What does a property manager do?

What does a property manager do? A property manager is an intermediary employed to oversee the daily affairs of a real estate investment. Their scope of work entails all kinds of properties, from family homes to apartment complexes. A property manager possesses different responsibilities. Depending on the terms of service in the contract, he has the following duties to carry out.

Maintenance and Repairs

Property managers have the responsibility of ensuring the building is in the required physical condition. They do this by conducting regular appraisals on the building to pick out any issues such as leaks and cracks that need attention. A team of technicians will then perform the necessary fixtures on orders from the property manager.

Supervision

The property manager oversees the working of other junior employees. He coordinates them and ensures they perform their tasks to the required standards. They all answer to him, and he has the power to hire and fire. Property managers also look after any unoccupied buildings to prevent cases of vandalism and ensure contractors finish the work in time.

Rent

They also are responsible for setting, collecting and making adjustments to the initial level of rent. Their understanding of the market enables them to set a competitive initial rent price to attract tenants. They will also enforce timely rent collection to ensure an optimal flow of cash.

Tenants

Property managers oversee the affairs of tenants from the time they move into the building to the time they leave. They start by finding tenants through advertisement of vacancies and subsequent screening of prospective tenants to keep off any undesirable elements from the property. Then comes handling rent or lease agreements which they listen to bargains. Whenever there is a complaint, emergency or a request from the tenants, the manager will be on hand to handle all these grievances. Finally, he will also settle disputes and hand out eviction notices if it comes to that.

Budget/Maintaining Records

The manager is the custodian of the budget and all maintenance records for the building. He ensures that all operational expenses are within the allocated budget confines and finds a way of stretching it in the event of emergencies and other unanticipated events. All records to do with the property on a daily, weekly or monthly basis are kept safely by the manager for future reference. These will include maintenance requests, repairs, maintenance costs, rent collected, employee and tenant number, signed leases, etc. There always comes at a time these records would be consulted for a smooth running of operations.

Taxes

Due to their experience with the industry, property managers help property owners with their tax obligations. They organize for timely tax payments to avoid any legal liabilities.

Knowledge of Landlord-Tenant Law

They have savvy knowledge of national legislation regarding landlord-tenant relationship which makes them the perfect intermediaries between the two parties. This knowledge is valuable in preventing legal conflicts when it comes to terminating leases, evicting tenants, handling security situations and complying with safety standards.

The above are the primary duties that a property manager would carry out. This, of course, will be dependent on the terms of service he agreed to on his contract. However, property managers are generally flexible.

If you need help managing your property, contact us today.