On any given lease listing we have, most of the time we end up with a lot of interested parties and sometimes a handful of applications. Only one tenant can get the property, which means most of the others have to keep searching. For some people that’s a stressful place to be — they’re up against a hard deadline to move out of their current home, or they’re trying to secure housing before the school year starts, or even with no firm deadline, getting rejected from a rental and feeling like you’re starting from square one is just exhausting.
Years ago I was trying to help a young family find a rental. It was a time when there were hardly any rentals on the MLS, so I drove around town looking for mom-and-pop “for lease” signs that hadn’t made it online. That’s when I connected the dots: most of the property management signs I saw on apartment buildings didn’t have their rentals posted on the major websites — just on their own company websites. There was a whole pool of rentals out there that this family didn’t even know existed. So I started a list of every local property management company I could find, and eventually they found a home.
This is that list, updated. Whether you’re looking for Manhattan Beach homes for rent, a Hermosa Beach apartment, or any rental across the South Bay, most of what’s available is on Zillow or the MLS. But a small share of inventory only shows up on the websites of local property management companies. It’s not a huge percentage, but in a tight market, it can be the difference between finding the right place and missing it.
Here are the property management companies I know of that carry South Bay rentals, with direct links to their listings. I’ve included a quick-scan table up top and more detail on each one below.
The List
| Property Management Company | Coverage | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|
| Sand & Sea Properties | Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach (plus broader LA) | View listings → |
| Hermosa Property Management | South Bay — inventory varies, sometimes runs at zero (still worth checking) | View vacancies → |
| Marine View Management | Redondo, Hermosa, Torrance, San Pedro, El Segundo, sometimes Manhattan Beach | View listings → |
| Inland Pacific Management | El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Lawndale, Torrance | View rentals → |
| RPM Cal Coast | LA + South Bay (Redondo, Torrance, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Culver City, Marina del Rey, San Pedro, LA) | View houses for rent → |
| Ocean Pacific Property Management | Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Venice, Hawthorne, Gardena, RPV, San Pedro, Sherman Oaks, parts of LA | Visit website → |
| First Light Property Management | South Bay — smaller portfolio of individually-managed homes | View listings → |
| Kirk Brown Management | South Bay (current inventory weighted toward El Segundo) | View rentals → |
| TMC Property Management | South Bay — see notes below before contacting | View rentals → |
Why Some Rentals Skip the Big Listing Sites
So why bother with these sites when Zillow exists? Because a chunk of the inventory never makes it there. Some owners use a local property management company that handles the listing entirely on their own website and email list, and the unit rents before it needs to go anywhere else. Others turn over so quickly inside a company’s pool of current tenants that they never get publicly posted at all. This is especially true for Manhattan Beach homes for rent and Hermosa Beach apartments for rent in the more in-demand pockets.
If you’re casting a wide net, checking these property management sites in addition to Zillow means you’re covering your bases. And where a company offers email alerts, sign up — hearing about a unit the day it posts instead of three days later can give you an edge.
The Rundown on Each One
Sand & Sea Properties
Sand & Sea has been around a long time — they’re on Manhattan Beach Blvd. Their portfolio covers the South Bay and parts of broader LA. Your experience will depend on the property and who you end up working with, so go in with your own questions ready.
Direct link: sand-sea.com
Hermosa Property Management
Hermosa Property Management‘s vacancies page runs at zero sometimes. Don’t let that put you off — they do get inventory, it just moves fast. Worth checking back every week or so.
Direct link: hermosapropertymanagement.com
Marine View Management
Marine View covers a wider stretch of the South Bay than most — Redondo, Hermosa, Torrance, San Pedro, and El Segundo, with occasional Manhattan Beach inventory. If your search isn’t locked to one city, bookmark this one.
Direct link: marineviewmanagement.com
Inland Pacific Management
Inland Pacific is one of only two companies on this list that’ll actually email you when new rentals come up — sign up for their “Available Rentals Newsletter” through Constant Contact. They cover El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Lawndale, and Torrance.
Direct link: inlandpacificmanagement.com
RPM Cal Coast
RPM Cal Coast is the local arm of a national franchise. Their territory runs from Redondo through Torrance, Inglewood, Hawthorne, and into Culver City, Marina del Rey, San Pedro, and parts of LA proper.
Direct link: rpmcalcoast.com
Ocean Pacific Property Management
Ocean Pacific manages properties up and down the coast and further inland too — Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Venice, Hawthorne, Gardena, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Sherman Oaks, and other parts of LA. Worth a look if you’re open on location. Their site also has a waitlist for upcoming vacancies — put in what you’re looking for and they’ll ping you when something fits.
Direct link: oceanpacificpm.com
First Light Property Management
First Light runs a smaller book of homes they manage one-off for individual owners. They list through Tenant Turner, which makes their inventory easy to browse and reach out about. Sometimes the smaller shops have stuff you just won’t find anywhere else.
Direct link: First Light listings
Kirk Brown Management
Kirk Brown is a smaller shop — you’ll probably deal directly with the broker or a small team, which some people prefer. Their inventory is mostly in El Segundo right now, but that shifts, so check back if you’re looking elsewhere in the South Bay.
Direct link: kirkbrownmanagement.com
TMC Property Management
I want to make sure you have all the resources of where to find your next rental, but based on a review from one client, TMC‘s communication isn’t ideal and they do most of their business on paper rather than the computer. That’s one client’s experience and I could be missing the full picture, but if you prefer fast email back-and-forth it’s worth knowing before you reach out. If you find a unit in their inventory that’s right, it’s still worth pursuing.
Direct link: tmcproperty.com
Tips for Your Search
- Check several of these sites regularly. They each update on different schedules. Being first the day a unit posts is usually what gets you in.
- Sign up for the newsletters while you’re at it. Of the firms on this list, two currently send out vacancy alerts: Inland Pacific (their “Available Rentals Newsletter”) and Ocean Pacific (their waitlist). Both are free; sign up for both if you’re looking in their coverage areas.
- Don’t skip the smaller firms. Kirk Brown and First Light have smaller lists, but include inventory you may not see on the bigger sites.
- Have your application packet ready. Pay stubs, references, credit report, ID. When a good rental opens up, being the first application in the door can give you an advantage.
- Drive the neighborhoods you like. Some landlords still put out just a “For Lease” sign, no online listing at all. Not as common as it used to be, but it happens. If you’re serious about a specific neighborhood, driving through a couple of times a week can turn up places nobody else will ever see online.
- Tell the people who know the area. Neighbors, regulars at the coffee shop, the hardware store in Hermosa, your gym — sometimes the best leads come from someone whose neighbor is about to move.
From Renting to Buying
If you’re renting now but thinking about buying in the next year or three — knowing the neighborhoods before you buy makes a huge difference down here. A couple rental years is plenty of time to figure out which streets you actually want to live on and how the market moves.
If you want to talk through any of it, I’m around. Not a pitch — just a conversation about what the market’s doing.
One Last Note
This list reflects what I’ve actually seen and heard from renters over the years. These companies change — some go quiet, some shut down, websites move around. If you find something out of date — a broken link, a company that’s no longer operating, a great firm I didn’t mention — tell me. I’d rather this be accurate than exhaustive.
Good luck with the search.
Cecilia Agraz
Associate Broker, Stroyke Properties Group at Bayside Real Estate Partners
DRE #01974999 | 310-803-9338 | cecilia@stroykeproperties.com
Cecilia Agraz
South Bay neighbor and Realtor® focused on clear guidance and low‑stress moves in Manhattan Beach & Hermosa Beach.