Compare 9 local companies in Santa Cruz. 4 have a confirmed California real estate license. Pick up to 3 and send one free quote request.
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Top rated
User Recommended · 50+ reviews
Most reviewed
175 Google reviews, 4.8★
Longest established
20+ years in business
Picked by our rules (rating adjusted for review count, number of reviews, years in business), not paid placement.
Tick Compare on up to 3 companies to see them side by side and request quotes from all of them at once.
101 Cooper St #231, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Andren Homes is a locally owned Santa Cruz company managing single-family homes, multi-family homes, apartments and condos in Santa Cruz County, from Scotts Valley and Capitola to Aptos and Watsonville. It also helps clients buy and sell homes.
In their words: “If a tenant we place breaks their lease in the first year, we replace them at no additional cost.”
Review summary: Reviewers often describe a responsive, kind and knowledgeable team that makes renting and selling feel easy.
343 Church St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Utopia Property Management is the Santa Cruz office of Utopia Management, operating since 1994 and managing single-family homes, condos, apartments, student rentals and commercial property in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.
In their words: “As an owner, you have access to an online portal that stores important documents related to your rental, houses past statements, and allows for easy communication with our team.”
Review summary: Tenants and owners often mention smooth move-ins, simple rent payment and fast responses to urgent repairs.
412 Cedar St # A, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Blue Sky Real Estate and Management is a downtown Santa Cruz company managing long-term residential, commercial and vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County, and it also helps clients buy and sell homes.
In their words: “Access your account online anytime, anywhere.”
Review summary: Owners and tenants often mention fair, transparent dealings, quick responses and timely maintenance.
410 May Ave Ste 1, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
PMI Santa Cruz is a Santa Cruz office of the PMI franchise network, managing residential rentals in the Santa Cruz area and also offering real estate brokerage.
In their words: “If a screened tenant placed by PMI Santa Cruz ever has to be evicted, we handle the eviction process, including the costs or fees associated with eviction, up to $2,000.”
1515 Capitola Rd Ste I, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Pelican Property Management is a Live Oak company managing single-family homes, condos, duplexes, multi-family, vacation and commercial property across Santa Cruz County, including Aptos, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Felton.
In their words: “Whether you own one rental or a full portfolio, we handle everything from leasing to maintenance—so you don’t have to.”
Review summary: Owners and residents describe helpful staff, quick maintenance and clear, transparent communication about repairs.
555 Soquel Ave Ste 130, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
PURE HomeRiver Property Management of California is the Santa Cruz office of PURE HomeRiver, a national single-family rental manager, and has managed rental homes in the Greater Santa Cruz area since 2013.
In their words: “Our property managers live and work in your community, so they know your neighborhood inside and out.”
Review summary: Reviewers often describe office staff as helpful, prompt and pleasant to deal with by phone.
1111 River St # A, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Marini & Locatelli Property Management is a Santa Cruz company managing residential, apartment and commercial properties in Santa Cruz County and parts of Monterey and Santa Clara counties.
In their words: “Marini and Locatelli Property Management specializes in Small to Mid-Sized Commercial Property Leasing and Management.”
Review summary: Owners often describe prompt communication and help that extends to tenants as well.
118 Pearl Alley Ste C, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
PowerWest Properties was founded in 2014 and has offices in Santa Cruz and Chico. Most of its reviews describe vacation rental stays at beach condos it manages near Seascape.
Pacific Sun Property Management is a local, independent Santa Cruz company whose team has offered real estate services since 1975, managing apartments, lofts, cabins and other rentals in Santa Cruz.
Review summary: Owners and renters often describe responsive, knowledgeable managers who handle maintenance and tenant issues well.
No company matches all of these filters.
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Pins show office addresses; numbers match the Best match order. Companies that don't publish an address are listed as "Serves the Santa Cruz area" and get no pin.
Get the latest rental and real estate data on the Santa Cruz market. We update these charts with the latest data on the 22nd of each month.
Rents in Santa Cruz are $51 below the Santa Cruz County typical.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months: +$110 in all since Oct 2025.
Green: rent went up that month. Grey: it went down.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
Santa Cruz's typical asking rent is $51 (1.5%) below the county. The gap is growing compared with a year ago.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
Santa Cruz is number 3 of 4 cities in the county by typical asking rent.
Cities with at least 13 months of Zillow data. Left out (too few months): Boulder Creek, Scotts Valley, Soquel. Linked cities have their own page.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed, 1-year change. Data through September 2026.
Rents here usually rise most in May, June and July, so those are good months to list your rental.
Average change from the month before, 10 years of data.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
Past growth, not a forecast. Rents can go down as well as up. Your own rent depends on the home, its condition and the lease.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, all homes + multifamily, smoothed. Data through September 2026.
| City | Typical rent | 1 year | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | $3,418 | +3.3% | 9 |
| Capitola | $3,459 | +4.2% | 4 |
| Soquel | $2,850 | 2 | |
| Scotts Valley | $3,686 | 0 | |
| Aptos | $4,226 | +8.7% | 8 |
| Watsonville | $3,332 | −2.6% | 2 |
| Los Gatos | $4,004 | +7.9% | 9 |
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), typical asking rent, data through September 2026. Managers listed: our directory, October 2026.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA. Used to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) limits.
Official sources: California Attorney General: limits on rent increases · California Courts: evictions · Civil Code 1947.12 (rent cap) · Civil Code 1946.2 (just cause)
Plain-language summary, not legal advice. Rules change; check the official sources or ask a lawyer before you act.
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Compare the 9 property management companies in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County. We matched a current California real estate license for 4 of them. Tick up to 3 to see them side by side, then request free quotes from all of them in one step. Highly rated managers based nearby, in Aptos and Los Gatos, are listed below the local companies.
Zillow's typical asking rent in Santa Cruz is $3,418 (September 2026); +3.3% over the past year and +20.5% over five years. About 51.6% of homes in Santa Cruz are rented, and the rental vacancy rate is 4.2% (Census, 2020-2024).
We list 9 property management companies in Santa Cruz, CA. 4 of them have a License Confirmed badge: a clear match to an active California real estate license.
Zillow's typical asking rent in Santa Cruz was $3,418 a month in September 2026, +3.3% on a year earlier.
Over the 10 years Zillow has tracked, asking rents here have risen most in May, June and July. Listing in those months can help, but every property is different.
Yes. In California, managing rentals for other people generally requires a real estate broker license from the Department of Real Estate (DRE), or working under a licensed broker. You can check any license number on the DRE website.
Fees depend on the company, the property and the services you need, and few companies publish them. Ask for a written quote that lists the monthly fee, leasing fee and any other charges. You can request quotes from up to 3 managers at once on this page.
The default order, Best match, uses each company's Google rating adjusted for how many reviews it has, so a 4.8 rating from 100 reviews ranks above a 5.0 from 2. License Confirmed companies get a small boost. No company can pay for its position.
Yes. Requesting quotes is free for property owners and there is no obligation to hire anyone.