Out-of-State Property Management: Placing Tenant Without PM?

[Sydney Munson]

Hi all - I am about to close on my first out-of-state single family home and am going to self-manage the property. I am planning to use Cozy to collect payments, and am comfortable with the idea of advertising and screening potential tenants. However, I’m not sure how to accomplish certain tasks while out of state, such as performing a walkthrough with the tenants, handing over the keys, etc (or, maybe these aren’t needed…comments welcome!).

I have read about the “lease only” service that some property management companies offer, which seems to be a good option for initially placing the tenant. Once the tenant is settled in, I would be able to switch to self-management. However, it would be ideal to avoid this cost (typically equal to a month of rent) if there are only a couple tasks that seem challenging to do remotely.

Has anyone had experience placing tenants while out of state without using a property management company? Wondering if there are other options that I have not yet looked into for a couple quick 'boots on the ground' tasks.