Why Professional Help

Managing rental properties is a lot more involved than most people realize. Besides the amount of time it takes, there are numerous skills needed to do a good job. From Accounting to Legal, Marketing to Screening, Maintenance to Rule Enforcement, the tasks are nearly endless! Check out the "64 Tasks Landlords Are Responsible For" below and honestly ask yourself if you are able to be proficient in all of those tasks. Then ask yourself if you really want to be distracted from work and life by having to complete all those tasks.



We feel that one of the most important reasons to hire a property manager is to limit liability. You wouldn’t want to drive a car or own a rental property without having property liability insurance in place to protect yourself. A property manager provides a similar protection because any lawsuits will be against the manager rather than the owner. A study was done recently that found that within a 20-year period, 95% percent of landlords will face at least one lawsuit! All contracts and interactions with the tenants are in our name, so the tenant would be forced to file a suit against us rather than you. Talk about protection!

64 Tasks Landlords Are Responsible For

1. Preparing a property to rent
2. Collecting forms needed for the businesses
3. Placing ads in the newspaper and/or online
4. Placing signs in the yard
5. Determining fair market rent
6. Determining the security deposit amount
7. Setting minimum qualification standards
8. Taking phone calls from prospective tenants
9. Pre-screening tenants
10. Scheduling appointments to show properties
11. Meeting with prospective tenants
12. Answering questions about the property
13. Selling the property’s features (yes, landlording is about sales!)
14. Distributing and accepting applications
15. Screening tenants
16. Calling former landlords
17. Verifying prospective tenants’ income
18. Running background and credit checks
19. Approving great tenants
20. Denying tenants who aren’t great tenant material
21. Ensuring compliance with Fair Housing Laws
22. Accepting the deposit to hold
23. Scheduling a lease signing
24. Signing the lease and addendums
25. Inspecting the condition of the rental before a tenant moves into the property
26. Setting up the payment method for the tenant
27. Accepting rent and depositing rent into the bank
28. Making sure utilities were properly transferred
29. Getting copies of the lease to all parties
30. Creating a tenant file to house their information
31. Accepting phone calls from tenants
32. Dealing with maintenance requests
33. Settling disputes between tenants
34. Raising the rent when appropriate
35. Ensuring tenants comply with their lease
36. Ensuring tenants keep the property in good condition
37. Scheduling regular inspections of the property
38. Finding and maintaining a list of reputable, licensed contractors
39. Managing contractors to make sure the work gets done
40. Checking the progress on any repairs and ensuring tasks are completed
41. Paying contractors and dealing with the legal paperwork
42. Dealing with late rent and getting the required legal forms served
43. Evicting bad tenants
44. Dealing with tenants who may be on drugs
45. Making sure the property is always operating up to code
46. Firing tenants, if needed
47. Accepting notices to vacate and overseeing the transition
48. Bookkeeping to keep track of income and expenses
49. Keeping a record of tenant communication
50. Monitoring and paying the bills that the tenant doesn’t pay
51. Monitoring the lawn care and landscaping
52. Balancing the checkbook and accounts each month
53. Producing monthly reports on the financials of the property
54. Responding to legal threats against the landlord
55. Performing a move-out inspection of the property after a tenant vacates
56. Handling the repairs or repainting after a tenant moves out
57. Getting the tenant’s security deposit returned or applied toward repairs
58. Scheduling a carpet cleaner and someone to change the locks
59. Maintaining property management licensing, if needed
60. Staying up to date on rental-related local, state, and federal laws
61. Keeping the tenants happy as much as possible
62. If managing for other landlords, keeping owners happy as much as possible
63. Keeping the property running at peak performance

Whew! That is some list! Perhaps this may give you a better picture of just how much work it takes to properly manage a rental property. We work hard behind the scenes, so you can sit back, relax, and wait for the check every month. Give us a call. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs.