10 questions to ask before hiring a property management company

Hiring a property manager is one of the bigger decisions a rental owner makes — you're handing someone else the keys, the tenant relationship, and often the rent itself. A short phone call or a nice website isn't enough to judge that on. The good news is that a handful of direct questions will tell you almost everything you need to know. Here are the ten we think every Denver-metro owner should ask, and what a trustworthy answer sounds like.

1. How long have you been in business, and are you properly licensed?

Start here. In Colorado, managing or leasing property on behalf of someone else generally requires an active real estate broker license — it isn't optional, and it isn't just a formality. A company that hesitates when you ask, or can't produce a license number you can independently verify, is disqualifying on its own. Longevity matters too: a company that's weathered a few Denver market cycles has seen the situations that only show up over time — a bad freeze, a difficult eviction, a shifting rental law.

2. How do you screen tenants?

This is arguably the single most important question on the list, because a poorly screened tenant is the most expensive mistake a rental owner can make. A thorough process checks credit history, verifies income at roughly three times the monthly rent, reviews rental history with actual previous landlords (not just references the applicant hand-picked), runs a criminal background check, and checks for prior evictions. If a manager's answer is vague — "we run a background check" and nothing more — press for specifics.

3. How quickly do you typically fill a vacancy?

Every day a unit sits empty is rent you're not collecting. In the Denver metro, 15 to 30 days is a healthy, realistic range for filling a vacancy with a qualified tenant. If a company is consistently taking longer than 30 days, ask why — it may point to weak marketing, an unrealistic asking rent, or a screening process that's scaring off good applicants.

4. What are your rent-collection and tenant-renewal rates?

Ask for actual numbers, not adjectives. A strong manager should be collecting rent from close to 100% of tenants on time, month after month. On renewals, look for something in the neighborhood of 75% — well above the roughly 50% turnover that's typical industry-wide. High renewal rates usually mean happier tenants, fewer vacancies, and lower turnover costs, which is good for everyone, including you.

5. What exactly do your fees cover, and what costs extra?

Get every fee in writing before you sign anything. Beyond the headline management percentage, ask specifically about vacancy fees (some companies charge you even when no rent is coming in), maintenance markups tacked onto contractor invoices, and setup or onboarding fees charged up front. None of these are automatically dealbreakers, but they should never be a surprise. For a full breakdown of what typical Denver-metro fees look like, see our guide on what property management costs in Denver.

6. Is there a long-term contract or cancellation penalty?

Some companies lock owners into a one- or two-year agreement with a steep fee to exit early. That's a structure built to protect the company, not you. A month-to-month agreement with no cancellation penalty tells you the manager is confident enough in their own performance that they don't need a contract to keep your business — they have to earn it every month.

7. How and how often will you communicate and report to me?

You shouldn't have to chase your property manager for basic updates. Ask what a monthly owner statement looks like, how maintenance requests are communicated, and what their expected response time is when you have a question. A manager who can't clearly describe their reporting process probably doesn't have a consistent one.

8. How do you handle maintenance, and are your contractors licensed and insured?

Ask who does the repair work and whether those contractors carry current licensing and insurance. This isn't a small detail — unlicensed or uninsured work performed on your property can create real liability for you as the owner if something goes wrong. A good manager should be able to answer this without hesitation.

9. How do you keep me compliant with Colorado law?

Colorado's landlord-tenant rules keep evolving — security deposit timelines, just-cause eviction requirements, and Fair Housing obligations all carry real financial risk if handled incorrectly. Ask directly how the company stays current and how they protect you from an inadvertent violation. This is one of the core reasons owners hire a manager in the first place; if you want the fuller case for professional management, our piece on whether a property manager is worth it goes deeper.

10. Can I see reviews or speak with current owner clients?

Finally, ask for real, verifiable social proof — not just testimonials curated for a website. A company confident in its service will happily point you to its public reviews or connect you with a current client. Read them for patterns: consistent mentions of communication, transparency, and follow-through matter more than a single five-star post.

A good property management company welcomes all ten of these questions — none of them should make a reputable manager uncomfortable. At Home Remedies, we're family-owned, we operate on transparent month-to-month terms, and we're proud of our track record with real Denver-metro owners. You can read what current clients say for yourself on our reviews page.