HELP!!! Need help Self-Managing my soon to be new property

Managing Your Property
6moFollow

HELP!!! Need help Self-Managing my soon to be new property

Bella Ajayi
Rental Property Investor · Maryland · Member since 2026 · 30 posts · 24 votes

I am closing on my first investment duplex property in two weeks in Ohio area, i live 3 states away. I have received about 15+ bad review from landlords about property manager in the area and how they do a terrible job and ghost their landlord, lose future tenants and just nightmare review so i am thinking about self-managing as an out of state investor to see if i can do it. Is it doable?  Am i in over my head. One unit is occupied with a year lease and the other unit tenant will be moving out in May.

What Property management software tools do you use that works best for you?? I was looking into RentRedi, Doorloop, Baselane, Landlordstudio and appfolio softwares. Also, I am looking into hiring a local boots on the ground person and a maintenance/handyman for maintenance needs.

I like baselane so far but i dont want their bank account, i like the credit union bank that i currently have and will like to keep it. but i heard to get the full experience with baselane, you may have to get a baselane affiliated bank with them...idk. I like Rentredi and doorloop too

Has anyone successfully self managed as a Out of state investor and what systems did you create that works best for you. Or should i just get a property manager for 10% and hope for the best. This will be my first property so i am trying to make the best decision for me in this journey.

6Reply
1,234 views

Most Popular Reply

Robin Blessett
Property Manager · Maryland & Washington DC · Member since 2026 · 22 posts · 14 votes
6mo

Im actually from Maryland and I agree, Innago is your best PMS option. Its free and a great starting point for Beginner Investors with small number of units. The software is very user friendly. If you have the time I would definitely make a trip to Maryland and even join a couple of small local REI groups (do your research) to meet fellow investors and get a couple of referrals in terms of vendors. Word of mouth is always best. Take a look a Apartments.com. I've had success with renting my units in the past with them. They have a lot of freebies as well! Hope this helps.

4Reply
See this reply in the discussion

51 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Brian AsaroPro Member
    San Diego, CA · Member since 2022 · 19 posts · 12 votes
    1mo

    We use RentRedi complemented by systems put in place after reading "Managing Rental Properties" by Brandon Turner and "The Self-Managing Landlord" by Amelia McGee & Grace Gudenkauf.  Both are great but the latter changed our lives.  No more late night texts or calls unless there's an emergency.  The features on RentRedi are great such as the chat feature, maintenance request, document storage, rent collection, asset performance, and more.  We are much happier after putting into practice what we learned from the books.

    0Reply
  • Victor Rono
    Real Estate Agent · Milwaukee · Member since 2026 · 4 posts · 1 vote
    1mo

    Self-managing an out-of-state duplex is doable, but the software is only one part of the system. The key is having reliable people locally before something goes wrong.

    I would have:

    • A primary handyman and at least one backup
    • Local plumbing, HVAC, and locksmith contacts
    • Someone who can handle showings and property inspections
    • A cleaner and turnover contractor
    • A clear process for emergencies and repair approvals
    • A local attorney or resource for Ohio-specific notices and landlord-tenant requirements

    For software, I’d prioritize online rent collection connected to the correct tenant and unit, tenant ledgers, maintenance requests with photos, document storage, communication records, expense tracking, and clean year-end reports. I would also confirm that the platform lets you keep your current bank—you shouldn’t have to completely restructure your banking just to manage a duplex.

    Before choosing, test the full workflow from both sides: submit a tenant payment, create a maintenance request, upload a lease, record an outside payment, and generate a property report. That will tell you more than the feature list.

    With one occupied unit and one upcoming vacancy, this is actually a good time to build the system before adding more properties.

    1Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free