It is tempting to feel as if the property manager with whom you interact with is making things unnecessarily difficult, however consider these aspects.
Property management in Charleston, SC be it James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley or other surrounding areas (Mount Pleasant and Downtown Charleston, etc) is about keeping two parties engaged and satisfied. However these two parties may have somewhat conflicting goals.
Understanding what managers contend with as far as the tenants’ needs AND the owners’ needs will help renters get the results they want
This is truly a staple of understanding how to get anything you want in life; to be aware of what others want who can be assistant in helping you. More simply put, if you can provide to the manager what makes their life easier, you stand a much better chance of getting the things you want such as property improvements, additional time on the occasional rent payment, a quick repair etc.
Property Managers want responsible tenants who pay rent on time. This keeps the owners happy.
When you conduct yourself responsibly, which means providing the rent payments in the preferred form on time, month after month, (ie. online payments, post dated checks, through a specific portal etc), you become a valuable asset in the whole equation. This makes property managers want to keep you as a tenant and therefore provide the things you request promptly.
Stacked from 5 images. Method=B (R=8,S=4)
It is helpful to also note that if you don’t renew at the end of your lease, the management company imposes a significant fee to find new tenants. So you can see it is tempting to think they want to sign you up for a year lease and then get you out so they can make more money.
Is this actually done? Probably. But there is another side to things.
Owners of rental property certainly don’t like a lot of turnover. Its expensive and its always a bit of an unknown as to how the new tenants will act. Owners like stability with little change. Property managers therefore are better off keeping good tenants. This means the better of a tenant you appear in the eyes of the managers, the more incentivized they are to keep you.
Property Managers who don’t understand that, not only do they have to keep the owners happy, they must also keep the tenants happy will struggle to keep their clients. Good property managers want minimal disruption. They should be inspecting the property regularly and encouraging tenants to report any issues immediately.
Developing a good communication style that is not emotional, not irritated sounding nor impatient but clear and confident makes it easy to please you. And if you follow the rules set out when signing the lease, and are reasonable, you will get a great result from the manager. Of course that assumes you’re dealing with a reasonable property manager as well. Let’s hope so!