Best Property Management Companies in Clairemont (2026)

This list is for owners of rental property in Clairemont, whether that is a single-family house, a condo, a duplex or an apartment building, who are picking a property manager or comparing their current one. It covers seven companies, three of them with offices in the 92117 or 92111 ZIP codes along Balboa Avenue and Ruffner Street.

For each company we give the office address, the property types it says it manages, its California Department of Real Estate (DRE) license, and any fees it prints on its own website. All of it was checked on September 22, 2026. Terms change, so ask for current pricing in writing before you sign.

How we chose this list

McKee Properties wrote this list and put itself first. We compete for Clairemont owners too, so weigh our entry with that in mind. The order of the other six reflects our editorial judgment, not a score.

A company needed to meet these tests to be included:

• A local tie: an office in or next to Clairemont, a dedicated Clairemont page on its own site, or a San Diego residential service list that names Clairemont.
• Management for outside owners, described on its own website.
• An active California real estate license, checked against the DRE's public lookup on September 22, 2026.
• Published services we could read, and fees only where the company prints its own. Some firms print a market-wide fee range; we did not treat that as their fee.
• Operating history, where the company states it consistently.

We left out a firm whose listed website now redirects to an unrelated business, and a landlord that only manages buildings it owns. We did not use ratings or review counts, and no company paid to be listed.

At a glance

Fees printed on company websites (September 2026)

Utopia and Lofty print policies rather than rates (covered in their entries). McKee, Harland and JD do not print a management rate.

1. McKee Properties

McKee Properties was established in San Diego in 1982, incorporated in California in 1985 as Russell B. McKee, Inc., and has been headquartered in Coronado since 1989, at 1001 B Avenue, Suite 203 (619-435-7780). It holds California DRE corporate license #00907967; its broker is Brendan McKee (DRE #01882732). McKee Properties handles residential management, leasing and sales, and its commercial division, McKee Commercial, focuses on small to mid-sized retail, office and apartment properties, typically 10,000 to 100,000 square feet. Maintenance goes through an in-house company, Certified Property Maintenance (CSLB license #754790). Owners and residents use online portals on AppFolio, and the team is twelve full-time staff.

Our Clairemont property management page covers how we work in the neighborhood, and you can read our history on the about page.

Best for: Clairemont owners who hold a house or small apartment building alongside a small commercial property and want one firm for both, with repairs handled by a CSLB-licensed in-house company.

Worth knowing: McKee does not publish its fees, so ask for a written quote. The office is in Coronado rather than Clairemont, and the team is twelve people, so ask who your day-to-day contact would be.

2. Good Life Property Management

Good Life Property Management (opens in a new tab) is headquartered at 5252 Balboa Avenue, Suite 704, San Diego 92117, the Clairemont ZIP code, with a second office in Riverside. Its Clairemont page describes the neighborhood as "comprised of mostly single-family homes with a few scattered apartment complexes" and says the firm has managed in Clairemont over the last 7 years. It lists single-family homes, condos, 2-4 unit properties and multifamily buildings of 5 to 15 units. Good Life Property Management Inc. holds DRE corporate license #01929564.

Good Life lists its fees on its website as of September 2026: 8% a month (7% for rents over $6,000 a month), 6% for multifamily, leasing at 25% of one month's rent, a $150 annual inspection, a $195 lease renewal fee, and $50 a quarter for out-of-state owners' tax withholding.

Best for: Clairemont single-family and 2-4 unit owners who want a manager headquartered in the neighborhood with every fee printed.

Worth knowing: Its published multifamily program covers 5 to 15 units, so owners of larger apartment buildings should ask whether they fit.

3. Utopia Management

Utopia Management (opens in a new tab) has its San Diego headquarters at 4617 Ruffner Street in Kearny Mesa, in the 92111 ZIP code that also covers part of Clairemont. It has a Clairemont Mesa page and lists rentals on Clairemont Drive and Ashford Street. Utopia says it manages single-family homes, multifamily residential and commercial property, and that it operates in California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. It says it has offered full-service property management since 1994. Utopia Management Inc holds DRE corporate license #01197438.

Utopia does not print its own management percentage. Its Clairemont Mesa page says the company is "eliminating leasing and tenant renewal fees", and the site says its office is open 24 hours a day.

Best for: Owners who want a large organization with round-the-clock office coverage and a headquarters a short drive from Clairemont.

Worth knowing: Utopia describes itself as operating across four states, so ask who at the Ruffner Street office would handle your property. Get the management rate in writing, since the site does not publish one.

4. Lofty Property Management

Lofty Property Management (opens in a new tab) has its office at 7710 Balboa Avenue, Suite 305, San Diego 92111, in Kearny Mesa along Balboa Avenue toward Clairemont, and its service-area list includes Clairemont Mesa. The homepage lists single-family homes, condos, townhomes and multifamily properties up to 50 units. The license number on its site belongs to Premiere Real Estate Group, DRE corporate license #01426515, which has used the Lofty Property Management name as a trade name since 2018. Lofty does not print a management percentage; its homepage promises "no hidden fees, no leasing fees on renewals, and no markup on maintenance".

Best for: Owners who want an office minutes from Clairemont and a stated policy of no markup on maintenance.

Worth knowing: Two pages on Lofty's site give different start years, so ask how long the current team has managed in the area. If you look up the license, search for Premiere Real Estate Group.

5. Harland Property Management

Harland Property Management (opens in a new tab) has a dedicated Clairemont page, but its office is at 7660 Fay Avenue, Suite N, in La Jolla. The site lists residential and multifamily management, lease-up of new construction, and commercial and retail property. Its Clairemont page says it has served central San Diego since 2005. The license on file is Kayvon & Associates Inc, DRE corporate license #01864591, which uses the Harland Property Management, Harland Realty and Harland Management names.

Harland does not publish its own management fee. A fee range on its site describes the market in general, not Harland's rate, so ask for a quote.

Best for: Owners who want one firm for Clairemont rentals plus new-construction lease-up or a small commercial property.

Worth knowing: The office is in La Jolla, not Clairemont, and there is no published rate card.

6. Southwest Equity Partners

Southwest Equity Partners (opens in a new tab) is based at 380 Stevens Avenue, Suite 311, in Solana Beach and has a dedicated Clairemont page. It describes itself as a manager of "multifamily apartment communities, mixed-use properties and commercial real estate" and says it manages over 2,800 apartment and mixed-use residential units across San Diego County. The Clairemont page also mentions single-family homes, townhomes and small multifamily. The site says the firm has operated since 2006, and Southwest Equity Partners Inc holds DRE corporate license #01523691.

Southwest Equity Partners lists its fees in its website FAQ as of September 2026: a management fee generally between 4% and 5% of gross, leasing fees of $300 to $400, and hourly rates for maintenance.

Best for: Owners of Clairemont apartment buildings and mixed-use property who want a firm that concentrates on multifamily.

Worth knowing: Its own description centers on apartments and mixed-use, so a single condo or house owner should ask how their property would be handled. The office is in North County.

7. JD Property Management and Realty

JD Property Management and Realty (opens in a new tab) is at 7840 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite 301, in La Mesa, and its service list names Clairemont along with the College Area, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro. Its owner page lists marketing, tenant screening, leasing, inspections, maintenance with 24/7 emergency vendors, billing and evictions. JD Property Management and Realty, Inc. holds DRE corporate license #01957778, which it prints on its site.

Best for: Owners with rentals spread across central San Diego and East County who want one manager for both.

Worth knowing: The site does not list property types, fees or a founding year, so ask for all three before you compare.

What to ask any Clairemont property manager

Put the same questions to each company and compare the written answers.

1. What is the monthly fee, and what else is charged: setup, leasing, renewal, inspections, vacancy fees, or a markup on repairs?
2. How do you price and market a vacant Clairemont home or unit, and how long did your recent local listings take to lease?
3. What repair amount can you approve without asking me, and who does the work: in-house staff or outside vendors?
4. What does the monthly owner statement include, and when do funds arrive?
5. How do you screen applicants, and how do you keep screening consistent with fair housing law?
6. Clairemont addresses are in the City of San Diego, which has its own Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance (San Diego Municipal Code sections 98.0701 to 98.0709). How do you apply it to notices and lease endings?
7. If I own a duplex or small apartment building, do you manage it under the same agreement and fee as a house?
8. Who is my day-to-day contact, and what does it take to end the agreement?

Frequently asked questions

Which Clairemont property managers publish their fees?

As of September 2026, two companies on this list print their own management rates online: Good Life Property Management (8%, 7% on rents over $6,000 a month, 6% for multifamily) and Southwest Equity Partners (generally 4-5% of gross for its apartment and mixed-use clients). Utopia and Lofty publish fee policies, such as no renewal fees or no maintenance markup, without a rate. McKee, Harland and JD do not publish a rate, so ask each for a written quote.

Does the City of San Diego's tenant protection ordinance apply in Clairemont?

Clairemont is within the City of San Diego, so as of September 2026 rentals there fall under the City's Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance, San Diego Municipal Code sections 98.0701 to 98.0709, in addition to California law. Ask any manager how it handles the ordinance at your property. This is general information, not legal advice.

Should I choose a manager based in Clairemont?

A nearby office helps with in-person meetings and key handovers, and Good Life, Utopia and Lofty all work from the Balboa Avenue and Ruffner Street area. Distance is only one factor, though. Response times, who does the repairs, how a vacancy is marketed and how clearly fees are written matter more over the life of a management agreement.

I own a small apartment building in Clairemont. Which firms fit?

Look at what each firm publishes. Southwest Equity Partners centers on apartments and mixed-use, Lofty lists multifamily up to 50 units, and Good Life's multifamily program covers 5 to 15 units. McKee manages apartment properties on the residential side and, through McKee Commercial, small to mid-sized apartment and commercial buildings. Ask each how many buildings of your size it manages today.

How do I check a manager's real estate license?

Search the company name or license number in the California Department of Real Estate's public license lookup. Every firm here showed an active license when we checked on September 22, 2026. Some operate under a trade name, so the license may carry a different corporate name: Lofty's belongs to Premiere Real Estate Group, and Harland's to Kayvon & Associates Inc.

Talk to McKee about your Clairemont rental

If you own a house, condo or apartment building in Clairemont, see our Clairemont property management page or contact us for a written quote.