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There are a number of mistakes to avoid as a DIY landlord, and if you are a self-managing property owner in Orlando, you especially want to avoid the things we are talking about today. These are the mistakes that we see owners make most often when they are managing their own properties instead of using an Orlando property managementcompany.

 

Making Frequent Property Visits

When local owners rent out a property, they often want to visit the home regularly. Sometimes they’ll drive by every week or think they can go inside the property to do an inspection every month. This is a terrible idea, and you have to look at it from the tenant’s perspective. What if someone was checking up on you and how you’re living every month? This is tiresome from the tenant’s point of view. Some tenants might consider it harassment. So you have to understand you cannot be calling around every week or month to inspect the property. Let the tenants live in peace and enjoy their privacy.

 

Entering the Property without Notice

We also hear owners say that they plan to go in and check out the house while the tenant is at work or out of town. You cannot do this. Legally, you are required to give your tenants written notice before you visit or inspect the home. There are a number of legal ramifications that owners don’t think about. What if there is a child in the house, or your tenant’s teenaged daughter is home alone? You have to look at it from all perspectives. You might think you plan to do an innocent walk through, but you don’t know what kind of accusations can be made against you as a landlord. It all makes tenants feel very uncomfortable. Tenants do not like owners who do this.

 

Bad Maintenance and Repair Decisions

The third major mistake is when owners try to use their own unlicensed repair people, or they try to fix complicated maintenance problems on their own. Tenants will always complain when the work isn’t done properly. If you hire someone on the cheap who isn’t qualified or professional, you’ll end up with a mess and a problem that still hasn’t been fixed. Unlicensed workers can also be untrustworthy. You don’t want your tenants’ personal possessions to be stolen or their safety to be in jeopardy.

These are three problems we see in the Orlando property management marketplace with self-managing owners. It requires a lot of work to resolve these situations.

If you have any questions about these problems and how to avoid them, please contact us at Warner Quinlan Property Management. We’d be happy to tell you more about property management in Orlando.


Photo of Mark Pagdin Mark Pagdin
President/Broker Warner Quinlan, Inc.

For more than 20 years, Mark has managed his and clients’ investment portfolios, garnering him the unique perspective as both owner and property manager. His blog series is an invaluable tool for investors looking for guidance on property management, purchases and acquisitions.