Trouble with tenant or property manager?

[Timothy Allen]

I have a house in Norfolk that I am renting out using a property manager. It is my first rental property so I am new to learning the ropes, and also active duty Navy so I have spent more time away than around. I got home in October and went by the property where my tenant told me they wanted a storm door and railing for the back door/stairs and told me they contacted the property manager. I contacted the property manager as well and she told me she had submitted the request to the contractor and they would be contacting the tenants to fix the issues. About two weeks ago the work still had not been complete so I, attempted to, instal a railing because the tenants had reported falling down the stairs (there are only two stairs but still I understand the concern). I didn’t intent for this to be a permanent fix and let the property manager know I still need a contractor to get the issue resolved. I get back today and hear the work has still not been completed and the railing had broken. The tenants messages are not threatening but they do show subtle signs of disrespect, the tenant has also mentioned signing a 5 year lease and is landscaping around the house for free because that is their profession. My property manager tells me the contractor is trying to get in touch with the tenants to schedule the work, which I have relayed to the tenants even though I don’t feel like I need to be doing so. My question is, does the issue lie with the tenant, the property manager, or myself? 

[Bill Brandt]

It’s at least slightly the PM’s fault as this should have been in handled in 1-3 days. 

its partly your fault as your tenants shouldn’t know your name or phone number, that’s why you’re paying the PM. 

If the PM doesn’t think it can be fixed in the next few days you could certainly contact another contractor to get a bid. There should be no need to contact the tenant or schedule the work if it’s outdoor work. 

Ps. The storm door is you being a nice guy, they accepted the property as is. The railing may be a safety issue or a non-issue, depending on local code because it’s only 2 steps. 

[Roberto Sembiante]

Quote from @Bill Brandt:

It’s at least slightly the PM’s fault as this should have been in handled in 1-3 days. 

its partly your fault as your tenants shouldn’t know your name or phone number, that’s why you’re paying the PM. 

If the PM doesn’t think it can be fixed in the next few days you could certainly contact another contractor to get a bid. There should be no need to contact the tenant or schedule the work if it’s outdoor work. 

Ps. The storm door is you being a nice guy, they accepted the property as is. The railing may be a safety issue or a non-issue, depending on local code because it’s only 2 steps. 

Bill has a great point of never having tenants know who you are. 

A great way to resolve this is to interview multiple property managers and see if they are a right fit for you. I know you already have one in place, so communicate to them the service that you would like to provide for your tenants. It sounds like you want to go above and beyond for them. My mentor's goal is to "Be the Chick-Fil-A of apartments" by providing the same level of service they do. Find the management who has values that match yours.

I use PMI Virginia with Patti Robertson.

Hopefully this helps, good luck and make it happen!

[Bjorn Ahlblad]

@Timothy Allen  The issues you raise seem to be getting addresses by other posters. One thing that really jumped out at me was 'the 5 year lease'! Does it have annual rent raises built in? Who's idea was that?

[JD Martin]

Quote from @Bjorn Ahlblad:

@Timothy Allen  The issues you raise seem to be getting addresses by other posters. One thing that really jumped out at me was 'the 5 year lease'! Does it have annual rent raises built in? Who's idea was that?

That's what jumped out at me as well. And the tenants doing their own landscaping on the house, which I would never allow I don't care if they're Martha Stewart's nephews.

[Patti Robertson]

Norfolk landlord and PM here!  I agree with @Roberto Sembiante that you never want the tenants to have your contact info if you are using a PM.  No tenant, ever, will go to a PM when they have a direct line of communication with the owner.  Owners are almost always way softer than the PM.  With two steps you are not required to have a railing in Norfolk.  If you feel it is a fall hazard, you can certainly have one installed, but it would not be an emergency request.  Contractors, specifically handymen, are in short supply these days.  As long as you approved it, getting this done in a couple of weeks would be reasonable in my opinion.  

You didn't say to what extend the tenant's are landscaping, but as long as they weren't removing your trees and shrubs, I would be totally OK with them taking this on. Tenants in single family homes are responsible for lawncare in my leases.

Regarding the 5 year lease, as long as there are rent increases included, I see no issue with this as long as you approved the term.  In Norfolk, we can get non-compliant tenants out in 8 weeksish.  My goal is to have the longest run of uninterrupted rent payments possible, and a long lease term only supports this goal.

Regarding the storm door, in low income areas we generally leave them off, because they continually get broken.  If you are going to have one, make it a more expensive, very heavy door, which will minimize the potential for it getting caught by the wind if left unlatched and getting damaged.

[Erin Estes]

Being active with the USN makes it difficult to have any involvement with your tenants while you’re at sea (and later when you’re duty station changes and you move to another location), so I’d suggest finding a top notch PM who understands that you are relying on them 100%. The Hampton Roads area is FULL of rental properties due to the high turnover rate because of various bases and colleges/universities around the area. If you know any more seasoned local investors, ask them who they might recommend, check out reviews online, and ask for references when you’re interviewing PM companies. 

My husband served on the USS Carl Vinson and we lived in Newport News while it was being refueled! I attended CNU! Thank you for your service!! 🇺🇸 ⚓️

[Wesley W.]

Here's the thing that jumped out at me, all:

Why does the contractor need to coordinate with the tenant to do the work?

Step 1 - PM books contractor for date to have work done at job site

Step 2 - PM contacts tenant to NOTIFY them of when the work is scheduled to be performed

Step 3 - Contractor does work, PM handles the bookkeeping and bills back to owner

This "chokepoint" with the contractor and the tenant seems like a red herring.  This is even more perplexing because it sounds like the contractor does not have to even enter the unit to perform the job.

What am I missing?

[Melanie Thomas]

IMO I think the problem may be you. If you hired a PM company I would let them deal with the tenant. When owners get involved tenants play mommy/daddy and no one wins. Additionally putting up a temporary fix seems like a big liability. I would certainly get with your PM and discuss what the hold up is. Seems like a pretty quick job. If they can't provide sufficient answers, switch PM companies.