Resident guide
The whole tenancy, start to finish: seeing a home, applying, moving in, living here, and moving out. For today’s openings see available rentals, and for schools, utilities, and the accounts you set up yourself see schools, utilities & moving in. If your answer is not here, call 707-762-7777 and ask for the manager on the listing.
Find and tour a rental
Seeing a home
How do showings work?
Every showing is hosted in person by a licensed Bundesen Property Management property manager, the same team you would work with as a resident. Use the showing request on any available rental to ask for a time, and we meet you at the door. We do not use lockbox codes or unattended self-tours: you get a real person who knows the home and can answer questions on the spot.
What should I bring or have ready?
Just yourself and your questions. If you like the home, you can apply from its listing on your phone before you leave the driveway, and the manager who showed it to you is the one who sees your application come in.
How do I know a rental ad is really ours?
Every genuine Bundesen Property Management listing appears on our available rentals page. Our current openings also appear on Zillow, Redfin, and other syndicated sites, so finding us there is normal, but this website is the source of truth: if a home is not listed here, it is not currently available from us, no matter what an ad somewhere else says. Applications run only through the secure application link on each listing, and we never ask you to wire money, pay in gift cards, or hand over a deposit before you have seen the home with one of our managers. Questions about any ad? Call the office at 707-762-7777 and we will tell you whether it is real.
Submit a complete application
Applying
What do you screen for?
Three things, for every adult who will live in the home: verifiable income and employment (we confirm where you work as part of the income check), rental history (we call your previous landlords), and credit through a standard screening report. The screening fee is shown on the application before you pay anything. Lawful source of income counts as income, including housing vouchers and other rental assistance. If a government rent subsidy pays all or part of your rent, the income standard applies to your share of the rent, and you may give us other verifiable evidence of your ability to pay in place of your credit history, as California law provides.
How long does a decision take?
Usually one to four business days once your application is complete. Reaching references and previous landlords is often the longest step, and their response times are not ours to control. A person in our Petaluma office reads every file, and we call you with the decision either way.
Can I apply for a home I have not seen yet?
Yes, though we recommend seeing it first. Applications are online from every home on our rentals page, where you can also request a showing, and applying does not commit you to a lease.
What about pets?
It depends on the home, not a blanket rule; each listing states its pet policy, and proper documentation is required for every pet in the home. Service and assistance animals are not pets: they are welcome in every home, they are not subject to pet rent, pet fees, or a pet deposit, and we ask for supporting information only where the law allows it. The rental-law answer on assistance animals has the official sources.
Prepare before receiving keys
Moving in
What does it cost to move in?
Plan for the first month’s rent plus the security deposit stated for the home. California generally limits security deposits, with a narrow small-landlord exception; see the current deposit-limit answer and official sources. Your exact amounts are itemized before you sign.
What do I need to set up before I move in?
Electric and gas, plus water and garbage where the account is in your name, and renters insurance if your lease requires it. Start about a week ahead. Schools, utilities & moving in has the providers for each city and the order to do them in.
How is the home's condition documented?
We document the home at move-in, and you can note anything you find on the move-in checklist. Be thorough, include clear photos where useful, and keep your copy; the record helps distinguish existing conditions from later damage. The deposit-deductions answer explains the underlying rule.
Payments, maintenance, and access
Living in the home
What can I do in the resident portal?
Use the resident portal to pay rent, manage automatic payments, review payment history, and submit maintenance requests with photos. It is available at any hour. To speak with the team during office hours, call 707-762-7777, Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30.
How do I pay rent?
Online through the resident portal by bank transfer or card, with automatic payments if you want them, and your full payment history is always visible there. If you would rather pay another way, such as by check, call the office.
Something broke. What do I do?
Submit a maintenance request through the resident portal any hour, with photos if you can. Our staff reviews every request and urgent problems are handled first. For emergencies, call 707-762-7777. If it is a gas leak or a fire, call 911 and PG&E first, then us.
Can the landlord enter my home whenever they want?
No. California limits the reasons, notice, and timing for entry; outside specified exceptions, 24 hours is presumed reasonable notice. See the rental-law answer on entry for the official sources. When we need access for repairs or inspections, you hear from us first.
Close out the tenancy
Moving out
How much notice do I give?
Check your lease first. Notice rules differ by agreement and by who is ending the tenancy, so start with the rental-law answer on month-to-month notice. Send us written notice through the resident portal so it is time-stamped, and we will confirm in writing that we received it, along with the move-out date and next steps.
How do I get my full deposit back?
Leave the home clean and in the condition you received it, normal wear and tear excepted, and return all keys on time. California provides an option to request a pre-move-out inspection; the deposit-deductions answer explains what may be charged.
When does the deposit come back?
California’s deadline is no later than 21 calendar days after the home is vacated, together with the required accounting and any remaining deposit. See the deposit-return answer for the current rule, documentation requirements, and official sources.
Need a different legal topic? Search the rental-law questions, each linked to official sources.
Looking for a home? Browse current rentals.