"Absolutely disappointed" with property manager
Question from Delna updated on 20th March 2015:
Hi, my property has been managed by a top reputable property management agency. I have been absolutely disappointed with them. When problems have arisen with the tenant, they didn't help me until I have called them for 15 days in a row. When the tenant removed the smoke alarm and put it outside her back door, it took 15 days of repeatedly calling the property manager to do something before the incident was addressed. As I live upstairs I am aware of what is going on. There have been lots of incidents with the tenant that have either been addressed by me or the property manager (only after numerous phone calls). This is not acceptable as they are invoicing me to look after the property. Please advise as I would like to complain but I was told there is no where to complain.
Our expert Juliet Robinson responded:
This question indicates that you are dissatisfied with the work that the property manager is doing. A communication problem seems to be the key issue here. You have called the property manager every day to get them to do something. What were you expecting the property manager to do? You currently live upstairs from the tenant. It is possible that proximity makes a job look easier to you, when the property manager may have had to go through a 14-Day Notice process. If that was the case, the property manager should have been able to keep you informed about what was happening. There is always somebody who can listen to your complaints. I suggest you call the manager of the company and express your concerns. The property management company is your agent, and in that respect it represents your interests. (However, don’t confuse this with representing your day-to-day wishes!) In the end, if you are not happy with your agent, you could look at terminating the management agreement and finding a replacement management company.
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