Tenants’ Frequently Asked Questions

Tenant FAQs

What are the income and credit requirements to rent a home?

We look for income that is at least three times the monthly rent, and our minimum credit score is 680. If you don’t meet those standards but your application otherwise qualifies, a co-signor may be considered.

Do you accept pets?

Whether or not pets are allowed depends on the property you want to rent and the type of pet you own. Our advertisements usually reflect whether pets are welcomed. Most of our properties list pets as negotiable. In the application instructions, you will see a link to fill out a pet application if you have pets.

How and when do I pay rent?

Your lease agreement will include all of the information you need about rent payments, including penalties for late payments. The easiest way to pay is online, where you can pay one-time or set up recurring payments every month. It’s a safe and secure way to ensure your rent is paid on time every month.

What if something breaks?

Maintenance and repair requests can be made online, through your tenant portal. We will respond as soon as possible, and we ask you to make sure your property is available for the fastest possible visit from a vendor or contractor. For emergency maintenance issues, we are available by phone 24 hours a day.

How do I get my security deposit back?

Your lease agreement will provide instructions for the move-out process. We will return a full security deposit to tenants who clean and maintain their homes and return the property to us in the same condition in which it was received.

Sceenshot of the location of the property on the map

Important Information When Applying for a Rental

As a company, we do business in accordance with the Federal and State fair housing laws. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability/handicap, marital status, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, medical condition, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, source of income, any arbitrary basis, perception, association, citizenship status, immigration status, primary language spoken, or any other basis protected under federal, state and/or local laws.

Each applicant is screened for credit history, leasing history, source of income verification, and criminal history. We process applications using the information below and select the best qualified tenant. Application processing generally takes 1 business day. Please allow that much time for an update. A $40 screening fee per applicant will apply. (pay this fee online during the application process).

When you fill out an application, we’ll ask for the following:

Completed Application- We must have a completed application for all adults who will be living at the property, and emancipated minors with written proof of legal emancipation. Please make sure to complete all fields as we only process fully completed applications. Incomplete applications will be denied.
A valid, government-issued photo ID. The photo ID will be compared to the application at the time the application is submitted, and the ID will be returned to you once this comparison is complete. We will not retain a copy of a photo ID unless your application is approved, and you have signed a lease.
Proof of income for all applicants- Applicants must make a combined minimum of 3 times the monthly rent in gross income, to be considered. Applicants must provide written proof of legal income, which is paid directly to the applicant or a representative of the applicant.

We appreciate the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for applying!

“Great service! Excellent! Rented a property with Jody and Crissi. Always very responsive when needed something. I would highly recommend them.”

Carmen C

Happy Buyer

“I’ve worked with Jody Stowers for several years now. Jody managed my rental for 2 years and he did a great job keeping me up to date on my property. I am currently using Jody to buy another property in the bay area. Jody is extremely professional, trustworthy, and a pleasure to work with.”

Tony L

Happy Renter

Want to Learn More?

If you’d like to learn more about our properties and what it’s like to work with Stowers Real Estate Property Management, get in touch. We’d be happy to talk more about our rental properties, our application requirements, and our leasing process.

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT US

Miao Zhang

2023-07-15

Stowers makes the process super easy for me and Jody is very resourceful and prefessional. I highly recommend Stowers to anyone who is looking for a real estate management service.

Qiang “Charlie” Zhang

2023-06-27

One of the best rent agencies I had before.

Au won

2023-06-18

Had a walk-through inspection after the tenant moved out. There are six permanent stains left on the carpet. Missing two vintage dressers. Three broken plantation shutters. Missing a new 12-foot ladder from the garage. Missing a wall-mounted TV in the master bathroom. Missing one six-foot tall garden shed plus smaller ones from the side of the house. Missing a fireplace screen. Invoiced $180.00 for backyard stone repairs that were never repaired. Invoiced $375.00 for three new window screens that were never ordered Invoiced $219.00 for shampooing carpets. The tenant was also invoiced $219.00 for carpet shampooing. Invoiced $95.00 to retighten a loose screw on a shower plate Invoiced$135.00 for yanking out wires from the home alarm panel due to chirping. Only need to replace a one-dollar battery. Property management policy no need to notify the owners for repairs under $500.00. Management company response is in total denial of missing properties and invoice billings for repairs that were not done. As of today, no compensation for the missing properties, damages, or return of funds for work orders that was not done Sharing an accurate, truthful, and factual account of my negative experiences with this unprofessional property manager

Nick Bricaud

2023-05-24

Stowers Real Estate is wonderful to work with and makes the entire process easy! The team is professional, super responsive and timely with any requests. The entire staff is helpful and always friendly. I highly recommend this team to anyone looking for a home. They are a class act!!!

Matthew Kerchner

2023-05-23

tl;dr: Very professional, prompt, and communicative! Read below for more details. From 2022 to 2023 I rented an upscale 1 bedroom condo in downtown San Francisco through Stowers Real Estate. They were not the owners of the unit, but handled every aspect of the rental. I inquired about the rental after finding the listing on Zillow, and received a call back the same day. They make all of the lease information available through their tenant web portal, which is also where you can pay and setup automatic payments. The deposit was reasonable (1 month's rent), and the pet rent was very cheap. (They use a service to help classify your pets - if you have any - and determine a reasonable pet rent/deposit. My one small cat wasn't determined to be a menace to society and I was given the minimum fee.) I was worried about the move-in process because I needed to rent something while I was out of state and unable to travel for tours. Stowers made this a non-issue. They prepared the key and a welcome package for me and gave me detailed instructions for how to access the apartment and my included parking space in the garage. There was a minor issue with the bed that I found upon moving in, but they had a repairman out the next morning to fix it and ensure I was satisfied. My unit was furnished and beautiful. I didn't encounter any major issues during my stay with the unit itself or the furnishings. I had a bit of a scare with the dishwasher not seeming to drain at one point, but Stowers responded to my inquiry immediately. The problem ended up resolving itself without any intervention needed, but I was happy that they jumped on the problem and were willing to send out a technician without any hassle. I was so happy that I was planning to stay another year. Unfortunately, the unit's owners needed to take it off of the market. I received a call from Stowers explaining the situation, during which they were very apologetic and willing to discuss possible move-out scenarios with me. I told them that I would probably need two months to find a new place and move out and didn't get any push back from Jody. I kept in touch with their team during my search for a new place and they were very flexible when I ran into scheduling issues that delayed my move-out. My cat turned out to not be such an upstanding citizen after all and damaged two pieces of furniture. I was upfront about this and the Stowers team noted both pieces during their move-out inspection. The charges were added to my account in the tenant portal and about 5 minutes later I received a call to explain what the charges were for as well as to ask if I had any questions about them or wished to dispute any of them. After a pretty calm discussion about the items needing repair, they agreed to remove one of the smaller charges and we settled on a fairly reasonable cleaning fee and repair fee. Overall, this was my BEST leasing experience in the city since moving to SF in 2016. I was heartbroken to have to move out, but I would absolutely rent through Stowers Real Estate again.

Sarah Romeo

2023-05-20

As first time home buyers, we could not have asked for a better experience than working with Jody and his team! Jody has an exceptional understanding of current market conditions and takes the time to thoughtfully explain every step of a typically stressful process. The entire team was very responsive and always quick to answer our many questions. We were able to close on an amazing Pleasanton house thanks to Jody! I would recommend Stowers Real Estate team to anyone looking to buy or sell - you will be in excellent hands.

Ian Arcellana

2023-05-17

Stowers Real Estate has been fantastic! Their team is very responsive through any form of communication and punctual for in-person / zoom meetings. As first time homebuyers, Jody was able to provide a lot of insight about the Pleasanton / Tri-valley area. Overall, I could not ask for a better experience purchasing our first home and I hope to connect with them again in the future!

Jeff Ramer

2023-05-09

The Stowers group managed our property as a rental for a couple years after we moved out of state. Jody's team did a great job managing the rental operations and keeping up on the required maintenance on the property. Recently we decided to sell the property, and that whole process proceeded without issues as well. We are completely satisfied with Jody's group and all the interactions we had with them.

Michele Krause

2023-03-27

Very easy sign up of the lease with them, all digital files easy to access, very friendly business! Always stays on top of any maintenance requests as well. All in all a great experience renting a property with them.

Brooke Hulsey

2023-03-07

I've been a tenant for over 4 years and their office is always wonderful to work with. Responsive and helpful with whatever questions or needs I may have.