What is Pm actually trying to say?

[Peter Sik]

Tenant did not pay last 2 months of rent before end of lease moved out. As expected, the property have many areas damaged. 

After they moved out 30 days, PM sent me a painting quotation. Wow, it took 30 days to send me first quotation. There should be other quotation like floor repair, plumping, exterior..... Within that 30 days, I asked PM to get things ready asap, and PM said we have 60 days to issue the disposition of security deposit. This is the first thing i don't feel good, if anything go wrong there will be no time to make change. Like quotation price too high, no time to find another flooring guy's estimation to put on disposition of security deposit.
And the painting quotation I received, it only have one amount. It should separate into two, one for tenant damage and one for owner wearing. I asked about it then PM replied it will comes into 2 bills (still not telling me 2  amounts). I mean PM should told this in first place and showed me 2 seperate amounts.

I recevied PM email today:

" yes this will be done separately. But don't worry, the security deposit from the tenant is on hold to apply to the tenant damages and unpaid rents. We will apply to the damages 1st before applying to unpaid rents. But for now we need to get your approval of the bid and payment to get started. You send the amount through your owner portal under the Contribution tab.Also, good news, we have a prospect who has applied for the property. This is great! So we need to get the work completed as soon as possible.
So far tenant liability:-Full house clean-Painting-Floor repair-Repairs-Clean-up and dispose of debris on exterior"

Why do PM is not telling the whole truth? I believe the tenant is not willing/able to pay for anything. They still missing 2 months of rent at least and the security depoit is far away to cover all. But PM sounded like it is tenant liability, yes true but the key is who is paying at the end. At my point of view, I need to cut lost and try to find a contractor at good deal. The painting quotation is like $3900 (PM said Great Deal).

So now I am asking my friend there to help me to find contractor for quotations to speed up all things.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Peter Sik:

Just because your PM has 60 days to deal with the security deposit doesn't mean they should take a full month to get one quote. 

A Landlord can only charge one month of rent for a security deposit in Alabama, so you aren't even close to covering the unpaid rent, cleaning, and repairs. Your PM knows there is not enough money on hand to cover everything so they should be rushing to get the unit turned around so they can place a tenant quickly and minimize the damage.

1. The PM should not have let the Tenant go two months without paying rent. I would have started eviction when the tenant was late the first month. There's a very good chance that tenant would have left the first month instead of staying two months without rent.

2. The PM knows you don't have enough deposit to cover this so they should be rushing to complete the work and get the unit rented again. It shouldn't take a month to get a painting quote. I'm in a small town and I can typically get the quotes and finish the work in under 30 days.

3. The PM found a new Tenant before the work is done? I would be concerned they found a low-quality Tenant or they are renting below market. Many good tenants will not rent a place until they see it clean and in good repair.

I would consider looking for a new PM. I don't think this one is very professional.

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!