Choosing a property manager
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Property Manager in Jerusalem
Written by JTown ManagementLast reviewed
In short
Ask who will actually manage your property, how tenants are screened, who approves repairs and up to what amount, how you will be kept informed, how rent and deposits are handled, and how the agreement can be ended. Clear, specific answers to these questions tell you more than any sales pitch.
Why do the questions matter more than the pitch?
Most property management companies describe their service in similar words. The differences show up in the detail: who answers the phone, who approves a repair, where the rent goes and what happens if you want to leave. Asking the same questions of every company you meet lets you compare real processes rather than promises.
Ask for the answers in writing where possible. A manager who is confident in its process should have no difficulty explaining it.
Who will actually manage my property?
- Will I have one named contact, and who covers when that person is away?
- Who visits the property, and who speaks to the tenant?
- Do you already manage properties in my neighborhood or in similar buildings?
- Can I speak with owners you currently work for?
How do you find and screen tenants?
- Where do you advertise the property, and who shows it to applicants?
- What do you check before recommending a tenant: identity, income, references from previous landlords, guarantors?
- Do I see the recommended applicant and approve before a lease is signed?
- Who prepares the lease, and in whose name is it signed?
How are maintenance and repairs approved?
- Is there an amount below which you proceed without asking me? Can I set that amount?
- What counts as an emergency, and what happens when one occurs?
- When a tenant reports a problem, who goes to look at it first?
- Which tradespeople do you use, and do you add a commission or markup to their invoices?
- Do I receive quotes for larger jobs and photos before and after the work?
How will I know what is happening?
- What reports do I receive, in what format and how often?
- How do you record the property’s condition at move-in and move-out, and do the records include photos?
- How do you communicate with owners: email, phone, WhatsApp?
- Can I receive updates in English, Hebrew or both?
For more on what a good report contains, see What Owners Should Expect in a Property Management Report.
How is money handled?
- Is rent paid directly to me, or collected by you and transferred on? If you collect it, is it held separately from the company’s own funds, and when is it transferred?
- How are your fees calculated, and are there separate charges for finding a tenant, lease renewals or supervising renovations?
- Who holds the tenant’s security (a deposit, bank guarantee or other guarantee), and where are the documents kept?
- Who makes sure the tenant keeps up with arnona (municipal property tax), utilities and va’ad bayit (building committee) payments as the lease requires?
What does the management agreement say?
- How long is the term, how much notice is required and how must it be given?
- Are there fees if I end the agreement, or ongoing commissions on tenants you placed?
- What must you hand over if the agreement ends: documents, keys, funds, open maintenance items?
- What insurance does the company carry?
A management agreement is a legal contract. Have a qualified lawyer review it before you sign, particularly the termination, liability and fee clauses.
What are the warning signs?
- Vague answers about fees or where rent is held.
- Promises of guaranteed rent, no vacancies or a specific return.
- Reluctance to put the process or the fees in writing.
- No way to speak with current clients.
- No clear answer about who approves spending.
How JTown Management handles this
We expect owners to ask these questions and prefer that they do. When we carry out a property assessment, we walk through tenant placement, repair approvals, reporting and fees as they would apply to your specific property, and we set out the terms in writing before you decide.
Every owner has one dependable local point of contact, and we agree an approval process with you at the start so you know which decisions come to you and which we handle. When a tenant reports a problem, we are the first to respond and go to look ourselves, and we make sure tenants keep up with arnona, water, electricity, gas and va’ad bayit payments, so debts do not build up on your property.
Next step
If you are comparing managers, read how our property management service works, then Request a Property Assessment and put these questions to us directly.
This guide is general information from our experience managing Jerusalem property. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice — confirm specifics with a qualified professional.