Need advise to resolve Property Manager issues

[Prabesh Vijaya]

We have a rental home managed by a local management company in Houston. We just found out that current tenant is not someone that they had sent me for approval and they have not deposited rents that they are collecting. 

Currently, we are in the process of changing to new management company but need some advice.

1. What to do if they don’t cooperate to transfer and provide tenant info, contact, deposit to new management company?

2. What are my options to collect rents that they have collected but failed to deposit to my account. 

Thanks for your support!

Prabesh

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Prabesh Vijaya:

Send written demand for termination. Give them 48 hours to acknowledge the notice and 30 days to close the account. Provide them with a list of what they are to transfer:

1. Lease, application, payment history, and other Tenant documents

2. Tenant security deposit

3. Rents and monthly statements dating back to Tenant occupancy

4. Spare keys, garage door openers

5. Proof the Tenant has been notified of the transfer of management to you or the new PM

6. Final accounting for your portfolio

There may be more you want to include. The point is to be specific up front. Warn them that if they fail to comply, then you will report them to the State board.

Start looking for a new PM immediately. Remember: cheaper doesn't mean you'll make more money.

Start by going to www.narpm.org to search their directory of managers. These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics. It's no guarantee but it's a good place to start. You can also search Google and read reviews. Regardless of how you find them, try to interview at least three managers.

1. Ask how many units they manage and how much experience they have. If it's a larger organization, feel free to inquire about their staff qualifications.

2. Review their management agreement. Make sure it explicitly explains the process for termination if you are unhappy with their services, but especially if they violate the terms of your agreement.

3. Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers. It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees. Fees should be clearly stated in writing, easy to understand, and justifiable. Common fees will include a set-up fee, leasing fee for each turnover or a lease renewal fee, marking up maintenance, retaining late fees, and more. If you ask the manager to justify a fee and he starts hemming and hawing, move on or require them to remove the fee. Don't be afraid to negotiate, particularly if you have a lot of rentals.

4. Review their lease agreement and addenda. Think of all the things that could go wrong and see if the lease addresses them: unauthorized pets or tenants, early termination, security deposit, lease violations, late rent, eviction, lawn maintenance, parking, etc.

5. Don't just read the lease! Ask the manager to explain their process for dealing with maintenance, late rent, evictions, turnover, etc. If they are professional, they can explain this quickly and easily. If they are VERY professional, they will have their processes in writing as verification that policies are enforced equally and fairly by their entire staff.

6. Ask to speak with some of their current owners and current/former tenants. You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp. Just remember: most negative reviews are written by problematic tenants. The fact that a tenant is complaining online might be an indication the property manager dealt with them properly so be sure to ask the manager for their side of the story.

7. Look at their marketing strategy. Are they doing everything they can to expose properties to the widest possible market? Are their listings detailed with good quality photos? Can they prove how long it takes to rent a vacant property?

This isn't inclusive but should give you a good start. If you have specific questions about property management, I'll be happy to help!