How To Find The Worst Residential Property Management Company

Many landlords decide to hire residential property management companies like NorthStar Cleaning & Property Services. Landlords have their own jobs, homes, and lives to attend to. They may even live out of state. For many reasons, landlords cannot manage properties they rent out. So, they turn to property managers to attend to the day to day business of running apartment complexes or homes. But property managers can carry a security risk. Managers have keys to tenant homes or apartments and they also have the duty to collect rent. Due to this, landlords need to be sure they hire a credible property manager. But what if you don't care, and want to hire the worst management company? Here are tips on how to get the worst one:

Before hiring

1. Don't conduct a background check

Why should a manager who is going to handle rent money need a background check? You trust him not to steal. You also trust the company that employs him. There's no need to check if he's been fired for stealing, has a criminal record, or poor credit. Surely the company wouldn't send a manager with security risks. Don't bother calling references either. Also, why dig deep into the manager's past just because he has keys to tenant apartments? As long as you tell him not to enter without permission he'll listen.

2. Don't read reviews

Don't look into the property management company to find out what tenants, employees, or landlords have to say. Don't read any reviews. All the bad reviews are disgruntled tenants anyway. There is nothing you can gain from anonymous opinions. You also definitely shouldn't look at company reviews from previous or current employees. This tells you nothing about the efficiency of the management company. You shouldn't bother looking for formal complaints from previous landlords. They will accuse the management company of stealing or treating tenants badly. So what if there are ten complaints from landlords that repairs weren't made? The company's still in business, so it's not like they did anything illegal.

After Hiring

3. Don't ask tenants for property manager feedback

Once you've hired a property manager you don't need to know how they're doing. You just pay the company a percentage of the rent you collect, and they'll do the rest. They will make sure their employee is doing everything he's supposed to. Sure, you're not there. You don't know how he interacts with tenants. You don't know if the manager is respectful of the tenants and of boundaries. The tenants would tell you if he respects their privacy or responds to their complaints. Just like how companies don't ask for customer feedback, you shouldn't ask for tenant feedback.

4. Don't inspect the premises on a regular basis

Property management companies are not responsible for the cost of maintenance and repairs. The property management company doesn't pay to have the grass mowed or for a new water heater. If something breaks, you cut the check. Surely even an unscrupulous company wouldn't pocket the money. You don't have to see where your money goes. You don't have to drop by once a month or every few months. You shouldn't inspect the premises for maintenance or repair issues.

As long as you keep all these tips in mind, you can be sure you have the worst management company for your property.