By Kari Negri, Chief Executive Officer, SKY Properties

• Hi Kari! I’m not happy with the work being done by my property management company. I have a list of issues, but not sure what I should do. What do you suggest I do?

A property manager is supposed to make ownership easier — not create more work, more stress, or more liability. A strong manager focuses on increasing your monthly revenue, keeping tenants reasonably happy, and maintaining your property so it remains competitive, safe, clean, and up to code.

Owners sometimes get caught up in reducing expenses, but the truth is simple: your Net Operating Income (NOI) is what matters most. If income drops because the manager isn’t maintaining the property or addressing issues, the entire building can suffer. Below are the three most common reasons owners ultimately decide it’s time for a change.

1. Maintenance Issues and Property Damage

Your property manager should conduct interior inspections at least twice a year to check smoke alarms, plumbing, appliances, and general housekeeping. These visits also help identify unauthorized occupants, hoarding, pest risks, and other conditions that can quickly turn into major liabilities. They should also perform monthly exterior inspections to ensure there are no safety hazards or insurance risks developing on the property.

You should receive a monthly report outlining the condition of your property, upcoming vacancies, and anticipated expenses. If you are not receiving this, your manager is not doing the basic job you hired them to do. A responsible manager not only reports issues — they bring you solutions and bids. If serious damage occurs and neither you nor your manager knew about it, that is a clear sign of neglect. Unreported liabilities can cost you thousands of dollars and create long term problems that could have been prevented.

2. Lack of Communication

Communication is one of the clearest indicators of a manager’s professionalism. You should receive monthly statements on time, updates on vacancies, and same day communication for urgent matters. If your manager does not return calls or respond to emails, they are not paying attention — and when they are not paying attention, things fall through the cracks.

At SKY Properties, we take communication a step further. In addition to monthly financial reports, we provide a detailed written report outlining anything unusual at the property — safety concerns, tenant issues, housekeeping problems, unauthorized occupants, or anything else that could affect your building’s condition or liability. This ensures owners are never left in the dark and can make informed decisions before small issues become expensive ones.

No matter how experienced a manager claims to be, if they do not communicate clearly and consistently, they cannot effectively manage your property. Poor communication leads to disgruntled tenants, city write ups, costly repairs, and even litigation.

3. Vacant Properties and Bad Tenants

Every owner wants their property fully rented and generating income. However, in Los Angeles today, apartments are getting harder to rent. The city is losing population, and the rental market has become extremely competitive. Units may not rent as quickly as they once did — and that’s okay.

What matters most is getting the right tenant, not the fastest tenant. A bad tenant is far more expensive than a few extra weeks of vacancy. With today’s legal environment, evictions are costly, time consuming, and heavily regulated. One wrong tenant can cost you thousands of dollars and months of stress.

Your property manager should have a strong marketing strategy, a responsive leasing process, and a thorough screening system. Their job is not only to bring in tenants — it’s to bring in qualified tenants who will care for your property and pay rent on time.

Here’s the Bottom Line

Your property manager should be your partner in protecting your investment. They should:

• Inspect your property regularly
• Keep you informed
• Rent vacancies quickly and responsibly
• Maintain the property proactively
• Stay within a reasonable budget
• Keep tenants reasonably satisfied

If they fail in any of these areas, it may be time to look for a manager who will treat your property with the care and attention it deserves.

“Ask Kari” is a monthly feature by Kari Negri. She has three decades of property management experience and is a featured speaker at many housing industry trade shows, such as AAGLA’s annual Income Property Management Expo, and is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SKY Properties, Inc. in Los Angeles. If you have questions that you would like “Ask Kari” to address in a future article, please submit your question today: Kari@SKYprop.LA.