Backus property is a wonderful smaller property management team that is wonderful to work with. They are very personable and take time to listen to what the customer needs and desires out of a rental. Backus is here to please. Michelle and Daisy are terrific and so kind. I ended up not renting after all ... but would definitely go back to Backus to rent any of my rentals anytime ! Thank you Backus!! read more

Alot of their properties are roach infested & they don't bother hiding it. Went to look at quite a few properties from them & they had a tons of dead roaches throughout the properties. On top, they mandate ALL applicants to have a high credit score(no matter the area, with their conditions AND even if you are a stay at home parent). read more

If you're thinking of renting from this greedy property management company, I'd strongly reconsider. We rented a small 2bd/1ba from Backus for just a little over 2 years. It was beat up and embarrassingly outdated but we made it home. We took pretty good care of it and thought we wouldn't have any issues upon moving out. Wrong. They took almost half of our deposit despite us spending multiple days cleaning and making sure everything was good. The pictures they used to justify deductions from our deposit were laughable. They try to pass themselves off as a family owned property management company but they're just another money grubbing, cheapskate landlord. They don't even bother doing the bare minimum. If they weren't landlords they would be facing charges of embezzlement. From reading other reviews on here and Google, it seems this practice of poaching most security deposits is a regular thing, going back at least 10 years. Bunch of no good crooks. Steer clear of them and save yourself the headache. read more

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This letter is to formally request a refund of the $731.50 for 124 San Jose St. withheld from our deposit. Item #1 $100 Fireplace inspection. We told your representatives on move out day that the fireplace had never been used and they assured us this was not going to be an issue. Whereas the lease terms specify if we wanted to address any issues that came up we should stay in order to do it, they encouraged us to leave as they explained they would be there for several hours. They seemed to agree that the house was in impeccable condition so we need not stay. Item #2 $440 to clean the kitchen and bathrooms to the level they were when we received the house. Kitchen: When we took possession the kitchen was disgustingly dirty with literally years of old shelf paper crusted with food debris. Under the paper were stains. (see photos) We removed layers of ancient shelf paper, scraped crusted food buildup and disinfected the insides of all drawers and cabinets then repapered with clean white paper. (See photos). The refrigerator was old, stained and smelly. We asked to have it removed but the landlord refused. (see email) We properly stored it in the garage and put it back in the kitchen upon moving out. Existing holes in the wall in the laundry area off the kitchen where unlicensed plumbing and electrical work had been done were never repaired. (See photos) from us and Backus. Several windows were so badly fogged you could not see through them. Landlord refused to repair them. Bathrooms: The toilet bowls and seats in all three bathrooms were frighteningly covered in mold and the ancient toilet seats were smelly, stained and loose. (see photos yours and ours) We cleaned and disinfected them and replaced all three seats with new Kohler soft close lids Before moving out we scrubbed them again. There was mold on the ceiling of the second bathroom when we moved in. (see photo) The shower in the master bath was moldy and completely clogged with years of hair and gunk that we removed on day one and left clean when we moved out. The linoleum was damp and peeling in the master bath. (see photo) Landlord refused to repair it. The paint was peeling in the laundry room bath and had holes in the wall. (see photos) Landlord refused to repair or repaint. Hole in the master bath screen. (see photos) Landlord refused to repair it. Item #3 $125 Minor touch up of pocket door. The pocket door is in the same condition it was when we moved in. It, along with every other door in the house, was not freshly painted. Paint throughout the house was old, peeling, and marked with animal stains causing a bad odor. Landlord refused to paint anything but allowed us to professionally paint the entire interior in a valiant but futile effort to eliminate the smell. We did not repaint the doors but washed them down with TSP. In any case, the door was never used because, as your pictures demonstrate, it never functioned properly. (see photo) I can see from your Yelp reviews that you are in the habit of withholding security deposits for the least possible, or even manufactured reasons. I hate to see companies bully and take advantage of folks who don't have the time or resources to challenge bogus claims like these. We can bring this matter to a close by refunding the entire $731.50. Otherwise I look forward to demonstrating for a judge exactly how you guys operate. Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter. read more

Rented for 6 years the unit we got wasn't perfect and clean as they wanted. But taking out almost 700 for cleaning a small studio which we already had clean is diabolical no wonder reviews are terrible read more

I've had the best experience with this company. they bent over backwards to help me in so many ways. I moved in and had an issue with a socket and they rushed over someone. Daisy in their office is lovely and so helpful. Michelle got me approved so fast. Danny their emergency guy helped me with a few problem and was nice to chat with. I don't understand the bad reviews, they do the job well and I love having them as my property managers. read more

They took our application fees, rarely updated us and got mad at us for calling to find out when we were actually living out of motels at the time. We had everything in order quickly and worked our asses off to accommodate anything they ask. We are all pretty sure they didn't let us rent because we had an ESA. 100% go with any other management company. read more

I have been renting from Backus for Many Years. They want Full Control of how you live and take MANY Pictures, why? I just don't know! Now they want to View and Take More Pictures of the Inside of Our CLOSETS? WTF is going on with them? They are Way Too Picky about how we live in these Very Old Rental Properties! read more

Wow! Backus seems to get either 1 star or 5 stars! How could that be? Here's my theory: your Backus experience reflects your efforts to be a good tenant. We have 5 properties. Backus manages them all. We are very happy with Backus, and so are our tenants. They are very good at documenting things, they are prompt in addressing tenant complaints -- and yes, sometimes the repair fees are high ( going rate for plumbers in Monterey is $95 an hour, higher for electricians). Their inspections are meticulous. I've cleaned some of our properties for turnover and even I didn't always pass a Backus inspection - Backus staff caught a few things I missed so I could fix them before tenants moved in (e.g., dirt in grooves of a window, dust in back of a drawer, a loose knob -stuff that's easy to miss). If tenants DO THE WALK THROUGH at move-in and note everything, they will have no problem getting their deposit back at the end of the lease. I know. As a landlord, I'm the one who authorizes the refund and I have more often than not authorized full refunds by Backus. Most tenants don't do this thoroughly. If you didn't note it when you moved in, the property mgr must assume the damage happened after you moved in. It's also a great idea to do a pre-final inspection before you move out so you know what needs to be fixed and what's normal wear and tear. If tenants NOTIFY THE PROPERTY MANAGER OF PROBLEMS WHEN THEY ARISE, rather than waiting till move out to say something hadn't worked for months, or a knob was missing when they moved in, then the mgr could have take care of the problem., Tenants are not charged for normal wear and tear, but your dog scratching the floors, or the wood floor warped by water splashing from the dog's bowl, or so much hair down the drain that it's completely clogged, or sharpie marks on the walls --those are not normal wear and tear. (I'm not picking on dogs. I love dogs. I have dogs. My tenants have dogs. But dogs can create additional maintenance issues that the dog-owner tenant must be mindful of.) Backus likes the properties well tended. In the last 12 months, we've replaced 2 dishwashers, 2 water heaters and done endless maintenance to clean gutters, fix windows, address excess moisture, clean drains, etc., etc.( we typically replace all plumbing and electrical lines in our houses when we acquire them.) That's our responsibility as landlords, and we'd rather replace than repair if the repair won't completely fix the problem. But we can't fix something if the tenant doesn't alert us through Backus that there's a problem. Sometimes the property manager has a good owner who tends to their properties, sometimes not. We like to fix things right away. It's s easier on us and on the tenants. We know some landlords who penny -pinch and patch rather than replace unrepairable things, causing endless repair visits and very unhappy tenants. That's not the manager's fault. That's on the owner. You can tell when you visit the property whether the owner cares for it. If you DO YOUR WALK THROUGH communicate promptly any issues Rent a property that the owner clearly cares about, You will have a great experience with Backus. (And with most landlords and property mgrs) We have and so have all our tenants. read more

I have dealt with several property management companies since moving on the Peninsula and they are all about the same. I know it's not an easy business and I cut them some slack. Most of the reviews say they are rude and I did not find that the case. The staff was nice and pleasant when I dealt with them. So that is why I ignored the 1 star ratings and went ahead and rented a property with them. Here is what the reviews should have said they are out of control with their fee's. Every single thing you can think of they say in BIG BOLD PRINT that it will be anywhere from a $50-$500 fee. They want to come to house you change the appointment $50, ohhh and if you have 60 year plumbing and it does what 60 year plumbing does but the plumber puts hair found in the drain...guess what you are paying for that plumbing visit. Do not think of putting up a satellite dish that comes with a $500 fee plus 'damages' to the house. There are so many other fee's I could go on for pages and pages (because the lease literally has pages and pages of spelled out fees) on the plus side you can't say you didn't know. But come on people are trying to live. You do credit checks and rent these places but you renting to people that you can't trust?! It doesn't make sense. Ohh and paying rent they force you to do direct withdraw from your bank account. I in 20+ years have never missed a bill and do not like giving companies access to my bank. But if you do not elect for direct withdraw the only other way to pay is a money order and delivering it in person. As a former homeowner I tried to think how I would like this PM company from that point of view and I think ok great they would make sure I get my money each month. But then I think of my situation we are a family making well over 6 figures and paying rent is not a problem. We had intentions to lease this house for several years before looking into buying again. We were stable former homeowners that care for a home as our own. Making small improvements but also realizing life happens. BUT because of the smothering fines and many visits we just couldn't anymore and looked for another place. SO HOMEOWNERS you will get your money but you won't get long time renters because this company makes it impossible to want to live in your property. If your ok with new renters every time the lease is up go for it. RENTERS just avoid anything listed by this company, it's not worth the headache. They are nice but the amount of trees they kill with their paperwork and fees you soon be looking for a new place to live. Really let's not reward this type of renting regime. read more

Stay away! The staff here is non responsive and are the worst at communication with their tenants. They cannot even do the basics that you can expect from a property management company. read more

We rented threw Backus Properties for 3 years. One complaint I have to say is some of their maintenance people are questionable. The maintenance company do not clean after they finish a job either. We got our full deposit back but that's after we left proof of the companies we had come to clean the house, and also I think the owners were a little acceptable in some of the items. Note they do inspection every year. When they called saying someone was suppose to come clean the gutters, they never did. Someone was suppose to come weed and feed the lawn to every once in a while and never did. Overall it was an ok experience with the company. I don't think we got our pet deposit back though. read more

simply the best property manager I've ever used. Couldn't be happier with my service, and representation of my property. Worth every penny.

My husband and I had a very positive experience with Backus in the years that they were our property managers. They were always so helpful and friendly, even after we moved out! Daisy was especially amazing! We could always rely on her and she is incredibly knowledgeable. read more

PROS: very standardized legal process to rent any property from them which means most aspects of a rental is highly documented. Staff was polite and would return communications quickly. If you are a landlord, this company is for you...4 stars. CONS: 1 and 1/2 month rent equivalent deposit is standard (despite most of Monterey Peninsula on 1 month rent deposit). On move-in, security and safety items were not remediated including not being able to secure a sliding door on our property for many months. They lean HEAVILY on the landlord's favor which means on move out they will extract a great deal of deposit $$$ from the tenants. During COVID, they did a move-out inspection which we as the renters could not see nor could we see the documented results. Thus, we were heavily overcharged on move out based not on our negligence but more on poor communication. Expect to lose most of your deposit despite your best efforts to remediate (we spent 60 plus hours cleaning, multiple people, including professional help we paid out of pocket for). Active Duty Military and Veterans beware...they are below average standards for military rentals!!! I say this based on 20+ years of active duty and additional years as a civilian, both as a renter and landlord in multiple states. read more

There are a couple of properties that I was interested in that Backus has listed, but the deposits (over $4000) and fees seem extreme compared to other properties/companies I have seen. The amount of fees/deposits required and the reviews left by previous tenants regarding that they often do not get all of the deposit returned to them has definitely deterred me from even looking at their properties. We have great credit and income and can afford the deposits, but I am not willing to take the chance with this company. I am a landlord and the deposit I charge is only equivalent to one months rents, which appears to be the same or similar to other properties that I am looking at in the Monterey area. I could understand increasing deposit if you are renting to someone with bad credit as your risk increases, but that is not the case here. Good luck to you renters and the landlords that chose to go with this company. read more

Do not rent from them!!! Unless truly desperate. We did put in writing several issues with apt and nothing was done. They even do walk through and note items that need repairs but If they repair they will charge you even after living there for 10 years. I will never rent from people like this again. By the way I was forced to put a star. read more

I was a little nervous signing a lease with Backus given all the bad reviews, but so far our experience with Molly and other staff there has left me feeling really positive about them. We moved in at a very uncertain time (right after the shelter in police order) and Backus was extremely helpful throughout. We've been in the house for three months and had numerous EXTREME plumbing issues (its an old house that has been vacant for a while so it's common). Each time something has happened, they sent someone out immediately to take care of it. Molly. is always available and incredibly pleasant to work with. She has outstanding customer skills. I don't know why so many have had problems with Backus, but there's always many sides to a story, and I'm certain if you take care of the home you are renting, and pay your rent on time, you will have a great experience. I have yet to move out and get my deposit back so I can't attest to that experience, but I will do my best to leave the home in better shape than when I moved in, and if things are fair I will add another star to the review. We hope to stay for many years! read more

Backus has been very helpful with any maintenance request that I have submitted. The property manger assigned to my building, always promptly responds and is very accommodating. read more

WARNING WARNING! Do not rent from this company. You will regret it. I did and I wish I would have read these reviews first trust me every word is true! When I moved in the stove didn't work even though they claimed they did an inspection and they had to replace it and they did with the lowest market cheapest crappiest stove they could find, no timer no temp reading nothing. The hot water dispenser under the sink rotted and dropping rusted pieces of metal. They painted the place without properly preparing the walls and the paint pealed off at will and of course I was charged for their shoddy work. The bathroom sinks were painted over with wall paint which pealed off showing the rusted sink. The house rain gutters were cleaned once in 3 years and they left all the disgusting sludge on the ground for us to clean. Their gardeners/spies would stop by on days not scheduled to take pictures I saw them myself. They sent a very threatening letter stating that if we shot off fireworks on the fourth of July we would be evicted immediately. There was no reason for that any of it. I took care of the house as if it was my own home. But because of the constant threats of fees or eviction I felt like a prisoner. And of course like all of their tenants I didn't get all of my deposit back as a matter of fact I have not received my deposit back at all. They claim to have sent it to me twice. We moved out in September and here it is November and nothing. They sent my the breakdown of how much I was going to pay to repair the house and a date they sent me the check which prompted me to call them because of course I did not received a check at all. I was wondering why I was still getting mail from so many different former tenants now I know. Avoid this company their is no "good faith" from this company. We are business owners who own a home we came to Monterey county for business and have never been treated so badly. I could go on and mention so much more just read the reviews and take heed. read more

0 STARS if I could! These people act like they're doing you a favor by renting property to you. They have unbelievably horrible customer service... whenever I call to inquire about anything the secretary always acts like I'm wasting her time. They are very slow with maintenance requests, don't follow up and I have to hunt them down on the phone to get anything done. I cannot wait to end our lease... Stay away! They do not care about their tenants! read more

i just completed a Real Estate sale Backus Properties. I found them to be very responsive and professional. Call and emails were returned in a very timely manner. They have their client's best interest in mind for sure as top priority, and at the same time wanted to see the party on the side have a good experience as well. I would happily do business with Backus Properties again. read more

These people do not care. That's it. Homeowners - use a different property management company. Future tenants - stay away from them. They don't even introduce themselves when meeting you, don't even greet your husband or wife, and don't even return your phone calls. Enjoy wasting your time and money if you decide to work with them. read more

RENTER BEWARE!!! The reviews speak for themselves. If you are a landlord with no soul, this is the company for you. If you are a renter, prepare to be completely taken advantage of. We had an appliance explode on us and after a month it got fixed, along with a letter saying our rent was to be raised unrelated to the appliance claim....riiiiight. Additionally, as a renter you can kiss your deposit goodbye. We spent two days trying to accommodate Backus' million-point move out checklist. They STILL sent in their own cleaners after us and subsequently charged us. When we disputed the claim, they gave us what they called a "good faith" adjustment, but realized they forgot to charge us for something else so the good faith was a wash. They are about as sleezy as it gets. 1400 deposit and we got back 400. No property, deal, or situation is worth dealing with Backus. read more

We have been with Backus Propery Management for over 20 years and have never had problems whatsoever.Our phone calls,emails and faxing etc etc have always been answered in a timely manner.I find everyone in the office very nice and helpful and quick to respond to concerns.Every vendor that they use have been cordial and respectful.We are very happy here. Pat o read more

Called Backus property manager to view a rental. I work and only have weekends off (NOTE I WORK which means can afford to rent a house) They would not work around my WORK schedule to view the home. They insisted I take time off my work schedule to view home ( IN OTHER WORDS LOSE MONEY) If they are so unwilling to work around a working persons schedule, how and who are they renting to? What type of homeowners are using this service now makes me wonder also. read more

It's unbelievable that anyone reading the review on this company would still rent from them. They are thieves short and simple and will steal your deposit. You can leave the property spotless and you will not get your deposit back. read more

How dare to give yourself five stars! And you have the wrong person in mind, your assistant called me about two weeks after I posted my original complaint here and I declined to see the place. read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. This is the worst management company to ever rent from. They are dishonest and rude. They make changes to your lease after you have signed it then when you tell them it's not in my lease they say well we sent you a notice. Anything they fix they charge you for it even if it is their responsibility then they raise your rent. They will not replace any carpet or paint your walls no matter how long you've been there until you move out. I've had so many countless issues with this company it's ridiculous. I will never in life rent anything from them ever again and recommend everyone taking extreme caution before renting from them read more

Extremely rude. Do not care about their tenants only money. Never help with anything. Speak to you as if they are speaking down on you. I would not recommend them to anyone. Everyone in the office is extremely unhelpful and rude. Backus properties needs to have some training in how to talk to people. read more

Rented a house managed by them over 2 years ago and never had a problem until when the owner had to shortsale the home and I had to move out during Christmas. I lived in the house less than a year, and they charged me for new miniblinds for the whole house totaling over $400, plus cleaning and basically took most of my deposit. I had to take them to small claims court to get my money back. Even the judge told them they overcharge & can't believe they are still doing it! My recommendation is avoid renting from them altogether, but if you don't have a choice then take pictures before & after of the property and have all your documents, receipts in order. Email communication is hard evidence in the courts rather than phone conversations. read more

This place doesn't deserve 1 star! Very rude, unprofessional and judgmental company! Did not want to answer more than one question before putting me on hold saying that they didn't have time and I could find my answers on their webpage. In person I was judged on how much they thought I could afford. Glad I went with my gut instinct to read all the other horrible reviews and did not pursue any rentals. read more

Great Company, great people! First time renting Should have done everything by email. Should have done a pre walk though at move out. We would have gotten more back on our security deposit. read more

I just rented my 3rd place from Backus and I am still very happy. I have tried other property managements to look for new places and no one is as friendly and professional as they are. Backus Properties answered all of my questions and service orders are done if needed. If I applied for a place and did not get it, they called me and let me know. Other property managements did not. When I asked for some upgrades in the rental, what was needed was done. I was happy because I know they have the renter and owner in mind. Just because I didn't get everything I wanted, I didn't want to be spiteful and post a bad review. They are quick to return calls and e-mails. They even called back my employer when I was in the process of applying for a new job as a background check. Now that is good customer service :) read more

I was in need of a rental in a tight market. I contacted Backus Properties and Celeste Serrano, who was on the other end of the phone was very knowledgeable, professional and efficient. She processed my application quickly and kept me updated. When I went to the home, I found their landscapers trimming the bushes. They were friendly and attentive. They told me they have been with the company for years. They seemed genuinely happy to be there working. Backus has some great people working for them. read more

As a potential tenant seeking an apartment, I was extremely satisfied with my service of viewing an apartment & submitting an application. I spoke to multiple office staff members 3 times in one day. Each one was patient, knowledgeable and ready to assist with any of my needs. I walked into their office prepared with all necessary paperwork and the process to submit an application took less than 10 minutes. read more

Very polite team. Just signed lease and I'm happy with what I have experienced so far. 5 stars for being very polite helpful and making the signing very efficient. Property manager answered all my questions and was very respectful. I will make a review at the end of my lease. As many people state they don't get their deposit back, I will be very vigilant with before and after conditions (pictures, notes/inspections) and will leave the place in better conditions. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! They are corrupt as they come. We left the house super clean and practically ready for move in. They charged ridiculous fees to ensure that you practically get no deposit back in return. If we could afford a lawyer, we would have taken them to court. Sickening!!! Wish I would have read the reviews first. Don't let them rip you off! read more

If you are considering to rent from this company consider all of your options first. Out of a $995 deposit I am only being given back $60. We had to call to find out where our repair was even after being out of the apartment for 60 days. We lived in our apartment for 6 years therefore we were not responsible for any painting that needed to be done however any holes we left due to hanging pictures etc were at our expense. The expense added up to $650. Wow!!!! My husband and I spent countless hours and days cleaning it. We left it spotless however we still charged an additional $200 for cleaning that needed to be done. This is beyond ridiculous. Although their prices are low I would highly recommend not renting from this company and looking elsewhere! read more

Caution! I'm going to be honest, I rented property from Backus due to the cheap rent. I went through the paperwork process required by the management company, met with the staff (whom were very nice and professional), and did not have an issue at all. Fast forward 1 year and 7 months, I was ready to move out. I was given a move out checklist and followed it to a tee. The guy who did the pre-inspection move out said we were, "in good shape." He didn't foresee any issues (the property was actually left in better shape then when we moved in). The final inspection was done and I got an estimate for my deposit return; was quoted less the half my deposit. I learned the lady I worked with when I moved in was no longer employed. Luckily, I took photos of the home. After proving proof via images, and receipts of cleaning services, and expressing my concerns, I received a bill in the mail... yes, a bill from Backus Properties! I now owed them money. I spoke with the manager and received bogus reason. I have not deposited my deposit and now filed a lawsuit. Looking back at the reviews, I'm having similar issues now that people wrote about over two years ago. The application process is quick and easy, rent is affordable, but in the long run Backus is just in it to steal your money. I urge everyone to use caution. I would NEVER recommend Backus to anyone, not even my enemies. We are all hard working people and can use our money for our kids and bills, not to be scammed. read more