Back in May we posted a landlord interview with Mike and he mentioned that to help run his properties effectively he uses on-site managers. Having lived at several different apartment properties myself, it seems that this is a common go-to answer of property owners for problems that happen outside of office hours.
The main difference comes in how owners decide to utilize on-site managers. In college, the on-site managers at my complex worked in the office a couple of days a week along with being responsible for maintenance issues outside of office hours. One night during a rainstorm, a section of roofing tore away and water flooded into one of the apartments. The two managers were in there all night taking care of the mess because that was considered to be their job.
Where I currently live, there are two different types of on-site managers. One has the master key if we get locked out. That’s their only job. The other takes care of the outdoor maintenance, like taking out the recycling, shoveling and salting the snow, and the landscaping. All indoor maintenance requests we report directly to the owner. On another surprisingly rainy summer, two of the apartments flooded and it was the owner who got up at 2am to take care of it.
I’ve had friends who have been on-site managers as well. They’ve done jobs like paint vacant units, clean the office space, or, for places without offices, have been the first line of contact for any issues.
As Mike mentioned in his interview, there are some potential drawbacks to using on-site managers. “Managers have a false sense that you’re rich even though a lot of the money goes back into the apartments. Some feel entitled. I give mine discounts for helping with the apartments, but they always want more.” Certainly not every on-site manager, but that has been his experience with them.
Overall, it would seem by their popularity that the pros of having on-site managers outweighs the cons. I have unfortunately locked myself out of my apartment before and appreciated that there was someone on the property who could help me get back in. Mike even stated that he couldn’t do everything without his on-site managers.
Since landlords utilize on-site managers so differently - depending on preference, need, and ability - make sure to convey to residents who they can go to for different issues. If the sidewalk outside of my apartment needs shoveled, I know not to go to the person in charge of apartment lock-outs because I’ve been informed of who is responsible for different issues. This information is important to avoid confusion and frustration and to resolve problems as efficiently as possible.
Here’s a shout-out to all on-site managers. Do you job well and you’re doing great things! Residents like me really appreciate it.
