25 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Property Management Company
Hiring a property manager is one of the most consequential decisions a Florida rental property owner makes. The right questions during the vetting process save you thousands in hidden fees, poor tenant quality, and legal exposure. The wrong questions — or no questions — mean signing a multi-year agreement you later regret.
Below are 25 questions every Florida landlord should ask before signing a property management contract. Grouped by topic so you can evaluate systematically. Use this as a checklist during your initial consultation.
Licensing and Experience (Questions 1-3)
1. Are you a licensed Florida real estate broker? Florida law requires it for anyone managing rental property for others. Verify at myfloridalicense.com.
2. How many years have you been managing property specifically — not just doing real estate sales? Property management and sales require different skills. Look for 5+ years of dedicated PM experience.
3. How many properties do you currently manage, and what is your mix of property types? Ensures they can handle your property type (single-family, condo, multi-family, waterfront) and portfolio scale.
Fees and Costs (Questions 4-9)
4. What is your complete fee schedule? Ask for it in writing. Every charge should be listed. See our Florida PM fees guide for what to expect.
5. Is the monthly management fee charged on collected rent or scheduled rent? Only collected rent protects you from paying when tenants don't.
6. Is there a vacancy fee? Many companies charge a reduced fee while the unit is empty. Rentwise Florida charges $0 while vacant.
7. What is the tenant placement fee, and what does it cover? Typically 50-100% of one month's rent for full-service placement.
8. What is the lease renewal fee? Typically $150-$500. Ask what it covers (market analysis, negotiation, new lease drafting).
9. How do you charge for maintenance coordination? Should be a percentage of vendor invoice (10-20%) with vendor costs passed through at actual cost, OR a flat per-work-order fee.
Tenant Screening (Questions 10-13)
10. Walk me through your tenant screening process step by step. Strong answers include credit, criminal, income (3x rent), eviction, rental references, and employment verification.
11. What is your minimum credit score requirement? Typically 620+ is the industry standard.
12. How do you stay Fair Housing compliant? Should mention standardized criteria applied consistently to every applicant, documented in writing.
13. What is your average time-to-lease from when a property becomes available? Look for 2-4 weeks. Longer suggests slow marketing or weak screening.
Maintenance and Repairs (Questions 14-17)
14. Do you have a 24/7 emergency maintenance line? Tenants should never call the broker's personal cell phone at 3 AM.
15. What is your average response time for routine maintenance? Sub-48-hour target is the industry standard.
16. What is your owner approval threshold for repairs? Typically $200-$500. Repairs under the threshold proceed without bothering you; anything above requires your OK.
17. Are your vendors licensed and insured? Yes should be automatic. Using unlicensed vendors creates liability exposure.
Financial Reporting (Questions 18-20)
18. Do I get online owner portal access? Should be real-time, 24/7, accessible from any device.
19. When will I receive my monthly owner statement? Industry standard is by the 10th of the following month. Rentwise delivers by the 5th.
20. Do you prepare year-end 1099 tax documents? Yes should be automatic, delivered by January 31st.
Interviewing Property Managers?
We welcome every one of these 25 questions. Schedule a free consultation with Rentwise Florida and bring your checklist — we will answer each one in detail.
Book a Free ConsultationFlorida Legal Compliance (Questions 21-23)
21. How do you handle security deposits per Florida Statute Chapter 83? Should mention the 15-day undisputed return rule and 30-day itemized claim process for disputed amounts. See our Florida landlord-tenant law guide.
22. What is your eviction process? Strong answer: coordinate 3-day / 7-day / 15-day notices per Chapter 83, file with local attorney if needed, owner pays attorney fees directly.
23. How do you ensure leases meet Florida statutory requirements? Should mention using attorney-reviewed lease templates, not generic forms.
Contract Terms (Questions 24-25)
24. What is the length of your management agreement, and what is the termination process? Look for month-to-month or one-year with straightforward termination clauses. Red flag: multi-year contracts with early-termination penalties.
25. Can I see a copy of the full management agreement before committing? Any reputable manager will send you the complete contract on request. If they resist, walk away.
Bonus: The Two Questions You Should Always Ask Last
"Can I talk to three of your current property owners?" A company that refuses to provide owner references is hiding something. When you call references, ask: how responsive are they? Any surprise fees? Would you recommend them to another investor?
"What is your biggest weakness as a property manager?" A thoughtful, honest answer (e.g., "we don't have in-house attorneys, so eviction legal fees are separate" or "we focus on the Sarasota market, so we don't serve Orlando") signals integrity. A canned non-answer signals sales mode.
How Rentwise Florida Answers These Questions
Rentwise Florida welcomes every one of these 25 questions. In our free consultation, we walk through each answer in detail. For your reference:
- Licensed FL broker with 15+ years of property management experience
- 7% monthly fee, $125/month minimum, $0 while vacant, $0 setup
- Comprehensive screening — credit, criminal, income 3x, eviction, references, employment
- 24/7 emergency line and sub-48-hour routine maintenance
- Buildium platform with real-time owner portal
- Full Florida Chapter 83 compliance built into every lease
- Owner references available on request