Some property owners reach out to us because they want help managing their rental—but only parts of the process. They might want us to handle tenant placement, but not maintenance. Or they want to use their cousin’s cleaning company, hire their own handyman, and make exceptions to the lease terms.
On paper, that may sound like a win-win—keep costs down, stay involved, and delegate the rest.
In practice, it rarely works out.
Over the last 15+ years, we’ve built and refined systems designed to deliver consistent results, maximize returns, and protect your time and your property. When those systems are interrupted by custom procedures, piecemeal service plans, or overinvolvement, it tends to create more problems than it solves.
“Good property management isn’t an expense—it’s a multiplier. But only if you let it work,” says Josh Sterling of Epic Property Management.
So, you’re considering hiring a property management company? That’s great. When the fit is right, it can save time, reduce stress, and boost your returns. But before you take that step, here are a few situations where hiring one might actually create more problems than it solves:
1. You Want Full Control of Every Decision
Your property is important to you, and we totally understand that. But if you still want to hand-pick every vendor, approve every invoice, and be the main point of contact for tenants, what you’re really looking for is a tool or assistant, and not a property manager.
Effective property management requires the ability to act quickly, decisively, and in line with the systems we’ve tested and proven to work. When we have to pause for constant approvals or adjust to custom processes, it slows everything down and creates confusion—for our team, for the owner, and for tenants.
2. You’re Focused on Cutting Costs, Not Improving ROI
Some owners try to “Frankenstein” together a management approach, hoping to save money by outsourcing individual services on their own. What often gets overlooked is how much time this takes, how much gets lost in translation, and how little it actually saves in the long run.
Worse, it can impact tenant experience, reduce renewal rates, and even hurt your property’s reputation. What seems like a money-saving move can end up costing you in vacancy loss and maintenance delays.
3. You Don’t Trust the Process
Trust has to be earned; we agree. But if you’re not ready to let go of the reins and allow our team to follow the systems we’ve developed over the years, you’re likely going to feel friction every step of the way.
We’ve seen it many times over the years: when owners resist the process, performance dips. But when they trust it, things start to click—better tenants, smoother turnover, fewer surprises.
Here’s a real-life example we see from time to time at Epic:
An owner wishes to complete his or her own turnover repairs. Inevitably, the turnover ends up taking the owner 60+ days, and comes out at a lower quality, as the systems, quality control, and big picture approach are missing.
These types of turnovers end up on the top of our tracking list due to age, and take longer to lease due to quality. At the end of the day the owner ends up spending more than our cost would have been and loses 30 – 45 days of potential rent. A significant loss that could be avoided by letting proven systems work.
4. You Expect Instant Results
Speaking of trusting the process, some owners expect a property manager to come in and immediately fix everything within days or weeks. But real property management is a long game. It takes time to stabilize a property, build relationships, implement consistent procedures, and start seeing performance gains.
If you’re expecting a quick turnaround or overnight results, you’re likely to be disappointed. Property management is about steady improvement, not instant miracles.
5. You Want a Hybrid That Doesn’t Exist
Every so often, an owner says, “Can you do half the management, and I’ll do the rest?” It sounds flexible, but in reality, it leads to mixed messages, disconnected operations, and accountability issues. Who’s following up with the plumber? Who’s collecting late rent? Who’s responsible if something gets missed?
We’re not trying to be rigid—we just know what works. And when we’re responsible for the property, we need to be fully responsible. Anything less introduces risk for both of us.
“The best results come when owners treat their property like a business and their property manager like a partner—not a vendor, not a task rabbit, and not a backup plan. Management works when there’s trust, alignment, and clear responsibility. When the lines get blurred, performance suffers, tenants get confused, and small problems turn into expensive ones,” Sterling continues.
6. You Don’t View Your Property Like a Business
At the end of the day, rental property ownership is a business—even if it started as a personal investment or side project. If decisions are being driven by emotion, nostalgia, or a reluctance to treat tenants like customers, it becomes difficult for any management company to deliver results.
We’re here to help you get the most out of your property as an asset. That means making business-minded decisions, even when they’re tough.
The Bottom Line
If you want to be your own property manager, that’s totally valid, and we respect your choice. But if you’re hiring a management company, make sure you’re ready to let them manage.
We’re here to make things easier, not more complicated. When we’re empowered to do our job, the results speak for themselves. But if you’re not quite ready to trust the property management process, it may be best to hold off for now.
When you’re ready to stop reinventing the wheel, we’re ready to help it turn more smoothly.