If you’ve been experiencing difficulties with your property management company, you may be wondering when it is time to switch, or if there is any way to remedy the situation. We often have potential clients come to us who have not been treated well by their property management companies, from not responding in a timely manner or at all, to not explaining maintenance charges, or not keeping the property owner in the loop. Here are five signs that you no longer trust your property management company, and you should likely switch companies to protect yourself and your home.
You don’t really expect them to respond the first time you reach out.
The number one complaint we hear from potential clients who are looking to switch property management companies is that they have a difficult time getting ahold of their current property management company, if they can get ahold of them at all. Lack of responsiveness is the number one reason that we see clients switching.
If you find yourself reaching out to your property management company, and don’t expect to get a response, or are anticipating needing to reach out several more times before having your questions answered, this is a major sign that there is a lack of trust. It is essential that the relationship between property owners and property management companies is based on trust. If you can’t trust the company, you will not be confident that they are caring for the property properly. This could include being diligent about maintenance concerns, treating the tenant well, or keeping an eye on the property to make sure that all appears correctly.
You’re used to getting unexpected, unexplained bills.
If you have received add-ons to your monthly bill that are unexplained, this can cause some confusion. Especially if you are having a difficult time getting the company managing your property to respond to you, these bills can remain a mystery.
In some cases, they may tell you about a repair that needed to be done, but something feels off or the charges are too high to be for the repair they are describing. Any major maintenance concerns should be shared with you. Conversations about these bills may leave you more confused and frustrated than before.
A reputable, quality property management company will make each unexpected charge known to you and ensure that your questions about it are answered quickly. It is difficult to trust a company who may not be keeping you in the loop and ensure you are confident in their ability to care for your property.
You’re left more confused, or feeling unheard, after you do get ahold of them.
Like we shared above, lack of responsiveness, and being unclear on charges, or what maintenance is being done, can lead to feeling confused and unheard. Although it is good to not get into the weeds with day-to-day concerns in property management, wanting the highlight reel of what is going on should be a given when you are trusting a company with your home.
If you find yourself leaving a conversation with your property management company thinking, I don’t think they understood what I was asking, or I don’t think they understood my questions, you may need to think about switching. Having this feeling once or twice may not be cause for concern, but an ongoing theme of feeling that questions go unanswered, and they are not listening to your concerns or questions is absolutely cause for switching companies.
You’re not sure what’s going on with your property anymore.
If you feel that you no longer are in tune with anything going on at your property, that should be a major red flag about the company you are working with. Although one of the benefits of hiring a property management company is not having to concern yourself with day-to-day tasks or information, updates about maintenance, whether the property currently has a tenant or not, or other larger concerns should be shared with you.
You’ve begun looking at other companies.
If you’ve begun looking at other property management companies, you’ve already considered switching. Once you are already looking at other companies, it is a clear sign you do not trust your current company and you may want to speed up the switch. If you aren’t sure how to vet a property management company properly, check out our recent article discussing red flags, and how to know when you’ve found the right company.
It can feel daunting to go through the process of hiring a property management company for a second time, but if your current property management company is exhibiting any of these signs, it is likely in the best interest of both you and your home.
Reach out today if you have any questions about our processes, pricing, or what we do to provide our clients with exceptional customer service and keep them in the loop.
