Credible property management agencies? (Austin: renters, condominium, house)

[Angelfire25]

Hi there!

I just recently bought a rented property and since Im reeeeallly new at this I want to know if there are any credible property management agencies in Austin that you local ppl might know and recommend. I know its cheaper if I manage the property myself but I'm not in Austin most of the time. Also what good important questions do I need to ask them to insure they are the right management company for the job? Many thanks!

[canyonglen]

If you are renting a condominium or a property with a home owners association make sure you give the "rules and regulations" to your property manager. Make sure the potential tenant reads and signs a document that he/she read the rules/ regulations.

The property manager will place an ad, find the tenant for you but you will always be given the opportunity to say yes or no to potential tenants. One important thing is I always had to replace the carpets after renting to a tenant with a pet. All owners say that their dog/cat is the most obedient, tame, non-barking creature alive. I love animals but when it comes down to $$$ try to stay away from renters with pets. Trust me on this one.

[Angelfire25]

Hey thx for your quick reply! Ok so no tenants with pets, gotcha. As for the home owners association; is that a group that we must join in order to rent out properties? Because I havent heard of these from some other states...

Any other issues I may need to be aware of? Thx!

[b. frank]

Originally Posted by Angelfire25

Hey thx for your quick reply! Ok so no tenants with pets, gotcha.

As a pet-owner this is a very frustrating mentality.
First of all, my pets ARE well-behaved and they don't destroy property. I certainly understand that many pets do, but several property owners missed out on having very good tenants (me, my wife and our 2 dogs) because they are afraid of pet damage. The one that accepted had their house well-taken care of for over a year.
What's wrong with giving pet-owners the benefit of the doubt? You can make them pay for any damage that does occur. At least be a bit open-minded about renters with pets. Ask to meet the pets (or have a prop. manager meet them?) and that will help your decision to allow them or not.

[TexasHorseLady]

I'll IM you privately with a name, since them's the rules hereabouts on city-data.

As for pets, the good pet owners pay for the bad pet owners, unfortunately. We have pets (at the moment, out in the country, 7 cats, 2 dogs, 3 horses, 2 Donkey Girls, and some cows); we love animals, obviously. We had pets at our house in town (well, not the horses and donkeys and cows, oh, my!).

On the advice of our property management company we didn't allow pets for some time. Then, someone talked us into allowing pets on the basis that they had a "good dog". Which they did. But that set a precedent. The next folks had two dogs, promised the "good dogs" would be kept outside in the fenced yard (we had a dog house - large, Great Pyrenees-sized - in the yard from when we lived there). So we allowed them, with it written into the lease that the dogs would not be inside.

You can see where this is going. After a year, when they moved, the house had to be refloored and repainted. The dogs not only were allowed inside, they destroyed the carpet, slept leaning up against the walls in multiple rooms so that the walls were all stained at dog-height, and one dog ate the front off of one of our kitchen drawers. (Old house, solid sood cabinets/drawers, not something you could just run down to Home Depot - or anywhere else - and replace.)

So, we don't allow dogs any more. We'd like to, but that was a very expensive lesson. At the very least, I'd want to meet the dog and see it interact with the owner (as we did with the first tenant), and perhaps get references for the dog.

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by b. frank

As a pet-owner this is a very frustrating mentality.
First of all, my pets ARE well-behaved and they don't destroy property. I certainly understand that many pets do, but several property owners missed out on having very good tenants (me, my wife and our 2 dogs) because they are afraid of pet damage. The one that accepted had their house well-taken care of for over a year.
What's wrong with giving pet-owners the benefit of the doubt? You can make them pay for any damage that does occur. At least be a bit open-minded about renters with pets. Ask to meet the pets (or have a prop. manager meet them?) and that will help your decision to allow them or not.

I agree. I just tell my pet owners up front that if I smell any dog or cat or urine or anything, that it will be $1500 to replace the carpet. Funnily enough, I haven't had any smelly pets so far and the only time I had to replace the carpet was after a single professional man with no pets...he was just a slob!

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by Angelfire25

Hi there!

I just recently bought a rented property and since Im reeeeallly new at this I want to know if there are any credible property management agencies in Austin that you local ppl might know and recommend. I know its cheaper if I manage the property myself but I'm not in Austin most of the time. Also what good important questions do I need to ask them to insure they are the right management company for the job? Many thanks!

Check www.narpmaustin.org for a roster of local professional property managers.

Steve

[Angelfire25]

Thanks for the info guys! If there is any other details I may need to know please let me know!

[trogers]

have you found a company yet to help with your property management?

tH