Property Managers
Manage the leasing of rental properties on behalf of owners.
A Friday with owners and tenants
You are a property manager at a real estate agency, looking after a portfolio of rental homes on behalf of their owners, on a very busy Friday. It is 9am. Applications are waiting on your desk for two houses, an owner has emailed with a long list of requests, and a tenant is already holding on line two.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
The hot water has stopped working in our house. We have two small children and it has been cold for two nights. I rang your office on Wednesday but nobody called me back. I want someone here today.
Apologise and tell him you will pass it on to the owner for approval on Monday
The family goes another weekend without hot water. An urgent repair like this does not have to wait for ordinary approval, and Mr Ahmadi's complaint goes to the agency's manager.
Apologise, book an emergency tradesperson now and tell the owner afterwards
A repairer arrives that afternoon. The owner is told straight away and agrees. Mr Ahmadi, who was ready to complain, thanks you.
Apologise, take his details and say you will find out what the next step should be and ring back
You do ring back, but another hour passes. For a family without hot water, an hour is a long time, and being decisive would have helped.
I have a tenant who has asked for a small dog. I do not want pets in my house. Please just say no for me. And by the way, find a reason that sounds official, so there is no argument.
Tell the tenant no, and make up a policy reason that sounds official and firm
The tenant checks the rules and finds the reason does not exist. The agency's reputation suffers and you have a dispute you did not need.
Explain to Ms Yamamoto what the tenant may ask, and how to decide it fairly
Ms Yamamoto understands there is a fair process. She makes her decision with real reasons, and the tenant gets an honest reply.
Pass the tenant's request to the owner and let her reply, without comment
The owner's reply is blunt and not well explained. The tenant is upset, and you missed the chance to guide both sides.
I lost shifts at work this month and I am behind on rent. I was too embarrassed to call. I will find the money soon, but I know I should have told you. What happens now?
Thank her for telling you, explain the process, and talk through a realistic plan
Brooke leaves less anxious and with a clear plan. You pass it to the owner as a proposal, and she can catch up within a few weeks.
Tell her the rules are the rules and send the formal notice immediately
Brooke feels attacked and stops answering your calls. A formal step may be needed later, but opening with it ended a conversation that was just starting.
Say it is fine and not to worry, without telling the owner
Brooke is relieved. But the owner has not been told, and when she checks the statement she wonders why she was not.
How it went
By Friday evening a family had hot water, an owner had heard the truth and a tenant had a plan. Property managers sit between people with different needs and have to stay fair to each. Does being the person in the middle sound like a challenge you would enjoy?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The inspection where nobody wanted to speak
A fictional case set in the property management team of a fictional real estate agency in a busy coastal town.
The situation
Fatima was a property manager who carried out routine inspections of the rental properties her agency looked after. At one house, the tenant, Mrs Delaney, seemed nervous and kept leading her away from the back bedroom. Fatima noticed a brown stain on the ceiling and a smell she recognised as damp. Mrs Delaney said it was nothing. Fatima could tell she was afraid that mentioning damage might lead to her being asked to leave.
What they did
Fatima asked to see the room, and then sat down with Mrs Delaney and explained that the inspection was about looking after the property, not about finding fault with the tenant. She photographed the damage and wrote it up that day. She called the owner, explained what she had found and asked that a roof repairer be approved. She kept Mrs Delaney informed at every step and noted the dates in the file.
How it turned out
The roof was repaired within two weeks. The owner was pleased the problem was found before the ceiling collapsed. Mrs Delaney renewed her lease and later told Fatima she had been afraid of speaking up. Fatima started telling tenants at every inspection that reporting a problem early was always the right thing to do.
What would you do?
- Why do you think Mrs Delaney was afraid to say anything?
- How would you speak to both an owner and a tenant fairly?
- What does this show about trust in rental properties?