Property Management Interview Questions

[Michael Kay]

Hi, Friends!

I recently started interviewing different PM for a new property and decided to use @Brandon Turner's list of questions from his book, The Book on Rental Property Investing. I've copied it down here in a list for people to use. 

One thing about interviewing is to not blindly repeat the questions and write down whatever is said. It's sort of a dance and requires 100% attention and active listening.

When I want to interview a new PM, I duplicate the Google Keep note where I store this list and rename it "<PM Firm> Interview". This makes it easier to sort through the responses.

1. What are your management fees?
2. How do you communicate with owners?
3. How frequently? What about?
4. How many properties do you manage?
5. How long have you been a property manager?
6. Are we locked into a contract with you?
7. If Yes, how does that work and for how long?
8. How many evictions do you typically have each month?
9. What kind of reserves do you or your company require?
10. how long does a typical tenant stay in a property?
11. how long do properties stay vacant?
12. How do you screen your tenants?
13. Do you accept people who have had an eviction on their record?
14. How do you handle maintenance requests?
15. Is there a min charge for a maintenance visit?
16. What do you if a tenant doesn't pay rent?
17. How do you market vacant properties?

I did add one question to Brandon's list of questions: Would you refer people who want to sell their rental properties to me?

What questions would you add to this list?