Property Management and Investor Information: September 2009

We have just completed moving our websites to a secure location with automatic backups.  We were one of the first companies to use the internet and due to that we were self hosting.  Self hosting was great while it lasted but over time it is a bit riskier having the servers to deal both from a security standpoint and maintaining the servers.

I sleep a little better knowing the sites are off my site as well as our accounting software which is internet based.

When you are selecting a property manager, find out where their data is located.  If it is located in their home or office, it is subject to theft, storm, fire, etc.  A disaster for your property manager could be a disaster for you!

The better question should be, "Does the owner want to have the alarm codes?"

My answer is an emphatic no.  The landlord/owner should not be giving the tenant any reason to blame them for lost items in the tenant's rental dwelling.  Having access codes will put the landlord on the short list of suspects.

If you need to get into the property, give proper notice and go in.  If there is an alarm you might need to notify the police in advance where a forced entry is needed (which is very rare).

If you don't know what a proper notice is in your state, check with a property manager or the local rental housing association.