McKee Properties: Services, Fees and How It Works

What is McKee Properties?

McKee Properties is a local property management company. Owners hire it to rent out and look after their homes, condos and apartment buildings, and renters deal with it when they apply for, live in and move out of one of those properties. It is not a national franchise or an online-only service: it runs from one office in Coronado and its staff handle San Diego County properties directly.

According to its About page, the company was set up in San Diego in 1982 as a sole proprietorship, was incorporated in California in 1985 as Russell B. McKee, Inc., and has been headquartered in Coronado since 1989. The site says it has "helped thousands of San Diego renters and property owners" since 1982 and that some clients have been with it for more than 40 years. Those are the company's own statements; it does not publish client or unit counts.

Russell B. McKee, Inc. describes itself as four operating parts:

• McKee Properties: residential property management, leasing and sales. This is the business most people mean when they search for "McKee Properties."
• McKee Commercial: commercial property management, leasing and sales, with its own website.
• McKee Private Capital: commercial real estate investments, mainly multifamily housing.
• Certified Property Maintenance: the in-house maintenance and construction management division that works on McKee-managed properties.

The About page says twelve full-time professionals staff these divisions, including a broker, regional property supervisors, a director of accounting, a director of maintenance and construction management, and a director of business development.

Who owns and runs McKee Properties?

McKee Properties is a family business. The site names these people:

We checked the license numbers the site lists for the current managers against the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup on 19 October 2026:

• Brendan McKee, DRE #01882732: broker, status "Licensed," expires 22 March 2027. The record shows his salesperson license was issued in May 2010 and his broker license in March 2015, which matches the site. He is the designated officer on the company's corporate license.
• Patrick McKee, DRE #02094362: broker, status "Licensed," expires 17 December 2027.
• Ben Price, DRE #02113264: listed as a salesperson under the company's corporate license, expiring 3 May 2028.

In other words, the residential division is run day to day by the second generation, with Brendan McKee as the broker responsible for it.

Is McKee Properties legit?

Owners ask this before handing over keys and rent money, and renters ask it before paying an application fee. Here is what can be checked independently:

• An active real estate license. In California, managing rentals for others for a fee generally requires a DRE broker license. The DRE's public lookup shows Russell B. McKee, Inc. (#00907967) as a licensed corporation, expiring 5 September 2027, with its main office at 1001 B Avenue #203, Coronado. The record's comment line reads "No disciplinary action." The license number also appears in the footer of every page on the company's site.
• A long licensing history. The DRE record shows the corporate license issued in January 1986, which fits the company's account of incorporating in 1985.
• A real office. The company publishes a street address in Coronado and a separate P.O. box, a local phone number, a toll-free number and a fax line.
• Named, licensed people. The managers who run the residential division are named on the About page and hold active licenses (see above).
• Published rules for renters. The application fee, the documents required, how competing applications are prioritized and when fees are refunded are all written out on the site, along with a fair housing statement and a named person to contact with a discrimination complaint.
• Public review profiles. The home page links to the company's profiles on Google, Yelp and the Better Business Bureau so you can read what owners and residents say.

A license shows a company is allowed to do the work. It does not tell you whether it is the right manager for your property, so read reviews and ask for references from owners with a home like yours.

What full-service management includes

Full-service management is McKee's core offer for owners. The San Diego property management page and the Owners and Residents page describe it in five parts.

Two of these are worth knowing about in more detail. The annual health and safety audit includes a questionnaire each resident must complete to confirm basic safety standards and to report any problems in writing; residents are also asked to schedule the local utility's free safety check of gas appliances such as the furnace and water heater. The lease renewal inspection means McKee inspects the inside of the home as a condition of renewing a lease, not only when a tenant moves out. The company presents both as ways to catch deferred maintenance early and to document the property's condition.

The company says it manages single-family homes, condominiums and apartment buildings. Its job listings describe residential portfolios made up of single-family homes, condos and small (4 to 12 unit) apartment buildings across metro San Diego County.

Leasing and tenant placement

McKee offers leasing on its own as well as inside full management. Its Leasing Services page says leasing is "available on its own if you would rather run the property yourself afterwards," and that many owners start there and move to full management later.

The leasing approach it describes:

• Private showings, same day where possible. The company argues that private viewings work better than weekly open houses because prospects are not rushed and can ask questions one on one. It says weekends are often its busiest leasing days.
• Pricing from actual leases. It says it prices a home against what comparable properties have actually leased for recently, not what they were advertised at, then adjusts for condition, layout and features, and will tell you if an asking price is likely to cost weeks of vacancy.
• Online applications. Applicants can apply on the spot from a phone or tablet and pay the fee by card.
• Listings. Available homes are posted on the Properties for Rent page, which the company says is updated daily and has map and search filters.

If you only need someone to find a tenant, ask what the leasing-only service includes after move-in (for example, whether McKee prepares the lease, collects the deposit and does the move-in inspection) and how its fee is charged.

How tenants are screened

The company calls its screening process the "Triple Check" underwriting system. Its pages list four checks: a credit check, an eviction database search, a criminal background check, and employment and income verification. Other pages add that rental history is verified and previous landlords are contacted directly.

On the renter side, the Rental Terms page explains how this plays out: every adult applies separately, gives employer and landlord references, and provides documents such as pay stubs or bank statements to support income. When several people apply for the same home, applications are prioritized by qualifications.

The owner keeps the final say. McKee's FAQ page says that while the manager helps select tenants, "the final decision on who rents the property is up to the property owner." All screening is subject to fair housing law, and the company states that it follows federal and state fair housing rules.

Owner accounting and statements

McKee says the following are included in its monthly management fee:

• Electronic payouts: owner distributions by ACH or wire to the bank account you choose.
• Online owner portal: 24/7 access to your account to see whether rent has been paid and what each repair cost. The portal is hosted on AppFolio and reached from the "Owner Login" link on every page.
• Bill pay: if the property has steady positive cash flow, McKee can pay recurring bills such as the gardener, utilities, HOA dues, pool service, mortgage, insurance and property taxes from the rent.
• Reports: monthly income and expense reports, 12-month reports, cash and disbursement journals, rent rolls and other custom reports.
• Year-end statement: a single report of the year's income and expenses to hand to your tax preparer.

The company's CFO oversees accounting for the residential, commercial and investment divisions. For tax questions about your rental, talk to your own tax professional; this guide is not tax advice.

Maintenance and repairs

Unlike many managers that send every job to outside vendors, McKee has its own maintenance division, Certified Property Maintenance (CPM). The company describes it this way:

• Its technicians work only on McKee-managed properties.
• They are covered by the company's general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and the company says the division is licensed by the California Contractors State License Board.
• Work is billed at hourly rates the company calls competitive. It does not publish those rates.
• Keeping maintenance in-house is meant to shorten "turn" times between tenants, so a vacant home is ready to lease sooner.
• After each inspection, the manager documents the property's condition and the maintenance division recommends repairs or improvements (preventive maintenance).

Job listings on the site mention owner "repair limits": supervisors obtain bids for maintenance spending that exceeds an owner's repair limit and keep owners informed about deferred maintenance. Ask what limit applies to you and how it is written into your management agreement.

Emergencies: residents with an emergency should call (619) 435-7780; after normal business hours, choosing option 6 routes the call to on-call staff. The online maintenance form is for routine requests only. On that form, residents can authorize entry with a key between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday, when no one is home, or ask to be present.

Commercial, luxury, vacation and investment services

Commercial property management

McKee Commercial focuses on particular San Diego County submarkets and on small to mid-sized retail, office and apartment complexes, typically 10,000 to 100,000 square feet. The company says its team owns commercial property as well as managing it, and that it concentrates on net operating income: controlling operating costs, tracking recoverable expenses and keeping business tenants in place. More detail is on the division's own site, mckeecommercialrealestate.com.

Luxury and beachfront homes

The site has pages for luxury estates and beachfront homes. It mentions properties from Coronado vacation homes to large homes in Rancho Santa Fe, and highlights coastal issues such as salt-air corrosion of exteriors, hardware and metal, more frequent inspections for exposed elements, and 24/7 emergency response.

Vacation and furnished rentals

The San Diego Vacation Rentals page says furnished and seasonal rentals are listed on the Properties for Rent page "when we have them," and invites calls to (619) 435-7780. Rules for short stays vary a lot across the county. The company's own Coronado Rental Guide notes, for example, that the City of Coronado does not allow rentals of 25 consecutive days or less in residential zones. Ask McKee what minimum stay applies to your property before planning a vacation rental.

Military households

Coronado sits next to major naval installations, and McKee's Coronado page talks about residents who arrive and leave on posting cycles and often arrange a lease from a distance to a fixed date. The site also publishes a Military Rental Guide.

McKee Private Capital

McKee Private Capital is the group's investment affiliate, launched in 2004 according to the About page, to form group investments that buy and operate multifamily properties across the US. The company says it invests alongside its clients. It is a separate business from property management, with its own site at mckeeprivatecapital.com. Real estate investments carry risk; this guide does not describe returns and is not investment advice.

Where it works and how to reach it

The office is at 1001 B Avenue, Suite 203, Coronado, CA 92118. Mail goes to P.O. Box 180980, Coronado, CA 92178-0980.

The site lists 27 communities it serves: Allied Gardens, Bay Park, Bonita, Chula Vista, Clairemont, College Area, Coronado, Del Cerro, Downtown San Diego, Eastlake, Hillcrest, Imperial Beach, Kearny Mesa, La Jolla, La Mesa, Linda Vista, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, National City, North Park, Otay Ranch, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Carlos, San Diego, South Park and University City. It also has a page for Mission Beach. Most have their own neighborhood page. If your property is outside these areas, call to ask whether it can be managed.

Ways to get in touch:

• Phone: (619) 435-7780, or toll-free (800) 931-8816
• Fax: (619) 435-2661
• Email: info@mckeecompany.com (residents send 30-day notices to reception@mckeecompany.com)
• Web form: the "Inquire About Our Services" form on most pages, where you tick property management, leasing, sales, investments or seasonal maintenance

Office hours are not published on the site. Call the main number to check before visiting.

How much does McKee Properties cost?

Owner fees are not published. The company's own guide to Coronado management costs answers the question "Does McKee Properties publish its management fees?" with "No," and tells owners to ask for a written quote for their specific home. Here is what the site does say about pricing:

When you ask for a quote, ask for every fee, not only the monthly rate. The company's own cost guide lists the fee types owners commonly see in the market: a monthly management fee, a leasing or placement fee, a lease renewal fee, a setup fee, maintenance coordination or markup, and vacancy or minimum fees, plus the termination terms in the agreement. Comparing quotes on that full list gives a truer picture than the headline percentage.

Renting from McKee Properties: applying and moving in

The Rental Terms & Conditions page sets out the rules for applicants:

1. Find a home on the Properties for Rent page and apply online from the listing.
2. Apply separately for each adult. Every person over 18 completes their own application, with date of birth, Social Security number, driver's license number and a current phone number, plus phone numbers for employer and landlord references.
3. Show your income. Provide pay receipts, bank statements or similar documents.
4. Pay the $45.00 processing fee per applicant. Applications are processed in the order received; if several people apply for the same home, they are prioritized by qualifications. If yours is not processed because an earlier applicant was approved, the fee is refunded.
5. Sign within three business days. Once approved, you meet a property supervisor to sign the rental agreement, which must happen within three business days of approval.
6. Bring move-in funds and valid photo ID. The security deposit and full first month's rent must be paid by cashier's check or money order; cash and personal checks are not accepted for this payment.

Two points renters often miss: homes are rented in their current "as-is" condition, and leasing agents are not authorized to promise repairs. Only a property supervisor can, and only in writing, so get any promised repair written down before you sign. The company also notes that most of its rentals are pet friendly, but you need to speak to the property supervisor about the steps for a pet.

For current residents: rent, repairs and notices

• Paying rent: by credit or debit card online, by e-check (including recurring monthly payments), by electronic cash payment at any 7-Eleven or Ace Cash Express, or by personal check. The online Resident Portal shows charges and payment history and can email you a reminder when rent is due.
• Repairs: report maintenance issues right away. The Tenant FAQs warn that failing to report a problem may lead to charges against the security deposit. Use the online form for routine requests and the phone for emergencies.
• Moving out: a 30-day notice to vacate must be in writing, signed by everyone on the lease, and sent to reception@mckeecompany.com.
• Neighbor problems: call your property supervisor at (619) 435-7780 or email your property manager.
• Renters insurance: not required but recommended. McKee says it is not responsible for loss of or damage to residents' belongings, and the office can give you a list of insurance agencies it works with.
• Forms: the Resident Forms page lists forms such as automatic ACH payments, the annual health and safety inspection audit, the move-in/move-out itemized statement, house rules addendum, rent proration schedule, service request, 30-day notice of intent to vacate and a mold and mildew prevention guide. You request a copy by email or by calling the office.

How taking on a new property works, step by step

The company does not publish a formal onboarding checklist, but its pages describe this sequence for owners:

1. Get in touch by phone or the inquiry form and ask for the free, no-obligation rental analysis.
2. Rental analysis and quote. McKee compares your home with what similar homes nearby have actually leased for and suggests an asking rent. Ask for the written fee quote at the same time.
3. Sign the management agreement. Its FAQ page notes that many management contracts run for at least a year; read the term, fees and termination clause before you sign.
4. Prepare the home. The maintenance division can handle rent-ready work, and professional photos are taken for the listing.
5. Marketing and showings. The listing goes out to more than 100 rental sites, with private showings and online applications.
6. Screening and lease. Applicants go through the "Triple Check" screening, you approve the tenant, and the lease is signed and move-in funds collected.
7. Ongoing management. Rent collection and payouts, monthly statements on the owner portal, repairs, the annual health and safety audit, renewal inspections and a year-end statement.

The realtor referral program

McKee pays real estate agents $1,000 cash for each new single-family property management referral, with higher amounts for multi-unit properties. The check is mailed within 30 days after the first month's rent is received. The company also offers a "client protection guarantee": if the referred owner later decides to sell, McKee promises to refer the listing back to the agent and says it will never compete for that listing. Agents sign up through the form on the Realtor Referrals page.

How it compares with other options

There is no single right way to manage a rental. This table compares McKee's model with the common alternatives in general terms.

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Questions to ask before you sign

• What is the monthly management fee, and is it a percentage of rent collected or rent due?
• What do leasing, renewal and setup cost, and what does leasing-only include?
• Is there a fee when the property is vacant?
• What are the maintenance division's hourly rates, and is there any markup on outside vendors?
• What repair limit can you approve without asking me?
• Who will be my property supervisor, and how many properties do they handle?
• How long is the agreement, and what does it cost to end it?
• How quickly are owner payouts made each month?
• Can I see a sample owner statement and the year-end report?
• How do you handle rent increases, notices and evictions under current California law?
• Can you give me references from owners with a property like mine?

How to get started

1. Call (619) 435-7780 or toll-free (800) 931-8816, or use the inquiry form on the Contact page.
2. Ask for the free rental analysis and a written fee quote for your property.
3. Compare the quote against the questions above, and read the management agreement before signing.
4. Renters: browse Properties for Rent and read the Rental Terms & Conditions before applying.

Visit McKee Properties

Terms you'll see on the site

• DRE: the California Department of Real Estate, which licenses brokers and salespersons, including property managers who work for others for a fee.
• Broker / designated officer: a licensed broker responsible for a corporation's real estate activity. Brendan McKee holds this role for Russell B. McKee, Inc.
• Guest card: an online inquiry a prospective renter fills out to request a showing or more information.
• "Triple Check": McKee's name for its tenant screening (credit, eviction search, criminal background, employment and income).
• Turn / turnover: the work between one tenant moving out and the next moving in.
• Owner portal / Resident Portal: the online accounts, hosted on AppFolio, where owners see statements and residents pay rent and request repairs.
• Rent roll: a list of units, tenants, rents and balances.
• NOI (net operating income): a property's income minus operating expenses, the main figure in commercial management.
• 1031 exchange: a tax-deferred exchange of one investment property for another, which the About page lists among the company's services.
• AB 1482: the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which the company's job listings require managers to know.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

All pages checked on 19 October 2026.

1. McKee Properties, home page: mckeecompany.com
2. About McKee Properties: mckeecompany.com/about/
3. Contact: mckeecompany.com/contact/
4. San Diego property management: mckeecompany.com/san-diego-property-management/
5. Owners and residents: mckeecompany.com/owners-and-residents/
6. Leasing services: mckeecompany.com/leasing-services/
7. Commercial property management: mckeecompany.com/commercial-property-management/
8. Maintenance services and maintenance request: maintenance-services, maintenance
9. Property management FAQs: mckeecompany.com/faqs/
10. Tenant FAQs: mckeecompany.com/tenant-faqs/
11. Rental terms and conditions: mckeecompany.com/rental-terms-and-conditions/
12. Properties for rent: mckeecompany.com/properties-for-rent/
13. Resident portal and resident forms: tenant-portal, tenant-forms
14. Realtor referral program: mckeecompany.com/realtor-account-referrals/
15. Careers: mckeecompany.com/careers/
16. Coronado property management: mckeecompany.com/coronado-property-management/
17. La Jolla property management: mckeecompany.com/la-jolla-property-management/
18. Communities we serve: mckeecompany.com/communities-we-serve/
19. Luxury and beachfront property pages: luxury-properties, beachfront-property
20. San Diego vacation rentals: mckeecompany.com/san-diego-vacation-rentals/
21. McKee Private Capital: mckeecompany.com/mckee-capital/
22. Coronado Rental Guide and its management cost and leasing-only articles: guide hub, management costs, leasing only vs full management
23. California Department of Real Estate public license lookup: Russell B McKee Inc, #00907967, Brendan McKee, #01882732, Patrick McKee, #02094362