Property management companies explain renting expectations, questions.

Corvallis property management companies are available for students to drop in where they offer information for students on the process of renting in Corvallis, Ore.

Dawn Duerksen, a property manager for Duerksen & Associates, works with a variety of renters, including Oregon State University students and future tenants who are looking to find a place to call home. 

“For the tenants, we can help them find a home, we can help them find different things depending on their needs, like a lot of people have pets, so we are the most pet-friendly company in town,” Duerksen said. 

Duerksen property managers also assist tenants by informing them of the best times to look for housing and by helping them understand their expectations as tenants.

“I think that we do a good job of helping educate tenants what it takes to be a good tenant and what it means to be a tenant, you know, what your responsibilities are,” Duerksen said. “Helping some people to communicate so that we know how to help them in what they need.” 

Liz Najera, a property manager, has been working for the Sterling Management Group for five years. She provides future tenants applications for rentals and works with tenants through the renting process.

“We are a full-spectrum management property,” Najera said. “We manage HOAs, we manage single family homes, duplexes, apartment complexes, commercials. The only thing we don’t do is sell homes.”

According to the Sterling Management Group, Inc. website, services provided by the group can be customized to meet specific tenant needs.

Duerksen said individuals who are looking for rentals should be aware of the places they are looking for homes.

“Get a list and see what’s available, so looking on websites and looking in property management offices for a list, being careful of Craigslist because people are not honest on Craigslist, and it is upsetting to us just as much as it is to somebody else who gets scammed,” Duerksen said.

Griffin Young, a second-year student looking to study horticulture, lives in an off-campus house close to OSU.

“Start looking early and weigh your options before you really get serious about which house you need, you know, so you make sure you have the right living situation for yourself,” Young said.

Individuals are encouraged to reach out to the Sterling Management Group with questions and concerns, Najera said.

“Obviously we are local, so (students) can come by the office, they can email us directly, we also post on Craigslist and simply just give us a call and we’re happy to just stay on the line and give you all the information you need in order to find you a home,” Najera said. 

Najera said that the employees at the Sterling Management Group are always available to assist tenants with problems related to rentals.

“We’re a friendly fun-loving company and we love Corvallis; there’s at least three of us that are native of Corvallis,” Najera said. “We are happy to work and help you through your mistakes or roommate conundrums or anything like that and I think that’s really what makes our tenants like renting from us.”