If you are looking to rent out a piece of real estate, whether it be a home or commercial lot, one option to consider is renting through a property management companies. These companies, which are typically run by licensed real estate agents, market and manage rental properties for owners who wish to maintain a measure of distance from their tenants.
The role of a property management company is to serve as a go-between for the landlord (owner) and the tenant. Often these companies will accept rent from tenants, help address maintenance concerns, and express any tenant concerns to the landlord on the tenants' behalf. The company will also help negotiate the lease on a home or commercial lot, and may market homes available for rent.
If you have ever served as the landlord for a property, then you know how valuable these services can be. Allowing someone else to screen maintenance concerns, market the piece of real estate, and draw up leases will free up much of your time to pursue other interests or homes to buy. The company also handles other unpleasant tasks that come with being a landlord, such as notifying tenants when rent increases and dealing with negligent tenants or eviction problems.
There can be some downsides to working with a property management firm as an owner. First, some of these companies do not behave responsibly toward tenants, as they have less of a vested interest in the property than you do. For instance, if your tenants are complaining of a maintenance issue, the company has the responsibility to deal with the problem. If they do not do so in a timely manner, you will have unhappy tenants, while you know nothing of the problem. If the problem is a serious one that could lead to personal injury, you could be held liable, even though the manager is the one at fault.
This is a rare problem, however, as most property management companies have your best interests in mind. After all, if the tenant becomes unhappy and leaves the home, you lose money, but so do they.
The best way to avoid any potential problems is to carefully screen the various companies you find as you look for a property management company to work with. Talk with other owners about their experiences in the industry. Choose a company that has a list of repair professionals on hand to call instantly. For instance, does the firm work with a qualified plumber, ensuring that your tenants can have their plumbing fixed quickly and efficiently when there is a problem? With the right company, you can have all of the benefits and few of the headaches, allowing you to earn income from your rental homes with little effort on your part.