These four tell-tale signs are all you need to know.

When is it Time to Divorce Your Property Manager?

When it is time to part ways your property manager? These four tell-tale signs are all you need to know.

We’re sure you’ve heard the story of the boiling frog, which has its own Wikipedia page. If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will immediately try to jump out. But if you put a frog in a pot of nice comfy warm water, and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will be slowly but inevitably cooked to death.

We’ll borrow that metaphor to describe what can happen with a property manager who – little by little – fails to deliver. You make excuses for each misstep, or you’re too busy to deal with finding a new provider, or some combination of both. You enter into a state of learned helplessness.

But that’s a condition you need to overcome. There’s no reason to be stuck in a bad relationship with a property manager. To help you know when it’s time to ask for a divorce – as opposed to when you’re just in a rough patch – here are four signals that can’t be ignored.

Responsiveness is a core attribute for property managers. It’s essential, obviously, for emergencies, but also must be ingrained as standard operating procedure. Communication is an essential part of their job. If it takes more than 24 hours for them to respond to a request, that’s a problem.  

Lateness can also become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you let it go unchecked the first time it happens, the next time it’ll be 48 hours; the time after that, it’ll be 72. So our advice is to let your property manager know what your expectations are; if you established a response window when they were hired, remind them of it in no uncertain terms. If you don't, it's never too late.

We also believe that responsiveness – or the lack of it – is an insight into the overall professionalism and standards of a property manager. If they disappoint you in the one area where you have complete visibility, imagine what things are like when the situation’s more opaque.

Property management is a business of details, and many of them are related to repairs – both expected and unexpected. Whether it’s a toilet that won’t stop running, or a furnace that barely runs, property managers are expected to arrange for maintenance, and make sure that the work is done promptly and at the highest level.

If your property manager takes a slipshod approach to that, and doesn’t follow up with your tenant – and you – to make sure that all the repairs were performed in a satisfactory way, that’s a bad sign. If it happens repeatedly – along with the other red flags identified herein – it could be grounds for divorce.

Sign #3: 'Nickel and Diming' You to Death

It could be that the agreement with your property manager entitles them to upcharge for items like first-class photography, video tours, and other necessary steps to find the right tenant.

But these charges add up fast – as do other hidden costs, like when your property manager charges you for rent when the home is vacant.

So take a good hard look at what is covered by your agreement and what isn’t. At the same time, we urge you to examine what’s involved in canceling the contract before the stated expiration date. If there are penalties for ending your relationship, that tells you a lot about the property management company’s confidence in their ability to keep landlords satisfied, without the threat of penalties.

We all know how our lives have been transformed by the move to digitization. The list of things we can now do from our phones has gone from unimaginable to expected. But what about your relationship with your property manager? Can you talk to a concierge online, 24/7? Are all your records – rent collections, repairs, the works – available electronically? 

If that’s not the case – if your property manager is still operating in a paper-and-pencil, index-card world – it’s probably time to start considering a new relationship. The amount of your valuable time that it takes to deal with the deluges of paperwork involved in owning rental property is more than you might realize; accepting an analog relationship makes you the frog in the pot!

Property management is broken. Belong instead. 

If you're experiencing these problems, you don't need a property manager. You need Belong. Why?

It doesn't need to be an emergency to get in touch with us after hours. We have a 24/7 concierge service to respond to both you and your residents. Because every enquiry is important to us and life doesn't always happen in the 9-5. 



The team at Belong pays rigorous attention to every detail. When it comes to repairs and maintenance, Belong doesn't outsource work to third-party contractors, with talented, quality-vetted Belong Pros who work to the highest standards, and document everything. 



The costs are transparent, with no charges for setup, lease renewal, video marketing, repairs. The list goes on. 



Belong is tech-forward, always. We offer dedicated apps for homeowners and residents that are part of our residential network. 

With all that – and more – as part of Belong’s offering, a break up with your current property manager may occur sooner than you realized. If you want to learn more,  the glorious details of why so many homeowners are finding Belong to be the property manager that lifts – and exceeds – their expectations, look no further than here.

When it is time to part ways with your property manager? These four tell-tale signs are all you need to know.

When is it Time to Break Up With Your Property Manager?

Tips for homeowners looking to take advantage of this monumental and forever shift toward flexibility and working from home

How Work From Home Is Changing Property Management Forever

Tips for homeowners looking to take advantage of this monumental and forever shift toward flexibility and working from home.

Working from home is here to stay. The drumbeat of statistics is deafening, no matter how you look at them. 

70% of companies are planning to adopt a hybrid model

58% of people want to work entirely at home, even post-pandemic

97% of people desire some form of remote work

The implications for anyone who has a home to rent are obvious. A WFH world creates novel priorities when it comes to finding a place to rent; people are looking at floorplans in a new way, trying to reconfigure old layouts to accommodate new ways of living and working.  

Working from home is shaping up to be a full-time reality for many people — and at least a part-time situation for others. Using a small portable table in the corner of your bedroom as a desk and the top of your dresser as a filing space is not a long-term solution. Neither is turning your couch into your office and the coffee table into your main Zoom station.

So how should homeowners set up their rental properties for success in this world? Have no fear, your trusty friends at Belong are here to help.

Assess strengths and weaknesses of the space

This is an essential and realistic place to start. You’re probably not prepared to add a greenhouse office to your property, but it’s critical to take a hard look at your property, while keeping in mind the art of the possible.

Remember that a WFH space needs a measure of quiet and privacy.  Meaning part of a kitchen or family room is not an ideal place to convert into a home office. In fact, you probably don’t want your home office to even be adjacent to such noisy spaces.  

If you have a small house, though, you might not have a huge amount of flexibility; you can’t turn a bedroom into a home office if you only have one bedroom. In that case, we have some suggestions:

Stage your kitchen so that visually it feels like it could be used as a home office. 

If the kitchen table is going to serve as a desk, set it up with a laptop and the proper work essentials, including a desk lamp. This subliminally sends the right signals to potential tenants.

Also we recommend clearing the table of kitchen paraphernalia; it shouldn’t look like the family is about the sit down to dinner. 

You can turn an unfinished attic into a charming office. Take a look at these cozy and comforting attic offices for inspiration. We are particularly drawn to the way that so many of these use the angled roofline as an architectural feature. 

If you are going to transform your attic space, we suggest that you make sure it is well-lit – many attics suffer from an absence of light – and that you liberally populate the office with plants.  When someone walks up the steps and is surrounded by green energy, they can feel it right away.

For more tips on staging your home, check out this post

Next up: Forget curb appeal, how about subterranean appeal? There are innumerable ways to reinvent your basement as a home office. These examples should get your wheels turning. Basements can be quiet hideaways that can add immediate value to your rental. 

If you want to explore options beyond the kitchen, attic, and basement, may we introduce you to…

Since we’re all working from home now, we don’t need to dress for work the same way we once did. We need fewer clothes, and therefore less space to store them.  So how about taking advantage of wardrobe shrinkage and transforming your closet into … well, a cloffice.

It may not be the most graceful coinage we’ve ever heard – sounds a bit like a Congressional procedure – but in fact, these examples from our friends at Food52 are elegant enough to distract us from the clumsiness of this particular neologism.

We’ve heard that many people are spending gloriously productive working hours outdoors, on patios and terraces, in gazebos, and under pergolas.

So when you are showing and staging your rental home, don’t forget the opportunity to demonstrate the irresistible appeal of a bucolic backyard office setting. 

Thinking about upgrading your backyard? Learn how to do it well for less money

And if you want to go the ultimate step and build a backyard office to blow the socks off any prospective tenant, remember that ADUs – or Accessory Dwelling Units – are becoming easier and easier to build in California and elsewhere. 

Which means you can not only take advantage of this legislation to build a “granny flat” or a rentable unit, but to build home offices as well. Here’s a link to a contractor who builds ADUs in San Francisco; here’s another to a marketplace of ADU builders in LA.

Now, if these improvements all sound great, but the idea of finding a contractor to execute on the plans is far less attractive, may we direct your attention to Belong.  We are a new – in fact a totally new – kind of property manager.  We take care of homeowners end-to-end, including any repairs or renovations required. Which means our teams of contractors and craftsmen (Belong Pros) can handle converting your attic, basement, or closet into an office space.

If you’re interested in learning more about a property manager like no other – for a time like no other – we’d be interested in learning about you.

Science is discovering the many benefits of plants.  Read about how they can change the way we feel – and make rental properties more appealing at the same time.

Heard of Biophilia? It Can Make Your Home More Rentable

Science is discovering the many benefits of plants. Read about how they can change the way we feel – and make rental properties more appealing at the same time.

If you are a homeowner who rents out their place, you want whoever lives there to be as happy and healthy as possible. After all, happy residents stay longer, and that means fewer vacancies to deal with.

Increasingly, research is showing the design of our homes – including the use of houseplants – has an actual impact on the way we feel. A lot of these insights are summed up in the word “biophilia” which is a fancy term that goes back to the ancient Greeks.  The underlying idea is based on the fact that when we are connected with nature – our well-being and quality of life are elevated.  They actually make us feel better and more connected to the world.

Here’s a useful article that explains the power of biophilia – and why being surrounded by plants and nature is so transformative.

We’ve all experienced the restorative power of nature; it exerts such an influence over our moods, and even our biology, that hospitals around the world are cultivating healing gardens.

The Scientific American writes that “hospital gardens help patients heal.”

There’s no shortage of ways that you can use plants to transform a home and make it not just more rentable, but more inspiring to live in. This article from one of our favorite magazines – it’s called Dwell  – has some amazing examples of green transformations. 

The good thing is that compared to expensive and time-consuming renovations, spending a small amount on plants like the popular fiddle leaf fern – which you’ve no doubt seen all over Instagram and on the cover of design magazines – makes a huge visual difference. The ever-trendy Monstera is also a plant that will elevate the experience in any home.

What’s more, your likely renters – Millennials – are deep into biophilia. Money Magazine declares “Millennials Aren’t Buying Homes, but They Are Spending Thousands on Houseplants.” Which means that by strategically placing a few houseplants around your home, you will connect with them emotionally – and encourage them to buy more plants, maintain your home beautifully, and become long-term residents.

In short, plants create a home that is easy to grow into.

Science is discovering the many benefits of plants. Read about how they can change the way we feel – and make rental properties more appealing at the same time.

SB-9 and ADUs will change the Californian landscape (and that's ok!)

The Benefits of California's Accessory Dwelling Unit Laws

When California introduced SB-9 to encourage more residents to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), some people expressed concern about the effect it will have on the character of neighborhoods in the state. Here's why we think it's an opportunity to better express the diversity that makes California so special. 

California. The name evokes images of Hollywood, gold rushes and Golden Gates, bright lights and Chinese Grumman’s theaters, vineyards, and orange groves. The land of milk and honey overflowing with opportunity. It’s long been romanticized in the collective conscious and remains, in our minds, a symbol of growth without limits. 

The truth is that, though California remains ripe with potential, it’s getting more and more crowded every day. Once the land of seemingly limitless expanses, Californians are now coming face to face with limits on expansion, on growth, and, of course, on the availability of housing. As of 2018, the state ranked 49th in terms of housing units per resident, which adds up to a shortfall of 3 to 4 million homes.   

With supply relatively stable and demand skyrocketing, simple economics dictate that prices should rise. To protect Californian residents, and in an effort to keep housing affordable, the state is loosening zoning restrictions and encouraging the development of ADUs, as a way to make up for the housing shortfall. 

The bill changing zoning restrictions as of 2020 is known as 'SB-9' and gives homeowners the ability to subdivide lots zoned for single-family houses. Many Californian homeowners are now eligible to build additional duplexes on their property, and ADUs are smaller structures (think cottages and discreet extensions to pre-existing houses) that homeowners can convert into rentable spaces.

Some in the community are concerned about the effects these laws might have on the classic Californian landscape. But look at photos of places like Brentwood in the early 1900s; the neighborhoods are unrecognizable. Change is inevitable.

In fact, part of what’s made California so special for so many years is the diversity of its landscape — from the fertile forests of the north to the arid deserts of the south — and, maybe even more essentially, the diversity of its population. Long the destination of immigrant populations from South America and Asia, the state also welcomes dreamers of all kinds from across the continent. To quote the great American author Cormac McCarthy, “The best way to live in California is to be from somewhere else.”

That’s the thing about California — it has an inexhaustible ability to reinvent itself, to contain such multitudes. Which is why we think the recent changes to the housing laws will ultimately prove beneficial to the character of the state. Unless we address the escalation in housing prices, we will see an exodus of young people – our future!  Surveys show that more than half of the population wants to leave the state.

So while we completely understand the objections to recent zoning shifts, on balance we think this kind of change — and this kind of expansively diverse uniqueness is helpful. After all, what would San Francisco be without its Chinatown? Or Los Angeles, without its Korean population? What would the state be like if it didn’t embrace the influx of Latinx cultures in the early part of the twentieth century? The more change the state welcomes, the more Californian it will ultimately be. 

Should you add an ADU to your Californian Home?

There's no straightforward right-or-wrong answer to this question, but if you can obtain the permits to add an ADU, there are plenty of incentives. In California, you may even be eligible for a grant to contribute to the cost of creating a new dwelling on your main residence. There's also the financial benefit of becoming a landlord and generating passive income from your main property. Of course, with tenants in such close proximity to your home, you don't want to leave finding the right people to chance. Find out more about to find long-term, trustworthy tenants and if your ADU would be eligible for Belong here. 

With SB-9, California's zoning laws are changing to accommodate more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to usher in more supply and affordable rental options

How do you collect back rent from a tenant who has stopped paying? You have three options: lawyers, a property manager, or Belong (where you never need to ask)

Collecting Rent From Tenants Who Don't Pay

Sometimes tenants fall behind on rent. Even if you've done everything right and have responsible tenants, it can happen in a volatile economic situation. So what do you do when you need to collect back rent from a tenant? 

If you are self-managing a rental property, things are bound to get awkward when a tenant falls behind on rent. Awkward isn't the worst thing though, if the situation drags on, it could quickly turn hostile. Next thing you know you’re hiring collection agencies, researching lawyers, trying to find the best way out of a bad situation. 

There’s a reason why the stress of collecting rent — and the idea of chasing down back rent — is the big hold-up when it comes to new and inexperienced landlords entering the market. 

There are three solutions to this problem:

Call in the lawyers and collection agencies to apply pressure

Partner with Belong (so you never need to ask)

Hiring a property manager to collect rent from tenants


A common solution to avoiding having to play bad cop with your tenants is to hire a property manager. If you're contemplating hiring a property management company to collect on your behalf, make sure you ask exactly how they handle this kind of situation — and who’s on the hook for potential legal fees. 

If you partner with Belong, your rent is guaranteed 

The other (we would say better!) solution is to partner with Belong, so you never have to ask about rent again. Belong offers Guaranteed Rent, allowing homeowners to choose whether they receive rent on the first of every month, or even the entire year upfront. Regardless of when tenants pay, your cash flow is never disrupted from what you signed up for. 

To do some back-of-the-napkin math on how much you could earn with Belong, use the calculator below or learn more here. 

Learn how to show prospective renters through your property with a virtual open home or video walkthrough, increasing your reach to potential new tenants.

Virtual Open Homes: 5 Tips For Offering Video Inspections For Rentals

The virtual open home is here, with many prospective renters now opting for a video walkthrough over in-person inspections. How can landlords who are self-managing their rental properties adjust to this new reality and offer a professional-level digital experience to attract new tenants? 

Among the many challenges involved with self-managing your own home is presenting the property in an elegant and professional manner when listing it online. Today's smartphone cameras have made taking high-quality photographs easier than ever, but these days potential residents are looking for more than simple pictures: they want video tours and 3D walkthroughs, which provide a far more immersive experience. 

It's much more challenging – and more expensive – to take a good video than it is a good picture. Or so it would seem. The truth is though that you don’t need to invest thousands of dollars in a DSLR camera. With a smartphone and a few inexpensive attachments, you can create a high-quality virtual open home without breaking the bank.

Follow these five tips to creating a professional virtual tour to rent your home:

Virtual Open House Tip #1: Invest in the right equipment

The right tools are essential, of course, but you don’t need to go overboard when preparing for virtual walkthroughs. In fact, you probably have the necessary equipment in your back pocket. The three most recently released iPhones come with suitable wide-angle lenses, as do many Android devices. And if you have a more recent model, a clip-on lens can work wonders. Not only will wide-angle shots make a room look extra spacious, they better replicate the experience of actually seeing the space. 

Newer smartphone cameras also take great close-ups, thanks to portrait mode. Use this feature to highlight the details that make your property special – like elegant trim and granite countertops. 

To give your virtual home tour an extra layer of professionalism, consider a video stabilizer. They’re both cheaper and easier to transport than traditional tripods, and they give the video a smooth and polished quality. Additionally, a lapel microphone allows for crisp narration, which will add a personal element.

Virtual Open House Tip #2: Prepare the space

The better the video, the more important it is to pay attention to the small details. Dirt and grime that might not show on a low-resolution video can be quite apparent in HD, so be as fastidious about cleanliness as you would be for an in-person tour. 

It’s also worth staging the home as you would for an open house, showcasing your home's unique details. If the living room has a beautiful parquet floor, make sure to show it off; if you recently installed a beautiful farmhouse sink in the master bathroom, let the camera linger on it for a few extra seconds. Future residents want to see a comfortable home, but one they can still make their own; touches like these help strike the right balance, letting the home feel lived-in, but not so filled that there’s no room for their unique personalities.  

Finally, it’s critical to highlight outdoor spaces (if your home has them). This is, after all, where most of us do our entertaining these days!

Virtual Open House Tip #3: Time your shoot with the best light

Everything from the time of day to the time of year can affect the mood of your walkthrough. A slightly overcast day with lots of indirect sunlight will highlight your space best. As for timing, late morning is ideal – this ensures you don’t run out of daylight. The key is practicing in the days leading up to your final shoot.

If needed, a clip-on ring light will help counter bad weather. Avoid the yellow settings, though, which may give the space a dated look.

After you’ve cleaned and staged the home, make a list of the shots you need to show the place in the best light. It helps to sketch a floor plan, and then imagine which rooms you would show first during an in-person tour. 

It’s wise to take a practice video, to help figure out the best way to transition between wide-angle establishing shots that show each room in its full glory, and close-ups that capture the unique details. Don’t worry about it being perfect, though – you can clean up transitions at the editing stage. 

Virtual Open House Tip #5: Edit, edit, edit

There is a plethora of editing software available for reasonable rates. To amp up your iPhone’s powerful camera, use FiLMiC Pro – priced at just $15 a month. 

There are lots of editing tips out there, but the best way to keep your video professional is to use smooth transitions when putting together raw footage. Make sure the shots before and after transitions are a mix of wide shots and close-ups to keep the video eye-catching. Don’t use splashy effects, which can detract from the home itself. Instead, opt for sleek and seamless. Remember that potential residents will want to see your rental as you see it: a place to call home.

Get videos and a 3D virtual tour at no extra cost with Belong

When working with Belong, you'll get professional-level pictures, videos, and even a 3D virtual tour of your property – without an upcharge for the service. Plus, Belong takes care of listing the home, conducting in-person tours, and running background checks for each and every potential tenant, to ensure you find a resident who loves your home as much as you do. Without the stress of doing it all yourself. Learn more about Belong and find out if your property is eligible here.

Successful property management is as much about attitude as it is about knowledge. Here are 4 mindset hacks for landlords self-managing a rental home.

These 4 Mindset Hacks Will Make You a Better Property Manager

Successful property management is as much about attitude as it is about knowledge.

We’ve written a great deal about the technical and functional aspects of being a property manager. But knowing how to approach solving a problem is just as important as the solution itself. We know from lots of areas in life – diet and nutrition, money management – that how we approach a project has an enormous impact on how effectively it gets done.

It’s the difference between knowing the solution to a mathematical equation and the theory that helps you arrive at the solution: the theory you could argue is even more important, because it’s more broadly applicable. And as anyone who’s ever managed a property can tell you, there’s no predicting what kinds of problems will crop up over time.   

To put it another way: You need to be in the right frame of mind throughout the entirety of the task in order to be a successful property manager.  To help you get there, we’ve put together these helpful hints to “train your brain” to deal with the expected and impossible-to-avoid challenges of managing your own property. Not only will they improve your skills as a  property manager, but they’ll help reduce stress and give you time back for the other things in life that matter to you.

Stress is an endemic reality with property management. It can come from anywhere – from dealing with maintenance issues, or because of personality issues with your tenant.   

Add to the stress of being a property manager the exacerbating effects of Covid. It’s making our tempers flare, as we go from 0 to 60 on the anger meter in a heartbeat. And that’s for people who don’t even have to deal with the pressures that come with self-managing a property. Even in the best of times, there is no shortage of reasons why a property manager might fly off the handle. 

If you’re going to self-manage you need to get ahead of the stress by slowing your brain’s response patterns down. Which gives you time to recognize what’s happening, so you can do something about it before it’s too late and the anger genie is out of the bottle.

Here are some great “temper-taming tips” from the Mayo Clinic.

2. Learn to expect and accept disappointment

Property management involves managing plumbing and electricity, of course, but it also always involves a level of managing disappointment. The rent doesn't arrive on time. The sink that the plumber supposedly fixed starts leaking again. The three contractors who promised you a bid last week have fallen off the face of the earth.

No one likes to feel out of control, which is what happens when your well laid plans go awry, and frustrations pile up. The best way to deal with disappointment is to take control of the negative thoughts, instead of letting them dominate you. Learn to accept, develop back-up plans, and maintain the practice of positive thinking. These tips from Healthline will set you on the right path. Managing your negative thoughts will work wonders in helping you manage your property.

If you’re not someone who feels an urge to get things done perfectly, then you can skip this section. But if you are plagued by fears of the asymmetrical and less-than-ideal, and are you unhappy when you feel your personal standards aren’t met, by you or by others, then read on.

Perfectionism can be a recipe for stress and unhappiness, or even worse, depression, as this valuable article from Psychology Today reminds us. If you’re managing property, there will always – repeat always – be things that can be done better, or in a more timely fashion, or for less money. Obsessing over them will wear you down in a toxic way. Here’s a great blog we found on how to overcome the daily emotional wear-and-tear of perfectionism.

You have a home you are invested in, either financial, emotionally - or both. It's understandable to think you need to take all the responsibility yourself, maybe even save yourself some money. But the realities of self-managing a property can be intense, so if you feel burnout coming on, the best thing to do would be to let go of the day-to-day. Let Belong take it all off your hands so you can focus on what you do best, instead of figuring out how to do it all. With guaranteed rent and a concierge available 24/7 to both you and your tenants, disappointment will be a thing of the past. Learn more at belonghome.com/homeowners

How do you choose a property manager that will make your life easier, without nickel and diming you for every service? Here are 3 research steps when hiring.

How To Choose a Property Manager: 3 Research Steps

Between open homes and tenant background checks to handling maintenance and last-minute emergencies, you've realised that making 'passive income' from managing a rental property isn't very passive without some outsourcing. The next question is  how to choose a property manager that will work to achieve the best possible outcomes for you financially, as well as making life easier. 

If it's passive income you're after, choosing the right property manager will pay off enormously in terms of how much time and effort is required. But how do you choose a property manager when there's so many options and even new-wave alternatives on the market? It all starts with research. Here are three ways to research property management companies effectively to find the right one for your home. 

Choosing a property manager step #1: Look past page 1 of Google

Like anything these days, most searches start online. Although it's important to note, the names that pop up first aren't always the best. Generally these companies will be the ones who invest the most in marketing and therefore are easier to find. So it's important to dig deeper with questions such as:

Are customers raving about them on Google, Yelp and Zillow? Are they rated 4.5 stars or above? How many reviews do they have? Over 100 positive reviews is going to say more than a company who has 20 reviews in total. Do the negative comments seem like personal gripes or serious complaints? When you're compiling a short list, take a moment to scan through some of the reviews to look for consistent themes around helpfulness and potential deal-breakers. 

Do they have a good reputation in the industry?

Every state has its own laws regarding the certification of property managers: for more information on the requirements specific to your state check the links collated here. There is a handful of national trade associations that you should consult with, too. The most prominent association by far is the National Association of Residential Property Managers. 

You don’t have to be a member of these groups to do business as a property manager, so it shouldn’t necessarily disqualify a candidate if they aren’t. But that being said, if they are completely unaffiliated, it’s something of a red flag.

There are also databases online that you can check to see how a company stands within the industry, such as the Better Business Bureau.

Take a look at the company's website and find out what they're about. What do they believe in, what is their company culture, history or presence like in your neighborhood? Is it easy to find the information you need? There are occasionally some excellent old-school property management companies who don’t have the strongest online presence, but a nicely designed site that is user-friendly is never a bad sign that they're considering the experience of their customers.

Finally, do you believe in their mission and trust the people working for them? Are they growing, with a happy customer base? For instance, Belong's mission is to connect people who own and love a house, to people who want a place they can live in and love. This ethos is why we're growing so fast and making people happy in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Orange County, and Miami - with many more to come. You can even take a look at the careers section of our website to give you the confidence that anyone who is involved with your home is someone that approached their job with passion and respect. 

Choosing a property manager step #2: Ask around

Do you know any other landlords in the local area? Or renters, for that matter. Both will have a great perspective on the quality of service provided by the company that manages the building or home they live in. They can give you some lived experience on what to be wary of too, or what makes a positive/negative experience. With a few good recommendations in your pocket, you can add these to your online research list to start vetting. 

Choosing a property manager step #3: Prepare some questions

It's all well and good to get the warm-fuzzies from a mission statement or flashy website, but how does your chosen property manager perform? Here are some questions to consider for research or to ask any property manager you decide to interview:

How many properties does the average manager have assigned to them?

What are the property managers average vacancy periods?

What is the average lease term? Do many tenants stay on long-term?

What is the fee structure? What services are included?

How does the property manager screen for applicants?

How does the property manager handle evictions if things don't work out? 

How does the company manage and charge for maintenance requests? i.e what kind of contractor network do they have and do they mark up those services?

The fees and charges is a big one. The average rate is between 6 and 10 percent, but some property managers will charge extra for a whole range of services from marketing and staging to generating leases and evicting tenants. 

Researching Belong as a property management alternative

While researching how to choose a property manager, consider an alternative to the traditional agencies: Belong. Belong manages everything about rental homes, so you won't have to lift a finger. 

And to answer some of the research questions upfront, Belong homes are leased in 19 days on average, has 66% less vacancy and 71% of Belong residents renew their 1-year lease. Oh and we never upcharge for marketing and advertising (including photos and virtual tours!), call outs, moving in/out, lease renewal, evictions, or market price analysis. It's all covered by the low management rate of 6%. Plus, all maintenance expenses, management and placement fees are tax deductible.

To learn more about why Belong isn't your garden-variety property manager, check out our dedicated homeowners page or use the calculator below to do some back-of-the-napkin math.  

The pandemic has made us all more appreciative of the pristine beauty of nature – the question is, how can you bring some of that beauty home?

Belong’s Guide to the Cost-Contained Backyard Beautiful

The pandemic made us fall in love with our backyards all over again. Trapped in our houses and plots of land, we dug, weeded, planted, communed – and of course – improved. We saw the phenomenon happen all across our Belong community.

“Backyard improvements make staycations more attractive” declared USA Today. And a survey done by OnePoll found that seven of our 10 people said that “adding to their home exterior spaces has become a new hobby.”

The same poll further bears out what we know intuitively – and likely experienced ourselves. It found we are spending 14 hours a week outside – three hours more than before the pandemic. What’s more, early three-quarters of respondents shared that their outside time was important to their mental well-being. 

At Belong, where we connect homeowners who have places that are ready to be loved – with people ready to love them – this powerful lure of our front and back yards could not be more welcome. After all, an aesthetically elevated outdoor setting makes a home even more ready to be embraced. 

We often think about memories made inside the home – and they indisputably are – but just as powerful and important are those made outside. Playing catch with the kids as the sun falls into the sky; entertaining friends and family on a perfect summer night; setting up the house for Halloween – these are irreplaceable. And of course, Instagrammable. 

We’re realistic and know that our residents aren’t like to be making expensive improvements in their outdoor space. But you don’t have to add a deck to add to your everyday enjoyment. There are wonderful things you can buy that aren’t that expensive that can add hours of simple joy to your experience - and that you can take with you, should you move.

Without going all the way to a fancy installed grass grill, there is no shortage of options to meet whatever level of grilling obsessive you might be. If you’re looking for some smart advice, head over to the BBQ Guys website. You can’t get better tips, and we love the way they break it down into smokers, Kamado grills, pellet grills, even electric grills. The expert reviews are truly “expert” – you can tell they were written by folks who have astronomic BBQ IQs.

Still staying with the joys of heat, you can quickly transform the look and feel of your backyard with a firepit. They don’t throw off much heat, but there’s nothing more romantic or relaxing than sitting outside, sipping some wine, and watching the light from the fire bounce off your glass.

Here’s a link to some of the best outdoor firepits – including fire bowls that sit on tables – at some surprisingly affordable prices.  We were particularly drawn to the JHY Design clean-burning portable unit – smokeless, odorless, and clean-burning. At just $29.99, it won’t burn a hole in your budget.

When it comes to your lawn and garden, we have some tips for every Belong resident, as well as our Belong homeowners who cover the maintenance. Instead is a new, lawn fertilizer made with natural ingredients like wheat flour meal and molasses, that is delivered at exactly the right seasonal moment. 

As for planting on a budget, there’s a lot of “green for the buck” that is achievable; a good place to start is here, and here, and here.  And these upcycled DIY planter ideas will inspire you to think differently – and creatively – about items you might otherwise just toss.

Lawn games are a wonderful diversion, and they have been experiencing a boom that has continued even as we are getting vaccinated. You certainly don’t need to spend nearly a grand on a Jaques croquet set, even though a company founded in 1795, and the oldest sports and games manufacturer in the world, deserves some attention. Here’s a link to some more affordable options, including a set that is handcrafted by the Amish, who are known to enjoy a game of croquet after they do their chores.

There’s lots more to occupy you on your lawn; The New York Times published a story back in May that covered everything from badminton to bocce, pétanque, and lawn bowling. They have their own histories, but as Brooks Butler Hays, author of “Balls on the Lawn – Games to Live By” charmingly puts it:

“Lawn games do have rules, but not too many, and they don’t demand a great amount of skill. “They aren’t athletic endeavors …  the stakes are low enough that even if people aren’t into the competition, they can still have fun.”

There is no shortage of memorable moments to be created in the back and front yards of homes that are part of the Belong community.  And if you are feeling spiritual, why not plant a tree (with the approval of your homeowner, of course.) As Nelson Henderson said, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”

Created to connect homeowners who love their homes, with residents ready to move in and build their lives there, Belong is a tech-enabled platform that takes the bumps, frustrations, and uncertainties out of the experience –  to create delightful interactions from Day One to Day Forever.  Bringing the practices of leading hospitality companies to an industry that was marked by a lack of caring and manual processes – Belong reinvents every step of the journey, all the way through to Belong Pros who are talented, responsible, and prideful contractors.  Each component we touch is an opportunity to advanced our mission. No matter which side of the marketplace you are on, Belong honors your role and the communities we serve.

How do I rent out a property as a landlord, but live far away? Do I need a property manager or can I manage myself? We answer FAQs on owning interstate rentals

Long-Distance Landlord: How To Manage a Rental Home From Afar

Whether you had to move for work or picked up a steal of a property in another city, it’s not uncommon to live far away from a home you rent out. Even more so in 2024. With many homeowners holding onto interest rates too good to give up, renting out a home is often a better option when opportunity knocks in another city. 

This is why we get asked so often, “How do I rent out a property when I live far away?” 

Particularly if you’re considering the DIY self-management route, there’s a lot to consider before taking on the challenge from another state. It’s not impossible, but here are six questions to consider first. 

6 questions to consider before self-managing a rental home out-of-state

1. How often can I travel to my rental home? 


When preparing your home for the rental market, you will need to get it move-in ready. You’ll need to arrange a deep clean, attend to repairs and have professional photographs and video taken for your online listing. These are not remote tasks. Someone will need to be at the home to let in contractors, cleaners, and a real estate photographer.

If you travel to your rental home, be sure to keep accurate records of everything from your trip. You may be eligible to claim some costs such as airfares, hire car and petrol, even hotel accommodation as a tax expense for managing your rental home. 

If travel is too far or just not a viable option, is there someone you trust close by that you could enlist for help? This is where having a property manager or modern alternative like Belong can make the process much smoother, taking care of all preparations and listings on your behalf. If you do hire someone to manage the process, you can claim these fees at tax time too. 

Discover Belong: The best alternative to Property Management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, and many more cities across California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Washington State.     


When you live far away from your rental home, how you collect rent is another consideration. Checks and cash are out of the question! Thankfully, paying rent online is commonplace these days — not to mention safer. 

But before you choose an online platform, be aware that using popular peer-to-peer online payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App can leave you open to disputes and rent payment fraud. While simple and user-friendly, they are not designed for landlords or rent collection. 

There’s also the issue of late payments. Do you have the time and resources to follow up and stay on top of unpaid rent bills from out of state? Aside from the time, effort and stress, the reality is that mortgage and expenses don’t stop adding up when the rent goes unpaid.

This is why guaranteed rent is Belong’s most popular product. It’s proven and beloved by over 2,000 Belong homeowners, who receive their rental income like clockwork (no matter when the residents pay).

Read More: How Guaranteed Rent is Changing Property Management Forever

3. Who will manage home tours and inspections?

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