How To Pick A Property Management Company
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009Do you own a rental home in a vacation hot spot? Do you want to rent out your home as a vacation rental? If you do, you should hire a property management company. But be warned, not all property management companies are created equal. Below is a list of five services that the property management company you hire should have. I am going to use a vacation home in Spain as an example but you can apply these same concepts to anywhere in the world your vacation home is located.
1. It Is All About Customer Service
The renters who stay in your villa, vacation rental home, or apartment need to be taken good care of. That includes going above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Often people who rent your vacation home need extra things like a map or directions to the nearest grocery store, hospital, and restaurants. These are easy things that a property management company should provide your renters. All it takes is a little bit of time answering a few questions that can make all the difference. Make sure to get a property management company that really takes care of your renters and understands the importance of customer service. Your renters should arrive to a crisp and clean home, villa, or apartment.
If renting for a vacation, golf holiday or some other Spain holiday, each guest should receive a welcome packet including directions to the rental property as well as helpful information about the surrounding area. If you have an apartment for rent, tenants should be treated well. Rental payment collection, service maintenance and assistance with local utility and phone set-ups should be provided with friendliness and thoroughness.
2. Cleaning Management
The property management company you select should have a quick turn over rate when it comes to cleaning and getting your house back on the market between renters. If your rental home is in Spain and you live in the U.S. or England, you will need a local to the area property rental service that takes care of scheduling the cleaners. For your vacation home, cleaning must be done between guests’ stay. Furthermore, the yard must be maintained year round and so they should schedule gardeners. Make sure that these services are provided by the property management company.
3. Key Holding, Inventory, and Detailed Necessities
You may not be able to handle local errands for your vacation rental or apartment for rent. Therefore, the property rental service should be entrusted with these tasks. Some necessities to keep the rental property operating legally include key holding, insurance, property tax and levies, building permits or licensing, bank account management, phone and utility set up and billing, etc.
You need to make sure the company you hire will handle protecting the furniture and other items in your vacation home. They should do an inventory and keep a list and check to make sure that none of your belongings are being stolen each time a guest departs. You want a property rental service that provides these services so you do not have to worry about things being stolen out of your vacation rental.
4. Dealing With Repairs and Maintenance
You want the property management company you hire to have their own in-house maintenance people. This way you are dealing directly with these people by proxy of the property management company. Any defunct work or work not done falls squarely on the shoulders of the property management company you hire. There is no excuse like we called in the work but the plumbing company is really busy and they said they can not get to the repair until next week. The best and largest property management companies have their own in-house maintenance divisions.
5. Marketing Your Vacation Home or Apartment
Do not be afraid to ask the company how they intend to market your vacation rental home or apartment. Reaching the right target audience is the key to having a profitable vacation rental. What “in print” publications will they put your rental home in? Do they have a website? Do they do videos of your rental? If your vacation home is near a golf course, what “golf get-a-way” publications will they advertise your home in?
Keep these features in mind during your search for a property rental service. By choosing a service with great features, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your holiday rental or apartment for rent is in good hands!
I hope you enjoy this article on hiring a good property management company for your apartment. If you own property in Fresno California and require additional management services, visit property management fresno ca