3 Things You Might Not Know About Property Management Companies
Many homeowners today are turning to property management companies to handle the rental of their property for them. It saves them time, money and stress by letting someone with experience and training handle it for them. Unfortunately, many people often assume different things about these companies because of something they heard in the past. Check out these three things that you might not realize about one of these companies.
They have their own distinct application process.
A property management company will often have their own unique application process. While some might require to speak with your previous landlord, others might not. Almost all will require you to provide proof of your income showing that you have the ability to pay for the property. Some will even require a complete background check and credit check as part of the application process. Each company will often have some type of application for you to fill out for them to screen you and determine if you are eligible or not.
They cannot turn your utilities off.
Oftentimes, people assume that a property management company can determine when to shut your utilities off and when to leave them on. However, that is nowhere near the case. Only the provider can determine when to shut your service off. You need to make sure you are staying on top of your bills with each respective company or you could risk having your water, gas or electric shut off on you. The property management company cannot do anything to help in this regard. You would have to deal with the companies directly to restore disconnected service.
They are not responsible for grooming your yard.
Another thing many assume about a property management company is that they are going to take care of any yard maintenance. That isn't the case. It is up to you to take care of any lawn mowing, weeding, trimming and so on. There are some exceptions to this where the company will include lawn maintenance with your rent payment. However, this should all be outlined in your lease. If it isn't, you need to take care of all the yard maintenance on your own, either by hiring an outside company to do it or doing it yourself.
Now that you have a little better understanding about property management companies (like Shook & Tarlton Rentals), you will know what it is that you are dealing with and what to expect when renting one of their properties.
