Yak Management: Services, Fees and How It Works

What is Yak Management?

Yak Management is a small, owner-facing property management company in Brooklyn. It runs rental buildings on behalf of the people who own them: it finds and screens tenants, collects rent, handles repairs and vendors, keeps the building on the right side of New York City and State rules, and reports the numbers back to the owner. It describes itself as "boutique" and "principal-led," meaning the people who run the company say they stay directly involved in the buildings rather than routing owners and tenants to a call center.

The company's stated focus is the part of the New York rental market that many managers find hardest: rent-stabilized apartments and subsidized tenancies. Its pages describe work on DHCR rent registration, legal and preferential rent tracking, lease renewals, improvement-based rent increases (IAI and MCI), HPD registration and violations, and the paperwork for voucher programs such as Section 8, CityFHEPS and HASA. It also manages free-market apartments, small houses, condo units, mixed-use buildings, and acts as managing agent for co-op boards and condo associations.

By its own figures, the company has grown "from about 25 to 50 units to nearly 400" in roughly four years, "almost entirely through referrals and owners moving their buildings to us from previous managers," and its founding team has "more than 40 years of NYC real estate experience" combined.

Yak Management does not list apartments for the public. Renters looking for a place are sent to its sister brokerage, Pear NYC (see below).

Who runs Yak Management, and how is it linked to Pear NYC?

The site's team page names three people, by first name and title:

• Richard, CEO and Founder. The site describes him as the founder of Yak Management, "a licensed New York real estate broker," and a founder of Pear NYC who "leads strategy across the firm and its sister brokerage." It says he stays involved in owner relationships and in the company's rent-stabilization and HPD-compliance work.
• Jordan, Partner. Works directly with owners and, according to the site, stays hands-on across inspections, tenant communication, maintenance and vendor management.
• Justin, Chief Operating Officer. Runs day-to-day operations, tenant communication and maintenance coordination. The site notes he is "frequently praised by name in tenant reviews," and one of the Google reviews shown on the site does mention him.

The company's Spanish, Polish and Chinese pages also say its team includes property managers who speak Spanish, Polish and Mandarin, so owners and tenants can handle day-to-day matters in those languages. The Polish page adds that official documents such as leases and agency notices are generally issued in English.

The Pear NYC connection. Yak Management says it "grew organically out of our residential brokerage, Pear NYC." As Pear leased apartments for Brooklyn landlords, owners kept asking the team to manage whole buildings, and Yak Management was set up to do that. The site calls Pear NYC its "sister company" and says the two brands "remain closely connected." Apartment seekers are pointed to Pear's listings, and investors can use Pear's brokers to find buildings, though the site says buying through Pear is "never a requirement." The site does not describe the legal ownership structure between the two companies.

Is Yak Management legit?

Here is what can be checked, and where each fact comes from:

• A registered company. New York's Department of State lists Yak Management LLC as a domestic limited liability company, first filed on 16 March 2023. Its registered agent is a commercial registered-agent service in Albany, which is common for LLCs.
• A state real estate broker license. The Department of State's public list of active real estate licensees shows Yak Management LLC holding a limited liability broker license, with an expiration date of 30 October 2028, and a principal office license at 1100 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216. That matches the office address on the company's website. In New York, property managers who collect rent or lease units for others generally need a broker license, so this is a useful check. You can confirm the current status yourself on the Department of State's license lookup.
• A published street address and office hours. The office is at 1100 Bedford Avenue, open Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM, with weekends by appointment.
• Named principals. The site names its CEO and founder, a partner and a chief operating officer, and says its leadership includes licensed New York real estate brokers.
• Reviews shown on the site. The home page and reviews page display a "5.0★ Google Rating" and eight Google reviews from tenants and a tenant's parent, dated from three months to about a year before we checked. These are the company's own selection, displayed on its own site. We did not find a public business profile with enough history to add an outside figure, so we have not quoted one.
• Press. The press page links two outside articles that feature the company, including one on Realty Times.

Note that the company describes itself as about four years old while the LLC filing is dated March 2023; the team grew out of an existing brokerage, so ask if the exact start date matters to you.

What services does Yak Management offer?

The services page lists 23 separate services. Most owners hire Yak for full-service management, which bundles the core ones. The site says "many owners hire us for leasing and placement alone."

The remaining entries on the services page are versions of the above for specific property types (apartment buildings of 20 units and up, single-family homes, condo units, mixed-use buildings, condo and HOA associations) and a summary page for all government housing programs. Separate owner pages cover out-of-state and absentee owners.

What kinds of property does it manage?

According to the site, Yak Management manages "single-family homes and townhouses, individual condo units, multifamily buildings up to roughly 60 units, and mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial space," and provides board-facing management for co-op boards and condo or HOA associations.

• Small buildings and single homes. The single-family page says a one-tenant assignment is "a normal part of our portfolio rather than an exception." During onboarding, Yak says it checks the certificate of occupancy against how the house is actually used.
• Multifamily buildings. Several pages describe the multifamily portfolio as buildings "from 2 units up to roughly 60 units." That is a description of the buildings it manages, not a minimum size, since the same site says it takes single homes and condo units.
• Co-op boards and condo associations. Yak acts as managing agent: the board keeps its decisions (budgets, assessments, admissions outcomes, house rules), and Yak handles collections, building operations, compliance, vendors, admissions paperwork, sublet tracking and board reporting. The site says it is "not attorneys, accountants, or engineers."
• Out-of-state and remote owners. The site says a significant share of its single-family owners are remote and run everything through the AppFolio owner portal.

The "Buildings We Manage" page shows a selection: 25 buildings with 177 units between them, across 11 neighborhoods, from single units in Carroll Gardens and Ridgewood to a 33-unit building in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The company says many properties are left off the page for owner privacy, so the list is smaller than the full portfolio.

Rent-stabilized buildings

This is the work Yak Management describes as "the core of what we do." Its rent-stabilization page says it handles, as part of ongoing management:

• DHCR registration and a records audit. When it takes over a stabilized building, it compares DHCR's registered rent history with actual lease rents and corrects gaps left by a prior manager.
• Legal and preferential rent. It tracks both figures for each unit and applies Rent Guidelines Board increases to the correct one, which it calls one of the most common and costly errors it inherits.
• Renewals sent in the required window at the current one-year and two-year guideline percentages.
• IAI and MCI filings for apartment and building-wide improvements. The page summarizes the IAI rule for work done on or after 17 October 2024: a $30,000 cap over 15 years, or up to $50,000 for certain units with DHCR pre-approval.

The page carries its own disclaimer that it "isn't legal advice" and recommends a landlord-tenant attorney for specific legal questions. This guide is not legal advice either.

Section 8, CityFHEPS and HASA tenancies

Yak Management says it manages voucher and subsidized tenancies "as a core specialty, not an exception," and that mixed buildings (a stabilized unit, a Section 8 household, a CityFHEPS or HASA household and market-rate units under one roof) are "the norm" in its portfolio. Its pages describe these programs and the owner-side work for each:

Two points the company repeats on every voucher page:

• Source-of-income law. Under the NYC Human Rights Law, refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is generally illegal. Yak says it screens voucher holders on the same criteria as everyone else and does not treat a voucher as a negative.
• Stabilized rent still applies. On a rent-stabilized unit, the legal regulated rent governs even when a voucher pays part of it. Yak says it coordinates so the agency-approved rent and the legal rent agree.

Leasing and tenant screening

Because Yak grew out of a brokerage, leasing is the part of the business it leans on most in its marketing. Its published leasing timeline for a vacancy:

1. Day one: tour or review the unit, pull neighborhood comparables, recommend an asking rent and any quick make-ready work.
2. Days one to two: photos, listing copy and syndication go live on the rental platforms Brooklyn renters use, plus the Pear NYC network.
3. First showings: Yak fields inquiries, runs showings and collects applications.
4. Lease and move-in: screening, a compliant lease, signatures, security deposit and move-in; on full management, the tenancy rolls straight into rent collection.

Screening, as described on the site, covers a credit check, income verification, rental history, a background review and a financial analysis, using professional screening software. When an applicant's income is thin but otherwise strong, the site says it knows "when a guarantor makes the difference." The company stresses that it applies the same written criteria to every applicant to stay within federal, state and city Fair Housing law.

On speed, the company says it "routinely" leases apartments in under seven days, while adding that timing "depends on pricing, condition, and the season." That is the company's own figure; it does not publish the data behind it.

Maintenance, repairs and emergencies

The maintenance process on the site runs in five steps: tenants report issues through the AppFolio tenant portal, which time-stamps them; Yak triages by urgency, with safety and habitability first; it dispatches a licensed vendor from its network; it confirms the work was done and closes the ticket; and costs and documents flow into the owner portal.

• Emergencies. The site lists no heat or hot water, active leaks or flooding, gas odors, electrical hazards, broken locks and sewage backups as emergencies, and says tenants "can reach us around the clock." For fire or gas, it tells tenants to call 911 first.
• Who pays. Repairs are the owner's expense. Yak says it coordinates and checks pricing, bills "transparently" through the owner portal, and confirms scope and budget with the owner before larger jobs.
• No markups. The pricing page says Yak "never mark[s] up vendor work" and that owners "see every vendor invoice" in the portal.

Rent collection and owner reporting

Everything financial runs through AppFolio. Tenants pay online by bank transfer (eCheck or ACH), debit card or credit card, one-time or by autopay; the site notes card payments may carry a processing fee shown before you confirm. Owners get a password-protected owner portal with:

• Income and expense statements and net cash flow for each period
• Rent rolls and general ledgers
• Copies of paid invoices and receipts
• Work orders and stored documents
• Year-end summaries for your accountant (Yak says it does not give tax advice)

The site says Yak reconciles the ledger after rent clears, deducts approved expenses and pays the owner draw "on a consistent monthly schedule." It does not publish the exact disbursement date; ask for it.

Compliance, violations and evictions

Yak Management presents compliance as a separate service but says it "works best as part of full management." When it takes on a building, the site says it pulls the full HPD and DOB records, checks HPD registration and DHCR registration on regulated units, lists which periodic inspections the building owes and when each was last filed, confirms the certificate of occupancy matches the building, and reviews lead paint and window guard records for pre-1978 buildings. Every deadline then goes on a calendar, including any OATH hearing dates for DOB violations, and corrective work is "scoped and priced" for the owner to approve.

The company is clear about its limits. It says "We are property managers, not attorneys" and that contested hearings, illegal occupancy cases, complex rent-regulation disputes, Human Rights complaints and litigation "belong with qualified counsel."

Evictions. Yak says it treats filing as a last resort. When a case goes ahead, it prepares and serves the required notices and works with landlord-tenant attorneys in housing court; it notes that LLC-owned buildings generally need an attorney there and that self-help evictions are illegal in New York. It does not publish eviction fees, and says NYC cases "routinely take several months." This guide is not legal advice; talk to a licensed New York attorney about any specific case.

Where does Yak Management operate?

The office is at 1100 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216, in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The site says its portfolio "radiates outward from there through Crown Heights, Bushwick, and Clinton Hill." Its neighborhoods page lists:

• Brooklyn: Bay Ridge, Bed-Stuy, Borough Park, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, Crown Heights, DUMBO and Downtown Brooklyn, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush and Ditmas Park, Flatlands, Fort Greene, Greenpoint, Midwood, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Red Hook, Stuyvesant Heights, Sunset Park and Williamsburg
• Queens: Ridgewood
• Manhattan: Central Harlem

The FAQ says that if you're not sure whether your building is covered, you should ask.

Hours. Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM Eastern; weekends by appointment only. Emergencies are handled outside those hours, according to the maintenance page.

Languages. The site has sections in English, Spanish, Polish, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and says its team includes Spanish-, Polish- and Mandarin-speaking property managers.

How much does Yak Management cost?

Yak Management does not publish its fees. Its pricing page says "we don't publish a one-size-fits-all number" and that the price is "finalized during a free consultation, not pulled from a rate card." Here is what it does publish about how pricing works:

What affects the price, per the pricing page: unit count and building size, the mix of rent-stabilized and free-market units, subsidized and voucher tenancies, building condition and open HPD violations, and how often units turn over.

The site does not publish a separate leasing fee, a fee for leasing-only engagements, eviction coordination charges, or a contract length or termination notice period. Those terms are in the written management agreement, which the site says governs any engagement. Ask for the agreement and read those clauses before signing.

How switching to Yak Management works, step by step

The company's getting-started page lays out five steps:

1. Property consultation. You describe the building (location, units, any rent-stabilized or subsidized units, what isn't working). Yak reviews what the units should rent for, where you may be exposed on compliance, and how management would work. Free, no obligation.
2. Agreement and pricing. Yak walks you through the management agreement and its price, and you sign if it fits.
3. Documents. Most owners provide leases and the rent roll, tenant contacts, DHCR records for stabilized units, HPD registration and open violations, building insurance, vendor and utility accounts, and keys. Yak says it helps rebuild missing records.
4. Setup in AppFolio. Yak creates the owner portal, loads leases and tenants, sets up the tenant portal and online rent, reviews compliance status and lines up vendors.
5. Tenant notice and takeover. Tenants get a written introduction with how to pay rent and request repairs. Vacant units go to leasing straight away.

The site says most buildings are fully onboarded "within a few weeks," sometimes within days for a small building and longer for larger or complex rent-stabilized files. If you're leaving another manager, Yak says it coordinates the transfer of leases, ledgers, security deposits and keys with them.

For tenants and apartment hunters

Already a tenant in a Yak-managed building? The tenant hub sends you to the AppFolio tenant portal to pay rent, see your balance and payment history, and submit maintenance requests with photos. New residents get an activation email when the lease starts; if it never arrives, check spam and then email info@yakmanagement.com. The company says tenants hear back within 24 hours, immediately for emergencies.

Looking for an apartment? Yak Management does not run a public listings site or lease directly to the public. Its apartments page sends renters to its sister brokerage, Pear NYC, which handles listings and leasing across Brooklyn and New York City.

Late on rent? The pay-rent page asks tenants to get in touch early and says late fees and grace periods follow the lease and New York City law.

How it compares with other options

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Questions to ask before you hire a manager

1. For my building, would you recommend a flat fee per apartment or a percentage of the rent roll, and what would each come to?
2. Is there a separate leasing or renewal fee, and what does a leasing-only engagement cost?
3. How long is the management agreement, and what notice do I need to give to end it?
4. On what day each month is the owner draw paid, and do you hold a reserve?
5. Who will be my day-to-day contact, and who answers emergencies after 6 PM and on weekends?
6. What will your records audit look like for my building, and what happens if you find registration gaps?

How to get started

1. Read the pricing and fees page to understand the two fee structures.
2. Gather your rent roll, unit count and whether any units are rent-stabilized or voucher-supported.
3. Fill in the property consultation form, or email info@yakmanagement.com.
4. Read the getting-started guide so you know which documents onboarding needs.
5. Ask for the management agreement in writing and check the fee, term and termination clauses before you sign.

Visit Yak Management

Terms you'll see on the site

• DHCR: New York State's Division of Housing and Community Renewal (part of Homes and Community Renewal), which oversees rent stabilization, including annual rent registration.
• HPD: the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which handles building registration, housing maintenance violations and heat complaints, and also administers some Section 8 vouchers.
• Rent Guidelines Board (RGB): the NYC board that sets yearly increases for rent-stabilized lease renewals.
• Legal regulated rent vs preferential rent: the registered maximum rent for a stabilized unit, and a lower rent an owner chooses to charge a particular tenant.
• IAI and MCI: Individual Apartment Improvement and Major Capital Improvement, the two ways renovation costs can support a stabilized rent increase.
• HQS, RFTA and HAP: Section 8 terms for the unit inspection standard, the Request for Tenancy Approval, and the Housing Assistance Payment contract with the owner.
• CityFHEPS and HASA: New York City rental assistance programs run through the Department of Social Services and HRA.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

All pages checked on 19 October 2026.

1. Yak Management, home page: yakmanagement.com
2. About Yak Management: yakmanagement.com/about
3. Team: team page, Richard, Jordan, Justin
4. Pricing and fees: yakmanagement.com/owners/pricing
5. Getting started: yakmanagement.com/owners/getting-started
6. Property consultation: yakmanagement.com/owners/free-rental-analysis
7. For owners: yakmanagement.com/owners; for investors: yakmanagement.com/investors
8. Services hub: yakmanagement.com/services
9. Service pages: full-service management, rent-stabilized, Section 8, CityFHEPS, HASA, leasing, tenant placement, maintenance, rent collection, financial reporting, compliance, eviction management, co-op boards, single-family
10. Buildings we manage: yakmanagement.com/buildings
11. Neighborhoods: yakmanagement.com/areas
12. Reviews: yakmanagement.com/testimonials; press: yakmanagement.com/press
13. FAQ: yakmanagement.com/faq
14. Tenant resources: yakmanagement.com/tenants, pay rent; apartments: yakmanagement.com/apartments
15. Language pages: Spanish, Polish, Simplified Chinese
16. Terms of Service: yakmanagement.com/terms-of-service
17. New York State Department of State, Active Corporations dataset (Yak Management LLC, DOS ID 6766261): data.ny.gov
18. New York State Department of State, Active Real Estate Salespersons and Brokers dataset: data.ny.gov