Home
Owner Login
How do I read my statement?
View a sample Owners Statement and Tutorial
When do I receive my equity distribution?
Equity distributions are made on the last business day of each month. Net proceeds are directly deposited into our client's accounts on that day through an electronic ACH transfer. Monthly statements are emailed on the last business day of the month, as well. Should there have been any maintenance items, or other charges, the original invoices are sent via postal mail at the end of the month, as well. Download ACH authorization form.
What is this payment for?
We do not make equity distributions "for" specific items, but distribute all net proceeds from the month less any required reserve.
Why are there different income categories on my statement?
In an effort to provide as much detail reporting as possible for our clients, we allocate income to proper accounts for the charges paid.
What is an allocation order?
In North Carolina an allocation of payments received must be established. Our company policy dictates that all outstanding charges must be paid prior to allocating payments to rent. Should the resident in your property need to be taken to court to recover monies owed, this will be to your benefit as many courts will not allow the recovery of late fees.
My property is vacant; do I still get charged a management fee?
Per the terms of your property management agreement, the monthly fee, during vacancy, is either $75 or you will not be charged monthly while the property is vacant but will be charged half of the first full month's rental income as a leasing fee.
Must I maintain a reserve in your Trust Account?
We do require a reserve to be maintained in our Trust Account in an effort to ensure there are enough funds available to properly manage your property.
What is a Trust Account?
A Trust Account is a bank account that is maintained at an insured North Carolina bank. The account is not an asset of Birch Management, Inc. The North Carolina Real Estate Commission sets the standards for Trust Accounts in the NC Trust Account Guidelines.
What happens to the security deposit from my resident?
All resident security deposits are held in our Trust account and handled in strict accordance with the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act.
What are my responsibilities to owning investment property in North Carolina?
All residential rental property in North Carolina is governed by the NC Residential Rentals Act.
How much is your advertising fee?
Our advertising fee is $200 per vacancy. This includes all advertising for the duration of the vacancy. View our Advertising & Marketing section.
How do I pay management fees
Management fees are deducted from your monthly equity distributions.
What is RUCO and do I need one?
A Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy is a new requirement mandated by the City of Greensboro for all rental homes located within the City. As properties located within Greensboro become vacant, we will schedule an inspection to obtain a certificate and meet the statutory requirements. More information.
What if my resident does not pay?
If rent is not received on, or before, the 5th of the month, residents will receive a letter notifying them that they are in breach of the lease and payment must be made promptly. On the 13th of the month, a second letter will be mailed to anyone who has not paid their rent by that day. Summary Ejectment filings will be made on the 18th of each month should payment in full not be received by then.
What is a Summary Ejectment Filing?
A Summary Ejectment filing is the first step in the eviction process and should not be taken lightly. A decision in favor of the Plaintiff (landlord) can stay on a resident's record for 10 years and might make it difficult to obtain future housing and credit. A summary ejectment filing is also expensive; fees can reach over $200 and are the responsibility of the resident.
What is done after a resident moves out?
The locks are changed immediately after a resident moves out for safety and security reasons.
We will perform a "move-out inspection" of the property. Our goal is to complete all of the inspections within the first five business days after the resident moves out. During this inspection, we will determine any damage items that should be charged to the former resident, as well as recommendations of items that are in need of attention by you to preserve the value of the property and decrease the vacancy time. All of our findings are documented in both writing and digital pictures. We will supply you a summary of the inspection on, or about, the sixth business day of the month.
Once cleared for viewing and all work is complete we allow prospective residents to view your property to determine if they are interested in making it their home.
How does Birch Management screen prospective residents?
We perform a credit check, criminal background check, employment verification, and rental/ mortgage payment history on every adult prospective resident.
We evaluate the lease rate /income ratio to insure the prospect can afford the rental unit.
Upon approval, the prospect is given 72 hours to sign the lease and pay the security deposit.
What does Birch Management do before a new resident moves in?
A move-in inspection is performed in which we document the condition and assess the need for any last minute items that require attention, such as light cleaning.
As required by law, all smoke detectors must be tested and the batteries replaced, regardless of how new they are. We abide by the International Property Maintenance Code for the proper number and location of smoke/ carbon monoxide detectors. New batteries will incur a cost of $12.50 each and new smoke detectors will incur a cost of $50, with carbon monoxide detectors costing $60. This is inclusive of parts, labor, travel costs, and insurance.
Furnace filters will be changed, as needed, and billed based on the size and quality required. Not only does this help protect your investment, but sets the benchmark for new residents. Per the terms of our lease agreement, residents are required to replace them at the end of their tenancy, as well as change them throughout tenancy.
The unit will be re-keyed to insure safety and security of both the property and new resident
A light cleaning will be performed to the interior of the property a few days prior to move-in as necessary.
Can I be responsible for maintenance on my property?
Absolutely, please download the proper form to give us the proper notice.
What is the Section 8 program?
This is a federal government program, administered by local housing authorities, where residents obtain assistance in meeting their monthly lease payments. The government's share of the lease payments are deposited in our Trust account on the first of each month. More information.
What happens at the end of management?
In the event that you need to end management, you must notify us in writing in agreement with the terms of your property management agreement. Upon receiving written notice of your desire to terminate, we adjust the reserve to $500 to ensure sufficient funds to pay any outstanding charges. Approximately one billing cycle after the termination date, we will process your final equity distribution. As with our leases, termination is only allowed on the last day of the month.
What is the typical flow of events each month?
View a flow chart of our typical month.
What type of communication should I expect to receive?
We believe in prompt and thorough communication with our clients. Every staff member has their own telephone extension, voice mail and email. We send out monthly statements and quarterly newsletters in an effort to keep our clients informed. Below are some of the instances that we will initiate additional communication:
- Summary ejectment filings
- Acceptable application
- Notice to vacate from tenant
- What to expect when tenant moves out
- Lease renewals
- Extraordinary maintenance items
We are here to answer any questions that you have. Please contact us at any time.
We often hear "you do not answer the telephone" is that true?
Quite the contrary, we love talking on the telephone, but often our call volume is so high that we cannot answer every call that comes in immediately. Understanding the need for instant information for our clients and customers, we have invested much time and capital into developing a fully encompassing website that answers most every routine informational request we receive.
- For our clients, we offer a fully integrated client login where they can view information on their accounts 24 hours a day. The information contained in the client login is the exact data that we look at in the office. Virtually any report can be produced from our client login for any period of time for which we manage your property.
- For our current customers, we offer a fully integrated resident login where the account can be viewed. Maintenance requests can be submitted online and the answer to most questions can be found on our website.Some of the questions where answers can be found include, can I break my lease, how do I give proper notice to vacate, and what do I need to do before turning in my keys. Rent can also be paid online
- For our prospective residents, all of our available properties are listed on our website. In fact we use our website internally to answer questions regarding the properties. Additionally the answer to most questions regarding our application process, screening process, and other pre-tenancy issues can be found on our site.
- For all of our clients and customers, there is an extensive forms section with forms for virtually every situation where one might be needed.
Should the information you are looking for not be available on our website, we welcome your call to assist you in any way possible. If you do not get a live person, please leave a detailed message for the appropriate person and your call will be returned as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding that we do not, typically, place people on hold to assist another person while the first caller waits on hold.
The expenses exceeded my monthly income, what happens?
In the unlikely event that the expenses exceed your monthly income, we will contact you for payment of the expenses. Payment must be made within 7 days to avoid penalties and interest.
We are prevented by law from expending money from our Trust Account if your portion of that account does not have sufficient funds.
Will you pay my monthly bills for me?
Yes, through our accounting system we can easily pay your monthly bills, including HOA dues and mortgage payments. We pay bills on the 25th of each month. We do require a reserve to be funded in excess of the estimated monthly payments in order to take advantage of this service. Please download the appropriate form to begin this service.
When do you send out yearly 1099s?
Typically, 1099s are sent out the first week of January, but in no case later than January 31 of each year.
What reports are available for monthly reporting?
View a list of reports that are available via e-mail each month. There is no extra charge to receive these reports via e-mail.
Can you help me sell my property, or buy more?
Through our affiliation with reputable, experienced and established local REALTORS we can assist you in the acquisition and disposition of investment property. Should you have an established relationship with another REALTOR, we can assist you by working with them to make the process smooth.
Do you have a list of clients that want to be notified of available properties for sale?
Yes, please submit a Contact Us form to have your name added to our e-mail distribution list when we get information on investment properties for sale. We have many investors looking to add to their portfolio. Also, local REALTORS also frequently inquire as to the availability of properties for their clients.
Can I view my account online?
Yes, your account can be viewed online at any time. Please see the list of reports that you can produce in real time, the data we see in the office is exactly what you see.
- The home page of your section will contain the following:
- Ownership information
- Management fee detail for previous 90 days
- Disbursements for previous 90 days
- All open routine maintenance service issues
- The reports section includes the following reports:
- Balance Sheet
- Owner 1099
- Security Deposit Activity
- Balance Sheet Comparison
- Owner Bank Activity
- Trial Balance
- Cash Flow
- Owner Bank Balance
- Trust Account Detail
- Cash Flow MTD Comparison
- Owner Open Payables
- Unit Availability
- Check / Deposit Listing
- Owner Statement
- Unit Profit & Loss
- Financial Statement
- Profit & Loss
- Unit Transaction Listing
- Market Rent Analysis
- Rent Roll
- Vacancy
- Move In / Move Out
- P&L Previous Year Comparison
- Owner 1096
- Profit & Loss Comparison
Click here to use the Owner Web Access
