Top Questions to Ask a Property Manager Before Hiring Them: 18 Questions for Palm Beach County Owners

Owner Guide · Hiring a Property Manager · Palm Beach County, FL

By Jean Taveras, Broker-Owner, Atlis Property Management · Updated October 2026

Most owners interview property managers the way they would interview a contractor: a friendly call, a few general questions, and a quote. Every company has a good answer to "What services do you offer?" The questions that separate managers are the ones that can only be answered with a document, a number, or a clause in the agreement.

This guide gives you 18 of those questions, grouped by what they protect: your license and legal exposure, your money, your total cost, your tenant, your home, and your ability to leave. Each one includes what a good answer sounds like. For a broader look at the decision, see our guide to choosing a property management company in Palm Beach County.

Licensing and Accountability: Questions 1 to 3

1. Is your company a licensed Florida real estate brokerage, and who is the broker of record? Florida Statute §475.01 defines a broker to include anyone who, for compensation, rents or offers to rent real property for others, or who holds out to the public as being in that business. Exemptions in §475.011 cover situations such as an owner leasing its own property. You can check any brokerage and its broker on the Florida DBPR license search.
2. Who will actually manage my home day to day? Ask for the name and role of the person who will handle your property, how many people can step in when that person is out, and how tenants and owners reach the team after hours.
3. What insurance do you carry, and will you send the certificate? A professional firm should carry general liability and errors and omissions coverage and provide a certificate of insurance on request. Ask what coverage it requires of its vendors as well.

A company that hesitates on these three questions has told you what you need to know. Licensing is public record, and a broker who stands behind the work will name the broker of record without being asked twice.

Your Money: Questions 4 to 6

Rent and deposits are other people's money in the manager's hands, and Florida law says how they must be held. These questions confirm that the company knows the rules and follows them.

1. Where is my rent held between collection and payout? Under Florida Statute §475.25(1)(k), a broker must place money entrusted to it immediately in an escrow or trust account with a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association doing business in Florida, where it stays until disbursement is properly authorized. Ask the manager to describe its trust account and how it reconciles it.
2. When will I be paid each month, and how? Ask for the payout date, the method, and what happens when a tenant pays late. The answer should be a date, not "shortly after rent comes in."
3. How are security deposits held and returned? Florida Statute §83.49 requires a deposit to be held in a separate account in a Florida financial institution, interest-bearing or not, or covered by a surety bond, with no commingling. After move-out, the landlord must return the deposit within 15 days if there is no claim, or send a written notice of claim within 30 days. Ask who sends that notice and how the move-out inspection is documented.

Your Total Cost: Questions 7 to 9

The headline percentage is the least informative number in a management quote. What matters is the total you pay in a year, on your rent, including every fee the agreement allows. These three questions get you there.

1. Is the fee charged on collected rent or scheduled rent, and is there a monthly minimum? A fee on collected rent is paid only when rent actually arrives. Ask whether any fee is charged while the home is vacant.
2. What else can you charge me? Ask for the full fee schedule: leasing, renewal, inspection, project coordination, and any markup on vendor invoices. Then ask for a written estimate of total yearly cost on your actual rent.
3. Can my rate go up after I sign? Some agreements allow increases at renewal. Ask for the answer in writing.

A worked example shows why total cost matters. On a home renting at Jupiter's fall 2026 two-bedroom median of $3,800 a month, a 7% fee is $3,800 × 7% = $266 a month and a 9% fee is $3,800 × 9% = $342. At West Palm Beach's one-bedroom median of $1,649, a 9% fee would be $1,649 × 9% ≈ $148, so a $200 monthly minimum is what actually applies. Our 2026 fee breakdown covers every line, and our guide to maintenance fees explains markups.

Your Tenant: Questions 10 to 12

1. How long does it take you to lease a home like mine, and how do you price it? Ask for the manager's own average time to lease, then compare it against the market. As of October 7, 2026, PBP Real Estate reported that the median listed rental had been on the market 61 days in Jupiter, 42 days in Palm Beach Gardens, 37 days in Boca Raton, and 34 days in West Palm Beach. Those figures describe current listings, not signed leases, but they show how long homes can sit.
2. What are your written screening criteria, and do you apply them to every applicant? The answer should be a document. Consistent, written criteria protect the owner under fair housing law. Our guide to how property managers screen tenants walks through the full process.
3. How do you handle HOA and condo approvals? Many Palm Beach County homes need association approval before move-in. Ask who prepares the package, how the manager tracks it, and how it screens to the association's standard so an approved tenant is not rejected by the board. Our guide to HOA rental restrictions lists what to check.

Your Home: Questions 13 to 15

1. What can you spend on a repair without asking me? Every agreement should state a per-occurrence approval limit, with an exception only for genuine emergencies such as an active leak. Ask what counts as an emergency.
2. Who answers maintenance calls at 2 a.m.? Ask how requests are received, how urgency is triaged, and how fast an emergency gets a vendor. Ask how you will see photos and invoices for completed work.
3. How do you choose and supervise vendors? Ask whether vendors must be licensed and insured, whether the manager keeps certificates on file, and whether jobs start with a written scope. Our article on vetting a contractor in Palm Beach County covers what to look for.

Reporting, Communication, and Leaving: Questions 16 to 18

1. Can I see a sample owner statement? A good statement shows rent collected, each expense with its invoice, fees, and the payout, and it lives in an owner portal you can open any time. Year-end documents for your tax preparer should be included.
2. What happens in the first 30 days after I sign? Expect a property walk, a review of the existing lease and deposit records, an introduction to the tenant, rent payment setup, and a written list of anything that needs attention.
3. How do I end the agreement if it is not working? Read the termination clause before you sign; our management agreement FAQ shows the kind of plain answers to expect. Ask about notice periods, cancellation fees, what happens to a tenant the manager placed, and how deposits, keys, and records are handed over.

If you are leaving a manager now, our guide to recovering after a bad experience with a property manager covers the handover step by step.

Common Mistakes Owners Make When Hiring a Property Manager

• Choosing on the headline percentage. The lowest rate can carry the highest total cost once leasing, renewal, markup, and vacancy fees are added.
• Accepting spoken answers. If a commitment is not in the management agreement, it is not a commitment. Ask where each answer appears in writing.
• Never checking the license. It takes a minute on the state's license search, and it is the first thing that matters.
• Not reading the termination clause. Owners often discover the exit terms only when they want to use them.
• Skipping the sample statement. The statement is what you will read every month. If it is confusing now, it will stay confusing.
• Directing tenant selection personally. Hiring a manager and then choosing tenants on personal preference undoes the fair housing protection that written criteria provide.

How Atlis Answers These Questions

Atlis Property Management is a licensed Florida brokerage, CQ1071712, broker-owner led from our office on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and serving owners across Palm Beach County. We are full service only, at 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum. We charge no management fees on vacant units, do not mark up maintenance, and lock your fee percentage for the life of the partnership. Every fee is on our pricing page.

Our eight written guarantees are clauses in the management agreement, not marketing. They include rent initiated to you by the 10th of each month or that month's fee is waived; a replacement tenant at no additional leasing cost if a tenant we placed has to be replaced within 12 months; and cancellation at any time without penalties or exit fees. Our results: a 21-day average lease-up, 98%+ of rent collected monthly, a 74% renewal rate, and 24/7 AI-assisted maintenance triage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bring these 18 questions to every interview, including ours. If you want to see our answers in writing, with your property's numbers, we are glad to walk you through them.