
Step 4
We find you a great resident,
and we guarantee it
The right resident is the difference between an investment and a headache. Our proven screening process gets quality renters in place quickly, and keeps them there for the long haul.
1. Application Criteria
Every applicant is measured against clear, consistent criteria in full compliance with federal fair housing laws. Consistency protects you legally and ensures every resident meets the same standard.
2. Background & Employment Checks
Applications go through 4–6 phases including background checks, employment verification, and pet screening when applicable. The process connects directly to applicant bank accounts, reducing errors and fraud.
3. Fast, Electronic Processing
The application takes about two hours to complete, and everything is handled electronically to secure leases faster. Applicant data stays protected to reduce identity theft and keep you compliant.
4. Approvals & Adverse Action
Based on results, applicants are approved, countered based on risk factors, or declined with the legally required Notice of Adverse Action. Every decision is documented and defensible.
5. Lease Signing & Deposits
Once approved, we prepare all legally required leasing documents and disclosures for electronic signature, then verify the paperwork and collect the security deposit before move-in day.
6. Our 6 Month Tenant Promise
If a resident we place vacates your property in less than six months, we'll find you a new qualified resident for free. That's how confident we are in our screening.
Step 5
We make move-in day
smooth and documented
Before your new residents get keys, we make sure everything is in order: the property, the paperwork, and the funds. A well-documented move-in protects your investment for the entire lease.
1. Final Property Check
Our maintenance team visits your property one more time before move-in to confirm everything is as it should be. A final interior wipedown and lawn service are performed if needed.
2. Move-In Condition Report
Just before residents take possession, we complete a detailed report documenting the property's condition. This becomes your evidence for a fair, defensible security deposit itemization at move-out.
3. Funds & Keys
We collect first month's rent and coordinate key handoff directly with your residents. No funds, no keys. Your interests come first, always.
4. Rekeying & Code Compliance
After move-in, the property is rekeyed as required by state law and brought up to current Texas Property Code, including keyless deadbolts, peepholes, and pin locks. You stay compliant without lifting a finger.
5. Move-In Support
Your residents get help with questions and needs throughout their move-in. A resident who starts happy is a resident who stays, pays on time, and takes care of your property.
Step 6
We collect the rent,
you collect the returns
This is the part every investor cares about most. Rent is collected, bills are paid, and your funds land in your bank account, with every dollar visible in real time.
1. Easy Resident Payments
Residents pay through their online portal or by physical check, whichever works for them. Simple payment options mean fewer excuses and more on-time rent.
2. Direct Deposit to You
After any property bills are paid, your funds are disbursed directly to your designated bank account every month. No chasing checks, no waiting on paperwork.
3. Under 2% Delinquency
Our screening does its job: rent delinquency across our entire portfolio never exceeds 2%. Quality residents, placed by a proven process, pay on time.
4. Real-Time Financial Visibility
Your owner portal shows all income and expenses 24/7, including copies of paid invoices. Check your property's performance from anywhere, any day, in real time.
5. Lease Enforcement
If residents fall out of compliance with their lease terms, your team steps in with the necessary measures to remedy the situation promptly. We protect the contract that protects you.
Step 7
We handle maintenance
before it becomes expensive
Maintenance is the number one issue rental owners face. That’s why we built a maintenance operation designed to protect your property, control costs, and keep residents happy — around the clock.
1. 24/7 Maintenance Line
Residents can report issues any hour, any day, including holidays. Our on-call emergency team handles the surprises tenants can't handle and rental owners shouldn't have to.
2. Troubleshoot First, Dispatch Second
Every request is prescreened and troubleshot by our maintenance team before a vendor is sent. Many issues get resolved without a service call, saving you money on unnecessary dispatches.
3. Your Approval Limits, Respected
Repairs under your maintenance limit proceed without delay. Anything above it that isn't an emergency comes to you first as a written estimate for approval. You stay in control of your money.
4. Trusted, Licensed Vendors
Years in this market means long-standing relationships with licensed, insured, local vendors who deliver honest work at fair market prices. They're also required to report resident negligence when they see it.
5. Documented Every Step
Photos, videos, and detailed descriptions accompany every maintenance project from request to completion. Nothing is overlooked, and reference material is always available if you ever need it.
6. Semi-Annual Walkthroughs
Twice a year, our maintenance team walks your property to catch small issues before they become big expenses. Proactive care protects the long-term integrity of your investment.
Step 8
We keep residents happy,
because happy residents stay
Turnover is the most expensive event in a rental property’s life. Our resident service standards keep quality renters in place longer, which keeps your income steady and your costs down.
1. Two Property Managers, Every Property
Your property gets a dedicated team of two professional property managers. If one is out, the other knows your property and takes the reins with no gaps in service.
2. An 80-to-1 Ratio
Some companies stretch one property manager across 150 or more units. We cap ours at 80. That means more time for your property, your residents, and your questions.
3. One Business Day Response
When residents, clients, or partners reach out, they hear back within one business day. Questions get acknowledged, concerns get researched, and nobody gets left on read.
4. Every Channel Covered
Residents reach us by phone, email, and their 24/7 online portal, backed by a round-the-clock answering service. Easy communication means small issues get raised before they become big ones.
5. We Measure Satisfaction
Quarterly satisfaction surveys go to residents and investors alike. We take the feedback seriously and adjust our practices when needed, because a happy renter renews.
Step 9
Your numbers, in real time
You should never have to wonder how your investment is performing. From daily transactions to long-term returns, every number is at your fingertips, twenty-four hours a day.
1. 24/7 Owner Portal
Log in anytime to see all income and expenses in real time, including copies of every paid invoice. Your property's financial picture is never more than a click away.
2. Reports Built for Tax Time
Download detailed income statements and property statements whenever you need them. Clean, organized reporting makes tax season and financial planning simple for you and your CPA.
3. REI Monitor: Real-Time ROE
Our return-on-equity reporting software shows you what your investment is actually earning, not just what it collects in rent. Know when your equity is working and when it's time to make a move.
4. Benchmarks & Reviews
We track historical data, set goals, and analyze performance quarterly and annually. Your senior property manager is available to review your numbers, and a free return on equity evaluation is always yours for the asking.
Step 10
We plan ahead,
whether they stay or go
Ninety days before a lease ends, we’re already working the next move. Whether your resident renews or moves on, there’s a plan in place to keep your income flowing.
1. Renewal Offers, 90 Days Out
Three months before lease expiration, we run a fresh rental analysis and offer renewal options to your residents based on current market data. If they renew, we confirm the new terms with you.
2. Smart Turnover Planning
If residents decide not to renew, you'll get an email with turnover expectations right away. Two weeks before move-out, our team pre-checks the property for make-ready items so there are no surprises.
3. Move-Out Report & Repairs
After move-out, we complete a detailed move-out report and schedule any needed repairs. Compared against the move-in report, it's your documentation for a fair deposit itemization.
4. Deposits Handled by the Book
Within 30 days of the lease ending, we itemize resident-related repairs, withhold funds appropriately, and return the remaining deposit as required by Texas Property Code. Fully compliant, fully documented.
5. Back on the Market
Once the property is vacant and ready, we relist and restart the proven process. Clean, ready homes spend less time vacant and lease at higher rates, so your gap in income stays as short as possible.
Throughout
We keep you compliant,
and out of court
Most owner lawsuits don’t start with a bad resident. They start with a missed deadline, a poorly worded notice, or a deposit handled the wrong way. Every step in our process is built around what Texas law actually requires.
1. A Licensed Texas Brokerage
We operate through 1836 Realty LLC, a Texas-licensed real estate brokerage under designated broker Matt Leschber. Your property is managed under state oversight and TREC accountability, not by an unlicensed operator.
2. Texas Property Code, Applied Daily
Security deposit refunds, repair response, entry notices, and lease terminations all carry statutory deadlines. We track every one of them, including the 30-day deposit accounting window, so nothing lapses on your watch.
3. Legal Counsel on Retainer
We keep legal counsel on retainer at all times. When a question comes up, from our team or from you, we get an answer before acting, and we can move fast if a situation ever requires legal action.
4. Fair Housing, Consistently Applied
Every listing carries published application criteria, and every applicant is measured against the same written standard. Consistent, documented screening is the strongest defense against a fair housing claim, and it starts before anyone applies.
5. Security Device Compliance
Texas requires rekeying and specific security devices within set timeframes after a new resident takes possession. We handle it on schedule, which closes one of the most common and most expensive gaps in owner liability.
6. Known in the Industry, Not Just the Market
Our founder served as president of NARPM's Austin board, and our team has sat on property management committees for both Texas Realtors and the Austin Board of Realtors. We help write the standards other managers follow.
Start Your Rental Property Journey
Providing A Better Experience
How We Operate
Property Management 2.0 means next-level service, expertise, integrated systems, and ease of use. That translates into peace of mind and freedom to do the things you love, while we handle the details.
Experience, Knowledge & Trust
How 1836PM Exceeds The Mark
1836PM consistently exceeds expectations. We answered ten essential questions you should be asking your prospective property management partner—for a gratifying and lucrative experience.
FAQs
1. What does a property management company actually do?
A full-service manager handles everything between you and your rental: pricing and marketing the property, screening and placing residents, collecting rent, coordinating maintenance, reporting on performance, and keeping the lease compliant with Texas law. You stay the owner and the decision maker. We handle the day-to-day so the investment doesn’t become a second job.
2. How much does property management cost in Austin?
Most Austin companies charge a percentage of your rent, so your fee climbs every time rent does. We charge a flat monthly rate instead: $124, $154, $204, or $210 depending on your property’s rent range. A one-time leasing fee applies when we place a new resident, and it drops as low as 50% of one month’s rent at higher tiers.
3. How long does it take to lease an Austin rental?
It depends on pricing, condition, and season, but all of our management plans currently include a 30-day leasing promise. We list on the Austin MLS plus 60 or more syndicated rental sites, and we don’t market a property until it’s vacant and move-in ready, which is what keeps days on market low.
4. When do I get paid, and how does disbursement work?
Residents pay online. We pay any bills tied to your property on the 10th of the month or the next business day, then disburse everything above your property reserve to your account. If a resident moves in mid-month, expect the first disbursement to take longer while rent catches up to expenses.
5. Who handles maintenance calls, and do I approve repairs?
Residents reach a maintenance line any day of the year, including holidays. We troubleshoot before dispatching anyone, which resolves a real share of calls without a truck roll. Repairs under your approval limit proceed automatically so small problems don’t sit. Anything above it comes to you first.
6. What happens if a resident moves out early?
Our 6 Month Tenant Promise covers it. If a resident we placed vacates in under six months, we find you a new qualified resident and waive the placement fee. It’s a real cost to us, which is exactly why our screening is as strict as it is.
