What Frustrations Do You Face as a Property Manager?

[Saular Raffi]

Hi everyone,

I’m a software engineer based in Michigan, currently working at a startup. Lately, I’ve become really interested in the world of property management — not just as a potential owner someday, but as someone who loves solving real-world problems through software.

I’ve been chatting with a few property managers already and here are some of the recurring frustrations I’ve heard so far:

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1. Maintenance & Repairs: Reactive maintenance, unreliable vendors, and rising repair costs disrupt operations and tenant satisfaction.

2. Tenant Turnover & Vacancy Rates: High turnover and long vacancies caused by rent hikes, weak retention strategies, or oversupplied markets.

3. Rent Collection & Delinquency: Late or missed rent payments strain cash flow and require constant follow-up.

4. Technology Challenges: Fragmented, outdated, or overly complex software systems that are hard to integrate or train staff on.

5. Regulatory Compliance: Staying on top of evolving laws, especially around rent control, evictions, and environmental regulations.

6. Staffing & Burnout: Hiring and retaining good staff is tough. Burnout from being overworked leads to performance issues.

7. Communication Issues: Breakdowns between managers, tenants, owners, and vendors create delays and dissatisfaction.

8. Package Management: A flood of deliveries overwhelms mailrooms, creating logistical headaches and security concerns.

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But I know that’s just scratching the surface.

If you manage properties (residential or commercial), I’d love to hear from you:

• What are the biggest pain points you deal with regularly?
• Are there any tools you wish existed but haven’t found?
• Where are the current tools lacking?
• What’s just unnecessarily time-consuming?

Feel free to drop a comment or DM me. I’m here to listen, learn, and hopefully build something useful!