The agreement begins with an initial 6-month term. If the agreement is terminated by the owner during that initial period, there is a $500 early termination fee.

After the first six months, the agreement automatically transitions to month-to-month. At that point, either party may terminate the agreement with 30 days’ written notice, and there is no termination penalty.

The goal of this structure is simply to ensure we have enough time to properly onboard the property, stabilize operations, and deliver results. After that initial period, we want the relationship to continue because it’s working well for both sides.

The onboarding fee covers the initial work required to properly set up your owner account in our management systems. This includes configuring the property and owner profiles in our software, establishing trust accounting and ACH distribution settings, coordinating utility account transitions, verifying rental registration and compliance requirements, and completing the internal setup and review process so everything is configured correctly from the start.

Because this setup involves several hours of work across our accounting, leasing, and customer service teams, the onboarding fee helps cover those initial operational costs and ensures everything is structured correctly from the beginning. For that reason, it isn’t something we’re typically able to waive.

This is a one-time onboarding fee per owner account, not per property.

Once your account is established, any additional properties you bring under management in the future can be added without another onboarding fee.

Yes, Management firms work together often to transfer portfolios and services seamlessly. 

We can assist you make the transition at anytime, the ease of the process depends fully on the cooperation of previous PM firm.

The Authorization amount is the dollar amount Rental Owner agrees to allow Sagareus to operate their rental property. This allows the team to efficiently coordinate maintenance, repairs, and replacements necessary to maintain the property.

The standard Authorization Amount is $1,000.

No.

This is a common request we've attempted to accommodate in the past.

Because Sagareus is responsible for screening and approving applicants, approvals cannot be contingent on owner review or consent. The current policy is in place based on guidance from our legal counsel to ensure strict compliance with Fair Housing regulations and to protect both our clients and Sagareus from potential liability.

That said, transparency and your confidence in our process are very important to us.

Please know:

1)  Owners establish the rental criteria in advance → We then apply those criteria consistently during the screening process. These criteria will not be altered without your written authorization.

2)  Our screening process includes multiple levels of review to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Initial Screening: Administrative staff collect required documentation, review applications for completeness, and flag discrepancies that require further review.

Manager Review: A Leasing Manager reviews the full application package, manually verifies income documentation and credit reports, and may request additional documentation or a co-signer if needed.

AI Verification: Our internal AI system performs a secondary analysis to confirm calculations and consistency across documents.

Final Manager Approval: A Leasing Manager reviews the AI findings and makes the final approval or decline decision based on the established criteria.

Owner will be notified once a lease has been executed with an approved applicant. Upon request, we are happy to provide copies of the applicant underwriting documentation for transparency.

This structure allows us to maintain a consistent, efficient, and fully compliant leasing process while ensuring you have clear visibility into how applicants are evaluated.

All applications undergo a full background check, credit history review, and manual income and rental history verification.

Owners choose their level of criteria that is advertised and enforced through the leasing process. 

Criteria options are listed below, however, custom criteria may be used per Owner preference.

Applicant Criteria Options

• Standard: 2.5x rent gross income, 650+ credit score (Recommended)
• Strict: 3x rent gross income & 650+ credit score
• Lenient: 2x rent gross income & 650+ credit score

Owner Portal

Owners have access to all of their property documents and financials 24/7/365 via Owner Portal established at Onboarding.

Current clients may log in to Owner Portal Here.

Resident Portal

Residents have access to their online portal via website or phone app to pay rent, submit requests, obtain renters insurance, and view documents. 

Resident Portal Overview

Owner distributions are sent monthly via electronic funds transfer (EFT), accompanied by monthly reports.

Standard maintenance requests can be submitted online via the Resident Portal or by email to mgmt@sagareus.com.  Requests are received and processed within 24 hours for response or dispatch. 

Maintenance Emergencies are addressed immediately with our Emergency Maintenance Line. 

Each property is assigned preferred vendors based on owner preference (if available), then by Sagareus preferred vendor list. 

Sagareus operates within the confines of the Authorization amount; If a repair exceeds this amount, the owner will be notified and provided with options and recommendations.

Standard maintenance items are non-emergency issues, such as:

• Small leaks, running toilets, or dripping shower / tub faucets
• Drain Clogs
• Broken interior door knobs, locks, or hinges
• Broken or malfunctioning microwave, dishwasher, or washer/dryer

A Maintenance Emergency includes:

• Anything that may be a fire hazard, such as broken heater, stove or oven, or exposed wires.
• Anything related to security or your ability to exit, such as broken locks or windows
• Anything related to your ability to cook or store food, such as broken refrigerator or stove top.
• Anything that may be a flood issue, such as a major leak.
• A broken water heater

While every rental is unique, there are several key variables that directly influence how quickly a property leases. These include:

• Property condition – Homes that are clean, well-maintained, and rent-ready attract more interest and stronger applicants. Deferred maintenance or cosmetic issues can extend time on market.

• List price – Pricing relative to current market conditions is the single biggest driver of leasing speed. Even small pricing misalignments can significantly impact demand.

• Pet policy – Allowing pets typically increases inquiry volume and shortens days on market. Restrictive or no-pet policies can narrow the applicant pool.

• Screening criteria – Credit requirements, income thresholds, occupancy limits, and other criteria affect how quickly qualified applicants are approved.

At Sagareus, our objective is to lease all units within 30 days of going live. We actively monitor showing activity, inquiry volume, and application trends, and we adjust pricing and strategy in real time if traction is lower than expected.

That said, leasing timelines are market-driven—not guaranteed. Our role is to position your property competitively, move quickly on qualified applicants, and balance speed with risk mitigation to secure a strong, long-term tenant.

Property Owners choose their own pet policy. 

Sagareus recommends our standard pet policy of up to 2 pets, 30lb weight limit; $50 / mo pet rent. 

The final decision is up to the property owner & Sagareus will enforce owner's chosen pet policy. 

Are Pet Friendly Rentals More Attractive?

Sagareus’ utility billing structure is designed to:

• Recover as much utility cost as legally permitted

• Monitor for leaks, abnormal usage, or unauthorized occupants

• Ensure utilities are paid on time without service interruptions

• Reduce administrative risk from frequent account changes

• Provide clarity, consistency, and fewer disputes for residents

How utility billing method is chosen

The utility billing method for each property is determined prior to leasing and is based on the property’s physical configuration and available utility infrastructure.

Sagareus determines:

• Whether utilities are individually metered or shared between units

• Whether submetering exists or is cost-effective

• Accuracy, feasibility, and long-term operational reliability

Based on this review, Sagareus assigns the appropriate billing method for the property. The selected method is disclosed in advance and remains consistent for the duration of the lease term unless otherwise stated in writing.

Centralized Utility Billing

Sagareus does not place water / sewer charges in a resident’s name. Instead, utilities are centrally managed and billed back to residents through their monthly ledger.

Electricity, gas, and garbage accounts are placed in resident names whenever possible.

How centralized billing works

1. Sagareus receives the utility bill directly from the provider.

2. The bill is paid from the owner’s operating account.

3. The applicable utility charge is added to the resident’s ledger for the upcoming rent cycle.

4. The resident pays the full ledger balance (rent + utilities).

5. Utility charges are recorded as Utility Recovery in owner reporting.

Flat Fee Utility Billing (Shared Meter Properties)

When a property has multiple units sharing utility meters and submetering is not feasible or cost-effective, Sagareus requires flat fee utility billing rather than splitting actual utility bills between residents.

Flat fees are disclosed before lease execution and remain fixed per the lease terms.

Why flat fee billing is required

• Predictable payments – Residents can set up automatic payments without fluctuating or miscalculated amounts.

• Fewer disputes – Eliminates conflicts between tenants over usage, guests, landscaping, or perceived over-consumption.

• Operational clarity – Simplifies accounting and improves transparency for all parties.

How flat fee utility amounts are calculated

Flat fee utility charges are calculated using actual historical utility data, not per-person assumptions.

• The flat fee is calculated based on the percentage of bedrooms per unit, multiplied by the last 12 months of actual utility expenses for the property.

• Sagareus does not calculate utilities per occupant. Experience has shown that two residents do not use twice the utilities, making per-person billing inaccurate and unreliable.

Utility data standards

• Electricity:

  • Use at least 6 months of billing data (to capture both winter and summer usage).

• Water / Sewer / Garbage:

  • Use at least two bills and account for the number of occupied units during the billing period.

• Utilities are calculated separately by service type (e.g., Water/Sewer, Garbage, Electricity, Gas).

• Calculations must reflect the actual number of occupied units and bedrooms during the reporting period.

• Bedroom counts are verified using the property rent roll.

Flat Fee Utility Documentation

For each listing requiring flat fee utilities, Sagareus prepares a Flat Fee Utility Cost Analysis Report, which:

• Documents the calculation methodology

• Justifies the flat fee amount for both owners and residents

• Supports transparency and compliance

If historical utility data is missing or unavailable:

• Sagareus estimates the flat fee using a nearby or comparable property with the same bedroom count

• A note is documented stating:
  “Utilities estimated — missing data”

A separate report is prepared for each utility type billed as a flat fee. Utility services may be combined within the calculator when applicable.

Reports are:

• Reviewed for accuracy and reasonableness

• Finalized in PDF format

• Labeled clearly with property address and report type

• Stored with the listing documentation for future reference