JMZ's Guaranteed Rent Program, Explained: What Happens If My Tenant Stops Paying?

Once JMZ places a tenant we've approved, we guarantee the owner's rent payment every month for 12 months — even if that tenant stops paying.

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That's the core of the Guaranteed Rent Program. It isn't a guarantee that your home will lease by a certain date; it's a guarantee that once it's leased, your rental income is protected from tenant non-payment for a full year.

Most property management companies collect rent on the tenant's behalf but pass the risk of non-payment straight through to the owner — if the tenant stops paying, the owner stops getting paid, full stop, while the eviction process plays out. This program is built to work the opposite way: JMZ absorbs that risk once a tenant it has approved is in place.

What is the Guaranteed Rent Program?

The Guaranteed Rent Program is a 12-month rent guarantee that begins once JMZ places a tenant and JMZ has agreed, in its sole discretion, that the tenant is acceptable. From that point forward, if the tenant fails to pay rent, JMZ pays the owner the guaranteed rent amount each month for the remainder of that 12-month period while JMZ separately pursues collection and, if necessary, eviction.

In plain terms: once JMZ signs off on a tenant it placed, a missed rent payment becomes JMZ's financial problem for that year, not yours.

Important

A separate agreement

The Guaranteed Rent Program is a separate agreement from JMZ's standard property management contract. It has its own terms and conditions, tenant-approval standards, and fee structure, which may differ from the management fees and costs outlined in a standard management agreement. Owners should review the specific Guaranteed Rent contract directly with JMZ before enrolling a property, rather than assuming standard management pricing and terms carry over automatically.

How does it actually work, step by step?

01

Rental analysis and marketing

JMZ evaluates the property and the local market — Novi rents differently than Warren, Brighton differently than Ypsilanti — and markets the home, including through the Mark Z. Home Selling Team's reach.
02

Applications and screening

JMZ screens prospective tenants against its standard criteria.
03

Tenant approval — JMZ's sole discretion

JMZ must independently agree that the tenant is acceptable before the guarantee applies. This isn’t automatic once an application is “approved enough” for a standard lease; it’s a separate determination tied specifically to the guarantee.
04

Guarantee period begins

Once JMZ places a tenant it has approved for the program, the 12-month guarantee clock starts.
05

Tenant pays as agreed

In the normal case, rent flows from tenant to owner as usual and the guarantee sits in the background, unused.
06

Tenant stops paying

If the tenant misses rent at any point during the 12-month period, JMZ pays the owner the guaranteed monthly amount out of its own funds while JMZ pursues collection and, if it comes to that, the eviction process separately.

What has to be true for a property to qualify?

The guarantee hinges on the tenant, not just the property, which makes JMZ's placement and approval the central qualifying events:

01
The tenant must be one JMZ found, screened, and placed. A tenant already in the property when it’s enrolled, or a tenant the owner or a third party places independently, does not qualify — the guarantee applies only to placements JMZ itself makes.
02
JMZ must agree, in its sole discretion, that the tenant is acceptable for the guarantee — this is a distinct decision from ordinary tenant approval for a lease.
03
The property itself must be enrolled in the Guaranteed Rent Program under a signed agreement before that tenant is placed.
04
Standard property condition and pricing expectations still apply, since an unrealistically priced or poorly maintained property affects the quality of applicants JMZ can attract in the first place.

Because JMZ is taking on real financial exposure for a full 12 months if a tenant stops paying, the sole-discretion approval exists to make sure the guarantee is only extended on tenants JMZ genuinely believes are a sound risk — not simply the first applicant who clears a minimum screening bar.

What happens if my tenant stops paying?

Once a tenant approved under the program is in place, a missed payment doesn't wait on the outcome of collections or an eviction filing to affect the owner. JMZ pays the owner the guaranteed monthly rent amount directly, for up to the remainder of the 12-month guarantee period, while JMZ handles collection efforts and the eviction process separately on its own timeline and at its own cost. The owner isn't left waiting on a court date to see rental income resume.

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Why can JMZ offer this when other companies don't?

Two things make this a program JMZ can actually stand behind rather than a marketing line:

01

Screening depth

JMZ's sole-discretion approval step exists precisely so the guarantee is extended to tenants JMZ has real confidence in — the guarantee is only sustainable because the underlying screening is rigorous, not because JMZ is willing to gamble on any applicant.

02

Portfolio-level data

Managing 1,000+ properties across Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Livingston, and Washtenaw counties gives JMZ a large, ongoing base of tenant-performance data to draw on when deciding which applicants are a sound risk for a 12-month payment guarantee.

Our leasing process

The guarantee rests on the work that comes before it. Every property runs through the same six steps.

Rental Analysis

Accurate Rental Pricing

Property Marketing

Professional Showings

Tenant Screenings

12 Month+ Lease

Guaranteed Rent vs. standard management — which should I choose?

	Guaranteed Rent Program	Standard Management
Non-payment risk	Absorbed by JMZ for 12 months once an approved tenant is placed	Absorbed by owner
Tenant approval	Subject to JMZ's additional sole-discretion sign-off	Standard screening only
Best for	Owners who want income certainty against tenant default, especially out-of-state or first-time landlords	Owners comfortable managing non-payment risk themselves
Contract	Separate agreement, separate fees/terms	Standard management agreement

Non-payment risk

Guaranteed Rent Program

Absorbed by JMZ for 12 months once an approved tenant is placed

Standard Management

Absorbed by owner

Tenant approval

Guaranteed Rent Program

Subject to JMZ's additional sole-discretion sign-off

Standard Management

Standard screening only

Best for

Guaranteed Rent Program

Owners who want income certainty against tenant default, especially out-of-state or first-time landlords

Standard Management

Owners comfortable managing non-payment risk themselves

Contract

Guaranteed Rent Program

Separate agreement, separate fees/terms

Standard Management

Standard management agreement

If predictable income matters more to you than flexibility — especially if you're relying on the rent to cover a mortgage and can't absorb months of a non-paying tenant during an eviction — the guarantee is the stronger fit. If you're comfortable carrying that risk yourself in exchange for the standard fee structure, standard management may suit you better.

Property Management Testimonial

"My rental property is currently being managed by JMZ Property Management for more than 5 years. They found amazing tenants for me over the period of time. The staff are very pleasant and easy to deal with… They care for my property as if it is their own. They make sure both the landlord and tenants are completely happy. I am extremely happy that they are managing my property. I will not hesitate to recommend them for anyone who needs their services."

Jay Kannan

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Guaranteed Rent Program actually guarantee?

It guarantees that once JMZ places and approves a tenant, the owner receives rent every month for 12 months — even if that tenant stops paying. It does not guarantee a specific leasing timeline.

When does the guarantee period start?

It starts once JMZ has placed a tenant and JMZ has determined, in its sole discretion, that the tenant is acceptable under the program.

Does every tenant JMZ places qualify for the guarantee?

No. JMZ's approval for the guarantee is a separate, additional determination from standard tenant screening, made at JMZ's sole discretion.

Does the guarantee cover a tenant who was already in my property, or one I found myself?

No. The guarantee only applies to a tenant that JMZ itself finds, screens, and places under the program. An existing tenant, or one placed by the owner or another party, does not qualify.

What happens if my tenant stops paying rent?

JMZ pays the owner the guaranteed monthly rent amount for the remainder of the 12-month guarantee period, while JMZ separately handles rent collection efforts and, if necessary, the eviction process.

Am I still responsible for eviction costs if a guaranteed tenant stops paying?

The specific division of collection and eviction costs is set out in the Guaranteed Rent contract itself. Owners should review those terms directly with JMZ before enrolling, since they can differ from what applies under standard management.

Is the Guaranteed Rent Program covered under my standard management agreement?

No. The Guaranteed Rent Program is a separate contract with its own terms, conditions, and tenant-approval standards. Management fees and other costs under this program may differ from what's outlined in JMZ's standard property management agreement, so owners should review the specific terms directly with JMZ before enrolling.

Get a Free Rental Analysis

Want to know if your property and situation are a fit for the Guaranteed Rent Program? Get a free rental analysis and we'll walk you through the actual contract terms — no guesswork, no sales pressure.

Get Your Free Rental Analysis Call 248-284-6990