-Michael --71.107.x.xx

Contact the broker of the company and send them a cancellation letter per your written agreement. Make sure your "friend" knows how to evict your tenant....she will be a deadbeat soon --205.188.xxx.xx

Leigh (a different Leigh, including gender) in California has property in Arizona. She has figured out ways to deal with property in another state and might have tips on how to make it work. So does Katherine, who lives in Texas and owns a multi-unit in Missouri. --205.188.xxx.xx

If you want to remain friends with someone acting as your PM, make sure you keep it absolutely businesslike. --205.188.xxx.xx

Thanks Wallace! The lease is up in Feb, and I have no doubt that she will bail asap w/o breaking contract. I'm fine with that. Hopefully it won't lead to an eviction, (I doubt so) but I will prep for it, and am ready to begin posting a vacancy. --71.107.x.xx

Review your PM agreement--it should specify the exact procedure for terminating. --68.92.xxx.xxx

Thanks for the advice. I know what I need from a PM, and that is to collect rent. I travel enough and have enough know-how to be able to do any repairs on my own - and have done so over the past 11 months. As is on a new house, nothing major to report yet...only an A/C capacitor. I am taking less rent than I would like, but am still in the black. My mortgage is VERY low, and I keep the rent low as to find a 'good' tenant. My friend is a very strong personality, and all I need from her is to make sure I get my full every month. The rest his on me, as it has been the past 11 mos. --71.107.x.xx

Personally I think this is a joke post, you have been way too lax for too long. --208.252.xxx.xx

Gloria, I'm sorry, but you're way off base. The 'company' is a small office with maybe 10 employees. As a matter of fact, I am a college student so i do not have 'way too much money.' and i don't know where you come off saying that i don't do anything? also, if you read, i DIDN'T reduce my rent, it was done without my permission and i'm not going to allow it. please read your facts before flaming. --71.107.x.xx

You definitely should not have a waited a year to do this... If it is an office run by a broker (not sure how PM works in AZ), call the broker directly and tell him/her that you want to cancel your management agreement, followed by a letter via certified mail saying the same. It is generally effective next calendar month. Although many people are against out of state landlording, I've found it to be quite lucrative - you just need to be very certain you have the proper tradespeople that you can trust to handle emergencies when they come up... --67.81.xxx.xxx

Good luck --207.200.xxx.xx

It is a lot headaches if one owns property withing a short driving distance. One manages the rental property themselves. With price decline of houses and rentals in the Us it would be lot less difficult to buy a rental property with a hours drive. Here the price of houses and rentals have not declined. Owning rental properties is not a hands off business. Here only the larger off shore owners have property management as they in another country. At times even if the property does not make a lot but currency fluctuations make real gains on investment. Over the last year the Loonie has gone up against other currencies which means those who invested have made gains. The apartment buildings for example are a little more then hours drive from the house and ten kilometers from building to building. --216.110.xxx.xx

also, good call! I will contact her and figure out what is REALLY going on. it's so hard to know for sure. my PM maintains that they are behind on everything but I have a hunch that he is the lazy one throwing blame on the tenants. --216.220.xxx.xxx

I would attend housing court often, and HOA meetings also, if this is too far to become familiar then this is time to consider leaving empty, move there yourself or sell. To keep a grip on the details you have to be close or establish someone who is right there to keep the tenant from getting fined all the time, I want to say it could be the tenant but this is distance landlording and it comes in different colors so you have been warned. --76.241.xxx.xxx

Your post makes it sound like things are out of control. while it's not going as smoothly as i would like, i hardly think it's worth jumping ship and 'cutting my losses.' so far i just see it as growing pains, and i feel like finding a manager that actually gave a deuce about his job would make a world of difference. --71.107.x.xx

I dont think the 2nd step is to worry about getting your fees back and the 2nd step is to insure that everything is back on track with your current tenant to make sure that she pays the HOA fines and or evict her if she does not before she makes it worse for you. You have plenty of time to worry about collecting your fees. It is imperative that you check on this tenant to make sure that she takes care of the hoa fines to avoid the hoa putting a lien on your property. Good luck --71.203.xxx.xxx

lawn care in the desert , arranging the Rocks and pruning the cactus? Get a local high school kid to keep your lawn . Have him email you pictures each month so you can keep track of whats going on. Or get some tenants who have a Clue. Sounds like you may have clueless , helpless morons for tenants?? If you have all these Fines sound like you need people living there that have adult supervision. --70.248.xx.xx

if its a sfh i would do it myself.maybe get a realtor if i have a vacancy.i dont think u need a pm for 1 unit. --208.58.x.xx

I have already scheduled myself a week in Feb to go out and interview prospective renters, and am prepped to do so sooner should my current bail, although I think she will hang on. --216.220.xxx.xxx

alright, I got a hold of my PM, but only because I went over his head and BCC'd his superior. He said that the tenants usually paid by now (the checks are cut 21st business day) and he didn't know why the rent was short. then he asked me if he should try and get it from them or not! ummm, duh? I feel like there is something he isn't telling me. now the tenant owes me $375...and there's only an $800 deposit. what now? anyone have a sample pm contract cancellation letter? --216.220.xxx.xxx

Ignore Doug/NJ * he probably voted for Corzine....there are good property managers - they have good websites, marketing programs, repair and maintenance programs and they respond to clients!! --64.12.xxx.xx

Good PM's are out there, but you have to do all your due diligence. You must interview them and research them and check on the properties/tenants they currently manage and ask lots of questions. You are making them your legal representative. A good one can make you lots of money and save you lots of time. A real bad one can bring you to the brink of bankruptcy. Also, it is best to manage some property yourself for a while before ever going out and hiring a PM. Without that personal experience, it is tough to know if the PM is doing a good job or not. --76.19.xx.xx