How to maintain a great relationship with your property manager

Maintaining a healthy relationship with your property manager can seem difficult at times. After all, you are paying someone else to manage an extremely valuable investment – so you deserve the highest level of service possible.

It means you’ll often need to talk to your property manager about issues or to get general updates. How do you ensure this relationship remains positive and healthy over the course of your agreement?

Clear and effective communication is key

Your initial discussion with your property manager, as well as any instruction forms they give you, should outline the process for communications. This can include how regular their updates will be, what the protocol is for reporting damages or unpaid rent to you, and the best way to reach each other.

Is phone, email or face to face your preferred method of communication?

Having the ground rules and any decisions laid out in writing is key, but often a simple phone call can resolve any issues. Whether it’s ensuring repairs are done promptly, asking about the tenant screening process or discussing rental increases, a quick call and a follow-up email will ensure everything is clear and fair.

Essentially, lay down the ground rules in your initial agreement. That way, both parties know their responsibilities and expectations from day one.

What a good property manager should do

While it is a good for you to understand the responsibilities and intricacies of a contract, a good property manager should also maintain their end of the agreement with efficient communication. This means picking up the phone when you call, or at least calling back the same day when possible.

Emails and all written communication should also be responded to promptly – even if it is just to request a different line of communication.

A property manager’s quality communication skills should also extend to real life interactions. As the person who is handling your tenants, they should be clear and concise in what they say, friendly, approachable and able to get to the point. 

The grounds on which a healthy property management relationship is built are just like any other – clear, honest and efficient communication. And remember – if you decide a property manager is not the right fit for you, the process of changing representatives is not a difficult one. 

Signs you might need to change your property manager

• Are your communications responded to promptly, or do you have to follow up emails and calls?
• Does rent come into your account consistently, or do you find it being transferred at different times each month?
• When tenants move out, how long does it take for the property to be filled?
• Are tenants being screened for credit history and prior residencies?
• Are you being charged fees that you didn’t know about initially?
• Are repairs seen to promptly by quality, registered tradespeople?
• Does your property manager know the local area?

Sometimes, it pays to take a step back and evaluate the quality of the property management you’re getting. You can try our property appraisal service if you are unhappy with your current property manager, we’re here to offer a better solution and take the stress out of managing your investment.