All Forum Posts by: Michel Solowitz

I'm a Canadian buying two properties in the US for STR which I'll hire a PM to manage. What are some things I can do to make sure my PM is being honest and competent? It seems so easy to take advantage of an out-of-state landlord, e.g they could:
- make up maintenance charges ("guest broke a chair")
- lie about utilities
- lie about nightly rate and keep the difference
- pretend the place is vacant and do their own bookings

How can I protect myself as a landlord? Some ideas I had:
- Ask for invoices/receipts for all services and purchases so I can investigate if something unusual comes up
- Set up e-bill for utilities and internet so that I have direct access to the costs
- Ask to be the account owner for Airbnb, Vrbo, etc and add PM as a guest user, so that I can see the bookings and communication with tenants
- Install a doorbell camera (I've seen some hosts do this on Airbnb)

Are these things common asks for a PM? Any other ideas? I'm curious about other peoples' thoughts/ experiences.