Last Dec I changed P.M's. I moved over to a P.M that has been stress free. However, I worry about the quality that he might be providing based on the fact that I've not heard from him for nearly the whole year. Its the first time in 15 years of having the I.P that I've never had any bills come out for tradesman etc. In 12 months there has not been a plumber or electrician bill or anything. Its most unusual based on the previous PM who seemed to send one out nearly every second month- definitely one every quarter. On the day last yr that the new lease was to be signed, the PM left it to the very last moment - the afternoon prior to the expiry date (5pm). I thought that was a bit slack but let it go. After the tenants signed the new fixed term contract and met the PM I was informed that the back door needed a new handle and something else that was minor had to be fixed. I noticed months later that there was no bill from a handyman or anything. The reason for this thread is to ask your opinion... Is it out of order for me to call the tenant at her workplace and ask for feedback on the PM. I will be angry if she tells me that she asked the PM to send out a tradesman when something went wrong- but that it didnt happen.... I dont want my house to have problems with it. What are your thoughts?
I don't see the problem in talking to your tenant about the PM. I think it would be silly not to if you had PM concerns.
Yep- to me it is. Maybe the tenants are just hassle free and the property is in decent condition. Sounds like a good situation to me - unless I'm missing something. Cheers Jamie
Why not call the PM and ask where the invoice is? Invoices go missing/get delayed all the time Calling the tenant isn't the worst thing to do but it wouldn't reflect well on the PM. You're paying them to do a job and if they're not doing it, question it.
It is quite possible the work has been done and that the tradie has not gotten around to invoicing it. This is more common than you would think. Ask the PM about the status of the invoice before jumping the gun and assuming he/she is not doing his/her job.
There is nothing wrong with asking feedback but make sure you are judging on facts not opinions - even passive aggressive opinions can destroy relationships. Best to ask the pm directly.
I agree with Jamie on this one, don't think it's appropriate to be contacting the tenant. Also, I wouldn't be complaining if I wasn't getting bills for completed work every month or 2 - I would find that odd.
I received an invoice 8 months late, after chasing it .. and chasing it.. it came, wasn't correct so another 2 months to have it adjusted. Perhaps you should ask the PM about the back door handle invoice, together with confirmation that the work has been carried out? If its's a security issue, you don't want to leave your tenant's insurance policy void. I hope this helps
Sometimes the pm will actually advise things to be done and then not do them, and the tenant won't actually say anything because they don't care or it wasn't a big deal.... If your concerned about the PM s performance then detail it in writing and advise you will be putting them on notice if things don't improve. The worst house I have in the worst area is actually the least problematic in both repairs and rent payments surprisingly
Often costs are deducted from the rent so check your statements to see if this is the case and request an invoice from your PM for your records.
As a tenant, I've had plenty of PMs who just dont pass on the message. We've had leaking pipes, rusty gutters, hell even our ceiling fell down, the landlord probably has no idea. As a landlord, I would definitely be concerned if I didn't hear anything. Regular updates are a must, even if it's just to let you know it's all ok.
Yeah some of ours are like that, depending on how much you've authorised them to do without notifying you. Have had instances where it was a bit more often towards end of financial year... gotta watch em.
Mine always send me a few quotes to choose from so the authorisation is via email otherwise its capped at the grand sum of $100.
How many times does a landlord lose a good tenant because the PM is mismanaging the property? Doesn't respond to maintenance requests, doesn't communicate, etc. The tenant simply leaves out of frustration because their needs or requests aren't being taken seriously and the landlord just hears they're moving out, often with no reason why. Yes, the PM is there to act on the owner's behalf but acting in their best interests also involves taking care of their customer. It is your property and your tenant and the PM is simply brokering that relationship. The way I see it, you are the owner of your business, the PM is your middle management and the tenant is your customer. I believe the owner of the business has every right to contact the customer (and vice versa) if there is any doubt that the management aren't doing their job right. We have an accountability guarantee for this exact reason and if a PM doesn't like it or doesn't agree with it, I would asking why that's the case. If they're doing a good job and things are being taken care of as they should, why would they have any concern if the owner speaks to the tenant occasionally? In the end, it's the owner's choice. Some will want absolutely nothing to the do with the management side of things and others will want to be more proactively involved. Provided there is no sneaking behind the PMs back, which would just be unprofessional, it's not out of line at all that you would want to contact your customer to verify that the service you are paying for via your PM is being carried out in accordance with your expectations. Lack of accountability is rife throughout the PM sector and I believe the service would improve if this were done more often. - Andrew
