
Security Deposit Alternatives: The Move-In Upgrade Residents Want (and Owners Can Feel Good About)


The Ideal On Q Client (and Property)
Most rental owners don’t wake up one day and decide to build a “property management operation.”
They wake up because life happened.
- You moved for work and kept your home.
- You inherited a property.
- You bought a new place before selling the old one.
- You got married, downsized, upsized—or relocated unexpectedly.
That’s the real investor story in America, and it’s exactly who On Q is built to serve: owners who intentionally or unintentionally became landlords, and who want their rental to perform like an investment—without turning into a second job. That’s why, across our portfolio, the average On Q investor has 1.8 homes in management.
This article is a sales pitch—by design—because if you match the client profile and the property profile below, On Q is likely a very strong fit.
Why “regular people with 1–2 rentals” are the center of our model
Here’s the simple truth: the U.S. rental market is powered by small owners. Pew Research summarizing Census data found that about seven-in-ten rental properties are owned by individuals who typically own one or two properties, and IRS tax data showed those filers owned 1.72 properties on average. (Pew Research Center)
That lines up almost perfectly with On Q’s real portfolio reality: 1.8 homes on average.
The On Q “ideal investor client” in plain language
The ideal On Q client is a regular person who has:
- 1–2 properties they want to run as long-term rentals (whether accidental or intentional).
- A strong preference for clarity, guidance, and reduced risk over trial-and-error landlording.
- A desire for visibility without micromanagement—knowing what’s happening without chasing updates.
And yes—some investor clients have 50+ homes. We can support that too. But our system is explicitly built so it’s worth it for owners with “just one.”
Why “accidental investors” often win with the right partner
Accidental investors frequently have the same problem: they own a rental, but they don’t want to become a full-time expert in:
- rental pricing and seasonality
- screening and fair-housing compliant documentation
- maintenance triage and vendor coordination
- renewals, notices, inspections, accounting
On Q is structured to take that learning curve off your shoulders with repeatable processes across leasing, maintenance, inspections, and reporting.
That’s why our model speaks directly to single-property owners who want the asset protected without “learning property management the hard way.”
If you’re an accidental landlord, your biggest risk is not intent—it’s execution. Our job is to make your rental run like it’s owned by a pro, even if you never planned to be one.
Why long-term rental demand stays strong (and why systems matter)
Even when the market shifts, long-term rentals remain a backbone housing option for millions of households.
A few data points that explain why “steady, long-term rentals” aren’t going away:
- The national rental vacancy rate was 7.1% in Q3 2025 (Census via FRED). (FRED)
- Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reported that in 2022, half of U.S. renters were cost burdened—22.4 million households paying more than 30% of income on rent and utilities. (Joint Center for Housing Studies)
Translation: renters care about value and stability, and owners need rentals that are professionally run to reduce vacancy, friction, and turnover.
That’s exactly the “unsexy but profitable” part of property management: consistent leasing + consistent maintenance + consistent documentation + clean accounting.
The Ideal Property for On Q
1) Single-family residential rentals are the sweet spot
On Q is purpose-built for long-term residential property management, with single-family homes as the strongest fit.
That includes:
- single-family homes
- condos
- townhomes
Why single-family is ideal:
- It’s the most common “accidental investor” asset.
- It’s often underwritten for stable cash flow (not hospitality-style volatility).
- It benefits most from professional leasing, screening, maintenance coordination, and documentation.
And if you’re worried you’ll be “competing with Wall Street,” it’s worth putting the numbers into perspective: large institutional investors own only a small share of single-family rental stock nationwide (Econofact summarizes estimates around ~3%; higher in some metros, but far from dominant nationally). (Econofact)
Meanwhile, “micro” landlords (1–2 units) make up a major share of small rentals—Harvard JCHS cites an estimate that 1–2 unit owners held about 66% of small rental properties (single-family rentals and 2–4 unit buildings). (Joint Center for Housing Studies)
That’s basically On Q’s world: everyday owners.
2) Boutique multifamily up to 99 units (without the overhead of onsite staffing)
On Q also specializes in small multifamily / boutique multifamily, up to 99 units at a single property—especially when the investor wants professional operations without paying for a heavy onsite staffing model.
This matters because small multifamily is a meaningful slice of the market: research from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center notes that small multifamily (5–49 units) is about 17% of the nation’s rental housing, roughly 8.2 million units.
Why “no onsite staff” can be an advantage (for the right property)
For many boutique multifamily properties, staffing a full onsite team can inflate operating expenses. On Q’s model—market-based professionals without dedicated onsite personnel—can be an advantage when the property is a good operational fit, because reducing fixed overhead can help protect investor cash flow.
In short: if the building doesn’t need a daily onsite presence to deliver a great resident experience, a leaner operating structure can improve efficiency.
What On Q does best (and why it fits these owners and properties)
Whether you have one rental or a growing portfolio, the experience should feel stable and trackable. On Q’s approach is built around:
Local teams in the markets we serve
On Q is built around local offices and local market teams—not overseas routing and call center handoffs—because pricing, leasing, vendors, and resident expectations are all local.
We have offices in Gilbert (Phoenix metro), Tucson, Plano (Dallas area), and Round Rock (Austin area).
Technology that creates visibility without extra work
Owners should be able to see what’s happening—maintenance updates, renewals, inspection information, reporting—without chasing people for answers.
Consistent execution at any size
The “truth” of a management company shows up in workflow: leasing, screening, maintenance coordination, inspections, accounting, and clear ownership of outcomes.
What is not an ideal fit for On Q
On Q is focused on long-term residential rentals and does not manage short-term or furnished rentals.
That’s intentional—short-term rentals function like hospitality, and the operational model is fundamentally different.
I THINK WE SHOULD EXPAND UPON THIS and the closing sections below
Quick-fit checklist: are you an “ideal On Q” owner?
You’re likely a great fit if:
- You have 1–2 rentals (or want to grow toward a portfolio) and want a partner built for that size.
- You want professional leasing + screening + documentation, done consistently.
- You want local accountability and market expertise.
- Your property is a single-family rental or a boutique multifamily up to 99 units that doesn’t require a heavy onsite staffing model.
Bottom line
Most rental owners aren’t “Wall Street.” They’re regular people with one or two properties—exactly the segment Pew and Harvard research show dominates rental ownership nationally. (Pew Research Center)
On Q is designed around that reality, proven by our own portfolio average of 1.8 homes per owner.
If you’re an accidental investor who wants the rental to run professionally—or an intentional investor focused on scaling and protecting ROI—On Q is built to be the operating partner that makes the investment feel simple, trackable, and sustainable.



