Hire a property manager while we're away?

[Nick Jensen]

Background:

We've been renting our main house and living in a separate in-law unit in the backyard for the past year. Everything has gone smoothly. The tenants have always had a month-to-month agreement. They pay rent via Chase QuickPay.

Plan:

We plan to be out of the country for six months this year. For piece of mind, we just asked them to sign a lease to cover the time period we're gone. We may also rent out the in-law unit to help cover travel expenses.

Question:

Should we hire a property management company to look after things while we're gone?