Brand new bike lanes have gone in on the ground on Sagamore Street, making it easier for people to bike to Ingleside Heights and Outer Mission. To find out more about these and other lanes that are doubling the number of bike lanes in SF, visit sfbike.org/link

I lived at the Sagamore House for two years; one year in each of the studios.  First, I found the location to be ideal; it was easy to leave the city on 280 or by heading up 19th to the golden gate bridge, to get to school at SFSU, and finally to head into the city using the muni to the balboa bart station.  My studio apartments were both very quiet, which made studying easy.  And any time I had an issue with my apartment such as with the internet, issues with the washing machine/dryer, or just needing a light fixed Elaine was always quick to reply and made sure things were completely taken care of in a timely manner.   Elaine was also very good about informing me about any upcoming issues, such as if the internet might be out or if a service person might be stopping by the house.  I had a car while living at the Sagamore house and never had too much trouble finding street parking...although I constantly had to remind myself about street cleaning since I'm not from a big city.  Overall, I found the rent & utilities to be reasonable and could always relax when I came home.  I highly recommend the Sagamore House to anyone that appreciates having a clean, well managed place to come home to that is conveniently located to just about everything.

I treat my tenants as I would like to be treated.  Have been a tenant myself, I understand the challenges of finding a place to call it home, and the frustration of dealing with unresponsive landlords.  When I first became a landlord ten years ago while I was still renting for my family, I told myself that I would be the best landlord I could, and to build a landlord-tenant relationship based on mutual respect. I make promptly repairs, and make home improvements. I take great pride of maintaining the Sagamore House the cleanest and nicest property in the neighborhood.  My gardener and cleaner comes in weekly to take care the backyard and clean the common area. My tenants told me that I was “the nicest landlord they’d ever had”.

As a long term tenant of Sagamore House for over five years, I have had nothing but a positive experience with both the property as well as the landlord, Elaine.  She is very responsive to the needs of her tenants, and any request is dealt with quickly and effectively. The property itself is well-maintained by a gardener who comes weekly and a handyman who is available when needed.  The neighborhood is safe, has a great location, and provides easy access to both public transportation and freeways. Also, anyone who moves here is made to feel welcome by the other tenants, who have been carefully screened and make great neighbors. So if you are looking for a beautiful, affordable place to live in the city, this is a great choice--you won't be sorry!

- Andy G

Rental agreement is an important document for tenant and landlord.  Here is an example of the lease used in Sagamore House.  Upon signing the Rental Agreement, tenants will need to sign the Tenant Rules and Lead Disclosure as well.

I always provide these documents to tenants prior to signing the agreement, so they will have enough time to review and ask any questions they might have.  I will go over the entire agreement with them when we meet to sign to ensure they understand what we agree on, and answer any last minute questions they might have.

Apartment rental is always more complicated than what it should be in San Francisco.  Over the years, I have found a clean defined process works well for my potential tenants and me, and I always communicate the process to them before they even come to see the apartment. 

the process

1.      apartment showing – a chance for potential tenant to see the unit & the neighborhood, for me to answer any question they have, and for us to know a little about each other.

2.      rental application - once a potential tenant expresses his/her interest in renting the apartment, each potential renter and co-signer will need to fill out a rental application, which includes:

• rental application
• co-sign form if a co-signer is needed
• consent form for credit check
• a copy of driver license or identification card
• some form of financial statements
• a check of $35 for credit check

3.      credit & reference check – a credit report helps to determine if the potential renter can afford to pay, and if she/he a financially responsible person.  A reference check to her/his previous landlords will help to determine if the potential renter is a responsible tenant.  It normally takes a day or two to complete this step.

4.      lease agreement signing – I always provide a copy of the lease agreement for potential tenant to review.  When we meet to sign the lease, I walk through the entire lease with them in great details, and answer any last-minute questions they might have.  Upon signing the lease, I need to collect the first month of rent and the security deposit.

Here is a list of rental forms for Sagamore House apartment rental.  All prospective tenants need to fill out and sign the Rental Application.  If a prospective tenant has a co-signer, the co-signer will need to fill out and sign the one-page Personal Guarantee of Rent form.  Both potential renters and co-signers need to sign the Consent form.

the forms

1. Sagamore House Rental Application form
2. Personal Guarantee of Rent form
3. Consent form

Good landlord and tenant relationship rely on good communication and process.  I hope the above steps and the documents upfront can help ease your pain in apartment hunting and renting.  The key is to have well prepared forms to distribute to people who are interested in the apartment, sometimes even ahead of time. Providing these documents upfront can help ease your pain in apartment hunting.  Feel free to download and print these forms, fill them out and bring them to the open house.  Once you identify an apartment you like, you can submit your rental application right at the spot, which will make the whole rental process much quicker and painless.

Here is the Sagamore House Tenant Rules and Regulations.  All tenants will need to agree and sign this form as part of the Lease Agreement.