Hello, my tenant is breaking his lease early and I need to find another tenant by December. Does anyone recommend any property managment companies in San Antonio? Zip code - 78220
Hi @Cynthia Arocha we are about to open San Antonio at Wellrun. Would be happy to talk with you. We only charge 4% for full-service property management, with no other fees, including no leasing fees. We are ex-management consultants, engineers, and founders trying to disrupt property management with a new business model built on incentive alignment. You can check out our website if you would like to know more: wellrunpm.com
I have been using PMI Birdy Properties for years (at least more than 5 years) and I am extremely happy with them. Their processes are really good. It's simply birdy.com. Mine is in Converse but they manage all over San Antonio.
Hi @Cynthia Arocha we are about to open San Antonio at Wellrun. Would be happy to talk with you. We only charge 4% for full-service property management, with no other fees, including no leasing fees. We are ex-management consultants, engineers, and founders trying to disrupt property management with a new business model built on incentive alignment. You can check out our website if you would like to know more: wellrunpm.com
Cynthia, with December as the deadline, I’d ask each company when they can actually walk the property and what their plan is between move-out and the next move-in. Who lines up repairs, who takes the photos, and when can showings start? That schedule would matter as much to me as the fee when comparing the referrals here.
Interview two or three companies and ask the same questions of each. What is the leasing fee, and is there a separate renewal fee? What is the monthly percentage? Who pays for maintenance markups? How do they screen, and how fast do they usually fill a vacancy? With a lease break and a December deadline, ask what they would do in the first two weeks. Also read their reviews from owners, not just tenants.
Cynthia, a few things to add to the interview list, since you're working against a December date. Ask to see a sample owner statement and a sample inspection report with photos, because the paperwork shows you how they really run. Ask who actually answers the phone at 10 PM when a tenant calls about a leak, and whether the company uses its own vendors or a call center. Ask how they handle security deposits and how fast they send owner payouts each month. Find out whether they have any tenant-in-place experience at your price point, and ask for two owner references you can call. Also settle the early lease termination terms with your current tenant before the new manager starts, so the handoff is clean and in writing. What you can collect from a tenant who breaks a lease is a legal question for a local attorney. Not legal advice. Happy to compare notes by message.
Since what you really need is a new tenant by December, ask a few of these companies whether they offer leasing-only or tenant placement, where they market, show and screen for a one-time fee and you keep managing it yourself. Get your tenant's move-out date in writing now and ask about showing access, so you can list before the unit is empty. Also, Texas Property Code 91.006 puts a duty on landlords to try to re-rent when a tenant leaves early, so keep a record of your listing dates, showings and price changes, which helps if you end up working out what he still owes.
I have too much going on to continue managing this myself but thank you! He has agreed to showing access while he is still there and it is in writing. :)
Sorry your tenant is leaving early, that timing right before the holidays is stressful. While you interview managers, I'd ask each one how they handle showings, what they charge to place a tenant, and whether you can still see the lease and move in photos yourself. A quick call with two or three beats trusting one name.
We’re a Property Management Company (PMC) in Metro Detroit ONLY, with 25+ years of experience, and we’ve seen owners make the same mistakes, over & over again when looking to hire a PMC – which drives us nuts!.
In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make is ASSUMING all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
So, owners mistakenly think price is the only differentiator – and look for a PMC like they’d shop for groceries☹
We encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others by reading posts here on BiggerPockets from owners that picked a PMC solely by price and regretted it.
We recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.
Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (), etc.
Even if someone gives you a referral, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that just because a PMC met their expectations, they’ll meet your expectations. We all have our own expectations and what works for someone else, may not work for you.
If you’re new to all of this, it's often a case of not doing enough research, as you don't know what you don't know!
So, ask more questions!
EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean? What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.? You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!
This also leads owners to ASSUME simpler is better when it comes to management contracts.
The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!
A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings. Why do you think purchase contracts are so long and have such small print?
We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.
EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!
P.S. If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general. Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊
Here’s some articles we’ve contributed to BiggerPockets about screening a PMC BETTER than you would a tenant!
Real Property Management Optimal 521 Reviews
Logical Property Management4.9462 Reviews