All Forum Posts by: Matt MacDonald

I've worked in property management for 15 years and I love dogs, but there could be some risk there if you allow pets. What if the dog bites someone? Could the injured party come after you for allowing the dog? There is pet insurance that covers this, but what if the Tenant cancels the coverage or what if the coverage does not cover all the damages? Then there is possible damage to the home. I've seen some houses where we've had to replace carpet, pad, baseboards & treat the slab. I love dogs, but I tell my owners to not allow pets to protect them. 

In FL you have to be licensed to receive compensation for real estate services. Here's a few concerns I would have. Why isn't the person licensed? If they are not licensed do they know everything that they should know to manage property? If they are not licensed how will they properly list the units & pay brokers if an Agent brings a Tenant? Also, what kind of situation does this put the owner in if they hire an unlicensed person & if the owner pays them? There might be fines or something like that. 

I wish I could give you some info on this, but I have not done any business with them. The companies I've worked at most of our business came from happy customers that referred customers to us. 

In FL my lease mentions that we may inspect/visit the home with proper notice. I like to call them visits, because I feel like if I call it an inspection that an owner might think they are getting a full home inspection where someone goes into the attic, etc. I try not to over inspect, because I want the Tenants to feel comfortable in the home. I usually do a visit once a year which includes the interior, but I may drive by the house every 30 to 90 days to see how the outside looks. Also, I try to limit the pictures inside the home, because people do not always like it when you take pictures of their furniture. 

Good feedback. I think it depends on the home warranty company as well. I've had good experiences with some of my homes & good experiences with some of my customers homes as well. I had a water to air system in one of my homes & it started acting up & the home warranty company sent vendors out pretty quickly & it saved me a lot of money. Also, had some electrical issues & plumbing issues in one of my homes & it went well there too. Electricians are pretty costly down here is FL so they saved me some money. 

This may have been discussed before, but this may help owners save money & stress from time to time. One of the tips I offer landlords is that they look into a home warranty. I also recommend that they ensure the coverage includes; AC/heat, plumbing, appliances & electrical. Some of the items I mentioned can be expensive to repair or replace.

This may have been discussed before, but this may help owners save money & stress from time to time. One of the tips I offer landlords is that they look into a home warranty. I also recommend that they ensure the coverage includes; AC/heat, plumbing, appliances & electrical. Some of the items I mentioned can be expensive to repair or replace. 

This may have been discussed before, but this may help owners save money & stress from time to time. One of the tips I offer landlords is that they look into a home warranty. I also recommend that they ensure the coverage includes; AC/heat, plumbing, appliances & electrical. Some of the items I mentioned can be expensive to repair or replace. 

I'm down in Florida and the way we have done it at the companies I've worked at looks like this. We post a 3 day notice usually around the 6th. Then when the notice expires let's just say the 11th, because you cannot count the day of posting or weekends you can then file the eviction as early as the 12th. However, just about all the companies I've worked at we file evictions on or around the 20th. 

Before I tell people why I think an owner should hire a property management company I’m going to disclose that I’m a licensed real estate broker in Florida & I own a real estate company that focuses on property management in Jacksonville FL. Here’s a few reasons why I think someone should hire a property management company. First, it’s a good idea to be at arm’s length with the Tenant. I have seen a lot of nice owners get taken advantage of over the years by Tenants. Another reason why it may be a good idea to hire a property management company is if you live over an hour or two away from the rental property. Do you really want to drive over an hour one way to look at something at the house? If you have a local property manager, they will usually drive by the house if needed every so often.

Do you understand your states Landlord/Tenant laws? If not, this could cost you some money if you do something that you should not do. Do you have the time & tools to properly advertise the home, screen Tenants and write a lease? Do you have a good lease? Do you know what to do if the Tenant does not pay rent? What happens if the only Tenant on the lease passes away? If the Tenant moves out do you know how to properly process the security deposit?

When I first started working in property management 15 years ago, I said to myself why would anyone hire a property management company? After working in property management for 15 years I totally understand why an owner would hire a property management company. The property management fees are usually low in my area & a good property management company knows how to properly handle all the above & more. To me it’s a good idea for an owner to have a good, experienced property management company in their corner.