We know how busy property managers and on-site leasing teams are. Their list of daily services go on and on—which many have addressed in this comment thread.
But what property management services are most important to residents? Here are a few:
Availability: Your property management company should be available to you when you need them. This could mean a 24/7 maintenance line for emergencies, regular office hours to speak with a team member in person, or a website chatbot to answer questions from prospective residents after hours.
If you find you need to call your leasing office 4-5 times before getting someone on the phone, or your emails consistently go unanswered, your property management company is not doing their job.
Transparency: No one likes being scammed. And in the rental market, it happens more frequently than you’d think. A property management company should be transparent about everything. This includes your lease agreement, rent payments, various fees, community safety, and planned upgrades.
If there is an increase in rent or property fees, the property management company should be forthright about the change.
Property upkeep: One of the most frequent complaints about a property management team is about maintenance. Property upkeep is essential for keeping happy residents, and the maintenance team is on the front lines. Property management companies should ensure they have a large enough staff to properly address daily maintenance tasks in addition to resident requests.
If your property maintenance team is taking longer than 48 hours to address a problem in your apartment home, your property management team is dropping the ball.
Community advocate: Finally, a property management company should help to make the community a great place to live.
Some property managers forget that for them, spending time in that community is a job—a way to earn a paycheck. But for those living within their community—it’s home. A property management team should be community advocates who care about their residents (even on the bad days).