This article will help you decide whether to rent from a private landlord or property management company. Renting a perfect house or apartment can be daunting.
If you have a negative experience with a private landlord, you may be afraid of them. It’s by human nature.
Similarly, if you had a bad experience with your past property management company, it may feel the same for the rest of the companies.
In a nutshell, people are habituated to judge by their past experiences. Some of you may have experienced poor service both from private landlords and property management companies, which might confuse you on a large scale.
“Private Landlords” versus “Property Management Companies”
Private landlords are the individual homeowners. If you’re unfamiliar with them, see this post to learn more about private landlords, the benefits and risks of renting from them, the best places to find them, how you can get scammed, etc. Also, you can look at the pros and cons of renting from private landlords.
This additional information and other supporting posts will help us to compare these two parties side by side.
On the other hand, property management companies are registered institutions for managing properties. These properties could be residential, commercial, industrial, or special-purpose. However, I will only stick to residential rental homes and apartments in this article.
Property management companies do not own the properties themselves. Many property owners hire them to manage their properties. You can learn their primary responsibilities and find their workflow in this post.
All right! Now, you clearly understand private landlords and property management companies. It’s the perfect time to compare them side by side.
Which one is the best option?
Before we conclude, it’s important to note that not all private landlords and property management companies are created equal. As I mentioned earlier, you may have a bad experience with the previous or existing landlord or management company. However, it’s not a wise decision to judge or compare all landlords or companies based on the experience you came across.
I want to compare both parties side by side. Then, I will give my opinion on whether you should go with a private landlord or property management company. Let’s see the comparison table first.
| Topic of Comparison | Private Landlords | Property Management Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership & Control | Individual owners with direct control over property decisions. | Company-owned properties with professional management teams. |
| Communication | Direct communication with the landlord. | Interactions through a designated property manager. |
| Maintenance & Repairs | Responsiveness may vary. Direct negotiation with the landlord. | Professional teams handle timely maintenance—formal request processes. |
| Flexibility in Lease Terms | Potentially more flexibility in negotiating lease terms. | Payments are processed through a standardized system managed by the property management company. |
| Rent Payment Process | Direct payment to the landlord, often through personal arrangements. | There is more room for negotiation with individual landlords. |
| Responsiveness | Response time may vary based on the landlord’s availability. | Typically faster response times due to dedicated management teams. |
| Property Selection | Limited selection based on individual landlords’ properties. | Broader range of properties owned by the management company. |
| Rules & Policies | Subject to the landlord’s rules and policies. | Adherence to standardized policies set by the property management company. |
| Privacy | Potentially more privacy as interactions are directly with the landlord. | Less direct privacy, as interactions are conducted through a third party (property management company). |
| Rent Negotiation | Limited negotiation opportunities, as terms, are often set by the management company. | Limited negotiation opportunities, as terms are often set by the management company. |
| Accountability | Direct accountability to the landlord. | Accountability to both property owners and tenants, with a formal structure in place. |
| Scamming Possibility | There is a chance to get scammed. | Limited negotiation opportunities, as terms, are often set by the management company. |
From the above comparison table and discussion, renting from a property management company is better than renting from a private landlord. This is an average estimation, and it may not always be accurate.
However, rent prices are generally higher in property management companies. Also, in many cases, they may not accept every type of tenant in the screening process.
If you were evicted in the past, have a low budget, or are looking for a completely single home, private landlords can be a better option for you.
Conclusion
Some may think I intentionally suggested property management companies over private landlords because we are a property management company. However, this is not the case because this article is written for all sorts of tenants, especially in the US. But we don’t serve everywhere in the US. Instead, we only serve in a few specific regions. So, there is no intention to be biased.
When you’re reading this article and looking for advice, there is a huge chance we may not serve in your desired location. I hope I was able to clear up the confusion. It’s written from our practical experience and observation.
When looking for a new rental home or apartment, visit the property, check the lease terms, ask for hidden costs, and everything in between. If you prefer a private landlord, verify the listing & ownership, and don’t pay online until you visit the rental property.
