Living with Us: Our Standards, Policies, and What You Can Expect

Property management quality varies enormously, and it directly affects your daily life for the next year or more. A great apartment with terrible management is a miserable experience. We'd rather you know exactly what to expect from us before you apply than find out after you've moved in.

Here's how we operate — the good, the expectations, and the honest limitations.

Maintenance: How Fast and How Well

This is the thing tenants care about most, so let's start here.

Our response standards:

• Emergency issues: no heat, no water, gas leak, flooding, safety hazard, etc. — get a 24/7 response with someone dispatched within hours, not the next business day.
• Urgent issues: broken appliance, plumbing issue, HVAC failure — get a response within 24 hours and resolution within 48–72 hours in most cases.
• Standard maintenance: minor repairs, cosmetic issues, non-urgent requests — gets scheduled within 3–5 business days.

We came from real estate development and construction. We've renovated entire buildings, managed major construction projects, and worked with every building trade. We don't send random handymen from a call list. We have a trusted in-house team and a network of licensed, vetted contractors we've worked with for years.

Practically, this means two things for you. First, repairs get done correctly the first time because we know what "correctly" looks like. Second, if there's a delay — parts on order, specialist needed, scheduling conflict — we tell you exactly what's happening and when to expect resolution. No guessing, no chasing us down.

Communication: How to Reach Us

You'll have access to your AppFolio tenant portal where you can submit maintenance requests, pay rent, view your payment history, and track request status in real time. No phone tag. No wondering if anyone got your message.

Response times:

• General questions: response within one business day. Rent and payment questions: same-day.
• Maintenance requests: acknowledged within 4 business hours with status update within 24 hours.
• We'll also reach out proactively: scheduled property work gets at least 24–48 hours advance notice. Lease renewal options come 60–90 days before expiration — no surprises.

Have questions about a specific property or our application process?

Contact us at info@helixrem.com or (626) 610-4889 — we're happy to answer before you apply.

Security Deposits: No Games, No Surprises

Let's address the anxiety directly: will you get your deposit back?

• Move-in: We do a detailed photo walkthrough documenting every scratch, scuff, and pre-existing condition. You get a copy. You're not held responsible for anything already there.
• During your tenancy: Periodic inspections (with proper notice) catch issues early. If something needs attention, we tell you before it becomes a deposit problem.
• Move-out: Same detailed checklist, same photo documentation. Normal wear and tear — faded paint, minor scuffs, carpet wear from regular use — is expected and not charged. Actual damage is documented with photos and charged at fair rates with receipts.
• Within 21 days: California law requires an itemized deposit accounting. We provide a detailed breakdown with photos and receipts for any deductions. No mystery charges.

Our approach is simple: if you took reasonable care of the place, you should get your deposit back. We're not looking for reasons to keep your money.

Lease Renewals and Rent Adjustments

We track local market rents continuously. When your lease is up for renewal, your offer reflects current market conditions, your history as a tenant (payment record, property care, length of tenancy), and the reality that keeping a good tenant is better business than finding a new one.

Turnover costs us time and money. A modest, fair increase that keeps someone we trust in the unit beats a larger increase that forces a move-out and an unknown replacement.

If the market has moved significantly, we'll explain why and show you comparable data. You can verify our numbers.

• Renewal timeline: You'll receive your renewal offer 60–90 days before lease expiration. Plenty of time to budget and decide without pressure.

What We Expect From You

Fair is fair. Professional management comes with professional expectations:

• Pay rent on time. Online payment makes this straightforward. If you're having difficulty, communicate early — we can often work something out. Silence followed by a missed payment is harder to address.
• Take reasonable care of the property. You don't need to be a perfectionist. Treat it the way you'd want someone to treat your property.
• Report maintenance issues when you notice them. A small leak becomes water damage when it's ignored for weeks. Tell us early and we fix it early.
• Respect your neighbors and the community. We enforce lease terms consistently across all tenants because that's what makes a building livable.

When Things Go Wrong

Sometimes tenant and management interests don't perfectly align. Late rent, lease questions, neighbor disputes, maintenance disagreements — these happen in any rental situation.

Our approach: direct, professional, focused on resolution. We'll be clear about expectations and consequences when needed, but we won't be rude or condescending about it. Most issues resolve with a straightforward adult conversation.

We also protect your interests as a tenant: noise complaints from neighbors get addressed, common areas are maintained to a standard, safety issues are prioritized, and lease terms are enforced equally. Nobody gets special treatment, which means everyone benefits.

Properties and How to Apply

While we're headquartered in Pasadena, we manage multifamily properties all over Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Available units are listed on our website with photos, details, and current pricing.

• Application requirements: Completed application, income verification (normally 2-3x monthly rent minimum, depending on the property), credit and background screening, rental history verification, and a standard application fee of $45 covering screening costs.
• Typical timeline: Application review takes 2–3 business days. Approval notification by email or phone. Lease signing within a week. Move-in coordinated based on your needs and unit availability.

The Bottom Line

Property management quality affects your daily life as a renter. We manage properties with the same standards we applied when we were building and owning them — detail-oriented, responsive, and focused on quality.

If you're looking for a well-maintained property with professional management in Southern California, we'd welcome your application. If you have questions before applying, ask. We're happy to answer everything upfront rather than have surprises later.

Reach out any time!

(626) 610-4889

info@helixrem.com

www.helixrem.com