Head of Marketing

Belong Co-Founders

Staff Writer, Stacker

Before deciding to manage your own rental property, ask yourself these three questions on if you're ready to be a landlord and property manager.

3 Questions To Help You Assess If You Can Be A Property Manager

Self-managing a home on the rental market is usually taken on by people looking to save money on property management fees, taking the full share of the rental income. But making the decision to self-manage a rental property isn’t as straightforward as some may think. 

From finding and screening the right tenants to responding to maintenance requests and the dreaded business of collecting rent, self-managing a property can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating work. 

That said, some people are born to be property managers. They have superior organizational skills and the kind of people-pleasing personality that makes the job less stressful. Others will find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork and weekend phone calls that self-management often involves. 

If you’re not sure, these three simple questions can tell if you should take the plunge.

There is no denying that taking care of every aspect of your property ratchets up one’s stress levels. The pressure ranges from what happens when the rent isn’t paid on time – which is often a reality –  to what happens if the washing machine hose breaks and the basement is flooded. Or the furnace stops working on the coldest day of the year.

It’s bad enough if a crisis happens when nearby, but what happens if bad news strikes at the worst possible time (as it usually does) like when you’re on vacation? 

Some people can deal with all that, and take it in stride. But if none of this sounds appealing to you, you might want to consider outsourcing these responsibilities to professionals like Belong, who will take it all on for you. 

Other stress-busting services include guaranteeing the rent (no guesswork on when you’re getting paid) and a 24/7 concierge service on the Belong app for both you and your residents. We even offer innovative finance options that let you spread the cost of things like emergency repairs over the term of your lease, so you’re not faced with any stressful surprises. 

 Learn More: Discover Belong PRO, the best alternative to Property Management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, and many more cities across California, Florida and Washington State.

Be honest, are you disciplined and rigorous about record keeping? Can you quickly lay your hands on receipts and warranties? Or is a shoebox your idea of what a filing system should look like?

We ask that question because managing your own property involves tons of record-keeping.  Everything from the initial applications, to the credit checks, to the legal lease agreement, to repairs and maintenance, all need to be maintained in an organized fashion. You’ll need it for the day-to-day management of your property; in case there are any legal issues along the way that require substantiation; and of course, for the preparation of your tax returns.

For some, that’s second nature, but for others it’s a challenge. Belong doesn’t just maintain those records for you, but they are part of your digital account with us, and are instantly accessible. 

See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Jacksonville, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando and more.

Question #3: How important is your free time?

There’s a reason that property management is a full-time job for thousands of people across the country: it takes time. A lot of it. There are always unexpected things that come up, which are likely to require time and effort to research and manage, such as vetting all of your rental applications or finding contractors to manage repairs at a moment’s notice. 

If you want to make property management your job, self-management could be for you. But if you’re working or would prefer to spend your time on activities that matter to you, consider outsourcing to those who will dedicate their days to looking after your home and residents. 

There is an easier alternative to self-managing a rental property

Whether you’re new to the rental market or burnt out on self-managing your rental home, Belong can help. 

Belong PRO is a residential network offering unique services to both homeowners and their residents. From not charging fees for the essentials to guaranteeing rent, Belong will partner with you to achieve financial freedom. And you'll never need to lift a finger. Learn more and find out if your home is eligible (even if you’re mid-lease!) at belong.com/homeowners.

Now welcoming homeowners and residents in the Pacific Northwest. Join us!

Announcing Belong’s Expansion to Seattle

Coming on the heels of our success in San Francisco and Los Angeles, today we’re excited to announce that Belong has expanded to the Pacific Northwest -- first stop, Seattle! This expansion brings our beloved rental experience to the homeowners and residents of beautiful Washington state!

Belong is changing what it means to rent a home by putting people first. It’s where hospitality meets consumer real estate—and it’s about to redefine an entire industry. We’re backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), GGV Capital, and Battery Ventures, just to name a few of our all-star investors. Our mission is to create authentic belonging experiences for those who own much-loved homes, and those longing for that feeling. Belong offers a unique technology-enabled property management platform with end-to-end services for those looking to rent out their home. We’re transforming the transactional nature of the industry into a world-class hospitality service for both homeowners and residents. 

It is hard to dispute that the rental journey, a universally shared experience, is severely dysfunctional. Whether you’re on that journey as a renter or a homeowner, it is filled with stress, anxiety, headache, and often ill will. 

Having moved several times in search of “Home,”  we have experienced first-hand how terrible the traditional landlord-tenant relationship can be; being forced to pay hidden fees, the zero-sum mentality of property managers, delayed and incomplete maintenance service, etc. We’ve also witnessed how painful it can be for a homeowner to act as a landlord -- a second job most never wanted. It is clear that we are not alone.

That's precisely the type of experience we feel compelled to go transform. We’ve set about changing every aspect of renting. It’s certainly not the easy route, but we're obsessed with eradicating everything that was once bad and replacing it with something truly great.

Belong will handle everything for you. For starters, we’re going to treat your home exceptionally well. Our in-house, full-time team of Pros will take care of all maintenance and reconditioning on your home, showing up on time, and doing work correctly the first time around. We'll find really great Residents that will love your home almost as much as you do. And we’re going to treat them exceptionally well too, so that they stay longer, reducing vacancy. And because we’re building for the future, everything is handled right through your phone, from rent and maintenance requests to communications with your dedicated Concierge.

Belong will make the process of renting a new home seamless. We take the hassle out of living in a home from an easy and online application to moving services to online rent payments and in-house maintenance services.

Know someone looking to rent out their home?

Call us at (206) 202-7090 and ask us about our referral program. 

Landlords and renters, Belong is now welcoming homeowners and residents in the Pacific Northwest. Join us in ditching outdated property management for good.

How do you interview property management companies when they all appear to offer the same service? These 8 questions will help you dig deeper to find gold.

6 Interview Questions to Ask Property Management Companies

How do you interview property management companies when they all appear to offer the same service? Here are 6 questions to ask prospective properties managers to dig deeper and uncover best person for the job of managing your rental home. 

How do you find a property manager that is the right fit for your circumstances and budget? By uncovering who will make your life easier and how they plan to take the stress out of finding and handling tenants for you. So before you sign a contract with a new property manager, here are 7 important questions to ask. 

1. What kind of clients do you typically work with?

This question will help determine the kind of landlords the property manager is experienced in dealing with. If they work with bigger clients and large developers, that might be a sign that they’re a reputable provider. But on the other hand, if they have big clients, are they going to make enough time for individual landlords with just one or two properties? How many properties on average does each manager look after? Depending on their answer, you might want to dig into their approach to working with smaller clients, or what the average duration of a relationship is with individual landlords. 

2. What services are included in your fees? 

Typically a property management company will charge between 6 and 10% of the monthly rent to manage your property. But there is a whole host of essential services that you're going to need that may not be included in this fee. You could be charged for everything from marketing to property inspections, even renewing the lease. This means a low management fee might lead to a stack of hidden costs that you weren't prepared for. 

Belong on the other hand never upcharges for these services.

3. Can you take me through the full process of letting my property?

On the outside, it might seem that all property managers offer the same services. But not all property managers are created equal. What are they using to achieve the best possible market analysis? Are they stuck in the past or using up to date technology to market your home (such as 3D tours and virtual walkthroughs). Ask them to take you through the process of marketing and vetting tenants, as well as how they arrived at your proposed monthly rent. 

4. How do you handle maintenance requests and emergency work? 

Find out what the turnaround time is like for maintenance and urgent repair work on your home if it was needed. Here it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of a hypothetical resident with a pressing emergency – and how that reflects on you, their landlord. If your toilet was leaking, do you think they’d be able to fix the problem fast enough? What kinds of costs would you be facing to use their contractors? 

If a property manager is using modern, digital services to ensure you're paid on time, this is telling. It means they're keeping up with the times and are not regressively old-school or going to leave you waiting for cheques to clear. Find out what kind of financial documentation you can expect to receive to help with your record keeping. You should also find out what the process is if tenants fall behind on their rent, as this could put a serious dent in your cashflow. 

Belong guarantees rent, giving homeowners the choice between getting paid on the first of every month, or receiving the entire year of rent upfront. Regardless of when tenants pay, you can bank on when your rental income is received. 

This is an unpleasant topic of conversation, but better to broach it sooner rather than later. Property managers will typically manage the process, but some will charge for this service or may incur legals costs that are passed on to you. Belong on the other hand offers up to $15,000 in eviction protection for any residents we place. 

If you're questioning the value of property management, Belong is the answer

What if you could ditch property management services to modernize your entire rental experience? Belong does exactly that, combining industry-busting technology with human smarts to make renting lovable for both homeowners and their residents.

Visit our homeowner's page to find out more about how our services are helping people to ditch property management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami and many more.

Sparsh Mehta

I grow new markets and bring our industry-changing experience to homeowners and residents around the country. Lover of the Outdoors, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Hiking, Live Music, and all things Technology.

Jill Jaracz

Ale, Owen & Tyler Founders

Dom Difurio

Melanie Kershaw

Ashleigh Graf

Jill Jaracz

Ale, Owen & Tyler Founders

Dom Difurio

Melanie Kershaw

Ashleigh Graf