Should you hire a professional property manager, or will any real estate agent be good enough to manage your rental property?
In South Carolina, anyone with a real estate license can manage property for others. So when you’re looking for someone to manage your properties, it’s natural to ask this question.
The answer comes down to a few simple questions.
Fair Housing Laws and Rental Properties
First, does the agent or manager you’re talking to know the fair housing laws and how they apply to rental properties? If not, you can open yourself up to a fair housing violation, and then you’ll need an attorney to resolve the situation.
Landlord Tenant Law in South Carolina
Is the person you’re considering a real expert in the South Carolina Landlord Tenant Act? Do they know the essential services, and do they have a process for ensuring compliance with those essential services? This law is the basis for how a landlord and tenants work together. If you don’t have someone who is a professional and knows the laws, you could be opening yourself up to a lot of problems.
Pets and Service Animals
Does the agent know the difference between pets and service animals? Is there a system in place to ensure someone who comes in isn’t bringing an unauthorized pet? Some people try to turn a pet into a service animal by getting a certificate online. They don’t want to pay rent or fees for their pet, so they try to pass it as a service animal. Professional property managers know how to deal with that, and how to verify that a service animal is really that. This protects your property.
Tenant Applications and Screening
Ask about their process for screening applications. Does it comply with laws? From gathering credit information to reviewing criminal records, there’s a lot that goes into screening applications and weeding out bad tenants. A professional property manager will have a great system in place to do that screening. Make sure the agent or manager you’re talking to can screen legally.
Handling Rental Maintenance and Repairs
Finally, how do they handle maintenance issues? Find out if they work with licensed and insured vendors, or if they’ll hire anyone with a screwdriver and a hammer. While you were living in the property, it was fine for you to make your own repairs. But, with a rental property, you have to use insured and licensed vendors for all maintenance. It’s in your best interests. It saves you money and reduces your liability.
Consider these things when you are looking for your next property manager. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at New Heights Property Management.