Your rental, looked after like it was in our own neighborhood.
Vestra's rental management team looks after detached rental homes, townhomes, condos and small multi-unit buildings across Tampa, Brandon, Riverview and Westchase. Many of our owners live out of state or overseas; others live across town and simply want their evenings back.
We handle the work that makes renting a home a job: marketing the vacancy, screening applicants under fair housing rules, writing the lease, collecting rent, answering maintenance calls at night, inspecting the home and keeping the books. You get one clear statement each month and a person who answers when you call.
Management is led by David Okafor, who managed rental portfolios for six years before joining Vestra. Every lease and maintenance contract goes across his desk.
What every owner gets
Our standard agreement includes all of the following. Larger projects are quoted separately and approved by you first.
A monthly owner statement
Rent received, expenses paid, invoices attached and a short note on anything that needs a decision.
Two inspections a year
A walk-through with photographs, so you can see the condition of your home without flying in.
Maintenance coordination
Licensed and insured vendors, night and weekend calls answered, and your approval above a set amount.
One named manager
A single contact who knows your property, your tenant and your preferences.
Owning a Tampa rental from far away
Many of our owners live in another state or another country. Some moved away and kept the home they loved; others bought here as an investment and have never lived in Florida. Either way, the distance makes a reliable local team more important.
We act as your eyes on the property. You receive photographs after every inspection and before and after any significant repair, and your manager calls you when a decision needs your input. Statements, invoices, leases and inspection reports sit in one online folder you can open from anywhere.
Storm season is the time distant owners worry most. Before a named storm, we confirm the tenant knows the plan for shutters or impact protection and how to reach us. Afterward, we check on the home as soon as roads allow, document any damage and help you start an insurance claim if one is needed.
How we place a tenant
Most vacancies are filled in three to five weeks, depending on season and price.
We recommend any make-ready work and set the rent from leases signed nearby.
Photos, a video walkthrough and listings on the major rental sites, with showings managed by our team.
A written, consistent screening process applied to every applicant under fair housing rules.
A Florida lease, deposits handled as state rules require and a photo record at move-in.
Screening applicants, fairly and consistently
Every applicant for a home we manage goes through the same written screening criteria, published before the home is advertised. We verify income and rental history, run the checks the criteria describe, and make decisions on those facts alone, in line with fair housing rules.
Consistency protects you as an owner. When every application is handled the same way, decisions are easier to explain and easier to defend, and good applicants are approved quickly instead of waiting on a judgment call.
You approve the screening criteria when you sign the management agreement, and you can see how each application measured up before a lease is offered.
Applicants hear back quickly, usually within two working days of a complete application, and every decision is recorded with the reason. If an applicant is declined, they receive the notice the screening rules call for. That record keeps the process transparent for applicants and gives you, as the owner, a clear file if a question ever comes up later.
Our fees, in plain terms
Every fee is listed in the management agreement before you sign. These are illustrative for this demo.
A percentage of rent collected, charged only in months when rent is received.
A one-time fee when a new lease is signed, covering marketing, showings and screening.
A small flat fee when a tenant renews, including a rent review.
Vendor invoices are passed through at cost, attached to your statement.
Keeping a good tenant
A turnover costs an owner more than most people expect: lost rent while the home is empty, cleaning and repairs, marketing and the time it takes to find the next resident. Keeping a good tenant is usually the best return a rental can offer.
We answer maintenance requests quickly, keep the home in good repair and talk to tenants before their lease ends rather than in the last week. About ninety days before renewal, we review the rent against leases signed nearby and recommend a figure that keeps the home competitive.
When a tenant does move out, we inspect the home against the move-in photos, handle the deposit as Florida rules require and prepare the home for the next lease. You see every step on your monthly statement.
Small gestures help too. Prompt answers to repair calls, a clear point of contact and a home that is kept in good order all make a tenant more likely to stay. Over several years, a steady tenant who renews at a fair rent usually leaves an owner better off than a higher asking rent that brings a vacancy every year.
What landlords want to know
Short answers on how management works day to day. Your agreement sets the exact terms. See also Investment properties, Selling your home and Contact.
