Tenant FAQs

To get started, you’ll need to set up your resident account. If you are an existing resident whose property management company is changing to Onyx, you should receive an email invitation regarding account set up.  If you don’t receive an invitation, please call our office and we can email you the link. After you set up your account, download the Appfolio App which will allow you to pay your rent, create and monitor service requests, and ask any questions about your account or rental unit.

The best way to contact us is via the online Tenant Portal or by calling us at 858-273-8800

If you do not have a smartphone or a computer, you can call us at 858-273-8800 to speak to an Onyx representative. If we are unavailable and you leave us a voicemail, we will get back to you within 8 business hours unless it's an emergency. 

A service request should be submitted when there is a physical issue in or around your home that needs to be attended to by a repair technician.

You should send a general support message for anything else. This might include questions about paying rent, regarding your lease, renewing your lease, vacating your home, or other issues that require ongoing correspondence.

You can submit a service request by using your Tenant Portal and clicking on New Maintenance Request. Please describe the problem with as much detail as possible. For appliance issues, a make and model number will be helpful. This will help your property manager hire the right vendor for the job. Once submitted, a Work Order is emailed to your property manager and a vendor will contact you within 8 business hours. Detailed descriptions that include photos and/or videos will lead to faster, more accurate service. Do not submit a maintenance emergency online. See below for instructions. 

Onyx considers the following issues an emergency:

• No electricity

• No water

• Broken or non-working exterior doors, locks, or windows

• No heat (when outside temperature is below 50 degrees)

• No air conditioning (when the outside temperature is above 90 degrees in CA)

• Toilet not working (one bathroom only)

• Flooding or significant leaks

• Inoperable refrigerator

• Fire (call 911 immediately)

• Burglary or robbery (call 911 immediately)

If you have an emergency, please call (888) 203-7553. Support is available 24 hours/7 days a week.

Yes. If property damage is caused by tenant neglect or improper use (a foreign object, neglect, hair, etc.) we are required to charge for the maintenance service. Any broken windows or clogged plumbing will also be repaired at tenant’s expense. Please refer to your lease for more specific items not covered by the landlord. Please review our Maintenance Troubleshooting Guide before submitting a maintenance request to avoid potential tenant chargebacks. 

Rent is due on the first of the month. Any rent posted on or after the 5th of the month will be subject to a $75 late fee. Rent will be considered late even if you make a partial payment and fees will be calculated on the full amount not on the outstanding rent amount.

As a convenience to our tenants, rent may be paid online. Around the time of move in, you will receive an email from Onyx Property Management inviting you to activate your Tenant Portal. Each secure portal is unique to each tenant and linked to the email provided on the lease. Once you activate your account portal, click on “Make a Payment” choose “E-check” for the free option that will pay your rent directly from your checking account. Choosing the “Credit/Debit Card” option will charge a fee. These fees are charged by a 3rd party and cannot be waived or refunded by Onyx Property Management. 

Onyx Property Management requires that all tenants carry renter's insurance. In the event of a break-in, fire, tenant liability, damage to personal property, flood or other loss issues, the tenant’s losses will not be covered without renter's insurance. The policies are fairly inexpensive and worth the small investment. If a tenant does not obtain a policy from an outside provider, they will be automatically enrolled in Onyx’s limited liability coverage which will satisfy our lease requirements, at a cost of $10.50/month plus a $3.00 administration fee.

To obtain a copy of your current lease, please submit a request through the Tenant Portal or call us at 858-273-8800.

You will receive a 30-day or 60-day notice if there are any changes to your lease, including monthly rent increases, etc.

To add or remove a person to your lease agreement, the unit will need to be re-qualified to ensure that rent will be paid. Please note that new additions to lease agreements may need to formally apply and complete a screening and background check. If we are unable to re-qualify the unit, we may not be able to make any changes to the lease. 

If you vacate the property before the expiration of the lease term, you will be obligated under the terms of the lease for the rental payments for the remainder of the term or until the property has been re-rented, whichever is less. Tenants shall also pay any rental costs incurred by the landlord including but not limited to utility charges, advertising costs, statutory costs and any leasing fees sustained by the landlord. We will work diligently to lease the property as soon as possible and keep your expenses low. It will be in everyone’s best interest if the property is in showable condition for prospective new tenants.

Unless your lease states otherwise, we do not allow you to sublet your apartment. If you have questions about our policies, please email leasing@onyxpropertymanager.com or call our office at 858-273-8800.

If you need to add a person to your lease, please email leasing@onyxpropertymanager.com or call our leasing department at 858-273-8800 ext. 115 for instructions on the application and qualification process.

Pets are allowed in your unit at your property owner’s discretion. If you have a service or emotional support animal, we must receive proper documentation prior to the animal occupying the unit. Once you contact us, we will guide you through the required steps if the pet is allowed.

Rent is due on the first day of the month, unless your lease agreement dictates otherwise.

Yes, there is a late fee. Please refer to your lease agreement for specific information on the late fee amount.

Yes, this is preferred. If you already have an account set up on the Tenant Portal, you can log in and pay at any time.

If you don’t yet have an account set up, please give us a call to send you an online link.

Yes but there is a fee charged by a third party. 

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

If you are unable to pay your rent online, please try enabling Cookies on your browser. If this does not solve your problem, please give us a call at 858-273-8800.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept cash payments in office. You can go to your bank or post office to get a cashier’s check or money order. You can also request an electronic pay slip which will allow you to pay cash at a 711 or CVS.

We accept payment via mail. The most efficient way to pay your rent is online but if you need to pay via check, please mail it to:

Onyx Property Management

P.O. BOX 910007

San Diego, CA 92191

Include the property address and unit on your check. Please keep in mind, rent will be considered late if received after the 5th of the month at our office.

Our software system charges a third party fee for any rent paid via credit/debit card. These fees will not and cannot be waived or refunded by Onyx. Choosing “E-check” is a free option that will pay your rent directly from your checking account. 

NSF stands for non-sufficient funds. We will charge an NSF fee for a failed payment attempt if there are not enough funds in your account at the time of payment processing. The amount of the NSF fee is listed in your lease.

Upon service of the notice, you will have three business days to either submit the payment amount specified on the notice or vacate the premises. If you believe you were served a 3-Day Notice in error, please email your property manager at jason@onyxpropertymanager.com or call Jason at 858-273-8800 ext. 120.

Switching to another unit in your building is sometimes possible on a case-by-case basis, depending on both owner discretion and availability. First, we need to review your current lease agreement to ensure that you are legally able to make the change. Then, you will need to meet the rental criteria for the new unit (if different from your existing unit) and re-qualify. In addition, you will need to provide a new deposit for the other unit. 

If your neighbor is too loud, please call our office at 858-273-8800 or email your property manager. If you feel there is a safety concern, please contact your local police department.

To report pest issues in your apartment, submit a service request via the Tenant Portal. Providing thorough details and attaching relevant photos or videos will increase the likelihood of a fast and efficient solution.

We conduct interior inspections annually.  

Notice needs to be provided in writing to our office through your Tenant Portal or by email to assistantpm@onyxpropertymanager.com. Please include your full address, desired move out date and if everyone will be vacating the home. Once received, you will be provided with move out paperwork with move out instructions. If your lease is expiring soon or you’re on a month-to-month lease, you can provide notice at any time, but most leases do require 30 days advance notice before moving out. You’ll be responsible for rent during the period covered by the notice. You may request a pre-move out inspection prior to move out with your property manager. 

If your lease is not expiring soon and you wish to break your lease, please contact our office at 858-273-8800 and your property manager will explain your options.

When you submit your notice to vacate, you will need to provide the following:

• Your intended move out date
• Your forwarding address (for after you move)

On move out day, you will need to:

• Make sure you have paid all outstanding balances on your account.
• Stop any auto-payments you may have set up.
• Cancel any utilities in your name.
• Leave your home in the condition you received it (as verified by your original move-in inspection report), less any standard wear-and-tear.
• Keys must be turned into our office unless prearranged with the property manager. You will be charged rent until you turn in your key at our office. 

Keys are to be turned into our office on the day of your move out. If that day falls on Saturday or Sunday, you may turn them in first thing on Monday.

No. If you surrender keys and leave the home early, you are still obligated to pay rent through the end of the lease and/or the period covered by the notice to vacate.

If you do not surrender keys, you have not officially moved out. You will continue to be charged rent and will be charged for key replacement.

Yes, as per your lease agreement, the resident is responsible for the utilities until the lease ends. We will take over the utilities once the lease ends.

Fees and charges will vary based on your individual lease agreement. Charges to a resident will vary, but may include:

• Unpaid rent, late fees, HOA related charges

• Cleaning

• Carpet cleaning 

• Carpet Replacement

• Trash hauling 

• Landscaping 

• Painting 

• Wall repair 

• Repair and maintenance 

*Note that this list is not comprehensive and you may be charged for other items. *

After termination of the lease agreement, your manager will do a thorough inspection of your property. They will then send you a check and an itemized statement notifying you of any charges deducted from the deposit. This will be sent out within 21 days from the day property keys are returned. In order to receive a full deposit refund, please review and complete the items referenced in the Tenant Move Out Checklist provided to you with your move out packet. You will also need to provide your manager with a forwarding address.

Security deposit check is made out to all leaseholders in form of a single check unless all tenants are in agreement in writing to remove a leaseholder(s) from the security deposit return check.

In general, we do not show properties while a resident is still living in the home. There may be exceptional cases where the property owner would like to show the property while the resident is still living there. If this is the case, we will contact you to discuss the situation prior to moving forward. Please note that Onyx reserves the right to place a lockbox and a sign outside of the property prior to the expiration of the lease.

You may email it when you receive your move out paperwork. You will also be required to fill out a forwarding address when you turn in the keys. 

Upon move in, you will be emailed a link to set up your Tenant Portal. If you do not receive one, please call our office at 858-273-8800 to confirm your email address and we can send a new link.