How To Deal With A Bad Property Manager In Bakersfield CA
For many people, owning investment rental property is only possible with the help of a good property manager. It’s important to have someone who can keep up with maintenance, take care of your tenants, and let you know if anything requires special attention. However, a bad property manager can be worse than no property manager at all.
What do you do if you discover your property is poorly maintained, your tenants are ignored, or if the situation has become truly horrific while you left matters in the hands of your property manager? We help you understand the risks and your options.
How a Bad Property Manager Can Get You Sued
One of the biggest risks is that poor management has crossed the line into illegal and negligent landlording – for which you may be liable. These problems can range from sloppy mistakes to outright legal violations.
- Maintenance Issues – Failing to keep the property in livable conditions for the tenants
- Using the Wrong Paperwork – Not properly documenting tenants, maintenance, and expenses
- Entering Without Notice – Violating tenant rights by entering the house without following legal notice procedures
- Security Deposits and Illegal Deductions – Taking too much (or all) of security deposits without an itemized list and proof
- Fair Housing Violations – Discrimination in choosing tenants, refusing tenants based on gender, ethnicity, religion, family status, skin color, etc.
Each of these issues can potentially get not just the property manager sued, but also you as the landlord who hired them.
How a Bad Property Manager Can Cost You Money
Poor management policies, as you may already know, can also result in a loss of income from your rental properties and may even indicate theft.
- Incorrect Rental Rate – Charging too little for rent, or charging too much and struggling to find tenants.
- Bad Tenant Screening – Choosing untrustworthy tenants who damage the property.
- Not Addressing Issues – Leaving maintenance or situational problems unaddressed, leading to further costs and expenses.
- Poor Turnover Management – Failing to anticipate move-outs or not properly preparing the property for new tenants.
- High Turnover Rate – Poor management resulting in tenants always leaving, which costs money.
- Using the Wrong Contractors – Hiring overpriced or poor quality contractors to maintain the property.
- Skimming the Maintenance Fund – Cooking the books to steal money allocated for repairs and maintenance.
A bad property manager can turn a profitable investment into a financial sinkhole with poor management and expensive decisions.
Signs of a Bad Property Manager Overall
What are the red flags that you have a bad property manager in charge of your investment home or homes? No matter how occupied you are with other problems, these signals should always cause you to reasses who is managing your properties.
- Lack of Communication – Your property manager is slow to answer questions, or answers with minimal and uninformative responses.
- Minimal or Late Monthly Reports – You don’t get monthly reports, or there is almost nothing ever reported.
- Many Unexplained Charges – Too many expenses, not enough information or results, or overcharging for maintenance.
- A Sequence of Bad Tenants – One bad tenant could be bad luck. Many bad tenants is bad management.
- No Plan for After-Hours Emergencies – After-hours care is essential for attentive property management.
- Poor Response to Questions – They don’t respond well when you ask for better performance and information.
If your property manager shows some or all of these signs, it’s time to take immediate action to save your property, tenants, financial investments, and your legal integrity.
What to Do About a Bad Property manager for Your Bakersfield Rental Homes
When you’ve had a bad property manager for months or years, you need to quickly remedy the situation before that bad manager puts you at even greater risk. The first step is to fire the bad property manager immediately. Then you must decide what to do next.
Replace the Property Manager
If the property is thankfully still in good condition, you can hire a trustworthy property manager. Get referrals from other clients they manage for and favor property management teams with a robust network to ensure all bases are covered at all times.
Choosing the right property manager starts with examining whether their capabilities meet your needs. Investigates:
- How many units they manage
- Who their clients tend to be
- Mom & Pop vs large management firms
- The types of properties they service, such as apartments vs single family homes
Recover the Property
If the property has been damaged by bad tenants and/or poor maintenance, you may need to reinvest in repairs and renovation before the house is suitable as a profitable rental home again.
Sell Properties That Have Become a Loss
If you discover that a bad property manager has allowed your rental home to become badly damaged during their negligence, you can sell the house rapidly to a local real estate buyer like Quick Home Offers to recoup your losses and perhaps reinvest in an undamaged home with a more trustworthy property manager.
Quick Home Offers Can Help Resolve the Problem
Badly damaged homes are no problem for local real estate buyer like Quick Home Offers. We specialize in helping owners of properties that need work and/or updating when a house is not fit for the open market. We can also help you make arrangements for tenants to leave the home or rental property before you sell. If you need to sell a rental property, explore your opportunities with us by calling to inquire for a quick and free no-obligation offer.