Apartment and Rental Properties - Problem with Property Management Company--Please help!

I have a contract with a property management company that I've always really liked for more than one year, but they have a new employee that's not showing my rental property like he says he is. He doesn't show up for showings of the condo to potential renters..etc.

If I complain and the property management company decides to cancel my contract with them, is it legal for them to do that without notice?:confused:

Simply.....He is NOT doing his job as promised. The employer might really like to know that he is not exactly "working". Be calm and cool when you speak to the head honcho at the company. Just state the facts and wait , therefore "giving him the ball". If the owner gets mad about that ,,,well that is so unprofessional .....There must be other companys in the area.. :alarm: By the way,,,they work for YOU....You are paying for a service...They should provide it....Good luck and keep me posted......:D

Simply.....He is NOT doing his job as promised. The employer might really like to know that he is not exactly "working". Be calm and cool when you speak to the head honcho at the company. Just state the facts and wait , therefore "giving him the ball". If the owner gets mad about that ,,,well that is so unprofessional .....There must be other companys in the area.. :alarm: By the way,,,they work for YOU....You are paying for a service...They should provide it....Good luck and keep me posted......:D


Thank you!! I needed that affirmation. I've never worked with a property management company before, so this is new and they've always been great in the past.

Here's hopin'!

You probably signed a contract with the management company. It should spell out what the management company does as well as address your rights. It should spell out what is required should either party decide to terminate the contract. Read the fine print.

As stated, call the company without trepidation. I am sure that part of the job of management is to show the property and try to keep the occupancy levels as close to full as possible. Management companies have to 'manage' or they will lose their customers. There are lots of management companies out there.

Another option is an onsite manager. I have lived in a couple properties where the property manager lived in a unit on the property. I always assumed they lived there for free and got a low salary. I was very satisfied because I knew if there was a problem, all I had to do was walk down to the office. The rental contracts were very specific about what renters were expected to do during their stay and what to do when moving out, including a list of charges for things that were not done, like cleaning the oven, getting the carpets professionally steam cleaned (no DIY), etc. The manager was always available to show apartments and to deal with problems.

HELP!!!:help:

Had to bump this thread back up....here's the scoop on the situation now.

In the contract with my property management company, they are supposed to advertise (and charge me for it) ahead of time when my renters move out. They did not do that this time.

So....I did...I spent almost $125 on advertising everywhere I could think of and even the freebies like craigslist.

I've gotten ALOT of responses and have forwarded them all to the prop. mngmnt company to follow up on and call these potential renters.

I talked today to the new guy that's schedules the showings and he said that he's only had "two" people call him back....out of almost 30 replies? The one he schedule with, he spaced them out and I got an angry phone call from this family that was waiting to be shown the condo.

The 2nd person he set up, he did show it to. He said that my rental smelled like "cat urine" and the couple renting it did not have a cat...they had a dog.

He also said that there "may be a time factor in getting back with these interested people and so that's why they're not calling me back"....insinuating that I didn't pass on the replies to him fast enough. As soon as I got the replies for the condo, I immediatley forwarded them to both the prop. mngment company manager and the guy scheduling the showings. So, I don't buy that.

He also said that he'd put in ads for my condo and that when he'd get a reply, it would go straight to his blackberry and he could call them back right away. He hasn't put any ads up for my condo.

The manager was to do a walk through with the renters moving out ...today and get back with me right away on what she saw.....she didn't do that.

In the contract that I have with this prop. mngment company, it says that when new renters move in, they get half of the month's rent plus the 10% monthly fee.

So, my question is.......if I get new renters on my own, show them the condo,set up times for them to look at it....am I still obligated to pay the prop mngment company half of the first month's rent? I would be the one that did it all...they didn't, so am I still legally bound to pay them to do nothing?

I've complained already once to the owner of the company that I wasn't getting communication from them, had no idea what was transpiring as far as getting new renters in and nothing has changed.......so, I'm not happy at all, to say the least with this company.

What to do now? :confused:

"In the contract that I have with this prop. mngment company, it says that when new renters move in, they get half of the month's rent plus the 10% monthly fee." If this is what the contract says, then they get what the contract states even if you bring in the renters and pay for the advertising.

Read the fine print in the contract to see if you have a way out before its expiration date. There should be some language that addresses your termination of the contract for failure to perform as stipulated in the contract. If there is no language to that effect, make sure if you ever enter into a contract with another property management company that you have covered all your bases in the contract. Having your attorney review the contract is also a good thing to do.

"Be sure that the contract can be voided, without having to provide reason and without penalty with a written 30 day notice to terminate the arrangement. Be sure that your written termination date matches the hire date or you may have a deduction for early termination. If the hire date was on the first, terminate on the first." For more info on property management contracts: The Property Management Contract - What You Need to Know (http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Property-Management-Contract---What-You-Need-to-Know&id=571543)

"The one he scheduled with, he spaced them out and I got an angry phone call from this family that was waiting to be shown the condo." There's no excuse for keeping a client waiting. He should have gotten their telephone number & cell number so he could call if there is a delay. If you have a property management company, NEVER give anyone your phone number, give them the management company's number.

"The 2nd person he set up, he did show it to. He said that my rental smelled like "cat urine" and the couple renting it did not have a cat...they had a dog." Whose responsibility is it to see that the rental properties are rentable? Does the contract state what you require to be done after renters vacate? Does contract require that management company meet with renters at the property to collect the key and do a walk through?

Most landlords require that carpets be professionally cleaned (not DIY), oven, fridge, and everything spit spot. Otherwise, cost to hire someone to do it for them will be deducted from their damage deposit. Some areas require that property be freshly painted before renting property again.

IMO, the guy showing the property should have shown up the day before to do a walk through to assess the condition of the property, to see that everything was working, clean, odor free, and ready to rent. That way there are no hidden surprises.

To tell you that the unit could not be rented because it smelled like urine, is unacceptable. Your hired the management company to MANAGE the property and to see that units are rentable and to keep the units occupied. You should not have to be lying in bed at night worrying about pet urine.

"He also said that there "may be a time factor in getting back with these interested people and so that's why they're not calling me back"....insinuating that I didn't pass on the replies to him fast enough." This is inexcusable. It is the management company's job to keep units rented, not yours. They get paid to do it. You did, however, find potential renters and passed along the contact info immediately. Time factor? Your fault? That takes some nerve to blame you. They work for you. You don't work for them.

Ads? That's another thing to add to your new contract. Copies of all ads will be mailed to you. That way you have documentation of all ads and proof of advertising, as well as documentation of the amount of advertised rents.

"So, I'm not happy at all, to say the least with this company." It does not hurt that from time to time that you mail a survey with a post paid return envelope to your tenants. If you are not happy, then it's likely that your tenants are not either.

Again, read your contract to see if there is language in the contract that allows you to void the contract and under what terms. As indicated above, you should be able to void the contract, without having to provide reason and without penalty with a written 30 day notice to terminate the arrangement. That is, if you were wise enough to protect your interests and give yourself a way out of the contract should you find yourself in such a situation as you are today.

Never sign a contract without some language that gives you a way out if you are not satisfied. Contracts with property management companies should be for no longer than a year with option to renew on an annual basis.

"The 2nd person he set up, he did show it to. He said that my rental smelled like "cat urine" and the couple renting it did not have a cat...they had a dog." Whose responsibility is it to see that the rental properties are rentable? Does the contract state what you require to be done after renters vacate? Does contract require that management company meet with renters at the property to collect the key and do a walk through?

Most landlords require that carpets be professionally cleaned (not DIY), oven, fridge, and everything spit spot. Otherwise, cost to hire someone to do it for them will be deducted from their damage deposit. Some areas require that property be freshly painted before renting property again.

IMO, the guy showing the property should have shown up the day before to do a walk through to assess the condition of the property, to see that everything was working, clean, odor free, and ready to rent. That way there are no hidden surprises.

To tell you that the unit could not be rented because it smelled like urine, is unacceptable. Your hired the management company to MANAGE the property and to see that units are rentable and to keep the units occupied. You should not have to be lying in bed at night worrying about pet urine.




Thank you soo much for the very thorough information and advice!

He showed the condo while it was still vacated. That's when he said it smelled like urine, but he didn't tell me that then....it was only today when I called him that he told me that.

The manager of the property management company was to do a walk through today with the renters and let me know how it went. She never did contact me and tell me how it went.

I can give them a 30 day notice at any time. So, I will be looking for a good property management company in the meantime. Hopefully, I can get my condo rented quickly.

Thank you again!

I guess shopping for a property management company is like shopping for anything else. Interview a minimum of three and get three quotes. Make a list of your interview questions and review your contract to make sure all your bases are covered.