Nine Questions to Ask Before You Hand Over Your Property

Most landlords choose a property manager on a percentage. It is the wrong first question. What you are actually buying is someone's judgement about your asset while you are not looking — particularly if you live abroad.

1. What exactly is covered by the fee?

Get it itemised. Tenant sourcing, screening, rent collection, routine inspections, maintenance coordination, reporting. Then ask what sits outside the fee, because that is where the surprises live.

2. How do you screen tenants?

Ask for the actual process: employment or business verification, references, prior tenancy history. A manager who fills a property quickly by not checking has passed a problem to you, not solved one.

3. How is rent collected and when does it reach me?

Which account does the tenant pay into, how quickly is it remitted, and what happens if they are late? Get the timeline in writing.

4. What is your maintenance authorisation limit?

A sensible arrangement lets the manager fix small things immediately and requires your approval above an agreed figure. Without a limit you are either approving light bulbs or discovering major works after the fact.

5. What will I receive, and how often?

Statements, inspection reports, photographs. Monthly or quarterly. If you are overseas, this is the only window you have into your own asset — make sure one exists.

6. How many properties does each manager handle?

A portfolio spread too thin means your property gets attention only when something goes wrong. Ask who specifically is responsible for yours.

7. What happens if the tenant stops paying?

Ask about the process, the timeline and who carries the legal cost. Recovery of premises in Lagos follows a legal procedure and takes time; you want a manager who has done it before rather than one improvising.

8. Can I terminate, and how?

Notice period, and what happens to deposits, keys, documents and tenant relationships when you leave. A manager confident in their service will not bury you in exit friction.

9. Can I speak to a landlord you currently act for?

The most useful question on this list, and the one that separates operations that are proud of their work from those that are not.

The underlying point

A property manager is not an expense you minimise. A cheap manager who picks a bad tenant, misses maintenance and lets a dispute run costs far more than the percentage you saved. Ask these nine, compare the answers, and choose on judgement.