Sunset Property Management and Realty

Writing as a homeowner, I asked Sunset Property Management to help me rent my town home in San Diego. When my job moved me across the country with short notice, Mr. Andrew Grinnell and his team at Sunset were able to help coordinate painting, cleaning and updating the property – all at my request – before being put on the market. All of this was done at a price not only reasonable, but competitive to what I was looking for if I contracted the work myself.
Sunset was able to sign a tenant within 14 days after I vacated the property! Their website portal for homeowner makes it easy to track payments.
Bottom-​line: I was concerned and anxious having to leave San Diego so quickly, but I was glad to use Sunset as my property managers. I was able count on them to take care of everything from home maintenance to finding a tenant.

I rented an apartment that was managed by Sunset property the entire five years I was in San Diego. Andrew and his team were always timely and fair. If anything went wrong, which it very rarely did, they were quick to respond. Also, the exit process was fair and reasonable.
If you have to rent in San Diego, I would highly recommend looking at Sunset Property Mgt.

I rarely go out of my way to leave reviews (good or bad), but the high caliber people, professionalism, and pure «get ‘er done» effectiveness inherent to Sunset Property Management has inspired me to let other people know about this great company.
I own a property in San Diego, but our family had to relocate to Oregon, so we decided to rent out our SD home instead of sell (for a variety of reasons). We thought it would be relatively easy to manage the rental from Oregon if we got good, honest renters (they weren’t) who would be staying for a while (they didn’t). At first, everything went fine — there were a couple of things that needed fixing over the first 6 months, and we were lightning quick with responding to our new tenants. Then, they told us they bought a house and were breaking the lease. We realized that this posed a serious problem — we would have to deal with the tenants (these screwballs wasted money on a lawyer instead of talking with us directly), do post-​move out inspections, screen new tenants, show the house, etc., etc., and we are 1,500 miles away, and busy with work and family. Not good!
We quickly decided that we needed experienced, effective local help. I interviewed a total of 4 property management companies, and Sunset came out on top by a long-​shot. They took the time to understand my specific situation, offer initial consultative advice (before we were clients), and clearly articulate the value they bring, what we’re paying for, and what specifically they would do for us – immediately, and on-​going. Principal Andrew Grinnel is very candid, down-​to-​earth, and smart, and he oozes so much trustworthiness and confidence that going with Sunset was a no-​brainer.
But even though I was initially impressed, I didn’t write this review until I saw actual results, which didn’t take long.
After I signed on with Andrew — which he made extremely easy with straightforward terms — he took over everything. And I mean everything. He immediately took control of all communications with the current tenants (which was a god-​send… as they are some of the most irritating, unscrupulous people you’d have the «pleasure» of meeting… in a word, «icky»), as well as tying things off with their lawyer. Andrew completed a move out inspection, negotiated terms with the tenants and I never had to see or hear from them again.
Then their team moved into the marketing phase, which I believe was led by Andrew’s staff member Nate Cornell. They were able to not only take their own high-​quality photos and post on all the major websites, but also staged several open houses — which tells me they were committed to finding tenants as soon as possible.
In parallel with marketing, the team scrutinized every detail of the house for maintenance issues. One of the things I love is that they understand maintenance is the key to keeping the value of your house up, both in terms of rental premiums and ultimate assessed value. They have a team of handy-​people who effectively and cost-​efficiently are able to fix and maintain virtually anything.
Lastly, Sunset has a landlord website which conveniently displays all pertinent information – from applicants (including credit history, tax records, references, etc), to cash ledgers, vendors, bills, etc., etc.,
I was thrilled to learn that we placed a new tenant today, who I think is going to be great. But if they’re not, I can count on Sunset Property Management to deal with it in its entirety.
Sorry for the long review, but there is a lot of great things to say about these guys!

We’ve used Andrew/​Mike over in Sunset Property Management for over 2 years and couldn’t be happier to use them. I own other properties that I manage myself, so its so nice to have folks than are hands off and take care of the property properly.
They are prompt with repairs and send monthly reports out so you know whats going on. They’re always cordial on the phone and run the business on a tight ship.
Highly recommended!

In early 2013, I became a landlord and selected Sunset Property Management to manage it based on their Unilocal reviews. So this review is as a property owner, my own opinion, no compensation from them or anyone else.
Booking an appointment was easy, and I found both Mike and Andrew very professional and knowledgeable. They walked me through the process, the paperwork, and all the points a landlord should know about (rights and obligations of tenants, landlord, etc…).
There are cheaper management firms, but I believe quality service does commend appropriate compensation. Within 3 weeks from our initial meeting, they had pictures of the property, listings, screening of applicants, and a quality tenant secured.
On two minor requests by the tenant, the Sunset team was very timely. But on a larger event (a roof leak that involved coordination with the HOA, the HOA roof contractor, internal repairs that required coordinating with tenant, etc…), that’s where Sunset really impressed me.
As a landlord, my involvement was minimal: notification, description and gravity of the situation, photos, approval of work order). The tenant needs and well-​being were always kept in mind, not a secondary thought. Just like the property was a home for me for several years, it is a home to someone else right now and I believe Sunset treated the whole matter with superior professionalism in all fronts.
I might not have the property for too long, but should I need a property manager again, I would not hesitate reaching out to the team at Sunset.

I’m sorry but all the 5 star reviews are complete BS and laughable considering how fake they are. The place I used to live before I moved to LA was a really nice 2 bedroom in north park. Most of the units had been renovated. However the issue I had was the terrible management.
Upon moving I was lied to by the «landlord» Nate about the price and amenities. He didn’t know a thing about the property or the unit and pretty much made things up as he went along. I’ve have suggested other properties to my friends to try and rent out through him and I’ve been told that the other units or either not ready to move into or the property manager is rude. Moving out was also a pain as Nate had posted my place on craigslist for rent before I moved out and he interested parties going in and out of my place while I was still living there.
As I mentioned before the renovations on my place were nice but it had it’s faults. The A/​C was weak if not useless, I think some of the other units didn’t have A/​c at all. The water in the shower had a habit or either turning off on it’s own of switching from hot to cold mid shower. Probably because it didn’t have a actual hot water heater.
Whenever I needed something fixed. I either got no response or I’m told to call the home office and still got no response.
If I was reviewing my apartment I would have given it a 4, but unfortunately in reviewing the management.

These guys are amazing. I’m honestly shocked to see bad reviews on here, because they seriously have restored my faith in property management — it does exist! I rented from individual owners for a long time and really wanted a company the was reliable and didn’t try to pull any shady business. I’ve lived in my apartment for 6 months now and they have always been extremely professional and responsive.
I’ve never had a problem reaching anyone, but more importantly, when there are things to be fixed or repaired, they are very prompt about it. They take good care of their properties and seem to understand the difference between putting a band aid on something (as most management companies do) and investing in longevity.
I would recommend Sunset to anyone looking for a new rental property — and no, they didn’t pay me to write this ;)

Worst property management company I have ever worked with. Both Andrew and Mike are unresponsive and rude anytime something doesn’t go there way. Then they turn to intimidation if they really need to make a point with people. I would strongly recommend second thinking working with these people. I cannot understand for the life of me how they have all these positive ratings without paying for them. Oh wait, talk to Unilocal and you CAN pay to only show positive reviews duh.

Been a tenant for over a year now and was so grateful to be rescued early Monday morning after locking myself out of my apartment. As if Mondays aren’t bad enough! I locked myself out with my car keys inside! I called a locksmith only to find out it would cost me $ 75!!! :-/​I was grateful to get a call from one of the managers saying they’ll be there on 20 minutes to get me back into my place!!!

As a tenant I could not be happier with Sunset Property Management. They are very responsive and attentive and I am able to get in contact with the owner, Andrew, anytime I need to via phone or email– he always responds same day. He is also very personable and down-​to-​earth which I find refreshing for someone with his background and success.
The contract Sunset drafted was straightforward and the online user platform is very advanced for a company this size, as I’m able to pay rent via electronic funds transfer and request maintenance directly from the site.
I have to say without Sunset, my transition to San Diego would have been much more difficult, and I am happy to say that I will be renewing my lease with the company.

I am a general contractor here in San Diego. i’ve been working with Andrew and his staff on several projects on a few of the properties they manage. All of my dealings with them have been nothing but professional, courteous, and clear in their communications. it’s a treat to work with them as they have a very good understanding of how construction works. this keeps my staff and me able to stay on track and work more efficiently for them.

We have worked with these guys for the past 3 or 4 years servicing water damages for hundreds of their clients. As a contractor working for a week at a time within properties managed by them we have heard and seen first hand the way they deal with their tenants. They have always been able to facilitate an immediate inspection and authorization to begin work which is so critical in our business. This immediate response has saved the tenants and property owners so much in time and money by not allowing relatively simple water damages to become more complicated and extremely expensive mold remediation jobs. Their genuine concern for tenants health and safety and property owners liability is impressive when compared to most other property management companies that as a standard practice like to sweep damages «under the rug» and the only concern is protecting the property owners check book.
We are happy to recommend their services to our closest friends and family and hope to see other property managers follow in their footsteps.
Mike Sprague
Servpro of Point Loma

I found them on Unilocal due to the good review. They came by the house and sign the paper for the agreement. They sounded very convincing. They told me to listed at certain price and professional photo will be done when listed. Well, I have to say they done a horrible job. I have to call them to ask for update. Andrew will never return phone call. He is always on vacation while they told me he is busy at work. They came over and took picture with camera phone. So much for the professional photo. They told me I could check activity at the website. I went there and didn’t see anything at all. Bottom line, you will regret by going with these guys. My house were rented 5 days after I switched to a new property management company. Good luck

As a Professional Property Manager myself I have to be very careful whom I recommend as an alternate Property Manager when discussing areas I do not serve. It is important to me that Property Owners looking for a Management Company find the right one. Your property is an investment and there are only a handful of Property Managers who really manage properties effectively and efficiently. As I service East County San Diego, I am happy to say Sunset Property Management is one of those Property Management companies who really manages properties effectively and efficiently and I look to them to handle properties in the areas they serve. Andrew and Mike are excellent Property Managers who will take great care of your properties and tenants.
Thank you Andrew and Mike for helping me with my Property Management needs.
Alex Comana
The Comana Company, Inc

First of all, I heard that these guys actually pay off people to write nice reviews about them, so I don’t believe any of these posts.
Second of all, the guys at Sunset are nice enough. They were always polite, cordial and respectful. I’m not out for blood with them because they seem like decent people. However, they could use some serious help with prioritizing and communicating. I’m not sure if they’re getting too busy and are therefore understaffed (because they have the tiniest office ever), but I recommend that they get it together if they want happy tenants.
All of these reviews say how «responsive» they are. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a property management company that did a worse job returning my calls. We were without power in 3 rooms for over 1 month simply because our manager just seemed to refuse to call me back. I emailed (several times), left voicemails, called at varying hours of the day, and gave them every benefit of the doubt that they were just busy. Then, it got to be absolutely irritating to not have lights in our bathroom (which didn’t have windows… which meant we were showering with our iPhone flashlights on the counter for weeks). I called again and finally left a more stern message.
This is the kicker. Mike finally TEXTS me back. «Called my electrician. He will call you.»
Are you kidding me? If I had an upset customer in my situation that was trying to reach me for WEEKS, the most disrespectful thing I could think to do is to text them back with pretty much zero information and no apology. It was pretty insulting that nobody could seem to pick up the phone for 2 minutes to say «Hey, I’m really sorry, we’ve just been so swamped that I couldn’t get a hold of my electrician. We can be there to fix it whenever is convenient for you.» Isn’t that just common courtesy? Even if it couldn’t be fixed right away, I would be understanding if someone had at least responded… ever.
It then took another week and several more phone calls to get our lights fixed. Turns out, the ceiling fan in my bedroom was old and ghetto-​rigged from the owners, was frying all the lights on the circuit, and almost caught fire when the electrician finally came. What if Sunset had ignored me for another week and the apartment caught fire because of it?
Moving out was just as difficult and several scheduling conflicts arose from them refusing to call me, and scheduling new tenants to move in immediately, before they had cleaned or done our move-​out inspection. I believe we paid more fees out of our deposit than necessary because of it.
Sunset, you are nice guys, but I will never recommend you to friends. I hope that you can get your communication back on track so you don’t get more reviews like mine.

As a landlord, Sunset Property Management is a great choice for me. They are professional, courteous, and are great communicating throughout the process. Working with Andrew we were able to get setup quickly and their market analysis was spot on. Was able to rent the unit very quickly and at a competitive rate.

It’s difficult to find an honest and reasonable property in Chula Vista to handle my rental property. After three years of putting up with a «less than desirable» property manager [she doesn’t answer calls, continues to makes excuses, loss of rent on our two prior tenants (does not enforce/​evict deadbeat renters), etc.]… Enough is enough!
I have begun to inquire about possible replacement of our current Property Management.
Step 1: I read a few testimonials/​reviews of SPM and came away quite impressed. They also rate extremely well with their past/​present customers.
Step 2: I called inquiring about possibly having them manage my rental property to no avail. Their reasoning was very enlightening & useful for our next property manager. They noted, «they have to live or operate their business in proximity to be able to visit/​maintain/​collect from the property with relative ease and access.» …so being in Chula Vista, they would not be able to service us to the best of their ability.
Wow! If they care enough, of me, to share that kind of insight, I wonder what they’d do if I hire them.
For those out there researching for your next Property Management Company to handle you property, give them a try (if you live within Central San Diego, of course)… I think you’ll be in good hands.
Lastly, you plan on opening an office in Chula Vista… I’d love to hire ya =)
Thank you Sunset Property Management for your Experience & Professionalism.

These guys are fantastic. Professional, helpful, and courteous in every aspect: from maintenance to management, they are on point.
Great landlords and great people to rent from.

We have been renting with Sunset property since 2010, and everything has been great from the get go. Andrew had our credit check back in hours and keys in hand.
Both Mike and Andrew are attentive to their tenants being both prompt and courteous. Pedro does excellent maintenance, and seems to work all hours! Like other reviews say, Mike & Andrew are very quick to repsond to our emails and phone calls and take care of any concerns that may arise in a timely manner. All the staff at Sunset Properties are very easy to get along with, and easy to get a hold of if needs be. A breath of fresh air when compared to my previous landlord /​property management company.
We will definitely check with sunset properties for our next rental, if we do not buy; and we would highly recommend anyone considering renting through Sunset Property Management to do so.

These guys are amazing!
Very approachable, understanding, diligent and responsive. By far the best landlords I could ever ask for.
If you are looking for some great guys to rent from look no further then these guys.
They make sure the property is kept nice and are very easy to communicate with.
I recommend these guys 100%!!