TOP 3 complaints or worries you see repeatedly with property management?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’d love your perspective from a US owner/investor angle: What are the TOP 3 complaints or worries you see repeatedly with property management? (I’m looking for patterns — not one-off edge cases.)

Context: I work with international tenants, so many “usual suspects” are familiar to me already (e.g., rent laws/increases, insurance timelines, availability of licensed contructors/handyman´s, inspection protocols, and utilities/services like landscaping or pool).

Because practices differ by country, I’m keen to understand the American owner/tenant perspective specifically — not from a place of not knowing, but to prepare well and align my processes with what US owners actually value.

If you’re in Central Texas, even better, but any US experience helps. What comes up most often, and what actually calms those worries?

Examples welcome (communication cadence, fee transparency, maintenance approvals, vacancy & turn times, monthly report content). Thank you!

Caleb Brown · Answer

3 complaints that are constant here on BP..

1) My PM is charging too much for repairs.

2) They billed me for a expensive repair without my approval.

3) My PM is not renting out my unit and they are not responsive.

These are all linked with communication. Certain PM companies are not good or slow and issues like this come up.

Blake Anthony Carter · Answer

1. Communication

2. Charges

3. Quality control on the property

Benjamin Louie · Answer

• Repairs & Fees – Owners get frustrated when PMs charge high repair costs or bill for work without approval. Showing invoices and having clear pre-approval thresholds really calms this worry.
• Vacancy & Leasing Delays – Slow leasing, lack of updates on showings, or unclear marketing plans make owners anxious. Weekly updates and prompt responses to inquiries make a huge difference.
• Hidden or Extra Fees – Surprise admin, tech, or contract fees are a constant headache. Owners want a simple, transparent fee structure with no hidden surprises.

Vacancy & Leasing Delays – Slow leasing, lack of updates on showings, or unclear marketing plans make owners anxious. Weekly updates and prompt responses to inquiries make a huge difference.

Hidden or Extra Fees – Surprise admin, tech, or contract fees are a constant headache. Owners want a simple, transparent fee structure with no hidden surprises.

Honestly, everything boils down to clear communication and trust. If a PM provides upfront agreements on approvals, transparent invoicing, and regular updates, most of these complaints disappear.

Colleen F. · Answer

@Christian Bensch tenant complaints about ability to reach the property manager.

Peter Mckernan · Answer

One more to add as a bonus for Caleb's response.

- people not reading or understanding the contract and asking the right questions where PM companies are charging a vacancy fee, breaking the contract fee, or some other random fee for really nothing but to line the pockets of the PM company.

Just the other day I took over a client that had hired a PM company before ours and I reviewed the contract and the PM company was charging the tenant a monthly fee on top of the monthly rent a total of $48.00 for a technology fee. These things happen all the time.

Andre Brock · Answer

The top 3 complaints about property management companies from rental property owners and tenants are usually:

• Poor Communication
• Not responding to calls, emails, or maintenance requests in a timely manner.
• Lack of transparency on financials, repair costs, or tenant updates.
• 
• Maintenance Issues
• Slow or inadequate handling of repairs.
• Hiring low-quality or overpriced contractors.
• 
• 
• Money Management Problems
• Hidden fees, unexpected charges, or lack of clarity on statements.
• Delays in sending rental income to owners.
• Mishandling security deposits.

• Not responding to calls, emails, or maintenance requests in a timely manner.
• Lack of transparency on financials, repair costs, or tenant updates.

• Slow or inadequate handling of repairs.
• Hiring low-quality or overpriced contractors.
•

• Hidden fees, unexpected charges, or lack of clarity on statements.
• Delays in sending rental income to owners.
• Mishandling security deposits.

Clare Pitcher · Answer

Similar to what has been listed, here are the top three pain points I hear when an owner is switching property management companies:

1- Lack of Communication - owner and tenants wait days or weeks to hear back from their PM

2- Maintenance - PM completes repairs without approval and has crazy markups

3- Hidden fees- certain fees are not disclosed up front such as renewal, move outs, etc.

Christian Bensch · Answer

@Peter Mckernan

Thank you for pointing out the fee issue—that's really helpful.

My opinion: Additional "technical/administrative fees" should not exist; core tasks (portal, communication, reporting) belong in the basic administrative fee. No surprises.

I understand vacancy costs if they are explicitly defined in advance—e.g., for properties that are difficult to rent or renovation work—with a clear scope, clear services, and an upper limit.

I appreciate this perspective. Transparency is paramount.

Christian Bensch · Answer

@Caleb Brown

Hi Caleb

thanks for sharing. Sorry you had to deal with that — frankly, that shouldn’t happen and it wouldn’t meet my standard.

Quick gut-check to learn from this:• Repair fees — what feels fair to you: a flat coordination fee ($25–$50) or a small % on the vendor invoice (5–10%) with the invoice shown?• Approvals — what should be auto-approved (emergencies aside): $250, $500, or other? And above what amount would you want a second quote?• Leasing updates — what cadence would give you confidence (e.g., <24h response + a weekly update with showings/inquiries and a clear adjust-or-hold call)?

Appreciate you weighing in — this helps a lot.

Christian Bensch · Answer

Again! Thank you all for the incredibly helpful input.

For my DE/EN property management business under an E-2 visa, and your feedback is exactly what I need to start on the right foot. Based on your points, I drafted the working plan below to avoid common pain points and build transparency from day one. I’d really appreciate your take on it.

Availability & SLAs

• Office 8 am–6 pm CT, later 24/7 for emergencies.

• Channels: Phone, Email, App/Portal.

• SLA: Acknowledgment 2–4 hrs, solution path ≤ 24 hrs (business days).

Options: Acknowledgment 1–2 / 2–4 / 8 hrs • Full response 24 / 8 / 48 hrs • Channels: Phone / Email / App / SMS

Maintenance & Approvals

• ≤ $250 without prior approval; then post details + receipts/photos. $251–$1,000 with owner OK. > $1,000 two quotes (time allowing). Emergencies immediately; report ≤ 24 hrs.

• No markups — pass-through invoices; clearly listed coordination flat fee.

Options: Threshold $100/$250/$500/$1,000 • 1 vs 2 quotes • Flat vs % (with cap)

Fees & Transparency

• Schedule A: all fees separate & clear (no fine print).

• No hidden fees.

• Possible: leasing, renewal, inspections, eviction coordination, after-hours emergency (only if used).

Options: flat vs % • your no-gos?

Reporting & Distributions

• Payout on the 15th.

• Portal: P&L, statement, open tickets, receipts, cash forecast.

• Optional: 15-min owner call/month.

Options: 10th/15th/20th • must-have reports • owner call yes/no

Agreement & Offboarding

• 12 months with 90-day trial, then 30-day termination with no penalty.

• Clean offboarding incl. data/docs.

Options: 30/60/90-day notice • M2M after 6 months?

Quality & Inspections

• Vendor standards: licensed/insured (if possible), W-9/COI, before/after photos.

• Routine 2×/year, drive-by quarterly.

Options: annual/semi-annual • drive-by quarterly/semi-annual

Onboarding & Reserve

• Full property onboarding.

• $400 maintenance reserve per unit (trust account; no monthly “emergency fee”).

Options: $300/$400/$500

I want no hidden fees and clear, regular updates. My goal is trust — reliable partners, clean documentation, and (yes, cliché) German precision & dependability.

If you’d like, I can review your docs (fee addendum/management agreement/reports) from Germany at no charge (non-brokerage review) and deliver a Schedule-A template, SLA matrix, maintenance flow. Just DM “REVIEW”.

Thanks again! Your guidance will directly shape my E-2 visa business and help me launch the right way

TOP 3 complaints or worries you see repeatedly with property management?

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