Property Owner FAQs

Ready for us to manage your properties? The fastest way is to sign the management agreement online with DocuSign. Or start owner onboarding: send us your ownership and property details, and we will fill out the agreement and send you the DocuSign ready to sign.

Prefer to talk first? Call (785) 841-7300 for a consultation and property evaluation at no charge, and see our marketing in action on the live rental map.

Taking over an occupied property is routine for us. The tenants stay under their existing lease - we do not rewrite it - and we step into the landlord's role from the date management starts.

What we need from you

• The signed lease and every amendment, addendum, and renewal (pet, parking, lead-based paint disclosure on pre-1978 homes).
• The move-in inspection or check-in report and any photos. This is the baseline we compare against at move-out, so it matters - see how checkouts work for tenants we did not place. If it does not exist, tell us up front so we can plan around it.
• The security deposit, transferred to us with the amount confirmed in writing, plus any prepaid or last-month rent.
• Current balances, who is behind and how much, and any notices already given.
• Tenant contact information for every adult on the lease, keys, codes, and any warranties or manuals.

What we do

• Load the lease with its original terms and dates so renewals and notices happen on schedule.
• Notify the tenants that we now manage the property, get them set up in the tenant portal for online rent, collect their contact info, and confirm renters insurance.
• Walk the property, document its condition, and flag deferred maintenance and any safety or city rental-inspection items so you know what you are looking at.
• Take over rent collection, maintenance requests, and tenant communication, and put the renewal on our normal calendar (outreach about 4 months before the term ends).

What does not change: rent, lease dates, and deposit are whatever the signed lease says. Changes happen at renewal or by a signed amendment, and we will talk with you about the renewal strategy well before then.

No. We do not offer tenant finding as a standalone service for owners who manage their own property. For us to find tenants for your property, it needs to be under our management agreement: a one-year initial term that, after the first year, becomes cancelable by either party with 60 days' notice.

Our marketing, screening, showings, and check-in process are built around properties we manage end to end, and that is how we stand behind the tenants we place.

Considering tenant finding because you plan to self-manage? It is worth running the numbers on full management before you decide. We price rents to the market and keep them there at renewal, and that increase alone often covers much of the management fee. Then the day-to-day work comes off your plate:

• Rent collection and late-payment follow-up
• The 24/7 emergency maintenance hotline
• Vendor coordination and repair quality control
• Tenant communication and conflict resolution
• City of Lawrence rental licensing and inspections
• Monthly statements with year-end tax documentation

Our multi-platform marketing and 24-hour showing scheduling also cut vacancy time, and vacancy is usually a self-managing owner's biggest hidden cost.

See everything management includes, what it costs, and how the agreement ends, or sign the management agreement online to get started.

No. Location Properties manages long-term residential and commercial rentals only. We do not manage Airbnb, VRBO, or other short-term or vacation rentals, and we do not offer guest turnover, cleaning coordination, or nightly-rate services. If you are deciding between short-term and long-term use for a property, we are glad to talk through what it would earn as a long-term rental; call (785) 841-7300.

No. Association management is its own discipline:

• Common-area budgets and reserves
• Board meetings and governance
• Assessments and collections
• Covenant enforcement

Our systems are built around individual rental properties and their tenants, so associations are better served by a dedicated association management company. See the full list of services we do not offer.

We are no longer taking on management of units with tenancies currently in Section 8 or other government housing assistance programs. These programs run on their own inspection schedules, paperwork, payment systems, and compliance timelines, which is a specialty of its own, and managers who work in those programs every day will administer them better than we could alongside our standard processes.

We are not taking on management of half of a duplex or a single townhome built before 1980 where the same owner does not own the whole building, or of individual condo units within a condominium association. We will consider half-duplexes and townhomes built in 1980 or after.

Why the cutoff? When an older building is split between owners or governed by an association, the roof, siding, party walls, grounds, and major systems belong partly or wholly to someone else, and every repair raises the question of who is responsible for which part.

Our recommendation in those cases: hire the management company that already manages the association to also manage your unit. One company then handles both sides, with no conflicts over who handles which part of the management and maintenance, and repairs to shared components get coordinated instead of negotiated.

We are no longer taking on management for property owners who do, coordinate, or contract out their own maintenance.

The reason is simple: maintenance is the part of management tenants feel most. When repairs run outside our system:

• Tenants wait longer.
• Work quality and insurance liability sit outside our control.
• The habitability obligations that fall on the property manager under Kansas law end up depending on someone we do not direct.

For the arrangement to work, one team has to own the entire maintenance loop, from the tenant's request in the portal to the completed, documented repair, using our vetted and insured crews and vendors.

Yes. We are no longer taking on management for owners who do not have funds available for a maintenance reserve, or funds to bring the property up to the City of Lawrence rental inspection requirements.

Rentals in Lawrence must be licensed and pass the city's inspection program, and repairs cannot wait on funding. An unfunded property leaves tenants living with problems we cannot fix, puts the rental license at risk, and creates exactly the disputes good management is supposed to prevent. Come in prepared to fund a reserve and any work the city inspection requires, and management runs smoothly from day one.

Per the management agreement, owners maintain:

• General public liability insurance of at least $300,000, with $1 million recommended.
• Fire and extended coverage hazard insurance equal to the full replacement cost of the structure and improvements, covering personal property at the property and loss of rental income.

Location Properties carries its own general liability policy of at least $1 million at no cost to owners. Owners remain responsible for submitting and pursuing their own insurance and warranty claims; we gladly provide any information we have to help with a claim. You will also give us a copy of your insurance policies and your insurance agent's contact information when management begins.

One simple percentage of rent actually collected, so we only succeed when you do. No setup games, no hidden line items.

• Residential properties: 7-9% of monthly rent collected.
• Multi-unit properties: 6-9%, dropping to 6% when we manage 25 or more contiguous units.
• Commercial properties: custom pricing quoted after a brief review of property type, square footage, and scope of services.

Fees are charged only on rent successfully collected. We have found that we charge the lowest monthly fee in the area among reputable property management companies. See the full breakdown on the Management Services page.

25% of each of the first two full months' rent after a new tenant is found. It is all-inclusive of the whole process:

• Advertising the property (we spend tens of thousands of dollars each year in print and online to generate tenant leads)
• Scheduling and showing the property to potential tenants, including fuel for the property managers and bonus incentives for them to show properties throughout the week, sometimes evenings and weekends
• Applications, tenant screening, and background checks
• The check-in and check-out process, including the check-out and check-in condition reports with photos when applicable
• Security deposit reconciliations

This is one of the most common questions we get. After a new tenant is found, the Leasing Fee - Find Tenant is charged as 25% of each of the first two full months' rent. So it appears as an expense on your owner report, and subtracts from your income, during each of the two months after the new tenant is found and moved in, rather than as one lump sum.

Once those two months pass, the leasing fee drops off and your reports return to the normal monthly management fee. And remember: if that tenant later renews, there is no renewal fee (see the next question).

No leasing fee is charged when your existing tenants stay: if all the same tenants renew under the automatic renewal clause in the lease, or a single simple amendment extends the lease, there is no charge. The standard management fee simply continues on the new rent.

A modest $100 new-lease fee applies only in years when terms are renegotiated resulting in a brand-new lease with the existing tenants, or when a roommate change requires a new lease. This helps pay staff to work with tenants to renew and stay another year.

If you find a tenant yourself without any marketing or showings by Location Properties during that leasing cycle:

• No leasing fee if you handle the lease, the check-in and check-in report, and you (or the tenant) send the security deposit to us.
• The leasing fee is reduced to 25% of one month's rent if you found and referred the tenant and we then handle any of the lease, check-in, check-in report, or deposit collection.

Paula Hedges of Hedges Management referred her management clients to Location Properties effective August 1, 2025. Paula has since passed away. She did not send us her documents or her accounting, so we have no income, expense, or maintenance records for any period before August 1, 2025 and unfortunately there is no further information we can obtain.

What we can provide

Everything from August 1, 2025 forward, when we took over: monthly income and expense statements, the full ledger with scanned invoices, and your year-end statement, all in the Owner Portal. If you cannot find something in that window, contact us and we will get it to you.

For January 1 through July 31, 2025, you will need to rebuild it

For a 2025 tax return, that earlier part of the year has to come from your own records. What owners have found most useful:

• The statements or reports Paula emailed or mailed you each month - search your email for her messages and check any paper files.
• Your bank deposits. The deposits Paula sent you are the most reliable record of what you actually received, and your bank can produce a full year of statements.
• Any invoices or notices she sent you about repairs, so those expenses are not missed.

How her math generally worked

In general it was the monthly rent less her 8% management fee, unless there were other expenses she notified you about. That formula, applied against your actual deposits, is usually enough to reconstruct the months before we took over. We do not have her maintenance expense records, so any repair costs from that period have to come from what she sent you.

Please give this information to your tax preparer or CPA and let them decide how to handle it - we can document what we managed and when, but we cannot verify or reconstruct another company's accounting, and we are not able to give tax advice.

Each month you receive your Full Month Income & Expense Report for the prior month. It reflects the full prior month's financials and excludes liabilities such as security deposits and prepaid rent. If you need a version including those liabilities, request one through the contact form and we will send it to you.

You can also view real-time income, expenses, and property balances anytime by logging into your Owner Portal.

Between the 10th and 15th of each month, we send property owners the funds available on account, with the maintenance reserve subtracted, by EFT direct deposit (or mailed check). You will also receive a notice of the pending EFT for the month-to-date funds available the day it was sent.

In most months, available funds go out by direct deposit. Occasionally, expenses exceed available funds and no owner draw is issued that month. If you would like a month-to-date accounting of the income and expenses behind a pending EFT, ask through the contact form and we can generate one; otherwise the details appear on next month's full report.

When a payment comes in for your property for any reason, rent, a late fee, a tenant reimbursement, or a refund, it is applied to that property's ledger as income or as an owner contribution, where it becomes part of the running total for the property.

We don't simply send the full amount of a payment or reimbursement on to you when it arrives, because any expenses that have accrued to that point have to be subtracted first. Then, between the 10th and 15th of each month, we send you the property's available funds if the running total is a positive number (not a negative number shown in red or in parentheses). The funds sent are the Owner Draw for that month.

The amount deposited, called an “Owner Draw”, is the funds we were holding for you on that day, less any expenses incurred since the last disbursement, and less the maintenance reserve. The monthly report reflects the full prior month's financials, whereas the EFT represents the funds available at the time of transfer, so the two are measured on different dates.

To reconcile, match your bank deposit to the Owner Draw amount listed for the period ending on the date we sent it (usually between the 10th and 15th), not the amount at the end of the month. The direct deposit you receive this month will appear as the Owner Draw on next month's report.

Own more than one property with us? Sometimes part of the difference is funds that moved over to cover expenses on another property you own. When one of your properties has a positive balance and another is negative, our accounting software automatically evens them out with an Owner Draw from the positive property and an equal Owner Contribution to the negative one - your money moving between your own properties rather than being sent to your bank. See What are Owner Draw and Owner Contribution when I own multiple properties?

• Beginning Cash Balance - cash we were holding for your property at the start of the period (the prior period's ending cash).
• Additions to Cash - money that came in: tenant rent payments, owner contributions, tenant reimbursements, or refunds from utility companies.
• Subtractions from Cash - maintenance expenses, management fees, leasing fees, and other deductions.
• Property Reserve - the maintenance reserve we hold per the management agreement; see the Maintenance section below.
• Available for Payment - what could have been sent to you on that day. It is usually near zero right after owner draws go out; a negative number means expenses exceeded the reserve and is typically replenished by the next month's rent.
• Total Income - likely the amount you will report as income for the period.
• Total Expense - likely the amount you will report as expenses for the period.
• Owner Draw - money we sent to you (or moved to another of your properties). This is an equity transfer, not an expense.
• Owner Contribution - money you sent to us, posted as a credit to one of your properties. Also an equity transfer, not income.
• Prepayment / Prepayment Applied to Balances - rent paid early is held as a prepayment, then automatically applied when the rent comes due on the 1st, so income lands in the “correct” month.

We don't typically pay insurance premiums, property taxes, or mortgage-related expenses; you or your mortgage escrow pay those directly, so report those expenses in addition to what is on our statement.

• Repairs, Cleaning, and Maintenance - upkeep charges, usually posted within a week or two of the invoice or timesheet, so they can appear a week or two after the work. Occasionally vendors invoice late, and hardware store invoices (like Home Depot) sometimes post after we reconcile the account.
• Mowing and Landscaping - typically during vacancies, cleanups beyond tenant lease duties, multi-unit buildings, larger landscaping projects, or lawn fertilizer (owner-paid).
• Utilities - utilities during vacant periods (we keep them on to prevent frozen pipes and mold), City of Lawrence sewer/storm/trash bills that go to owners regardless of vacancy, and shared utilities at multi-unit properties.
• Leasing Fee - Find Tenant - the tenant placement fee described above.
• Management Fee Expense - the monthly management fee per your agreement.
• Supplies - items purchased for the property (usually these show under Repairs instead).
• Reimbursements from Tenants - income when tenants pay you back for expenses beyond normal wear and tear.
• Utility Reimbursements from Tenants - income when tenants reimburse utility costs we or you paid, such as pro-rata shares on landlord-paid leases or bills incurred when tenants didn't switch utilities into their name.

When more than one maintenance person works on a project at the same time, we invoice each person's labor separately on owner statements. Some work takes two or more people to do safely or efficiently; other times one person picks up supplies while the others keep working. So similar-looking line items are usually two people on the same job, not a double charge.

That said, if anything ever looks like a duplicate billing for supplies or labor, let us know through the contact form and we will be glad to double-check it.

A balance shown like ($250.00) means expenses exceeded available funds that period. Three easy ways to handle it:

• Let future rent cover it - if a tenant is actively paying, the next month's rent typically replenishes the shortage.
• Send funds online - log into your Owner Portal and click Send Funds to post an owner contribution to the property.
• Request a payment link - we can send you a link in a task so you can send funds directly.

We regularly audit and reconcile our credit card and bank statements, especially online payments to utility companies and City of Lawrence rental licenses. In rare cases, a charge from a prior month had not yet been posted to a property, so the audit adds it later, which can create a negative starting balance. For example, a $15 rental license fee paid in a prior month but posted the next month makes the beginning balance ($15.00).

If your beginning balance doesn't match your last report's ending balance, request an updated year-to-date report through the contact form.

Owner Draw = money we sent to you. Owner Contribution = money you sent to us, posted as a credit to one of your properties.

When we manage more than one property for you and one has a positive balance while another is negative, our accounting software automatically evens them out with corresponding journal entries: an Owner Draw from the positive property and an equal Owner Contribution to the negative one. Effectively it is your money moving from one property to the other, so your year-end income and expense reporting per property is not affected.

An Owner Draw is not an expense. Whether funds are sent to your bank account or moved between your properties, an Owner Draw is equity moving from one account to another - not money spent on the property. Likewise, an Owner Contribution is not income. When filing taxes, report from the Total Income and Total Expense lines on your monthly Owner Reports and your full-year Income & Expense Report; owner draws and contributions do not change those numbers.

• Prepayments: tenants who pay before the 1st are posted as “Prepayment” and applied to rent on the due date, so income lands in the right month.
• Lease signings: a new tenant's initial payment can post in the month they sign rather than the first month of the lease (less common now with the prepayment system).
• Move-outs: the month after a move-out often has extra repair and cleaning expenses, and then any amounts charged against the tenant's deposit appear as income a month or so later when the deposit is reconciled.

Your full-year income and expense report shows all income and expenses for the year and is the ideal report to forward to your accountant or tax preparer.

If we have your mailing address and Social Security number or Tax ID, we both mail and secure-email your 1099 each year and report the rental income to the IRS as required by law. We send it before the IRS deadline for furnishing 1099s to recipients, usually January 31 (the next business day when that falls on a weekend or holiday).

If your information has changed, fill out an IRS W-9 form and get it to us either way:

• Mail it to Location Properties, 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047.
• Ask for a secure option through the contact form and we will arrange a secure way to send it: we can send the W-9 by secure email, or send you a secure document to sign electronically if you prefer.

Since we don't typically pay insurance premiums, property taxes, or mortgage interest, report those expenses in addition to what is on our statement.

Logging in is encouraged because it gives you the freedom to stay updated about your properties anytime, 24/7. At Location.ManageBuilding.com (also linked from the Owner Portal button on this site) you can:

• View real-time income, expenses, and property balances
• View your history of owner draws and contributions
• Download your management agreement and other important documents
• Run key financial reports on demand
• View tenant applications: click Leasing, then Applicants, select the applicant (or View by Group), and click View Report. Then contact the property manager working on the lease to discuss approval.
• Sign leases and renewals online - the lease signing process is integrated with the platform, and you are notified when it is your turn to sign (see the steps below). For consistency in policies and procedures, we use full lease forms instead of renewal amendments, even for existing tenants.
• Send funds to a property (see below)

Buildium (our software provider) also offers mobile app access for rental owners, so you can check your investment from your phone.

Go to Location.ManageBuilding.com and enter your email address and password. First time? Use the temporary password we emailed you and follow the on-screen instructions to change it.

Need a reset? Request one through the contact form and we will send it. The reset link expires within an hour, so request it just before you plan to log in.

Still locked out after a reset? See what to check when you cannot log in.

First, the most common cause: Buildium (the software behind the portal) periodically expires your multi-factor identification (MFA), also called two-factor authentication (2FA). When that happens, the login page asks you to verify your identity again with a one-time code before it lets you back in. This can happen on any device, even one that logged in fine yesterday, and it does not mean anything is wrong with your account.

The basics, from any device or PC:

1. Go to Location.ManageBuilding.com and enter the email address we have on file for you.
2. If your password is not accepted, click Forgot Password.
3. Always use the newest password reset or verification email and ignore older ones; each new email cancels the ones before it. Portal emails come from donotreply@managebuilding.com, so check spam and junk folders.
4. When prompted, complete the identity verification step: enter the one-time code sent by text message, phone call, or email, or shown in your authenticator app, depending on how your account was set up. Checking Remember this device cuts down how often you are asked.

For stubborn cases on a Mac (Safari):

1. Open Safari. Click File, then New Private Window.
2. In that private window go to Location.ManageBuilding.com and try logging in. If you need a new password, click Forgot Password.
3. When the reset email arrives, use the newest reset email and click its link. Ignore older reset emails.
4. If the reset link gives a blank page: Safari, Settings, Privacy, Manage Website Data. Search for ManageBuilding and for Buildium, select what comes up, click Remove, then Done.
5. Close Safari completely, reopen it, return to Location.ManageBuilding.com, and request another password reset.
6. If you still get a blank page: Safari, Settings, Extensions, and temporarily turn off any ad blockers, privacy blockers, or other content blocking extensions, then try again.

The same idea works in Chrome or Edge on a PC: open an Incognito or InPrivate window, and clear the browser's site data for managebuilding.com if a reset link gives a blank page.

Last resort, if you are still locked out: request a password reset from us through the contact form, or call (785) 841-7300. We can confirm the email address on your account, re-send your welcome email, and clear the identity check so you can set it up fresh.

New leases and renewals are signed online through the eSignature tools built into Buildium (powered by Dropbox Sign), so you can review and sign from your computer or phone - no printing, scanning, or trip to the office. You are added as a signer and notified when it is your turn to sign, usually by an email from us or a note from your property manager.

To sign a lease or renewal:

1. Open the notification: click Review & Sign in the email, or log into your Owner Portal at Location.ManageBuilding.com (the Buildium mobile app works too) and open the lease waiting for your signature.
2. Read through the lease or renewal terms.
3. Click each signature and initial field and adopt or draw your electronic signature.
4. Click Continue or Finish to submit. A timestamped, signed copy is saved to your documents in the portal, and you can download it anytime.

Signing follows an order your property manager sets (for example, tenants sign first, then you), so you may be prompted only once it is your turn. For consistency, we use full lease forms for renewals rather than short amendments, even with existing tenants.

Not sure whether a document is ready for you, or want to talk through the terms first? Reach your property manager through the contact form or call (785) 841-7300 before you sign.

Note: your management agreement is signed separately by DocuSign, not through this lease eSignature tool - see sign the management agreement.

Signing emails come from Dropbox Sign on our behalf rather than directly from Location Properties, so they regularly land in spam or junk folders, and occasionally an email service blocks them entirely after one gets reported as spam. Before assuming it was never sent:

• Check your Spam and Junk folders, and in Gmail the Promotions and Updates tabs too.
• Search your mail for "Dropbox Sign", "hellosign", or "Location Properties".
• If you find it in spam, mark it Not Spam and add the sender to your contacts or safe senders list so the next document arrives normally.

You can also skip the email entirely: log into your Owner Portal and the document will be waiting there for you to open and sign (see how to sign in the Owner Portal). Still stuck? Call (785) 841-7300 and we will confirm your email address on file and resend the request.

A canceled signature request is routine housekeeping, not a problem with the tenancy. Because a document sent for eSignature cannot be edited once it is out, the only way to fix or replace anything is to cancel the request and issue a corrected one. Canceling makes the old signing links stop working for every signer, and a fresh request goes out.

Why we cancel, most common first:

• Not every party signed. A lease is not binding until all signers finish: every tenant, every co-signer, the manager, and you if you are listed as a signer. When a request stalls, we cancel it, verify the email address of whoever is missing, and resend.
• A typographical error or an incorrect term. A misspelled name, a wrong rent figure, wrong start or end dates, or a missing pet, utility, or appliance detail.
• A newer version replaced it. If the renewal was reissued on our current lease form, the earlier request is canceled so only one document is live.
• The tenancy changed after the document went out, such as a roommate added or removed.

Prefer not to sign leases yourself? That is completely fine. Many owners would rather not be in the signing loop at all. If that is you, just tell us. We will cancel the pending request and reissue the lease with Location Properties signing as Management on your behalf under our management agreement, with the tenants signing as usual.

The lease is fully valid, it completes faster, and the signed copy still lands in your Owner Portal documents for your records. Tell us once and we will set your properties up that way going forward instead of adding you as a signer each time.

Either way, nothing is lost when a request is canceled, and no tenancy or renewal is jeopardized by it. If you would like to review terms before signing, or you want to switch to having us sign as Management, reach your property manager through the contact form or call (785) 841-7300.

We prefer online payments because they post quickly to your property in our accounting system.

1. Log into your Owner Portal and click Send Funds (available on the Financials, Ledger, and Requests pages).
2. Select the property you are contributing to.
3. Fill out the payment information (EFT/eCheck or credit card) and a memo.
4. Review and confirm. You will receive an email confirmation once the funds are sent.

You are also welcome to mail a check payable to Location Properties, 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047.

Paying us back for a repair already completed, or covering a negative balance? See how to reimburse Location Properties for expenses below.

Wet drywall is one of the few repairs where the cheap version reliably costs more. Our approach is to stop the water, remove the wet material, dry the framing, and verify it is dry before closing the wall. Here is why each step earns its cost.

Why we do not just dry it and repaint. Drywall is gypsum wrapped in paper, and paper feeds mold. Once a sheet is saturated it does not reliably dry in place, especially with insulation behind it holding water against it. Microbial growth can begin in roughly 24 to 48 hours.

Painting over damp board seals moisture into the cavity, and it returns months later as a smell, a stain, or a far larger repair. Cutting out the wet section now is the cheaper outcome.

What we actually do:

1. Find and stop the source, whether a supply line, a drain, or water getting in from outside.
2. Photograph everything before anything is touched, and keep photographing through demolition, drying, and rebuild. If you want to involve insurance, the before photos are what your carrier asks for, and once the wall is closed they no longer exist.
3. Cut out the wet drywall and insulation above the moisture line. Wet insulation never dries inside a wall cavity.
4. Dry the framing with a HEPA air scrubber, fans, and dehumidifiers, and an ozone machine where appropriate. This takes several days.
5. Verify with a moisture meter against an unaffected wall in the same building rather than judging by eye. The wall does not close until the readings say dry.
6. Rebuild and finish.

We do not hire a remediation company without your approval. Those contracts routinely run into the thousands and are billed to you or your carrier, so the decision is yours, not ours and not the tenant's. Our default is to start drying the same day with our own equipment, document what we found, and bring it to you. Starting immediately is usually what keeps it from ever needing more.

If the City has already inspected the area, we leave the wall open after demolition so they can re-inspect the exposed framing before new drywall goes in. That can add a few days, but closing a wall the City still needs to see means opening it a second time at your expense.

Expect the sequence to take several days to a couple of weeks depending on how wet things got and how quickly an inspection can be scheduled. You will get photos and the moisture readings, and the work appears on your owner statement like any other repair.

Most of the time you do not need to send us anything. Repairs, maintenance, and management fees are deducted from the rent we collect before your owner draw goes out, so an ordinary repair simply shows as a line item on your statement and reduces that month's distribution. No action is needed from you.

You would send funds when there is not enough rent to cover the cost, which usually means one of these:

• Your property ledger shows a negative balance because repairs exceeded the rent collected that month.
• The home is vacant or between tenants, so there is no rent coming in against the work.
• A larger project where we ask for funds up front before scheduling.
• An insurance deductible, a turnover, or replenishing your property reserve.

To pay online, which is the fastest way:

1. Log into your Owner Portal at Location.ManageBuilding.com, or use the Buildium mobile app.
2. Click Send Funds. The button appears on the Financials, Ledger, and Requests pages, so use whichever you are already on.
3. Choose the property the money is for. If you own more than one with us, this matters: funds post to the property you select, and picking the wrong one is the most common mix-up we have to untangle.
4. Enter the payment details, either EFT / eCheck from a bank account or a credit or debit card.
5. Add a short memo saying what it is for, for example "water heater replacement" or "February negative balance," so it reconciles cleanly against the right invoice.
6. Review and confirm. You get an email confirmation, and the payment appears on your ledger once it posts.

Other ways to pay:

• Mail a check payable to Location Properties at 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047. Write the property address in the memo line so we apply it correctly.
• Drop off a check at our office. There is a secure slot in the front door for after-hours drop-off.
• Offset it against future rent. For smaller amounts we can often just carry the balance and net it out of next month's owner draw instead of you sending anything. Ask your property manager if you would rather handle it that way.

We do not accept cash. If you are unsure how much is owed or what a charge was for, open your owner statement and ledger in the portal, or call (785) 841-7300 and we will walk through the line items with you before you send anything.

Security deposits are held in a liability account and are not treated as income unless part of the deposit is withheld for damages or unpaid rent. That is why deposits held do not appear as income on your monthly or annual reports or your 1099.

Since tenant prepayments and security deposits are both liabilities, some reports combine them into a single liability total at the end of the month. If you or your accountant need a rent roll showing security deposits and prepayments held (many ask at year-end), request it through the contact form with the note “Need rent roll with security deposit & prepayment info” and we will gladly send it.

Withheld amounts show up as income on your report, usually about a month after move-out, under Reimbursement from Tenants, with the corresponding repair and cleaning expenses listed on your statement. So the month after tenants move out often shows the expenses of getting the unit ready, and the following month shows the income charged against the deposit.

Two legal limits to know:

• We cannot withhold for normal wear and tear or improvements (those are owner expenses).
• We must depreciate items like carpet when charging a tenant for damage, so the charge is replacement cost minus age-related wear.

Claiming depreciation on your tax return helps you recover expenses like this. We do our best to keep it fair and legal for both landlord and tenant.

In the rare cases where damages exceed the deposit, we first attempt collection ourselves: calling, texting, sending statements, and giving the tenant a period of time to pay. If they don't pay after a few months, we turn the balance over to a collection firm. Any funds we receive from the collection agency, after their fees, are treated like rent income and applied to the next month's income for the owner.

Listings are distributed across multiple platforms, shown in person with a 24-hour appointment scheduling call center, and every applicant goes through tenant screening and background checks. We prepare and execute the lease and document the move-in with inspections, securing reliable, long-term tenants who care for your property.

You can review applications yourself in the Owner Portal and make the approval decision: here is exactly how to review applicants.

We encourage owners to review applicant screening information and participate in the approval decision: you carry the financial risk of the tenancy, and informed decisions produce better outcomes. The rental application contains the applicant's authorization for screening, and the management agreement authorizes your participation in approval decisions.

Reviewing applicants in the portal

1. Log in to the Owner Portal, then click the Management tab.
2. Select Leasing, then click Applicants.
3. Under the applicant filters, check New, Undecided, Approved, and Added to Draft Lease. Most new applications sit under New and Undecided; some may be further along in the leasing process.
4. Click the applicant's name to open their file, then review each tab: Application (general information, employment, and income), Screening (credit, criminal, and eviction reports where available), Rental History Verification (payment history, lease compliance, and property care reported by prior landlords), plus any documents and notes gathered during the application.
5. When you have finished your review, notify Location Properties whether you approve or deny the applicant, preferably in writing (a portal message or email).

Keeping applicant information confidential

Screening reports contain sensitive personal information, and the applicant authorized its use only for evaluating this rental application. Please review reports only inside the portal:

• Do not email, text, print, download, screenshot, photograph, record, or copy any part of a report.
• Do not share applicant information with anyone, including family members, friends, neighbors, or contractors.

Reports stay in the system and are later purged in line with vendor requirements and company practices.

Fair housing

Approval and denial decisions must comply with federal, Kansas, and local fair housing laws. Decisions must not be based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other protected class, and the City of Lawrence also prohibits housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Base your decision on lawful business criteria applied consistently to every applicant:

• Income
• Credit history
• Debt obligations
• Rental and lease compliance history
• Eviction history
• Criminal history where legally permissible
• Occupancy standards

Yes. When any tenant moves out, we run our normal, full move-out checkout - a detailed inspection with photos, a written condition report, and an itemized assessment of any tenant-caused damage - even when that tenant was placed by you or a previous manager before we took over. Every departing tenant is treated the same way.

The one wrinkle with an inherited tenant is the before-and-after comparison. A proper move-out assessment measures the home against how it looked at move-in, and when someone else handled the original check-in, we may not have that baseline on file.

So we rebuild it: we ask you (or whoever did the original check-in) for the original move-in inspection, condition checklist, or photos, and we pair that with the condition we document when management begins. With both in hand, we can fairly separate tenant damage from what was already there.

Why the documentation matters in Kansas

Under the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (K.S.A. 58-2550), a landlord may deduct from a security deposit only for unpaid rent and actual damage beyond ordinary wear and tear - never for the normal aging of paint, carpet, and fixtures - and must return the deposit with an itemized statement of any deductions, generally within 30 days of the tenant surrendering the home.

Every deduction has to hold up if a tenant disputes it, and the professional standard of practice is to support each one with dated move-in and move-out documentation. That is exactly why the original check-in paperwork is so valuable, and why we ask for it early in onboarding.

If a former tenant disputes a deduction

When a former tenant does dispute a deduction, they submit it in writing through our Security Deposit Appeal page. The appeal goes to accounting and staff, the check-in and check-out reports and charges are re-analyzed, and we discuss the findings with you as the owner before anything changes. It is a calm, documented alternative to disputes playing out in reviews or in court.

If little or no move-in documentation exists

We are straight with you about it: we can still charge for clear, provable tenant damage - holes, broken fixtures, pet stains, missing items, or unauthorized alterations - but borderline items are harder to defend without a baseline, so we talk those judgment calls through with you before we finalize the deposit.

Going forward, every tenant we place gets a documented move-in inspection, which makes the next checkout clean and straightforward.

Rent cannot be raised during a lease, so renewal time is when rent adjustments happen. Each year, about 4 months prior to the end/renewal of the lease, our property managers reach out to you as the owner and ask what you would like us to offer the tenant for renewal terms.

• Our typical leases automatically increase the rent by 2% each year, and you can direct us to make the renewal offer higher or lower.
• If the renewal offer is more than 2%, we send a non-renewal of the automatic renewal and then send the tenant an offer with the new terms.
• If the renewal stays at the 2% increase, we simply run our normal renewal process.

Some owners choose to renew at the same rate as the prior year, but we caution against that: property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs seem to go up each year, and the 2% annual increase helps cover them.

When a tenant moves out and the home goes on the open market, we move the rent toward market rates for that type of property and area, based on the information available at the time and in collaboration with you.

We handle online payment processing, late payment follow-up, and security deposit compliance, and our team has eviction and court experience when a situation requires it.

Our system automatically adds the late fees described in the lease and invoices the tenants. Late fees are treated like rent as far as the management fee goes, and the rest goes to you as part of the monthly Owner Draw. You can also choose to direct our property management team to waive some late fees when you prefer.

Your wishes for how maintenance and repairs are handled on your property (your own preferred vendors, jobs you want to hear about first, spending limits, anything else) become owner directives written on your property in Buildium. Every property manager and technician reads them before any work is dispatched, so your instructions are followed no matter who picks up the request.

The best way to send us directives is a message inside Buildium: use your owner portal, or simply reply to any email or text we send you through Buildium. Messages inside Buildium are saved on your account automatically, which means the whole team can stay on the same page with your wishes, not just the one person you happened to speak with.

Approving repairs. When a job will exceed $300 in combined materials and labor, or take more than 5 hours of labor, we ask for your approval in writing before proceeding.

Approving by Buildium email or text is the way we prefer: your reply is saved with the account, our accounting team can match the expense to your approval, and if you ever ask about a charge months or years later, the record is right there. If you approve by phone or in person, we will send you a short Buildium message confirming what you approved, so the record exists either way.

You can update your directives any time; we write changes into the property the same day so they take effect immediately.

You always have the right to coordinate maintenance on your own property yourself or with your own contractor if you would like; it is your property, and our property managers will coordinate repairs with you as you direct.

Most owners have us handle it: Location Properties has an in-house maintenance team of insured, handy contractors that can take care of most maintenance work at a reasonable, below-market hourly rate, plus a network of outside contractors for larger repairs and projects. Work requiring a license (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, permit work) is bid to third-party licensed contractors, with quality control on all work.

Tenants have a 24/7 emergency maintenance hotline, and we handle maintenance follow-up after city inspections.

If you ask Location Properties to coordinate or pay for maintenance by an outside contractor of your choosing, we require the contractor to carry general liability and workers compensation insurance and to provide us a W-9, as described on our Contractors page.

Yes, for anything significant. Per the management agreement, we obtain your prior approval for any non-recurring repair expected to exceed $500 per unit.

The exception is emergencies where time is of the essence to stop further damage or protect the occupants: no heat, no AC, water leaks, sewer backups, and similar. In those cases, repairs (including furnace, air conditioner, and water heater replacements using our regular vendors) proceed right away, because keeping those systems running is a property owner's obligation and keeps tenants safe.

Your owner portal ledger shows a continuously updated accounting of costs, with invoice copies scanned in for your review.

In many cases, yes. If a larger maintenance expense lands at a tough time, we can often spread it across multiple future monthly statements so you still receive some cash flow each month while the expense is paid down.

Our team is doing its best to help you maintain your property and keep it in good condition and safe for your tenants. Rental properties simply need maintenance, and sometimes it arrives unexpectedly. Handling it promptly protects your investment, and we want the payment side to work for you too.

One kind note: in most cases we have already paid the vendor by the time an expense reaches your statement, so when we spread a charge out, Location Properties is carrying that cost until we are reimbursed. We are glad to extend that courtesy; we simply ask for your communication so we can plan for it together.

And please always feel welcome to question an expense. Every once in a while, although it is rare, a vendor will double bill us or bill us for the wrong property, so we are always glad to double check any expense that does not look right to you. If something was billed in error, we will get it corrected.

To discuss an expense, request more information about a charge, or ask for a charge to be carried over multiple months, send us a message through your owner portal or the contact form and we will work out an arrangement with you.

Yes. For homes or units intentionally left vacant (or while you are out of town), we offer a flat monthly rate to have a property manager or maintenance team member walk through and check the interior and exterior condition, either twice a month or weekly. Ask us for current rates through the contact form.

While a property is vacant, we recommend turning the water heater to Low or Vacation mode and shutting off the main water valve. (We do not check on pets, animals, or sprinkler systems.)

The Property Reserve is your money that we hold, per the management agreement, so we can draw on it for repairs in any given month. The standard reserve is $300 per unit (sites with more than four units may have a lower agreed per-unit amount). Each month the reserve is replenished first, from rents or within ten days of a statement, and the remaining balance after expenses is sent to you as your owner draw.

The reserve is fully refundable when management ends: because vendor invoices can trail the work, any remaining reserve funds are returned within ninety (90) days after cancellation of the agreement, less any fees or expenses still due for the property.

Want to save up for a bigger project like windows, carpet or plank flooring, a fence, siding, a water heater, or a furnace? We can increase your reserve at your request to build funds for a contractor. You are also welcome to pay outside contractors directly, or prepay us online through Send Funds for larger projects.

Owning rental property is a valuable long-term investment, and planning for both routine and occasional expenses protects it. Here is a realistic overview for Kansas single-family homes; all items are if and when needed:

Every year (routine)

• HVAC filter changes; minor plumbing and electrical repairs (leaky faucets, light fixtures, toilet parts, shut-off valve checks)
• Yard cleanups, brush and limb removal, tree and bush trimming, gutter cleaning, pest control (owner responsibility even when tenants mow)
• Seasonal weed-and-feed lawn treatments (owner-paid; keeps turf from going to weeds or dust patches)
• Tub and sink caulking touch-ups; minor paint, screens, and door adjustments
• Annual city rental license or inspection fees; appliance service calls

Around years 3-5

• Paint touch-ups or full repaint if needed; re-caulking tubs and showers
• Toilet rebuilds or replacements; shut-off valve replacements; water heater servicing
• Small roof repairs; fence maintenance; appliance replacements (microwave, dishwasher, disposal)
• Carpet and flooring: cleaning is our priority over replacement unless you direct otherwise

Around years 7-10

• Flooring replacement with moderate-to-heavy tenant use; major appliance refresh (washer/dryer, refrigerator)
• Exterior siding, trim, or gutter refresh; deck replacement or major repair; partial roof or flashing updates
• Full HVAC replacement (10-15 year life), roof replacement (20-30 years), water heater (7-10 years), window/door upgrades, kitchen and bath updates

Kansas-specific factors

• Hot summers, cold winters, and freeze-thaw cycles contribute to wood rot and exterior deterioration
• Wildlife (squirrels, birds, and especially woodpeckers) can damage siding, fascia, and vents
• Clay soil expansion/contraction and wind damage make proactive exterior inspections worthwhile

Smart planning: set aside roughly 8-12% of annual rental income for maintenance and capital improvements. We can establish and manage a maintenance reserve account for your property on request, so funds are ready for projects, capital improvements, or emergencies.

In general, we don't recommend buying or renewing third-party home warranty policies. Our experience in Lawrence is that most local vendors and repair companies do not work with warranty companies due to low and slow pay.

The national 800-number scheduling process is also frustrating for tenants: we have had tenants left without heat or a working appliance waiting on parts approvals, and one warranty technician told an occupant it needed repair but he “only comes to Lawrence once a week.”

Instead, we work with prompt local contractors who are motivated by their continued business with us. We suggest saving the annual warranty fee and putting it toward a maintenance reserve. That said, if you already have a paid or renewed policy, we will do our best to use it for you when possible.

At houses and townhomes, tenants typically handle mowing, trimming, and weed removal per the lease. Even so, owners should budget for periodic yard cleanups, brush and limb removal, and bush or tree trimming, which are owner responsibilities not chargeable to tenants.

We also strongly recommend seasonal weed-and-feed lawn treatments about six times a year, paid by the owner, to keep the lawn healthy; Kansas lawns deteriorate into weeds or dust patches without them. At multi-unit buildings, mowing is typically coordinated and paid through the property.

No. Property owners do not pay for air duct cleaning, and we do not schedule it as a routine maintenance item. This comes up a few times a year, usually after a resident sees an advertisement or is told by a duct cleaning company that their ducts “need” service.

The reason is that duct cleaning is not an established maintenance requirement. The U.S. EPA does not recommend routine duct cleaning, noting there is no evidence that it prevents health problems or measurably improves air quality in a typical home. Duct cleaning companies are also one of the more aggressive marketing channels in this industry, and the “free inspection” photos they present are rarely a reliable basis for a several-hundred-dollar service.

What actually resolves the underlying complaint is almost always something else, and those we do handle:

• A dirty or long-overdue air filter, which is the resident's responsibility to change
• Dusty or blocked supply and return vents
• A humidity or moisture problem creating a musty smell
• An actual mold or moisture source, which is a real repair and is owner-paid

The exceptions where we would recommend it and bring it to you for approval: visible mold growth inside the duct work, vermin infestation in the ducts, ducts genuinely clogged with construction debris or insulation, or after a fire or smoke event. Those are legitimate and we will document them with photos before asking.

If a resident wants their ducts cleaned for personal preference, they are welcome to arrange and pay for it themselves. We ask only that they notify us first so we know who is entering the home and can confirm the company is insured.

Heating and cooling is by far the largest single source of maintenance requests we handle. In a recent 90-day review of resident requests across our portfolio, HVAC was the number one category by a wide margin, and it is concentrated almost entirely in June through September.

How we approach it. Our default is to repair, because a repair is usually a fraction of a replacement and is deductible in the year completed rather than depreciated. We recommend replacement when the numbers stop supporting that:

• Age. Systems run about 10 to 15 years in this climate. Past about 15, parts get scarce and each repair buys less time.
• Repeat failures. Two or three service calls in one season on the same system is the signal. Repeated calls also mean repeated days of an uncomfortable resident, which affects renewals.
• Refrigerant type. Older units use R-22, which is no longer produced. Recharging an R-22 system that is leaking is expensive and temporary. If a technician reports low refrigerant on an R-22 unit, that is usually the point to plan replacement.
• Compressor failure. The compressor is the most expensive component. Replacing one in an older system rarely makes financial sense.
• Cost ratio. When a quoted repair approaches roughly a third of replacement cost on a system past mid-life, we will bring you both numbers.

If a unit is “red tagged.” Occasionally a technician red tags a furnace, meaning they have shut it off and locked it out for a safety defect such as a cracked heat exchanger or a gas leak. We cannot simply turn it back on, and we would not ask a technician to.

A red tag means repair or replace, and in heating season it becomes urgent because the home has no legal heat source. We will call you the same day.

What we do to reduce these calls. We push filter changes hard with residents, publish self-help guidance so a clogged filter or a tripped breaker does not become a service call, and ask residents to check for a frozen coil before we dispatch. A meaningful share of summer calls resolve without a truck because of that.

Planning point: if your system is over 12 years old, it is worth deciding before next summer whether you want to replace on your schedule or on the system's. A planned replacement in the spring costs less and is far less disruptive than an emergency replacement in a July heat wave, when every contractor in Lawrence is booked.

Smoke and CO alarms are an owner expense. Under Kansas law the landlord installs the alarms and repairs or replaces them when they are deficient; the resident keeps them present and operating and changes the batteries. Batteries are the resident's; the device is yours.

Why you see these regularly. Smoke alarms have a hard 10-year service life from the manufacture date printed on the back. At end of life they begin chirping intermittently and will not stop no matter how new the battery is. CO alarms are shorter, typically 5 to 10 years. Since alarms in a house are usually all installed at once, they also tend to reach end of life at once.

Our practice is to replace the set, not the one. When we find one expired alarm in a home, we check the dates on all of them, and if they are the same vintage we replace them together. Swapping a single alarm in an interconnected string of 15-year-old units just moves the chirp to the next one and buys another trip charge. Replacing the set once is cheaper than three separate visits.

Why we treat these as high priority. A chirping alarm at 3 a.m. is the most common reason a resident disables one, and a disabled alarm is both a life-safety risk and a city rental inspection failure. Working alarms in every required location are checked at inspection, so keeping them current protects your license as well as your residents.

Cost context: alarms are inexpensive individually, and this is one of the least painful line items on a rental. It appears on your statement as a maintenance expense and is deductible in the year incurred.

Main line blockages are almost always an owner expense. The sewer lateral running from the house to the city main is part of the property, and the most common causes are structural rather than behavioral: tree root intrusion, a bellied or offset section, or old clay or cast-iron pipe that has deteriorated. None of that is chargeable to a resident.

When it becomes the resident's cost is when the plumber pulls out something that clearly should not have been flushed: wipes (including so-called flushable ones), feminine products, paper towels, or grease poured down a drain. We ask our plumbers to document what they find and photograph it, and we bill the resident when the evidence supports it. Without that documentation the charge will not hold up, so we do not guess.

How we handle a backup. Sewage backing up into a tub, shower, or floor drain is treated as an emergency; it is a health hazard and it damages flooring fast. We dispatch immediately, and we do not wait for approval on the initial clearing.

When we recommend a camera scope. If a line backs up more than once, we will recommend running a camera before clearing it again. It is a modest cost and it answers the question that matters: whether you are buying a recurring rooter bill every year or looking at a one-time repair. Roots found early can often be cut and treated; a collapsed or offset section needs excavation and we would bring you a bid.

Prevention that actually works: for a property with known root intrusion, an annual scheduled cleanout before the wet season is far cheaper than an emergency call plus flooring restoration. If your property has a history, ask us to put it on a schedule.

Tree work is an owner responsibility, including storm cleanup, hazard removal, and trimming. Residents are asked to report tree problems and not to cut anything themselves, both for their safety and your liability.

What we treat as urgent and act on without waiting for approval:

• A limb on the roof, on a vehicle, or across a driveway or exit.
• A trunk that is split, cracked, or leaning toward a structure.
• Anything touching a power line, which goes to Evergy first.

Beyond the property damage, a known hazard tree left standing is the kind of thing that turns an insurance claim into a negligence question.

Insurance versus maintenance. This distinction saves owners real money, so it is worth knowing:

• Usually covered: a tree that falls and damages a covered structure - roof, fence, garage. Policies typically pay for the damage and for removing the portion of the tree on the structure.
• Usually not covered: a tree that falls and hits nothing. Removing it from the yard is generally maintenance, not a claim, and many policies cap debris removal at a few hundred dollars.
• Never covered: routine trimming, and removal of a tree that was already visibly dead or hazardous. Insurers deny those as deferred maintenance.

When there is structure damage, we photograph everything before anything is moved so you have what you need for a claim. Please tell us your deductible if you would like us to weigh a claim against simply paying for the work.

Worth doing proactively: trimming limbs back off the roofline. Branches on shingles wear them out early and give squirrels and raccoons a route into the attic, and that is a far more expensive problem than the trimming would have been. Same for clearance around the AC condenser.

A sudden jump in water usage is worth chasing down quickly, because water runs 24 hours a day and a single failed part can add hundreds of dollars in a billing cycle. Where the property is on a Location Properties utility account, we watch for these; if the account is in the resident's name, we rely on them telling us.

The usual causes, roughly in order of how often we find them:

• A running toilet. By far number one. A flapper that will not seal can waste thousands of gallons a month and is often silent. It is also a cheap fix.
• An irrigation or sprinkler leak, or a system left running on a schedule nobody remembers setting.
• An outdoor hose bib left on or dripping, or a hose left running.
• A slab or underground service line leak. Less common but the expensive one. Signs are a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, or an unexplained wet area in the yard.
• A water heater leaking or a relief valve discharging.

A quick test we ask for: with every fixture off, check whether the meter is still moving. If it is, there is an active leak somewhere and it is worth a plumber. If it is not, the usage is behavioral or intermittent, such as a toilet that only runs sometimes.

Who pays. Repairing the plumbing is an owner expense - a failed flapper or a leaking line is normal wear regardless of who was living there. The water itself follows whoever holds the utility account. Where the account is in your name and the spike was caused by resident behavior, such as a hose left running for days, that portion can be billable to them, but we need something concrete to support it.

Do not sit on it. The most expensive version of this is a small leak that runs for months. If your statement shows a water expense that looks out of line, ask us and we will investigate rather than assume it is a meter reading error.

Repairs (fixing a leaking faucet, replacing a broken window pane, painting a small area) are generally deductible in the year completed. Improvements (a full roof replacement, new siding, a major kitchen remodel) typically must be capitalized and depreciated over time.

Residential rental property depreciates over 27.5 years under federal law (which Kansas follows), while components have shorter useful lives:

• Flooring and carpet: 5-7 years
• Appliances: 5-10 years
• Interior/exterior paint: 3-7 years
• Water heater: 7-10 years
• HVAC system: 10-15 years
• Fencing/decking: 10-15 years
• Cabinetry/countertops: 10-20 years
• Roof: 20-30 years

Maintain detailed expense and depreciation records, allocate large improvements to the correct schedule, and coordinate with your accountant or tax preparer each year under IRS Publication 527 and Kansas Department of Revenue guidelines. This is general information, not tax advice.

Although tenants can be charged for damage they caused, Kansas law and federal tax guidelines require the charge to reflect the actual repair or replacement cost minus the depreciated value of the item.

For example: if carpet has a 7-year useful life and a tenant damages it in year 6, the tenant can only be charged roughly one-seventh of the replacement cost. Deducting for age-related wear first keeps deposit charges fair and legal, and claiming depreciation on your tax return helps recover the rest.

Yes. We coordinate city-required rental compliance end to end:

• Licensing form submission and processing
• Inspection scheduling and coordination
• Inspection and licensing fee payments
• Follow-up repairs to meet compliance standards
• Local registered property manager agent services
• Ongoing monitoring of changing municipal requirements

The City of Lawrence Rental Licensing office sends annual license renewal notices and invoices to both the rental owner and Location Properties as the designated property manager - unless this is the first year Location Properties has managed the property, in which case the city may not have us on file yet.

• First year with Location Properties? Please forward the notice and invoice to us through the contact form, or upload it as a task in your Owner Portal, so we can get the license and inspection handled.
• Have we paid your rental license fee and attended the city inspection in a prior year? Then you are simply being copied on the notice and no action is needed. Location Properties pays the license fee, and the inspection fee if one is required, on your behalf (charged against the income on the property, so it appears on your owner statement), attends the city inspection, and helps coordinate any repairs the city requires.

The rental licensing program is run by Code Compliance in the city's Planning & Development Services department; see lawrenceks.gov/pds/code_enforcement. Licenses and renewal invoices are processed through the city's Enterprise Permitting & Licensing portal, and licensing questions go to rentallicensing@lawrenceks.gov.

Kansas law (K.S.A. 12-1808) and Lawrence city code make property owners responsible for maintaining the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. The city's right-of-way accessibility program inspects sidewalks zone by zone and marks hazards with paint:

• White paint means the hazard was caused by city-owned infrastructure (street trees, manholes, valves) and the city repairs it at no cost to you.
• Pink paint means the repair is the owner's responsibility.

If you receive a sidewalk notice for a property we manage, please let us know through the contact form and we will coordinate the best way to get us a copy.

We highly recommend using the city's contractor when offered:

• The city's cost-partnering covers demolition and removal, excavation, grading, design, traffic control, permitting, and ADA curb ramps, with a two-year warranty.
• The owner pays only the material and installation cost of their marked hazards.
• Invoices are due within 90 days; unpaid amounts can be spread over five years on the property tax bill (with interest).
• It is difficult to find individual contractors for small concrete jobs in Lawrence, and self-repairs must meet city specs and permits without the program's pricing or warranty.

Current program details, zone maps, and hazard definitions are at lawrenceks.gov/mso/ada, or call Municipal Services & Operations at (785) 832-7800. The 2026 phase focuses on the Pinckney and Sunset Hill neighborhoods.

Yes. Bryan Hedges is also a licensed real estate broker. Explore investment property opportunities in Lawrence, get a home value estimate, or learn about selling a property at BryanHedges.com.

The standard agreement runs for one year from the date last signed and then automatically renews on the same terms until canceled.

• After the first year: either you or Location Properties may cancel at any time with sixty (60) days' notice to the other by mail and email.
• Before the end of the first year: if an owner cancels, the agreement calls for paying the management fees for the months remaining to reach the one-year date.

Per the agreement's Notices section, cancellation notice is mailed by U.S. mail to our office at Location Properties, 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110, Lawrence, KS 66047, in addition to electronic notice.

The easiest way to start the conversation is a message through the contact form or a call to (785) 841-7300; we will confirm the effective date with you. Your own agreement controls if its terms differ, so check your copy (downloadable in the owner portal).

Effective on the termination date, we cease performing management duties. We notify the tenants that we will no longer be collecting rent or taking maintenance requests as of the end of our management.

For any active leases, you will want to notify the tenants of their next steps, such as where to make rent payments for the month after management ends, and that we will send you their security deposit for you to reconcile with them at the end of the lease.

We deliver to you, as soon as possible after termination:

• All rents and income of the property on hand and in any bank account that are your monies, after payment of any amounts owed under the agreement;
• Any monies due you that are received after termination; and
• All materials, supplies, keys, contracts, documents, and financial records pertaining to the property that you reasonably request.

The wrap-up timeline in the agreement:

• Within 45 days: any remaining payment then due and owing to you.
• Within 60 days: the profit and loss statement for the fiscal year (or the portion ending on the termination date).
• Within 90 days: any remaining maintenance reserve funds, less fees or expenses still due, since some vendor invoices arrive after the work.

If the property is still occupied and we hold the tenants' security deposits, the agreement directs us to disburse the deposits to you as soon as possible after cancellation.

From there, you work with the tenants to establish a new lease and security deposit agreement that does not involve Location Properties, and you become responsible for following through with all lease terms, including reconciling the security deposit according to Kansas Landlord Tenant Law at the end of the lease and disbursing any monies owed to contractors or tenants.

You may market the property for sale at any time during the agreement, either through our affiliated brokerage, Realty Executives - Hedges Real Estate (Bryan Hedges), or through a real estate company of your choice. If the property sells, the management agreement terminates upon the closing of the sale, even during the first year, and the wrap-up process above applies.

Showings to prospective buyers, appraisers, and inspectors are coordinated by you or your real estate agent; staff time spent on sale-related activities is billed hourly per the agreement. Thinking of selling to another investor with the tenants in place? We are glad to help with that conversation and can often keep managing for the new owner.