Choosing a Property Manager: Questions and Records

Living elsewhere can make a local property manager seem like a simple solution. The role is only useful when the owner and manager agree, in writing, what work is authorised, how money and documents will be handled, and when the owner must make a decision. This guide is a question list for comparing proposals for a Syrian property. It does not confirm that any person or company is licensed, available or legally able to perform a particular task. Ask an independent Syrian lawyer to review the actual arrangement and any authority it gives.

Define the job before asking for a fee#

Begin with the property's current use and needs. Is it a home that may stand empty, a residence used by family, or a property the owner hopes to let? Does it need repairs, routine checks, correspondence with a building manager, or help receiving documents? A candidate may offer “full management” while meaning only marketing and rent collection. Give each candidate the same one-page brief so their proposals can be compared fairly.

Ask which tasks they perform directly, which they arrange through others, and which they refuse. Who would hold keys? Who may enter and under what instruction? Who contacts an occupant if there is a repair? Who can approve a contractor and up to what amount? Does the manager inspect the property, or only respond when someone reports a problem? The first-year maintenance plan gives the owner a useful task list to share without surrendering control of every decision.

Separate coordination from legal authority#

A manager who can arrange a visit may not be authorised to sign a lease, accept a payment, make a legal representation or dispose of property. Do not assume a general phrase in a proposal covers those acts. Ask a Syrian lawyer what written authority, if any, is appropriate for each task, how it is limited, how it can be revoked and what records are needed. Keep the owner's decision points explicit. An owner abroad should know which actions require direct approval and which urgent steps can be taken under a narrow pre-agreed procedure.

The representative questions guide discusses the same separation of tasks and authority during a purchase. Management after purchase is a different instruction, so do not carry purchase authority forward automatically. Review the names, property description, duration and limits in the actual documents.

Ask how money moves and how it is reported#

Request a fee schedule that covers the routine service and every likely extra: finding an occupant, supervising work, emergency attendance, collecting payments, arranging photographs, travel or closing the instruction. Ask when each fee becomes due and which currency is used. A low headline percentage can be expensive if the manager charges separately for essential tasks. Conversely, a higher quoted fee may include work another proposal omits. Compare services, not only totals.

Ask whether the manager would ever receive rent, deposits or repair funds. If so, how would the owner see the original payment evidence, running balance and transfers? Who approves spending, how are receipts collected, and how quickly are discrepancies reported? RICS's residential management code emphasises clear records and money handling in England. It is not a Syrian rule or proof that a candidate follows it. The useful principle is to demand a traceable, written account for the exact property and arrangement. The purchase record guide shows a simple way to preserve original evidence rather than relying on summaries.

Test communication with a real scenario#

Describe one plausible problem: a leak reported on a weekend, a lost key or a contractor who finds more work than quoted. Ask each candidate what they would do first, whom they would call, what they may authorise, what photograph or report the owner would receive and when. This reveals whether the service is a named person with a backup or only a phone number. If an emergency could affect safety, the plan should direct the right qualified local professional to respond; the manager should not promise to diagnose a dangerous system from a photograph.

Agree a regular report even when nothing dramatic happens. It might include occupancy status, rent received and outstanding, maintenance requests, visits, invoices and open decisions. The frequency should match the property and the owner's needs. Set a method for urgent contact and a backup if the owner cannot be reached. A report that says “all fine” without dated observations is less useful than a short record of what was checked and what remains unknown.

Verify the person and plan the exit#

Ask for the candidate's full identity, business details, references relevant to the work and examples of the reports they would provide. Check those through independent routes rather than relying only on a profile or a forwarded testimonial. Ask who would actually visit the property if the named person is unavailable. The UK government's lettings-professional guidance asks UK professionals to describe services and fees clearly. Its consumer-law duties do not apply in Syria; it is useful here only as an example of questions to ask about scope and pricing.

Before appointing anyone, agree how the arrangement ends. How much notice is needed? How will keys, original documents, current agreements, pending repairs, payment records and contacts be returned? Who informs any occupant or contractor of the change? Ask the lawyer to review the termination and handover terms, especially if the manager holds money or sensitive documents. A smooth exit is part of a sound appointment, not an afterthought.

Keep the signed scope, fee schedule, authority document, reports and correspondence in one dated folder. Review performance against those records after the first few months. If the manager cannot show what work was done, what money moved and what decision is needed next, the owner has lost visibility. The right appointment gives the owner clearer information and controlled help, not a promise that distance will no longer matter.