Property Management Services in Central Iowa

Tenant Screening & Placement

Finding the right tenant is the single most important thing a property manager does. A great tenant pays on time, takes care of the property, and stays for years. A bad tenant costs you thousands in lost rent, damage, legal fees, and stress. Astra treats tenant screening as the foundation of everything we do.

When your property comes available, we immediately list it across all major rental platforms — Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, Facebook Marketplace, and local Iowa channels. We write professional listings with quality photos and accurate descriptions designed to attract the right applicants, not just any applicants.

Every applicant who expresses serious interest goes through our full screening process:

• Credit check — We review credit score, payment history, outstanding debt, and any collections or judgments.
• Criminal background check — Nationwide criminal history search, sex offender registry check.
• Eviction history — Prior evictions are a strong indicator of future problems. We check statewide and national databases.
• Income verification — We verify employment and income documentation. Standard requirement is monthly income of at least 3x the monthly rent.
• Rental history — We contact previous landlords directly to ask about payment history, property condition, and whether they'd rent to this applicant again.

We only present applicants who meet our screening criteria. You never have to evaluate a tenant or make a placement decision — that's our job. All screening is conducted in compliance with the Fair Housing Act and Iowa fair housing laws.

Lease Preparation & Signing

A well-drafted lease is one of your most important legal documents as a landlord. An ambiguous or legally insufficient lease creates disputes, complicates evictions, and can leave you exposed. Astra prepares Iowa-compliant residential lease agreements for every tenancy we manage.

Our leases are built on current Iowa landlord-tenant law (Iowa Code Chapter 562A) and include clear terms on rent amount and due dates, late fee policies, security deposit terms, pet policies, maintenance responsibilities, entry notice requirements, and lease renewal procedures. We handle e-signature coordination, move-in documentation, and initial security deposit collection.

When an existing tenant is up for renewal, we handle the renewal negotiation and paperwork. Unlike most property managers, Astra does not charge a separate lease renewal fee — it's included in your 7%.

Want to understand the full scope of Iowa landlord-tenant law? Read our Iowa Landlord-Tenant Law Guide →

Rent Collection

Collecting rent shouldn't require any effort from you. With Astra, it doesn't. Tenants pay online through our tenant portal — by bank account (free), credit card, or other accepted payment methods. Payments are processed, tracked, and applied to each property's ledger automatically.

When rent is late, we act immediately. Late notices go out according to the terms of the lease and Iowa law. We assess applicable late fees and communicate directly with the tenant to resolve the situation. You never have to make an uncomfortable call to a tenant about overdue rent — that's an Astra problem, not yours.

Consistent, on-time rent collection is the single most important factor in the financial performance of your rental property. Our systems and follow-up processes are designed to maximize collection rates and minimize the number of delinquent situations that escalate to legal action.

Collections & Eviction Support

Even with thorough screening, some tenancies go sideways. When a tenant stops paying rent or violates their lease, you need a manager who knows Iowa's legal eviction process and can execute it correctly — because a procedural error can set you back weeks and thousands of dollars.

Astra follows Iowa's statutory eviction procedures precisely:

• 3-day notice to pay or vacate — for nonpayment of rent, as required under Iowa Code §562A.27
• 7-day notice to cure — for curable lease violations
• Demand letters and escalating written notices — documented and properly served
• Coordination with Iowa attorneys — when a Forcible Entry and Detainer petition must be filed with the district court
• Court hearing support — we attend and document proceedings

Our eviction coordination is included in your 7% management fee. You will still be responsible for court filing fees and attorney fees if legal action becomes necessary — these are direct costs that pass through without markup — but Astra's time and coordination is covered.

For a complete overview of Iowa eviction law and what each step requires, see our Iowa Landlord-Tenant Law Guide →

Accounting & Monthly Owner Reports

You deserve to know exactly where every dollar goes. Astra provides detailed monthly owner statements for every property we manage. Each statement clearly itemizes:

• Gross rent collected
• Management fee (7% flat)
• Any maintenance or repair costs incurred
• Any other expenses charged to the property
• Net proceeds distributed to you

Our accounting is property-level — meaning if you own multiple units, you get a statement per property so you can track performance individually. There's no per-property accounting fee, no setup fee, and no charge for additional copies. It's all included.

At year-end, we provide documentation to simplify your tax preparation. Your accountant will have everything needed to handle your rental property income and expenses without chasing down records.

Owner Disbursements — Every Last Friday

One of the most common complaints we hear from landlords who've worked with other property managers: unpredictable payouts. Money that shows up whenever the manager gets around to it. Delays that make it hard to budget or plan.

Astra has one payout schedule and we stick to it: your net proceeds are direct-deposited to your bank account every last Friday of the month. Every month. Without exception.

You know exactly when to expect your money. You can plan around it. You can budget with it. That predictability has real financial value — and it's a commitment most property managers won't make.

Maintenance Coordination

Maintenance is where many landlord-property manager relationships break down. Either the manager is too slow to respond (frustrating tenants and damaging the property), too quick to approve expensive repairs without owner input, or — worse — marking up invoices to generate extra revenue.

Astra's approach: tenants submit requests through our portal. We triage them (emergency vs. non-emergency), coordinate with our network of trusted Central Iowa vendors, and get issues resolved efficiently. For routine repairs within agreed thresholds, we handle it without needing to pull you in. For larger projects, we get your approval before proceeding.

We do not mark up vendor invoices. You pay what the vendor charges — their invoice is your invoice. The 7% management fee is the only money Astra makes from the maintenance process. This eliminates the conflict of interest that exists with most property managers.

All maintenance activity is tracked and reflected in your monthly owner statement so you always have a complete, documented record of work done on your property.

Property Inspections

Regular inspections serve two critical purposes: they protect your investment by catching problems before they escalate, and they document the property's condition to support any future security deposit deductions.

Astra conducts:

• Move-in inspection — Conducted before or at the time of tenant move-in. Documented with photos and written report. Copy provided to the tenant and kept on file. This is the baseline against which move-out condition is compared.
• Move-out inspection — Conducted after the tenant vacates. Documented with photos and written report. Forms the basis for any security deposit deductions.
• Periodic inspections — Conducted during the tenancy to verify property condition, identify maintenance issues, and confirm lease compliance. Scheduling varies by property and situation.

Inspection reports are shared with you and maintained in your property file. There is no separate inspection fee — inspections are included in your 7%.