Frequently asked questions about your inspection report proposal.

Questions about your Inspection Report?

You can expect to receive your report on average in 5 days.

What does my post inspection proposal contain?

Your post inspection proposal contains two reports.

The Improvement Report - We will walk you through recommended and required repairs aimed to get your home ready to be loved by the most qualified Resident.

The Pricing Report - We will walk you through our pricing strategy to get your home loved at the highest price possible for the market. 

Can we list the home and complete the repairs after?

One of the reasons why Belong is able to find residents within 18 days is because all of our homes show perfectly. The key to this is completing all the repairs ahead of showing your home. We are equally as eager to get your home listed as soon as possible but listing a home prior to it being ready can hurt your chances of getting your home loved and can lead to a stale listing.

I've received the report, what are the next steps?

Once you have received the report, your onboarding associate will reach out to you. If you have any questions at all you can schedule a time to speak with them. If not, you can click through the report and approve the work all within your account. Once you have approved the work, our team will get started immediately and keep you updated every step of the way to listing your home! 

We separate items in the repair report into required and recommended categories based on how likely it is going to affect your residents' experience in the home. We are firmly of the mindset that if we treat your residents right, they will look after your home better and stay longer. A lot of this comes down to how residents feel in your home. 

There is a rekeying on my improvement report, why?

Whenever we welcome a new home into our community or when a resident moves out, one of the first things we do is to rekey or replace the locks. You can never be too careful about who has copies of your keys. Rekeying ensure that no parties have unauthorized access to your home and gives your residents that added piece of mind that they are the only ones with access to your home.

What's the difference between spot clean and deep clean?

The deep clean is a thorough cleaning that happens right before we start to show your home. The spot clean is a shorter clean that happens 1-3 days before your residents move-in. We do this to ensure that your residents have a stellar move-in experience (Who wants to move into a dirty home?). This also establishes a clear understanding of the state of the home upon move in which will inform any security deposit deductions. 

I just cleaned my home, do I need to clean again?

Typically, yes. We strongly believe that deep cleaning a home is one of the most important factors to getting a home loved quickly. In some cases we can work with you. Feel free to discuss with your onboarding associate.

We understand that cashflow can be tricky for some of our Homeowners and so we want to be as flexible as possible with any payments. Upon approval of the work, we require a 25% up front payment in order to purchase materials and get started. The remaining amount can be paid upon completion or financed from your monthly rent payments up to 12 months. These options are available to help achieve any financial goals you may have and allow you to have truly passive income while caring for your home.

If you've had your property inspected by Belong for the rental market and have further questions, read this FAQ about your home inspection report proposal.

FAQ: We Answers Common Questions About Your Inspection Report

You can’t predict what 2022 will bring, but you can take these steps for property management success

5 New Year Tips for Self-Managing a Rental Property in 2022

You can’t predict what 2022 will bring, but you can take these steps for property management success.

As the calendar turns to 2022, a lot more happens than just having to write a new date on our checks (assuming, that is, you are still writing paper checks). There’s a switch that occurs in our brains – which is why New Year’s Resolutions have been so important throughout history, and from culture to culture.

The switch is called “The Fresh Start Effect,” and it’s powerful; here’s a study that describes it in scientific terms: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior.

By now you may be wondering, “What on earth does this have to do with my rental property?” The short answer is: a great deal!  The best way to plan for a successful new year is by looking at it as a fresh start, rather than a continuation of last year’s stresses.

Here are five tips to help you achieve that goal – some emotional, some practical:

1. Get rid of negative thoughts. Literally.

Research shows that if you write negative thoughts down on a piece of paper – and then crumple the paper up and throw it out – it helps you deal with them.  So why not do just that?  Write down all your negative thoughts about property management, whatever they might be:  the stress of collecting rent; the inability to find a furnace repair person;  the worry over paying the taxes.  Then crumple up the paper and toss it.

We are sure there were stressful moments during the year. Our tendency as human beings is to get emotionally caught up in them, and then once the drama is passed, to move on. Now is a good time for reflection and some learning.

Think back on what made self-managing your property so hard, and then ask yourself: did you overreact, thereby creating friction with your resident? Was the crisis a result of you putting off the inevitable?  Then start to think of possible solutions. Can you get ahead of the “inevitable” when it inevitably recurs? Could the situation have been prevented or mitigated by advance planning? For example, dealing with the sudden onset of a leaky roof is less stressful if you have a list of three trusted roofers in your file. 

Based on this self-reflection, determine the steps you can take now to better cope with the unexpected hiccups that will undoubtedly arise in 2022.  The very practice of planning can in itself be calming.

We don’t know if your tenant will be expecting a gracious note wishing them a happy New Year, but we do know that it will be more than welcome when the email slides into their inbox.

Take the opportunity to wish them the best of 2022, and also to tell them how fortunate you are to have them living in your home – that it means a lot to know someone is living there who loves the property, and takes care of it, as you would.   It will make both of you feel good – and selfishly, it will also create reciprocity and encourage your resident to act even more responsibly.

While you’re at it, send similar messages to the contractors and others you rely on most – whether it’s the plumber or the landscaper.  These people are in great demand, and normally they get complaints, not thanks.  Reaching out now will definitely put you on the top of the list for 2022 projects.

4. Don’t continue your record keeping. Disrupt it.

This gets back to our “Fresh Start Effect” advice. Whether you keep your records digitally or with paper and pencil, or a combination of both, don’t roll into 2022 as if it is the thirteenth month of the year. Start a new excel spreadsheet, or buy a new notebook, or buy a new set of files for your invoices.

You will feel the difference psychologically, we guarantee it!

This is the perfect time to re-set expectations with your resident. For example, if you were overly responsive last year – and that led to frustrations and lifestyle interruptions – then should consider communicating that, with a “2022 Rules of the Road.”

For example, you will be available as soon as possible for something serious, like a leaky roof, but your resident shouldn’t expect the same level of responsiveness for something like a leaky faucet. That kind of task triage is reasonable and once you establish the guidelines, both you and your resident will find life to be much less stressful.

Especially now, when the uncertainty of the pandemic has put everyone on edge, residents need to understand that landlords are people, too!  The vast majority of tenants will be extraordinarily cooperative – and respectful. We see it every day.

The “we” in the language of these hopefully helpful hints is Belong. We are the 21st century innovator who is transforming each and every aspect of what property managers do.  We combine the power of technology to simplify and organize, and a dedicating caring team of humans – starting with a concierge and extending all the way to our vendor network of contractors – who are there to provide nothing short of a magnificent end-to-end experience.

So if this is the year you decide to work with not just any property manager – but one who defies the norms of what has been possible – we would welcome hearing from you.

If not – but you still have some questions that you’d like a professional answer to – we are happy to help as well.

Like many, we are addicted to looking at great homes. For Halloween, we couldn't resist sharing some of our favorite spooky home dress-ups.

Haunted – and Haunting – Houses

Other than Christmas, no holiday incites the imagination and the decorative prowess of Americans like Halloween. It’s one of our favorite traditions, the miraculous (or should we say devilish) transformations that houses nationwide undergo. It’s one of the rare instances where the lovable and the terrifying go hand-in-hand.  If for no other reason than to celebrate that paradoxical combination, we bring you our favorite Halloween houses of 2021.

If this Los Angeles house almost feels like a movie set, maybe it’s because the person behind it – Christine McConnell – is a professional photographer.

Building from the ground up – literally – this homeowner puts their own creative spin on the zombie genre. Like if Danny Boyle art-directed a haunted house.

A unique sense of scale makes this decoration feel particularly grand – almost like the house is being picked up and played with by a terrifying skeleton.

The best thing about this house?  Take away the lights and you’ve got your Thanksgiving decorations already taken care of!

So good we wouldn’t be surprised if it graced the cover of the National Enquirer’s next UFO expose. 

Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are making it easier than ever to obtain the permits necessary to create an ADU.  But even if you can, should you build one?

Accessory Dwelling Units: Should You Add an ADU To Rent?

Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are making it easier than ever to obtain the permits necessary to create an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). But even if you can, should you build one? 

Insufficient housing supply has been a long-running issue in this country, but with the pandemic creating further pressure on the rental market and housing affordability, local and state governments have been forced to look at loosening zoning laws. As legislation changes, it's becoming far easier for homeowners to create Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and create an investment in real estate to enter the rental market. Some states like California -  where undersupply has been a chronic issue, pushing rental prices to the stratosphere - went even further, creating grant programs to incentivize the construction of ADUs. If you have the space on your property, an ADU can make a great investment to enter the rental market. 

Despite an increasing prevalence, there remains a lot of confusion in the public’s imagination when it comes to ADUs. This is largely due to a wide variety of real estate structures falling under the ADU umbrella. 

For example, a former garage that has been transformed into a living space — that’s an ADU; an attic space above a garage that has a plumbing system and heating units — that’s also an ADU; a small lane house or cottage completely detached from a property’s main house — that too is an ADU. Basically any room in a house — or secondary building on a piece of property — that can be used as an independent living quarters is classified as an ADU. 

California — ever the innovator — has even created a new category of ADU: Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. A Junior ADU can be no more than 500 square feet in size, and is permitted to share plumbing and heating systems with the main house.

The pros and cons of adding Accessory Dwelling Units to your home

Most people are attracted to adding an ADU to their property to generate passive income through renting. While renting out a studio or lane house won't attract as much as a larger home, over time the profits add up and can bring down the cost of your mortgage. As house prices continue to climb and the cost of living increases, there is a real emotional and practical benefit to making extra income, allowing you to stay in your home longer. 

They also provide flexibility. Of course, you can rent out your ADU, but if need be, you can use it to house family members. This use-case became particularly prevalent during the pandemic, when extended families were looking for creative (and safe) ways to continue seeing each other during the lockdowns.

If you're living in a State or City incentivizing the construction of ADUs, the upfront costs aren’t nearly as onerous you might think they’d be. To convert a basement or garage to an ADU can cost as little as $18,000.

But even without any help from the government, creating an ADU doesn't have to be expensive — even if you’re building a free-standing structure from the ground up. The laws are a little more lax than they are when it comes to building a primary dwelling.  In California for instance ADUs can be wood-frame constructions, as opposed to infill buildings, which are far more expensive to erect. 

Of course, there are some downsides, too, especially if you’re converting a room or area of your primary residence into an ADU.  Privacy becomes an issue, especially with JADUs. The build-out process might also prove to be disruptive.

And then there are the problems that come with being a landlord — finding and keeping residents, attending to all their problems, and having to chase down rent checks on a monthly basis. That inconvenience, if not awkwardness, is amplified when your tenant is living in such close proximity to you.

Creating or managing an ADU property with Belong

A lot of the concerns you would face as a landlord can be mitigated with the right property manager. Belong takes a unique approach to traditional property management, digitizing what used to be a cumbersome and painful process. From finding the right tenants that will leave peacefully alongside your home, to ensuring you never go without income. 

With Belong, you’ll also avoid the hassle of negotiating with contractors with access to a 24/7 Concierge service and instant access to a vendor network of over 10,000 professionals. Belong can connect you to the right people, whether you’re converting a pre-existing space into an ADU or JADU, or building a whole new structure. They conduct the feasibility report to determine if it’s even possible to build an ADU, collaborate with your architect (or recommend one, if need be), and construct the entire building on site. Belong has also partnered with Modal to install prefab ADUs, if a homeowner prefers to go in that direction. 

So for homeowners who work with Belong, creating an ADU becomes less of a question of why, but of why not? 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.

Accessory Dwelling Units: Uncover the pros and cons of adding an ADU to your property as a real estate investment and entry into the rental market.

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.

Our guest blogger at 14th Street Capital provides a run-down on how technology is making self-managing your own property much easier. 

3 Ways Tech Innovations Help Landlords Better Manage Their Properties

From our guest blogger Grant McDonald, the Vice President of Corporate Development at 14th Street Capital, a run-down on how technology is making self-managing your own property that much easier.  

I probably don’t need to tell you that being a landlord takes a lot of money and a lot of time. The average annual operating and capital expenditure can be around $2,000 - $3,000 per home. The amount of time it takes from your life is a little harder to quantify, but ask anyone who’s acted as a landlord – you’re sure to get an earful.

Just consider how much needs to be taken care of: getting the place ready; screening tenants; sending rent notifications; resolving maintenance issues; keeping detailed tax records. The list is immense and many landlords describe it as close to a full-time job.

For decades, outside of hiring a property manager, there wasn’t much a homeowner could do in terms of lightening their workload. Recently though, technology has begun to innovate aspects of property management, just as it is transforming other aspects of our lives.

While these new platforms don’t take on all the responsibilities of a property manager, they do make self-managing your own rental property that much easier and more efficient.

Let’s have a look at some of the ways in which technology is making a difference.

Online property management platforms have emerged to meet the needs of DIY property managers. One place to start your research is Investopedia, who’ve done the digging and compiled a list of the 7 best software platforms for rental properties.

Each has different features and benefits, and some are designed for homeowners with multiple properties. What’s more, each requires a different level of technological sophistication, so we advise you to do your homework.

That said, there is a great deal of overlap when it comes to basic functions, like online rent applications; credit screening; billing functionality, and messaging. Some allow landlords to set their own standards, but be careful that you do nothing to violate Fair Housing Laws.

These online platforms allow homeowners to automate the screening process, so they can set their own standards in terms of potential residents’ credit scores, rental history, and employment details.

Landlords report that fulfilling and tracking maintenance requests consumes a huge amount of time – maybe more than any other single responsibility. So it's worth looking into how different platforms manage that process. Homeowners can accept and respond to tenant maintenance requests using online platforms. You also transfer the service requests to the contractors and craftspeople who will be fixing the problem from within many of these platforms; meanwhile, tenants can use them to make maintenance requests, keep track of the repairs, and provide feedback to landlords, which simplifies their lives a little, too!

Sometimes there is a standard maintenance form, but given the unique nature of each property and the wide variety of possible maintenance issues, I think you’ll find the ability to customize these templates is important. Though of course the customization process might take up some of the time you’re trying to save. 

The good thing about Investopedia is that unlike many “best of” websites, they aren’t an advertising website disguised as content. They have real editors and writers, so you can trust that what you read is objective and isn’t what’s called “pay to play.”

Online cloud storage platforms like Dropbox and Apple’s iCloud are useful for landlords in terms of keeping important documents safe, secure, and accessible from any device with an internet connection. They’re a great place to store tenancy documents, agreements, contracts, inspection reports, and other essential documents. 

Some platforms even allow users to generate e-signature to digitally sign lease agreements and other essential documents.  Landlords can also use DocuSign for that basic requirement, although many of the platforms described early include that option as well.

The nice thing about Cloud Storage platforms is that they also make life easier for both you and your residents. They can quickly find all the documents they need, while you are spared a string of tiresome requests.

You may have heard about the IoT, or the “Internet of Things.”  Devices like Alexa and Google Home are examples of the IoT; they’re connected, “smart” devices – or things, if you prefer – that send data up to the cloud and down to a smartphone, creating a virtual bridge between you, the cloud, and the device itself, no matter where you are.

For landlords, there are several applications of this core technology. For instance, there are smart water detectors and alarms that will notify both you and your tenant should there be a basement flood. Think of it as a technology insurance policy that can protect you from the devastating consequences of a broken pipe or hot water heater. Here’s a link to some of these surprisingly affordable and essential devices on Amazon.

There have also been breakthroughs in smaller and higher-resolution security cameras. These can be useful to landlords, but there are a lot of complexities around the legal implications. Belong has written about that on this blog, so check out this important context. 

Smart door locks are another technological asset; here’s a link to some of the best as assessed by PC magazine. Landlords report that tenant “lock out” situations are a continual problem and distraction. These elegant solutions solve the problem!

In short, technology can make a landlord’s life easier. But nothing is easier than Belong, which is the first 21st truly tech-enabled property management system. Learn how Belong’s technology creates a new landlord experience, profoundly simplifying your life letting you enjoy the financial benefits of being a landlord, free of the stress and risk. 

Grant McDonald, VP of Corporate Development at 14th Street Capital, provides a run-down on how technology is making self-managing a property much easier.  

3 Ways Tech is Helping Landlords Manage Their Properties

Belong has expanded further south — hello, San Diego! We’re thrilled to bring our beloved rental experience and homeowner services to the city of San Diego.

Announcing Belong’s Expansion to San Diego

Building off of our success in the Bay Area and Los Angeles and on the heels of our recent Seattle launch, today we’re excited to announce that Belong has expanded further south — hello, San Diego! We’re thrilled to bring our beloved rental experience and homeowner service to San Diego, and are particularly delighted to provide our solution to the many military members who call the area home. 

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 Andreesen 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.

Call us at (858) 244-9339 and ask us about our referral program. 

Want to learn more about the magic of Belong? HOW IT WORKS

Interested Homeowner? Get qualified today to take advantage of all Belong has to offer.

Discover our 6 favorite things about renting or owning a home in the city of Bellevue, Washington - one of the latest additions to Belong's residential network.

Belong Visits: Bellevue

As we expand up and down the west coast from our Bay Area base, we’re always working to make ourselves — and our community — feel at home wherever they are. As part of that, we are launching a coastal tour, and the first stop is  the bucolic city of Bellevue, Washington.

Across Lake Washington from Seattle is one of the hottest zip codes in the country: home to the garage that gave birth to Amazon and a perennial contender for the best city to live in America.

With the six amazing neighborhood pluses described below, is it any wonder that so many people want to live in Bellevue?  Not to us — nor will it be to you, once you see why the housing market is booming in this beautiful little city. It’s a boom that makes Belong’s ability to connect people who own much-loved homes, to those looking to become infatuated by a domicile, all the more important.

Jeff Bezos might have up and moved his empire across the lake to Seattle, but many big-name tech companies still call Bellevue home.  T-Mobile’s North American corporate headquarters is located in Bellevue, as is Expedia’s and Drugstore.com’s. Other major tech companies like Facebook and Nintendo also have big offices in the city. Bungie and Valve both have their HQs there, too, making it one of the gaming capitals of the world!

Bellevue is home to one of the best school districts in the U.S., with several of its high schools ranking in US News and World Report’s top 250; niche.com ranks the system as third-best in the country. The crown jewel of the district, the International School, ranks #27 among all traditional high schools in America, and #60 if you add in all the magnet and charter schools. We’d say “Not too shabby,” but then a recent Bellevue grad might snicker at us for using such an inelegant cliche.  

They don’t call it “The City in a Park” for nothing.  In addition to the acres of green space and sprawling parks contained within the city, the city’s also borders on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, giving residents easy access to the Snoqualmie Pass.  And of course, Mount Rainier, the most topographically prominent peak in the United States, is only 60-ish miles to the south. (The North Cascades National Park isn’t very far, either.)  If water is more your thing, then there’s plenty of fun to be had on Lake Washington, too. From skiing to waterskiing, Bellevue has it all.

True to its name, Bellevue is one of the most scenic cities in America. Not only because of the lush park system we mentioned above, but because of the breath-taking view of Seattle and Lake Washington to the west, and the snow-tipped Cascades ranging to the east. 

Of course, America is a lovely and wonderful place to live, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t observe that Bellevue isn’t very far from Vancouver,  which is another of the most exciting cities in North America. And one of the most ethnically diverse, too, with a famed Chinatown offering some of the best Chinese cuisine you can find this side of the Pacific. A quick two-and-a-half-hour drive through some of the most stunning scenery in the world, it’s the perfect daytrip. Pack your passport and come hungry.  

Bellevue is home to a number of upscale stores and shopping malls, but it is the smaller, mom-and-pop institutions that intrigue us most.  From Frans Chocolates, to the Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm and Mac and Mabels, there are tons of local shopping options to choose from!

If you think you're ready to go it alone as a landlord and property manager, take this 4-question quiz.

Can I Manage My Own Rental Property? Take The Quiz

Why can't I just manage my own rental property? If you think you're ready to take this plunge, take the 4-question personality quiz that will answer the question: am I cut out to be a landlord and a property manager or should I outsource this work?

Often when talking to a homeowner who isn’t a thousand percent sold on Belong, we get asked, “Why can’t I manage my own property, by myself?”

It's a great question, because the truth is that there are people out there who can take on the responsibility of self-managing a rental property. But when you peel back the onion and really look at what’s required, it turns out those people are few and far between.

Managing a property takes a truly rare combination of personality traits. If you possess them all — and you also have ample time to dedicate to the task — then we encourage you to step up and manage the property yourself.

But if you don’t, our recommendation is to seriously consider working with a property manager (or rather, to go one better and use a modern alternative). Our simple quiz will save you and the residents of your home countless hours of stress and anxiety.

Quiz: Am I cut out to self-manage my rental property? 

Question #1: Do you have incredible patience?

When self-managing a rental property, you have to keep in mind that the home effectively belongs to the residents as well. In fact, they sometimes lose sight of the fact that the home actually belongs to you, and that you love it as much as they do.  

That’s why oftentimes the relationship between resident and homeowner can turn sour and adversarial; people forget that the interests on both sides of the equation may seem not to be aligned. But fundamentally, are.

Hence, the need for patience. You need to keep in mind that, when something goes wrong in the house — when there’s a leak, or the toilet isn’t running, or the boiler’s on the fritz — it’s your residents who are on the frontlines. It's their lives being disrupted. That’s why they’re so freaked out and upset and texting you every other second, wondering when the plumber or the boiler guy’s going to show up. 

Question #2: Do you mind being persistent to the point of annoying?

Being a property manager often means being a bother to someone else. It means calling an unresponsive contractor or craftsperson over and over until they finally pick up the phone – or respond to an email – and schedule an appointment. 

Then, after you’ve managed to schedule the appointment, it means following up with your tenants to make sure they’ll be home when the locksmith’s supposed to show up to fix that faulty door-latch in the bathroom. 

It also means being tenacious and persistent when it comes to late rent and fees. If your tenant doesn’t pay you your rent, it’s your responsibility — and yours alone — to collect. And if worse comes to worse and you need to take legal action and start the process of evicting them, that’s on you, too. 

Last point here. You need to be persistent with managing your tax situation. So being your own property manager can mean reaching out to your accountant to see if they’re taking advantage of every benefit afforded you in the changing tax laws.

All this takes the ability to be thick-skinned. To call one more times than you’re comfortable with. To use a sterner tone of voice then you’re maybe used to using. In other words, to be an effective property manager, you have to be relentless.

Question #3: Are you prepared for the workload?

The number of things you need to keep track of when you’re managing your own property is just incredible. Not only all the paperwork, which is hard enough to deal with, but all the follow-up calls you have to make, and make again, to all the people on the other side of that paperwork. That’s why even the most organized person would find self-managing to be an incredibly difficult task. 

In short, don’t be misled by the phrase “passive income.” It is often bandied about in the property management industry. But as you can see from this blog post, if you do choose to take on the responsibility yourself, the income will be anything but passive. It requires tireless dedication and endless obligation, and a very specific kind of personality that can deal with it all.

Question #4: Can you turn on the charm at will?

Though toughness is obviously key, as the old cliche goes, you win more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. And in the world of self-management, there really are a ton of flies you have to deal with — a constant stream of seemingly minor obstacles and annoyances that need to be taken care of.

Lawyers. Accountants. Home inspectors. Carpenters. Plumbers. Electricians. Roofers.  Exterminators. The list goes on.

The thing is, the better these people are at their jobs, the more in demand they are. And the more in demand they are, the harder they are to get on the phone — and the less they need your business. So if you try to use some of that toughness we were talking about earlier, chances are they’ll just blow you off and deal with the hundreds of other clients they have. This is where you need to balance being stern and persistent, with knowing when to be kind and helpful so that others are more inclined to do you a favor. That’s why we say a little bit of charm goes a very long way in the self-management game.

If you've read questions 1-4 and think you've got what it takes, great! But if you're unsure about one or more and truly want your income to be passive consider Belong as an alternative to hiring a traditional property manager. Belong brings together the latest technology and high-touch concierge-level service to make property management as seamless and easy for everyone involved. Not only that, but they’ve built in protections for homeowners, like guaranteed rent, which takes the risk and anxiety out of the process altogether. 

So if you’re not the kind of person who checks boxes #1-4, make a conversation with Belong a #1 priority.

Why can't I just manage my own rental property? Take the quiz and find out if you're a cut out to be both a property manager and landlord for your rental home.

Self-managing a rental home is challenging. Discover 7 issues you're likely to face and how to overcome them when taking a DIY approach to property management.

Top Challenges of Self-Managing a Rental Home (and How to Overcome Them)

Self-managing a rental home is not an easy road to passive income or long-term wealth creation. Most first-time rental owners confess it quickly became the second job they never asked for. But there are plenty of reasons why homeowners decide to roll up their sleeves and take control of their own rental property management. From the budget-conscious to the experienced and savvy hobbyists, DIY property management can be profitable if done well. 

If you’ve ever asked yourself “do I really need a property manager?” or even “how hard could it be?”, this article will get into the nitty gritty of navigating self management as a rental homeowner.

While you can avoid property management fees, successful self management of a rental home means taking on a lot of responsibility, legal liability, and work.



Over 7.7million households in the US are behind on their rent payments, so safe and effective rent collection is a must 



Local cities and jurisdictions have their own ordinances above standard housing laws, so do your research for your local area before putting your home on the rental market. 



Understanding your strengths and weaknesses as a property manager will help you determine what to take on yourself and when to outsource to professionals. 

What’s involved in managing your own rental property?

First things first, what does successful self-management look like for rental homeowners? It’s not as easy as listing your home online and kicking back while the cash rolls in. When you take on the responsibility of managing your own rental home, think of it like starting a business that you are in charge of. You’ll need to run your home like a business and keep tax documentation in the same way. 

Here is an idea of the kind of tasks you’ll be responsible for on an ongoing basis when you self-manage your own rental property:

Setting up accounting and bookkeeping to manage your rental income and tax

Getting up to speed with local laws and regulations including fair housing laws, tenant rights, eviction processes in your area, and safety regulations

Preparing your house for the rental market, including cleaning and repairs

Securing appropriate insurance coverage for liability, property damage, and potential rental income loss

Photographing and taking video of the home for marketing purposes

Analyzing your local rental market to determine a monthly rental price

Creating an online listing and marketing the home on popular rental websites

Running background checks and calling references for potential residents

Preparing and signing a lease agreement that complies with local rules and regulations

Arranging a move-in date and conducting a pre-entry inspection, keeping a record of the home’s condition

Collecting rent and tracking regular payments

Managing an ongoing relationship with your residents, including being responsive to maintenance and repair requests

Maintaining the property or hiring professional contractors

Arranging regular home inspections to check in with residents and track wear and tear vs damage

Financial management and ongoing documentation of all income, expenses, and communication for tax and compliance purposes

Renew lease at the end of the rental period or manage the move-out process

Inspect the home for wear and tear vs damage to assess and document if there is a security deposit claim

Return any owed security deposit, minus the cost of repairs or extra cleaning 

How time-consuming and challenging these tasks are will depend on the age and scale of your rental home, how far away you live from the property, the residents you choose and whether or not they are compliant with the lease conditions. 

Next we’ll jump into some of the more common challenges of self-management for rental owners. This will be followed by tips for more effective management of your rental home. 

What are the common challenges of self-managing a rental? (and how to prepare for them)

Taking the DIY approach to managing your rental home will come with plenty of ups and downs. Here are seven challenges you should be aware of and how you can address them for more effective self-management of your rental home. 

1. Self-managing a rental home is a drain on your time and energy 

Money is often a driving force behind why people choose to manage their own rental home. It’s common to do a budget and look at what savings could be made by cutting out property management fees. What people forget to account for is how much of their time and energy to budget for. If you have a full time job, live a long distance from the rental home, or are generally time-poor, you could end up spending more than you bargained for trying to find and piece together help when you need it. 

After the financial budget, look at a budget for your time. This will help you determine if you really have capacity to take on the job of property manager. Include allowances for travel time to and from the home, marketing (photography, creating listings, responding to applicants), legal compliance and paperwork, managing repairs and contractors, ongoing communication and inspections, accounting and bookkeeping, and turnover in the home. 

2. You’ll need to chase rent if residents fall behind with their payments

US Census data reported that as between March - May 2023, more than 7.7 million renters were behind on their rental payments, or roughly 13% of rented households. That means there are millions of homeowners with a dent in their cash flow, scrambling to cover expenses while chasing rental income. When you are the property owner and manager, the onus is on you to chase rent every month, which is not a challenge everyone is up for. 

Going the extra mile to do your due diligence on finding the right residents for your home can go a long way in protecting your cash flow. But nothing is foolproof. Anyone can fall on hard times and get behind on rent. Keep your lines of communication open and try to find the payment schedule that best fits into their budget. Be careful with platforms that aren't designed to handle rent too, such as PayPal and Venmo. 

If you're not wedded to self-management, Belong PRO offers guaranteed rent so you never have to think about your cash flow or chasing residents again. We'll pay you every month regardless of when the rent is received. Learn more here. 

3. Finding and vetting the right residents can be complicated

DIY background checks are tricky. You’ll need to get familiar with the Fair Housing Act if you're taking on this job. Next, establish a clear process for selection criteria that applies equally to every applicant and doesn’t discriminate against anyone based on things like race, religion, or family size. 

There are lots of provisions in local laws that can catch you off guard too. For example, the City of Seattle has a ‘First-in-Time ordinance’ that requires homeowners to offer a rental agreement to the first qualified applicant who provides a complete application. You can’t reject that applicant in favor of another with a better credit rating or no criminal history. 

What to do to improve your applicant vetting:

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