Often Kiwis have the mindset of “do it yourself”.

However, when it comes to property management, it does need to be done correctly. Often landlords will “give it a go” to save property management fees. Whilst this rationale can appear to make sense, if the landlord is not organised it can turn into a chore, and cost you a lot of money.

Here a five reasons why property management can work for you.

1. Reduces your stress and workload

Managing a rental property can be time consuming and stressful. There are issues such as maintenance, inspections, tenant screenings and tax returns etc., which can take up a lot of your time. It also means that you are the initial and often only point of contact... meaning you have to deal with any problems that come up. You could be on holiday, busy at work or offshore and get a notification from you tenants about something that requires urgent attention.

A property manager makes sure you don’t have to worry about this, and instead allows you to focus on the things in life which matter the most. By delegating the task of looking after your investment, you have more time to spend with family and friends, and concentrating on work and hobbies. In essence they bring an element of “set and forget” to the daily management of your property investment.

2. Proximity to the property

You may be living in Christchurch but have a rental property in Invercargill. If you manage it yourself, you will have to fly to screen tenants, do inspections, maintenance and other tasks. Using a local property manager ensures a quick and timely response for your tenants. Because the property manager is local, they can drive out to the site if need be to inspect any issues, or (with your prior permission) engage a local trades person to help.

3. Keep an Arm’s Length from the Tenant

Property Management can be quite involved, and when you do it yourself you have to deal with the tenants directly. Investors often don’t like this part, they prefer to be at an arm’s length from the tenants. Some investors just don’t enjoy dealing with people, problems or potential conflicts. Others prefer to keep themselves as anonymous as possible for privacy reasons. Others just want more time to focus on other priorities. Whatever the reason, a property manager provides a “buffer” between landlord and tenant.

Read more: 4 Ways a Property Manager Can Help You Find the Best Tenant

4. Better rental return

Having a property manager look after your investment property gives you a wealth of knowledge about the local market. They will likely have been working with property for many years and should be very familiar with current property prices, rental prices and yields, and their thorough screening process will also ensure the rental return is maximised. They can also list the rental property at times of the year when demand is at its highest and advertise to people who would be more willing to pay those rates.

A property manager understands all of the legal technicalities when it comes to landlord and tenant rights. They understand the both you, the owner, and the tenants are their clients, and work to ensure both parties are happy.

They know that you need the best possible rental returns and are not afraid to put the rent up, and will do so in a way that is consistent with landlord/tenant obligations. They also know that happy tenants mean happy owners... so will actively ensure that they keep tenants happy by responding swiftly to any issues that arise.

5. Find the best tenants

The best rental property managers have been in the game for a while and know how to distinguish between a good tenant and a bad tenant. As discussed earlier in this guide, the application process can be a long and daunting one if you don’t know what you are doing. A good property manager will have this process down pat ensuring a quick smooth process with a great end result.

Property managers will know some of the key tips and tricks to identify how likely a tenant is to stay on, such as previous rental history and the person(s) life situation. When developing the contract and working with you, they can also suggest clauses in the contract which could also result in the resigning of the lease for an extended period of time.