Hillsborough County Property Management
as a landlord, it can feel like...
chaos is always just a call away.
Whether you become a landlord by choice or necessity, you need your investment property to pay off. The trouble is, all sorts of things can get in the way. What if the property sits empty? gets trashed? or monopolizes your time? What if your renter doesn’t pay? the market tanks? or you regret your decision? The truth is, rental nightmares do happen, but most shouldn’t.
We prevent rental problems.
At Eaton Realty, we’ve managed hundreds of investment properties, and many on our team are landlords themselves. When frustrations have occurred over the last two decades, we haven’t considered them “bad luck.” We took time to understand what went wrong, then systematized proactive solutions to mitigate risks in the future.
Here’s why: Your property isn’t just a rental to fill; it’s an asset to be preserved. In other words, we could think about short-term returns in pennies (by cutting corners and doing the bare minimum). Instead, we follow a longer, more profitable strategy powered by diligent humans and smart technology. The result? A long-standing reputation for:
Minimal Vacancies.
Long before there’s a vacancy at your place, we’re collecting an eager roster of prospective tenants. With professional photography and 3D tours, we’re in all the places they’re looking, including our rentals page, which gets thousands of views each month from around the world.
Exceptional Tenants.
“Warm bodies” don’t cut it for us. We screen prospective residents meticulously. Going beyond credit checks and employment verification, we assess rental history, investigate for fraud, calculate debt-to-income ratio, and evaluate pets with nearly the same level of scrutiny as we do people.
Impeccable Homes.
Your property won’t look like a rental. Open lines of communication position renters as partners in protecting the home. Multiple inspections per lease term, preventative maintenance, and vetted vendors are simply additional safeguards to help your investment property retain its value.
Our all-inclusive services don’t stop there. Simply put, we do everything except pay your mortgage and HOA fees. Click "Let's Connect" to start the conversation.
see for yourself
These landlords are enjoying hands-off management.
what you can expect
the 3 stages of property management
Prepare
When we onboard your home, we run it through our detailed checklist to coordinate and complete any necessary work to get it ready for market. That way, your home will make the best first impression, rent faster at top dollar, and maintain its value longer.
We know upgrades and unexpected repairs can make even the most seasoned investors uneasy. Don't worry, we're always thinking about long-term profits. We do only what's really needed while also not letting you trip over dollars to get to pennies. If a repair quote is more than our agreed-upon amount, we'll call you and make a smart decision together.
Once renters move in, we protect your property with after-hours maintenance reporting, which allows us to get ahead of potential emergencies. We also track and analyze past work to determine whether a repair is part of an ongoing issue, a tenant responsibility, or due to a system that has depreciated beyond its worth.
Our network of vendors is well-known and highly trusted. Every vendor must maintain up-to-date insurance and licensing and is thoroughly vetted before starting work on any property. If we wouldn’t have them in our own homes, they won't be in yours.
MArket
Maximizing exposure is crucial to minimizing vacancy. Our rentals plug into the same marketing machine that our listings do, allowing us to take advantage of a large advertising budget. Often, our homes are rented with few to no days on the market.
We pride ourselves on having built a marketing machine that goes the distance. We treat your investment property the same as our listings. Every Eaton Realty rental home receives professional HDR photography and a premium 3D virtual tour and is marketed 365 days a year—yes, even while occupied.
Every rental home is entered into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), hitting the inboxes of more than 15,000 real estate agents across Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. We double down on that exposure by syndicating out to hundreds of partner sites, including Zillow, Trulia, and Hotpads, and we leverage the reach of our social media channels and direct mail campaigns to attract potential tenants.
Once we find the right match, we screen carefully.
In compliance with all local, state, and federal laws, all applicants are run through an exhaustive set of criteria. We evaluate each applicant based on a criminal background check, creditworthiness, current and past income and expenses, and references from past landlords. Detailed vetting leads to high-quality tenants, reducing delinquencies and surprises.
Profit
We take our responsibility for helping you reach your real estate goals seriously. You can use monthly rent payments to pay down your mortgage and increase equity while also maximizing tax deductions. Track your progress in monthly and year-end reports.
Owning real estate is a well-known approach to achieving financial freedom. Whether you’re looking for ways to maximize ROI on your current portfolio or need help identifying properties with potential, we can help. We have extensive long-term real estate asset management knowledge and can connect you with our industry partners to ensure you’re making informed, growth-based decisions. Plus, you'll always know right where you stand.
We know you’ve got your eye on the bottom line. As rental property owners ourselves, we understand the frustration of incomplete and hard-to-read reports, so we carefully craft your monthly owner statement into a concise snapshot of your income and expenses.
Conveniently access past reports whenever you need them, right from your owner dashboard. At the end of the year, we’ll supply you with a 1099 and an itemized profit and loss statement for your tax professional.
smart tech solutions
work smarter, not harder.
We use a complex tech web to maximize efficiency and minimize costly mistakes. Our inspection software combines hi-resolution photos and videos to document a property, floor-to-ceiling, inside and out, creating an irrefutable reference for all parties.
client love
testimonials
With homes managed across Tampa Bay, from Apollo Beach, Riverview, and Valrico to New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, we've seen it all. Each owner is different and every home is unique. We're committed to providing only the best property management services to every owner, regardless of individual needs. Don't take our word for it. With hundreds of 5-star property management reviews, our reputation for providing honest, straightforward service speaks for itself.
frequently asked questions
let's talk specifics
You're probably thinking, is it really worth hiring us? To answer that, we need to know how much your time is worth. On average, self-managed landlords spend 96 hours each year dealing with the details of one rental property. When you think about all the time it takes to get the word out, screen tenants, field complaints, coordinate vendors, track expenses, and figure taxes, that number is on the low side. Plus, there's all the time you spend thinking about the property...
What would you do with an extra two weeks? Your time is valuable, and your rental property should empower you, not hold you back. Whether you want us to handle a lot or a little, we're here to take the work off your plate so you can have more time when you need it most.
Managing a home is a time-consuming endeavor. Knowing the current Federal, Florida, Hillsborough County, and Tampa laws and enacting procedures to ensure those laws are followed, drafting enforceable leases and notices, documenting the house to avoid deposit claim disputes, ensuring rent is paid on time, and managing repairs; it quickly adds up. Plus, we’re often able to nearly pay for ourselves just by minimizing your vacancy!
We direct deposit your owner proceeds to the bank account of your choosing on the last business day of each month. The amount will reflect the rent received, less management fees and other expenses like repairs and lawn care.
You’ll receive a monthly owner report via email that details all financial transactions incurred year-to-date, as well as service tickets and associated notes describing work done on the property. If an emergency arises or a particularly expensive repair is required, we’ll reach out to you via phone and email to make sure you’re in the loop.
Your home will rent for as much as the Tampa Bay housing market will bear. We require our homes to be in tip-top condition, and accordingly, they rent for the high end of market rates. Our goal is to get the highest amount of rent, but not at the expense of vacancy. To get a complimentary market analysis of your home's rent value, contact us today, or visit EatonRealty.com/RentValue.
We collect detailed information from each occupant over 18 and complete a thorough screening to investigate criminal backgrounds, creditworthiness, current and past income and expenses. Tenants that do not meet our Resident Selection Criteria may sometimes be approved with conditions (typically increased security deposits) to offset their increased risk. We process applications similar to a mortgage by looking at their debt-to-income ratio to be sure they can afford the new rent.
We work with our trusted network of contractors to maintain and repair your home when issues arise. Charges for repairs are deducted from the rent each month. We also use our database to analyze repairs. For example, we track how often appliances have been repaired, which helps us understand when to stop throwing money at further maintenance and replace it instead. Except for an emergency, any repairs over $500 must first be approved by the homeowner before we can move forward.
Every Eaton Realty rental home receives professional HDR photography, 3D virtual tour, and is marketed 365 days a year- yes, even while occupied. We use multiple channels to ensure the properties receive maximum exposure - Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, social media, direct mail campaigns, and more. Often, the properties rent before this is even necessary. A benefit of renting with a top-rated brokerage with a large advertising budget is that our rentals plug into the same marketing machine that our listings do.
Yes! All expenses related to the rental property, including management fees, repairs, and maintenance, are typically tax-deductible in the US. Consult your tax professional for specific tax-related advice.
You're responsible for paying your mortgage, HOA fees, and insurance. We'll pay for all maintenance services on your behalf, such as lawn care and pool cleaning, as well as vendors that make any repairs.
Your insurance will typically go DOWN since you won't need to insure the home's contents, only the structure itself. If you previously lived in the house, it is essential to contact your insurance company to change the policy to a landlord policy.
We screen carefully and work diligently to set expectations with tenants to prevent getting to the eviction stage. Still, evictions are sometimes necessary. We handle filing the eviction on your behalf, and in most cases (unless you’ve had direct communication with the tenant), you won’t need to appear in court. We will charge court costs and attorney fees to your account.
which is right for you?
Packages & Pricing
All packages include the same services; you're simply choosing how you prefer to pay.
CONFIDENCE 8
MONTHLY MANAGEMENT:
8%
(of monthly rent)
TENANT
PLACEMENT
100%
TENANT
RENEWAL
35%
If higher monthly cash flow is a priority, this plan offers our lowest monthly management fee.
CONFIDENCE 9
MONTHLY MANAGEMENT:
9%
(of monthly rent)
TENANT
PLACEMENT
85%
TENANT
RENEWAL
25%
CONFIDENCE 10
MONTHLY MANAGEMENT:
10%
(of monthly rent)
TENANT
PLACEMENT
70%
TENANT
RENEWAL
15%
Optimized for long-term portfolio excellence with the lowest placement and renewal fees.
MARKETING & LEASING
(Included at all levels)
- Competitive Market Analysis
- Professional HDR Photography
- Immersive 3D Virtual Tour
- Featured Listing on EatonRealty.com
- Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Entry
- Premium Listing on Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, and other rental listing websites
- Marketed to Eaton Realty's Tenant Prospect Database
- Post and Yard Sign
- Lockbox
- Tenant Screening, including Credit Check, Rental History, Employment Verification, and more
- Pet Screening
- Legally Compliant Leases Drafted by FL Attorney
If you only need marketing & leasing support and not monthly management, ask us about our DIY Assist plan.
MONTHLY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
(not Included in DIY ASSIST)
- Monthly Rent Collection & Disbursement
- Owner's Portfolio Portal
- Detailed Monthly Accounting and Owner Statements
- HOA Lease Approval Paperwork Submission
- Service Coordination & Invoice Payment (i.e., yard service, pool service, etc.)
- Property Inspections including Move In, Mid-Lease, End of Lease or Renewal, and Move Out
- Tenant Check-In Home Orientation
- Home Make-Ready Management Between Tenants
- Year-End Tax Statements
- Prepare and send 1099's to Vendors and IRS
- No Monthly Vacancy Fees
- Dedicated Property Manager
- $1000.00 of Damage Protection (conditions apply)
- Eviction Coordination (eviction fees additional)
- Property Renovation Project Management (additional fee)
PET-FRIENDLY HOMES
Up to 70% of families renting homes include pets. By restricting your home to "no pets," the pool of available residents is reduced, and those with pets are encouraged to look elsewhere or register their pet as a service animal or emotional support animal. Registering as a service/ESA means, according to Florida law, they can bring along their animal, no questions asked, and we can't charge a pet fee to cover the additional paperwork and inspections necessary to protect your property.
Properties that accept pets enjoy better marketability, command higher rent values, and experience shorter vacancy periods. Our two decades of experience have shown that properties initially restricting pets eventually pivot to accepting them due to lost income from increased vacancy.
We utilize advanced inspection techniques including nighttime blacklight inspection and electric conductivity probing to test for the presence of urine crystals in carpeting to ensure we're holding tenant's accountable for pet accidents. In the end, the most frequent pet damage we find to a property is to carpeting, which is easily replaced. We utilize the tenant's security deposit to remediate these damages and you're further protected by our Damage Protection should repair costs exceed the deposit.
At Eaton Realty, we require all properties we manage to accept pets. If you want to opt out of this policy, your monthly management fee will increase by 1% as compensation for the additional effort required to market and manage "no-pet" properties.