Once you have purchased the property, then comes the next step – property management. Property management includes managing the day-to-day affairs of the property while ensuring tenants are paying rent on time and keeping everything clean and tidy. The major aspects of this job are:
- To find the right tenants
- To keep track of payments
- To make sure repairs are made promptly.
- To deal with maintenance issues
- To settle issues between tenant and landlord
- To maintain good relationships with neighbours
If you have any difficulty in managing the property for any reason then consider appointing a property management company to do all these affairs on your behalf, and that money will be well spent.
Types of property management
There are different types of properties that a manager candidate or management firm can be expected to fulfil. There are different tips and techniques for the management of each property.
Residential property management
Looking after residential properties is a common form of rental property management. This includes buildings and units where people live such as flats, buy-to-let homes, and other private dwellings.
Managing the residential property requires some good skills as the manager will be interacting with the people living in the building. That’s why, the manager should have good communication skills, be proficient in customer service, maintenance and have a good understanding of managing regulated tenancies or landlord safety responsibilities. In addition to it, he should have a profound understanding relating essential landlord-tenant laws that will affect residents being managed in the properties.
Types of residential properties
Managers can be responsible for many different types of homes. The manager hired for the purposes of administering the rental properties in the UK will oversee the following types of buildings:
- Flats
- Houses
- Retirement properties
- Student Housing
- Park homes
- Holiday rentals
Commercial property management
Commercial property management is primarily concerned with looking after the retail sites where businesses operate. A manager with a good understanding of the needs of commercial businesses can handle this kind of site administration in the best way. Managers in commercial property management should be in possession of extraordinary skills as they will work with longer-term leases than residential estate agencies.
Managers looking after commercial property may have to work with councils to make sure that buildings are kept clean and are operated in line with local bylaws. Apart from that, they may need to extend assistance such as specialized maintenance and cleaning services.
Types of commercial properties
There are many forms and shapes of commercial properties. They can be either spaces where goods are displayed, bought, and sold or buildings and sites where businesses are run from. They include:
- Shopping malls
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Offices
- Petrol stations
- Coworking spaces
Industrial property management
Industrial properties are the sites or buildings where manufacturing or goods storage and transportation-related activities take place. An industrial property manager may be responsible for the following sites:
- Factories
- Heavy manufacturing facilities
- Warehouses
- Distribution centres
Financial Management
Managing finances wisely when investing in property is one of the most important skills in the property market. whether you are planning to renovate an existing or buy a new home, managing your cash flow is very important. We share a few incredible tips with you to crack and become a prominent expert in the property market.
- Realistically make sure you have enough budget for your property investment. This approach based on realism will keep you within your allocated funds and will prevent you from overspending on unnecessary repairs and features.
- Keep an active eye on a regular maintenance schedule. This will keep the property in good condition and reduce the need for costly repairs down the line.
- Be observant when it comes to insurance, make sure to keep yourself up to date on all sides, as negligence in small lapses can lead to large costs down the road.
- Use a property management company. These services will help you handle tenants on your behalf to make sure the regular rental payments.
If you have any issues with financial management, the best idea is to speak to a financial advisor. Based on expertise and experience, financial advisors can prove huge in setting long-term goals, keeping you organized and helping you understand complex financial issues.
Tenant Management
Once you found a suitable property, you will have to deal with potential tenants. This may include collecting rent, assigning leases, issuing complaints, and dealing with any issues that tenants may cause.
Before allowing someone to move into your property, there are plenty of things to consider. Here are a few important things to remember:
Screen the applicant before accepting him as a tenant. Ask for references and even try to get recommendations from previous landlords.
Make sure that the applicant has enough income to timely pay the rent. Review their credit report and check their credit score.
Moving a tenant to your property is the start of the management process. After all, you hope they will live in your property for many years to come and pay you rent.
Make it your top priority to be responsive to any your tenants ask or issues raised. It is important to be fully adherent to the contract you made with your tenant, if there is a problem, address it on a priority basis, while if you show any negligence, it will make your tenant frustrated and could be in breach of contract. If there is any issue with the tenant, address it immediately.
It is a nice way to maintain long-term relations with your tenants, tenants will feel happy to know that you are always there to sort out their issues immediately. If you are engaging somewhere else and can’t afford the time to manage the affairs of the tenant, like any other skill, it can also be outsourced to a property management company. They have incredible skills in screening, finding, accepting, and ongoing management of tenants on your behalf.
Project Management
It might seem something like unusual in the property industry, but this is an important skill to have to become an expert in the industry.
Property management is all about organizing, planning, controlling, and leading the work of a team to achieve specific goals. It involves creating the kind of environment to coordinate the activities of individuals and groups, setting clear objectives, and ensuring that all the tasks are completed within the given time and budget. A project manager must in possession of excellent communication skills and is competent to work under pressure.
How does this concept apply to you? property investors often take on buildings that need some TLC. Perhaps, they just need new carpets and wallpaper, or perhaps it needs to be fully renovated and gutted.
Either way, you will need to organize, plan, and control the work being done. There are options for you to effectively accomplish any such task either to complete most of the work by yourself or appoint 3rd party to carry out the 3rd work. In both cases, your involvement is a must to achieve the goal of making a property ready to rent.
The property investment industry is not simply about buying, renting out, or selling, there are multiple avenues within if those options are wisely utilized with experience, knowledge, and mutual consultations of the experts, those avenues can generate huge profits. At the same time, it requires different techniques and strategies to supervise, manage and deal with different forms of properties.
The skills we shared if you mastered them, will leave long lasting impacts on your personality and career.