Owner guides, page 40 of 46
The questions owners ask before they hire a property manager, answered by one. Search, or pick a topic.
Showing 352–360 of 412 guides
Maintenance & Make-ReadyWhat if an emergency repair is needed and the manager can't reach me?
The manager should not need you to stop a flood. Here is how emergency authority, a spending limit and the reserve let the manager act, what you hear afterward and what to set up before it happens.
Justin Brown · 6 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyDo property managers use in-house maintenance staff or outside contractors?
Both models exist. The question that matters to an owner is not which one a manager uses, but whether the repair invoice you see is the real cost and whether the work is done right.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyHow can I tell if the repair prices I'm being charged are reasonable?
You cannot judge a repair bill from the statement line alone. Ask for the original invoice, compare it against local trade prices, check the diagnosis, and watch the pattern over a year.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyHow does a property manager check whether contractors are licensed and insured?
A real vetting process has paper behind it: a license number checked against the state database, a certificate of insurance sent by the insurer, and a calendar reminder to do it all again next year.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyCan I ask for a second quote before a major repair?
You can ask for a second quote on any repair above your approval limit, and a good manager often gets one before you ask. The skill is knowing when a second estimate pays and when it just adds delay.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyCan I do some of the maintenance myself and let the manager handle the rest?
Most managers will agree to a split, as long as it is written down and the tenant has one point of contact. Make-ready work between tenants is the easy part; work inside an occupied house is where it gets complicated.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyWhat happens if I don't have enough money in reserve for a repair?
A repair bigger than your reserve does not stop the repair. It changes who pays first: incoming rent, a contribution from you, or a vendor who waits. Here is how each plays out on the statement.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyCan a property manager arrange regular HVAC servicing and filter changes?
A manager can schedule seasonal HVAC service and make filter changes a lease obligation that gets checked. In North Texas, where cooling runs most of the year, that routine is the cheapest insurance a rental has.
Justin Brown · 5 min read
Maintenance & Make-ReadyWho handles lawn care and pool maintenance at a rental house?
The lawn and the pool are not the same decision. One belongs to the tenant by default, the other almost never should. Here is the split that holds up in Tarrant County.
Justin Brown · 5 min readNo guide matches that yet.
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