How to Hire a Property Manager

The questions to ask, the contract terms to read, and the red and green flags that separate a good Clark County manager from an expensive one.

Every management company in Clark County will tell you they are responsive and transparent. This guide is how to check. It gives you the questions to ask, the contract terms to read before you sign, the numbers that reveal whether a fee is really low, and the red and green flags we see when owners switch to us from someone else. Interview two or three companies with the same list and compare the answers side by side.

Verify the license before anything else

Managing rental property for others in Washington must be done through a licensed real estate firm with a designated broker. Ask for the firm name, the designated broker's name, and both license numbers, then look them up on the Washington State Department of Licensing website. Reluctance to share license details is its own answer. VPMG operates under Vancouver Property Group LLC, firm license 25011405, with designated broker Avenir Gedarevich, managing broker license 24033559.

Firm license and designated broker license both active on the DOL lookup.
Office is actually in Clark County and a real person from the team can walk your property this week.
Rent and security deposits flow through a trust account at a Washington financial institution, reconciled monthly, never the operating account (RCW 59.18.270).

Get the whole fee schedule in writing

A percentage is not a price. The question to ask is what the all-in annual cost is for your property, including one full turnover. These are the lines to get in writing, with the typical Vancouver ranges from our fee guide.

Fee	Typical range here	What to ask
Monthly management	8 to 10 percent of rent	Charged on rent collected, or on scheduled rent even when the unit is empty or the tenant is late?
Tenant placement or leasing	50 to 100 percent of one month	What does it include: photos, syndication, showings, screening, lease, move-in report?
Setup or onboarding	$250 to $500	Charged per property? Waived?
Lease renewal	$150 to $300	Charged every renewal, even when nothing changes?
Maintenance markup	5 to 20 percent on invoices	Do I pay the actual vendor invoice, and can I see it?
Inspection	$75 to $200 per visit	How often, and is it inside the monthly fee?
Vacancy	$50 to $100 per month	Do you bill anything while no rent is coming in?
Eviction coordination	$600 to $1,200 plus court and attorney costs	What is included and what is billed through?

Model a full year including one turnover. A 7 percent fee with a full month's leasing fee and a 15 percent maintenance markup usually costs more than a transparent 8 percent, and $4,000 of repairs in a year at a 15 percent markup quietly adds $600. The self-manage versus hire calculator runs both structures side by side.

For reference, VPMG charges 8 percent of rent collected with a $199 monthly minimum, a one-time placement fee of 50 percent of the first month's rent when a new tenant is placed, and no setup, renewal, vacancy, inspection, or maintenance markup fees. Full details are on our pricing page.

The questions that separate managers

These come from our ten-question interview guide and how to choose a management company. Have your address, bedroom and bath count, current or target rent, and your priorities ready.

What are your average days on market, renewal rate, and eviction frequency over the last 12 months? A manager leasing homes in under 21 days in this market is doing the job. One averaging 45-plus days is costing owners a month of income on every turnover.
What are your written, published tenant screening criteria, and are they applied uniformly? Ask for the minimum credit score, income-to-rent multiple, and eviction-history policy. Uniform written criteria are your fair housing defense.
Do you mark up maintenance? Who approves repairs, and at what dollar threshold? A good manager fixes a $150 problem immediately and calls you before authorizing a $1,500 one.
What is your after-hours emergency process, and who actually answers? A concrete system staffed by real people, not a voicemail.
Can I see the owner portal and a sample monthly statement? How and when do I get paid? Ask for a live demo before you sign.
How do you set rent and market vacant units? Comps for your exact street and school zone, where the listing syndicates, expected fill time, and what is charged while vacant.
How do you handle late rent, notices, and evictions? Listen for the five-day late fee rule, the statutory 14-day notice form, and Clark County Superior Court.
How do you keep me compliant with Washington law? Hand-waving here is a red flag. A good answer names HB 1217, the 90-day increase notice, the 30-day deposit return, and the two-day entry notice without being prompted.
What does it cost to leave the contract if I am unhappy? If a company is reluctant to discuss how you would leave, treat that as a warning.
Can you provide two or three references from current Clark County owners?

Red flags

Vague or evasive fee answers, or a rate that only looks low until the add-ons.
Fees billed on scheduled rent, so the manager is paid in full while the unit sits empty.
Long lock-in contracts with steep cancellation penalties, or reluctance to explain how you leave.
No clear communication standard. "We will get back to you" is not a process.
Statements emailed "by the 15th, usually." A company that runs reporting loosely runs everything loosely.
Hand-waving on Washington law, or an entry policy that says 24 hours when the statute says two days.
Reluctance to share license details or references.
Defensive or absent responses to negative reviews.
Out-of-state call centers, algorithm pricing, and a generic multi-state lease.

Green flags

"You pay the actual contractor cost," with vendor invoices shared in the portal.
Written, published screening criteria applied to every applicant.
Answers delivered crisply, in writing, without dodging.
A vetted network of licensed, bonded local contractors and an owner approval threshold you set, typically $300 to $500.
Clean dashboards, on-time monthly statements, and inspection reports with photos.
Month-to-month terms. The best managers earn the business every month rather than locking you in.
An office in Clark County and current rents for your street from memory.
At least 20 to 30 reviews before you trust the average, with thoughtful responses to the one- and two-star ones.

Read the contract for these terms

Washington law does not set a notice period for ending a management agreement. The contract controls, so read it before you sign rather than when you want out. From our termination guide and how switching works:

Term length and renewal. Many run one to three years and auto-renew. Prefer month-to-month.
Notice to cancel. Commonly 30 to 60 days, and the clock usually starts when the manager receives the notice, not when you send it.
Early termination fee. A flat $300 to $500, or several months of fees. Some contracts also claim a leasing commission on tenants they placed after you leave.
With-cause exit. Documented breaches should shorten the notice and waive the fee. Raise concerns in writing as they happen so the record exists.
Transition obligations. Files, deposits, keys, and a final accounting, and whether the company holds back owner funds for 30 to 60 days for unbilled expenses.
Fee basis. Collected rent, not scheduled rent.
Maintenance authority. Your approval threshold, emergency exceptions, and whether invoices pass through at cost.
Trust accounting. Where deposits and rent are held and how often the account is reconciled.

If you are switching from another company

Leases survive the switch untouched. The lease is between the tenant and you; the manager signs as your agent, so nothing is re-signed and tenants usually notice little more than a new payment portal. The steps: re-read your agreement for the termination clause, give written notice with an effective date and a request for the handoff items, transfer everything item by item, notify tenants once in a coordinated letter before the next rent is due, and let the new manager onboard. A normal handoff is a week or two of paperwork that the incoming manager mostly drives. Time it between tenancies or well ahead of a renewal, and never the week rent is due.

Security deposits transferred trust to trust with per-tenant accounting and a written depository notice to each tenant.
Every key, garage remote, mailbox key, fob, and gate or lockbox code.
Leases, addendums, move-in checklists, pet agreements, and screening files.
Tenant contact information and the rent ledger with balances, prepaid rent, and payment plans.
Vendor list, open work orders, and warranties.
Year-to-date statements, final statement, and any owner reserve funds.

Is hiring worth it for you?

It usually is when you live out of the area, own several units, want to be hands-off, are facing a turnover, eviction, or major repair, or are not confident with Washington notices and deposit rules. It may not be when you own a single unit close to home, have the time and temperament, stay current on the law, and the rent is modest. The honest math is in is hiring a property manager worth it, and the calculator puts your own hours and rent into it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does property management cost in Vancouver, WA?

Full-service management typically runs 8 to 10 percent of monthly rent plus a leasing fee of 50 to 100 percent of one month's rent, with setup, renewal, inspection, and maintenance markup fees varying by company. All-in, a typical single-family rental costs about $2,000 to $3,500 a year to manage. VPMG charges 8 percent of rent collected with a $199 monthly minimum, a 50 percent placement fee when a tenant is placed, and no other fees.

Does a property manager have to be licensed in Washington?

Yes. Managing rental property for others must be done through a licensed real estate firm under a designated broker. Verify both the firm and the broker on the Washington State Department of Licensing website before signing.

Can I switch property managers in the middle of a lease?

Yes. The lease is between you and the tenant, and the manager acts as your agent, so the lease continues unchanged. Your management agreement sets the notice period and any early termination fee, and the deposit moves from the old company's trust account to the new one with written notice to the tenant.

What is the most important question to ask?

Ask for the all-in annual cost for your specific property including one full turnover, in writing. That single number exposes leasing fees, renewal fees, markups, and vacancy charges that a headline percentage hides.