A property manager collects your rent, spends your money on repairs, and speaks for you to your residents. Before you sign a management agreement, ask how each of those will work.

Here are eight of the questions owners ask us most often at Legacy Property Management, with the answers we give. Put the same questions to any manager you are considering and compare what you hear.

Legacy is a full-service property management company based in Clackamas, Oregon, with more than 22 years in business. Management is all we do. We do not buy or sell real estate, so our attention stays on operating your property.

1. What will I pay, and what is extra?

One management fee, set as a percentage of the rent we actually collect. We quote it for each property based on size, location, and staffing needs, and it is written into your management agreement before we start.

Legacy also keeps the application fees, late fees, and NSF fees paid by residents, and 50% of lease break fees. That's it. There are no other fees, apart from an optional six-month unit-by-unit inspection at $80 per unit if you choose to have it.

Our standard program has no tenant placement fee and no lease renewal fee. Filling a vacancy and keeping a good resident are part of the job you already pay us for.

We call this "no fee creep." It means the management fee is the fee. Many owners come to us after finding add-on charges on their statements that nobody explained. We do not build our income on extras, and anything outside the management fee is spelled out in your agreement up front.

2. Who does the maintenance, and is it marked up?

Our in-house maintenance crews handle most day-to-day repairs and unit turns, including most plumbing and electrical issues. For specialized trades we use a large network of licensed, insured vendors we have worked with for years.

We do not mark up maintenance or vendor invoices. Vendor invoices pass through to the property at cost, and work by our in-house crews is billed at $90.00 per man hour unless bid otherwise, with no markup on materials.

Residents submit maintenance requests online at any time, and each request is tracked from submission to completion. We also provide on-call service for after-hours emergencies.

3. Will you spend my money without asking?

Routine repairs under the spending limit in your management agreement are handled without delay. Anything above that limit comes to you for approval first, except emergencies that threaten safety or the property.

You can also see the work that was done. Every work order includes before and after photos, and work orders are available to you along with your reports.

4. How do you keep an eye on my property?

With six kinds of inspections, so problems are caught early and your asset stays in good condition:

• Move-in inspections
• Move-out inspections
• Unit-by-unit inspections
• Porter inspections
• Drive-by inspections
• Exterior inspections

All of these inspections are included in the management fee. The one option is an additional unit-by-unit inspection at the six-month mark, billed at $80 per unit, and it is done only if you choose to have it.

Every inspection is shared with you through your owner portal, and every inspection includes photos and comments.

5. What reports will I get, and who do I call?

You receive a monthly owner statement with income, expenses, and supporting detail. Legacy runs on AppFolio Property Manager, and your owner portal lets you view statements and documents whenever you like.

Each property is assigned a portfolio manager who knows the asset and answers to you directly. You are not routed through a call center.

We also review operating expenses against income, flag costs that are running high, and bring you specific recommendations, such as utility billing programs or retention efforts that cut turnover.

6. How do you fill a vacancy?

We price units from current rent comparables for your submarket, not last year's rent roll. Vacancies are advertised online, shown by our leasing staff, and tracked until the lease is signed.

Every adult applicant is screened against written criteria that are applied the same way to everyone, including credit, background, income, and rental history. Applicants pay the screening fee, so screening costs you nothing.

7. How do you collect rent, and what happens when it is late?

Rent and utility charges are due on the 1st of each month. Residents can pay online through their portal, and our corporate office posts payments to each account.

When a resident falls behind, we reach out early and invite them to contact us about payment options, because a resident who catches up costs you far less than a turnover. Late fees apply under the lease. If the balance is not resolved, our compliance officer issues the notices Oregon law requires, with eviction as the last step.

Turnover is one of the largest controllable costs on a property. To keep good residents, we focus on fast maintenance response, clear communication, and renewal conversations well ahead of lease end.

8. How hard is it to switch property managers?

Easier than most owners expect. Once the agreement is signed, we request the files from your current manager, including leases, ledgers, deposits, and vendor contracts. We then set up the property in our system and introduce ourselves to your residents.

From you, we need a signed management agreement, ownership and banking information, and a conversation about your goals for the property. We handle the rest of the transition.

Request a written proposal

Our core work is multifamily, from small apartment buildings to large communities, and we also manage single-family homes, duplexes, and condos. We serve the Portland Metro area, including Portland, Beaverton, Tigard, Gresham, Clackamas, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and Oregon City, and Southwest Washington, including Vancouver. We also manage communities in areas like Salem and Albany when the property can support an onsite manager.

To see how these answers apply to your property, contact Abraham Walsh, CEO/Founder, at 503-866-5836 or abraham@legacynw.com. We will review your property and its financials and return a written proposal at no cost.

Legacy Property Management · 15645 SE 114th Ave, Clackamas, OR · legacynw.com

Oregon CCB license #208688 · BBB Accredited Business · Member of Multifamily NW, the Rental Housing Alliance Oregon, and the National Apartment Association