Use a property manager interview to find out how the company would handle your rental, who you would work with and what you would pay. Ask the same eight questions of each candidate, and request documents that support the answers. A friendly conversation matters, but you also need a clear agreement.
Before the interview, list your property type and location, whether the rental is occupied or vacant, and the tasks you want help with. Decide which decisions you want to keep. Bring those details to the conversation so the manager can explain a service plan that fits.
1. Which licenses or credentials apply to the work you would do?
Ask for the legal name of the company, the person or broker responsible for the work and any license numbers relevant to the proposed services. Have the candidate explain which requirements apply in the property’s jurisdiction. If they say an exemption applies, ask for its basis and verify it with the relevant regulator or qualified counsel.
Check the regulator’s records rather than relying on a logo or a certificate on the company’s website. For a California rental, the Department of Real Estate’s Licensees page links to its license-verification and disciplinary-action resources. For another state, use that state’s relevant regulator. Ask separately who issued any professional designation and what it represents; do not assume a designation establishes legal authority for every service.
2. What similar properties do you manage, and how would you price and market mine?
Find out whether the team works with homes, condos, apartment buildings, commercial spaces or a mixture. Ask how many properties the person assigned to you handles, who assists them and who provides cover during absences. Similar work in your neighborhood is more useful evidence than a large portfolio total on its own.
Ask how long the company has operated and how long your assigned staff have managed this property type. Request a role-by-role outline of who handles leasing, accounts and maintenance, including backup cover. Clarify whether their workload is counted as buildings, rental units or owner accounts. Ask how active vacancies and open repairs affect the team’s capacity. Personal investing experience may add context, but it does not replace evidence of competent management.
Request a rent recommendation supported by recent comparable properties. Have the manager explain differences in condition, parking, layout and location. Ask which examples are asking rents and which are documented lease results, including any concessions. An ambitious estimate without comparable evidence is not enough to choose a manager.
Then request a sample vacancy listing and a marketing plan for your property. Ask about photos, advertising channels, inquiry responses, showings and the reports you would receive. A walkthrough may be an option, but confirm whether it is included or separately quoted. Have the manager explain what they would investigate if views, inquiries or applications were weak, and when they would seek your approval to change the rent.
3. How do you screen applicants and keep the process consistent?
Request the written application criteria and an explanation of how the team verifies information relevant to those criteria. Ask about rental history, income documentation, references and any credit review used. The details should reflect applicable law rather than a blanket rule for every property.
Use a practical test: how would the manager check an employment reference if the contact details could not be independently confirmed? You want to understand the verification process, not hear private stories about identifiable applicants. Also ask who makes the decision, how records are protected and how the team handles required notices and accommodation requests.
Ask how the company reviews its advertising. Federal fair housing advertising rules prohibit advertisements indicating protected-class preferences or limitations. That is a reason to ask for property-focused copy and a lawful process, not a promise that a screening system will prevent every missed payment or dispute.
4. How is rent collected, recorded and paid to me?
Ask which payment methods residents can use, how returned or late payments are handled and when collected funds become available for owner distribution. Find out who follows up on unpaid rent and when you would be notified. Do not confuse a scheduled distribution date with guaranteed income.
Request a sample owner statement with private details removed. It should let you trace rent receipts, fees, repair invoices, reserves and the amount distributed. Ask how you can view supporting documents, how corrections are made, who holds deposits and what records you receive at year-end. Clarify any owner payment-method choices in the contract instead of assuming a cheque or bank transfer is available.
5. What are the fees, and how can either party end the agreement?
Some proposals use a flat management fee and others use a percentage. Ask what the percentage applies to, whether a minimum charge exists and what happens during a vacancy. Request the complete fee schedule, including setup, leasing, renewals, inspections, maintenance coordination and other separately billed work.
Discuss who pays advertising, legal and vendor costs. Check for markups, affiliated vendors and charges triggered by a particular event. Have each company explain the cost of the same circumstances, such as a turnover with repairs, so you can compare proposals fairly.
Read the contract’s term, renewal, fee-change and cancellation provisions. Ask how records, keys, deposits and remaining funds are handed over when management ends. Put agreed changes in writing before signing.
6. Who handles maintenance, and what can you approve without me?
Ask whether work is handled by employees, independent vendors or affiliated businesses. Find out how the manager checks qualifications and insurance appropriate to each job. Request a redacted work order, invoice and completion record to see how a repair moves from a resident’s request to a finished job.
Agree on an approval threshold, emergency authority and the reserve balance you would fund. Ask when competing estimates are sought, who checks completed work and how repeat problems are addressed. Discuss what happens after hours and how you will hear about an unresolved repair. Acknowledging a request and completing it are different commitments.
Have the manager define rent-ready in writing for your home. Request a sample make-ready inspection and dated completion photos, with private details removed. Compare the planned work with the final inspection rather than treating an empty home as ready to occupy. Your checklist should identify:
- Cleaning, condition and any agreed painting or flooring work, with the estimate and your approval.
- Checks of the fixtures, appliances and systems included with the rental, and any defects referred for qualified assessment.
- Keys, access arrangements and the condition of outdoor or common areas relevant to the resident.
- Unfinished items, who will resolve them and who confirms readiness before a move-in date is promised.
Ask who conducts the final inspection and how its record connects to the move-in condition report. This is an evidence checklist, not a substitute for the property’s applicable safety or occupancy requirements.
7. Can I speak with current owners, and how would we communicate?
Request references from owners with similar properties or service needs. With their permission, ask how the company handles difficult repairs, unexpected expenses and unanswered questions. Ask whether reporting matches the agreement and whether the owner would hire the same company again.
Then test communication fit directly. Who is your regular contact? Which issues trigger a phone call, and which appear in a routine report? What response expectations can the company agree to, and who handles escalation when your contact is unavailable?
Describe your preference: regular updates, notice before spending above an agreed limit, or less day-to-day involvement. Ask for a sample vacancy update or repair notification. Decide whether you can understand it and whether it contains what you need to make a decision. Friendly staff and a portal are useful only if the communication works for you.
8. How do you measure renewals, turnover and vacancy?
Ask for a defined reporting period and comparable property types. For a renewal rate, ask how many leases were eligible to renew and how many actually renewed. Find out which move-outs count as turnover and when vacancy days start and end. Clarify whether owner withdrawals, renovations or sales are included.
Request the counts behind every percentage, not just the headline rate. Renewal rate uses eligible leases; a turnover calculation may use the units managed during the period. Ask the manager to state each denominator. Compare companies only when periods, property types and definitions match, and note when a small sample makes a rate unstable. A house portfolio and a large apartment community need not produce directly comparable figures.
A renewal rate by itself does not prove resident satisfaction or good management. Compare it with repair follow-through, complaints, vacancy duration and the explanations for departures. Ask what the company changed when results were disappointing. A useful answer explains the evidence and its limits without promising an outcome for your rental.
Keep the proposals, sample reports and interview notes together. Before choosing, resolve any difference between a verbal answer and the written agreement, especially around rent decisions, spending authority, fees and communication.
Sources and legal information
- California Department of Real Estate: Licensees — links to license verification and disciplinary-action resources; checked October 6, 2026.
- 24 CFR § 100.75: Discriminatory advertisements, statements and notices — federal fair housing advertising prohibition; checked October 6, 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. Verify licensing, screening, advertising and contract requirements for the services and jurisdiction involved.
