Owner guides, page 2 of 46
The questions owners ask before they hire a property manager, answered by one. Search, or pick a topic.
Showing 10–18 of 412 guides
Choosing a ManagerYour First 30 Days With a Property Manager: What Should Happen
The first month with a property manager has a timeline. If you know what should happen each week, from the agreement to your first statement, you will know on day 30 whether you chose well.
Justin Brown · 6 min read
Pricing & FeesIs Property Management Worth It? The Math for One Rental
The management fee is not competing with zero. It is competing with extra vacancy days, expensive turnovers, retail repair pricing, legal mistakes and your own hours. Here is the comparison, line by line.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Pricing & FeesLeasing Fees Explained: What You Pay When a Tenant Moves In
The leasing fee is usually the largest single charge in a year with a turnover. Here is what it pays for, how managers structure it, and what should never be stacked on top of it.
Justin Brown · 6 min read
Pricing & FeesMaintenance Markups: How They Work and How to Avoid Overpaying
A markup is a percentage added to every repair invoice before it reaches your statement. It is small on one invoice and large over a year. Here is where it hides and how to find it.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Pricing & FeesFlat Fee vs. Percentage Property Management: Which Is Better for Owners?
A percentage fee ties the manager's pay to your rent. A flat fee is predictable and favors higher-rent houses. Neither is better in every case, and the structure matters less than what it includes.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Pricing & FeesHidden Property Management Fees to Ask About Before You Sign
The fee on the front of the brochure is rarely the whole price. Here is every add-on a management agreement can carry, what each one should cost you, and how to get the full list in writing.
Justin Brown · 6 min read
Pricing & FeesLease Renewal Fees: What They Cover and When They Are Fair
A renewal is the cheapest lease you will ever sign, because it skips the turnover. Whether the fee is fair depends on whether real work was done. Here is how to tell.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Texas Law & TaxesAre Property Management Fees Tax Deductible? A Texas Landlord's Overview
For most individual landlords, management fees are an ordinary expense of running a rental and reduce taxable rental income. Here is how they fit with the other deductions and what records make it easy.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Pricing & FeesOwner Reserves and Disbursements: How Your Money Flows Through a Property Manager
Rent lands in a trust account, pays the month's expenses, leaves a reserve behind, and the rest is sent to you with a statement. The details are where owners get surprised.
Justin Brown · 5 min readNo guide matches that yet.
Try a different word, or ask us directly. The best guides come from real owner questions.
Want the answers applied to your property?
A free rental analysis gives you a rent range from leased comparables, a make-ready list and a written management quote. No obligation.