Our Professional Code of Ethics

As professional residential asset managers, we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. As a member of NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers), we ascribe to their Code of Ethics for Property Managers and are providing it here for our visitors to view. These are values we have adopted as our own and strive to deliver the finest service available anywhere.

Home Locators Ethics Pledge

Duty To Protect The Public

It is the duty of the Property Manager (we'll refer to it as 'PM') is to protect the public against fraud, misrepresentation, and unethical practices in property management.
The PM shall endeavor to eliminate in the community, through the normal course of business,any practices which could be damaging to the public or bring discredit to the profession.
The PM shall assist the governmental agency charged with regulating the practices of property Managers.
The PM shall comply with all local and state ordinances regarding real estate law, licensing, insurance, and banking.
The PM shall use reasonable efforts to be sure that information on their websites is current. If it becomes apparent that information on the website is not current, then the PM shall promptly take corrective action.
The websites of the PM shall not contain any deceptive metatags or other devices/methods to direct, drive, or divert Internet traffic or to otherwise mislead customers. The websites shall also not manipulate listing content in any way that produces a deceptive or misleading result.

Discrimination

The Property Manager shall not discriminate in the rental, lease, or negotiation for real property based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or handicap and shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws concerning discrimination.
It is the duty of the PM to educate those with whom the PM is affiliated with to comply with all fair housing laws.

Duty To Client

The Property Manager has a fiduciary responsibility to the Client and shall at all times act in the best interests of the Client.
The PM shall use a written management agreement outlining all responsibilities and fees. The Client will be provided a copy and the PM will maintain a copy.
The PM shall communicate regularly with the Client and provide written reports of receipts and disbursements on a regular and agreed upon basis. In the event of any dispute, the PM shall provide a written accounting as soon as practical.
Tenant applications shall be reviewed and verified in order to determine the Applicant’s ability to pay and to determine the likelihood that the Applicant will comply with all provisions of the rental agreement.
The Property Manager shall accept no commissions, rebates, profits, discounts, or any other benefit which has not been fully disclosed to and approved by the Client.
The PM shall not mislead owners with the market value of the property, in an attempt to secure a listing.

Duty To Tenants

The Property Manager shall treat all Tenants professionally when applying for, living in, and vacating a managed residence. The Property Manager shall hold a high regard for the safety and health of those lawfully at a managed property.
The PM shall offer all Applicants a written application.
The PM shall provide all Tenants with a copy of the signed rental agreement with all addenda.
The PM shall make all disclosures as required by state and local laws and provide the Tenant an opportunity to complete a written condition report at the time of moving in.
The PM shall respond promptly to requests for repairs.
Within the time prescribed by law, a written deposit refund determination shall be provided to the Tenant after they have vacated the property. No undue delay in refunding or accounting for the security deposit shall take place.
The PM shall avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, misinformation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the advertisement, leasing, and management of the property.

Property Condition

The Property Manager shall manage all properties in accordance with safety and habitability requirements of the local jurisdiction.
The PM shall not manage properties for Clients who refuse or are unable to maintain their property in accordance with safety and habitability requirements of the local jurisdiction.

Protection of funds

The Property Manager shall hold all funds received on behalf of others in compliance with state law with full disclosure to the Client and must never commingle the firm’s or personal funds with those of the Client.

Duty To Disclose Expertise

The Property Manager must provide accurate information within his area of expertise, but refrain from the unauthorized practice of other professions, including but not limited to the law, accounting, financial planning, construction, and contracting.

Duty To Firm

The Property Manager shall act in the best interests of their Employer/Broker. 8-1 The PM shall have no undisclosed conflict of interest with their Employer/Broker and shall notify their Employer/Broker immediately if a conflict should arise.
The PM shall receive no kickbacks, rebates, or any other benefits without full disclosure to Employer/Broker.
The PM may not take or use any proprietary documentation or client/tenant lists during or after relationship with Employer/Broker without express written consent from Employer/Broker.

Relation with competitors

The Property Manager shall refrain from criticizing competitors or their business practices. 9-1 the PM shall treat all competitors in a fair and professional manner and shall not knowingly engage in any practice or take any action against a competitor in an unbusinesslike manner.
The PM shall not knowingly solicit competitor’s clients. The does not preclude the PM from making general announcements. For purposes of this code, a general announcement may be defined as a general telephone canvass or a general mailing or distribution addressed to all prospects in a given geographical area or in a specific profession, business, club, organization, or other classification or group.
In the event of a controversy between Property Managers with different firms, the PM's shall submit the dispute to mediation rather than litigate the matter.

Price Fixing

The PMshall not engage in the improper acts of price fixing, anti-trust, or anti-competition with other Property Managers.
Unless the PM is purchasing another property management company, fees, commissions, and compensations, shall not be discussed with other Property Managers. The PM shall always seek to avoid the appearance of impropriety in these matters.
The PM’s fees, commissions, and compensations shall be determined by the PM or the PM’s Broker based upon, but not limited to, expertise, experience, and the cost of service or expense.

Improve The Profession

The PM shall strive to improve the property management profession and NARPM® by sharing with others their lessons of experience for the benefit of all.
The PM shall strive to be informed about relevant matters affecting the property management field on a local, state, and national level.
The PM shall maintain their real estate license by meeting continuing education requirements as set out by the state in which they work.
NARPM® members shall abide by the NARPM® bylaws and any other guidelines approved by the Board and shall do no harm to the organization.

There are a lot of words on this page. It can be easy to skip over some of them and just take away the general idea that professional Managers like Home Locators have to be decent people. It is true. You can trust us to do the right thing but (big BUT) we actually do believe in all of these values and take them seriously. We feel you, our customer deserves nothing less than our best every day. It is why we come to work each day. It is the reason why we have a dedicated manager to monitor our emergency maintenance line every night, every weekend. We want to earn your trust and your business. If you have any comments, questions or recommendations, please Contact Us today.