What to include in a residential real estate management agreement

Disclaimer: This blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult with a licensed attorney in your area for specific legal guidance.

The foundation of any good owner relationship is a clear set of expectations. That’s exactly what a strong residential real estate management agreement provides. It’s the document that prevents future headaches by spelling out responsibilities, financial terms, and operational authority from day one. Without this clarity, you open the door to misunderstandings and disputes that waste everyone’s time.

This post walks through the key sections every agreement should have. We’ll cover the scope of services you’ll provide, the financial terms that define how money is handled, and the compliance clauses that keep everyone protected. You’ll get a clear picture of what to include so you can build solid, trust-based relationships with your owners.

What Is a Residential Property Management Agreement?

A residential property management agreement is a contract between a property owner and a property management company. It gives the manager the legal authority to operate residential properties, such as single-family homes, apartments, and condos, on behalf of the owner. The agreement allows the property manager to handle daily operations including rent collection, maintenance coordination, and tenant relations.

Unlike commercial property agreements, which often have longer terms and complex lease structures, residential agreements typically have compliance requirements focused more on habitability standards and fair housing laws. A well-drafted property management agreement protects both parties by establishing clear boundaries and expectations. It spells out exactly what the property manager can and cannot do, how money flows between parties, and what happens if either party wants to end the relationship.

The key parties involved in a residential real estate management agreement include:

• Property owner: The individual or entity that owns the rental property
• Property management company: The licensed firm or individual managing operations
• Tenants: The renters who occupy the property (though not parties to this agreement)

With a clear understanding of what a property management agreement is and who’s involved, it’s time to define exactly what management services the company will perform.

What Scope of Services Should You Include?

The scope of services section forms the operational heart of your property management contract. It defines exactly what the property manager will and won’t do for their management fee. Being specific here prevents future disputes when questions arise about who handles which responsibility.

Leasing and Renewals

Your agreement should spell out how the property manager handles vacant units, from advertising to lease signing. Include whether the manager can advertise vacant units on rental listing sites, show properties to prospective tenants, and screen applicants. The agreement should also cover who prepares lease documents and handles renewals when current leases expire.

You’ll also want to specify the manager’s authority to set rental rates. Some owners prefer to approve every rental amount, while others give managers freedom to adjust rates within certain parameters based on market conditions.

Maintenance and Vendor Authority

Define the difference between routine maintenance and emergency repairs in your agreement. Routine maintenance might include regular HVAC servicing, gutter cleaning, or landscape upkeep. Emergency repairs typically involve issues that threaten health, safety, or property damage, such as burst pipes or heating failures in winter.

Set clear spending limits for repairs the manager can approve without contacting you. Many agreements allow managers to spend a certain amount per incident without owner approval, though you can adjust this threshold. Also specify how the manager selects and supervises vendors, and whether they need to get multiple bids for larger projects.

Resident Relations and Compliance

Property managers serve as the primary point of contact for tenants, so your agreement needs to outline how they’ll handle various resident interactions. Include provisions for handling tenant complaints and enforcing lease terms when tenants violate rules. The document should also detail how the manager will handle the move-in and move-out process.

The agreement should also address how the manager conducts property inspections and documents any issues found during these walkthroughs.

Inspections and Habitability

Regular inspections help protect your investment and keep tenants satisfied. Your agreement should specify when and how often the manager conducts move-in inspections, move-out inspections, and periodic property walkthroughs during tenancy. Include requirements for documenting property condition with photos and written reports.

The manager also needs authority to address habitability issues promptly. Define their responsibility for maintaining compliance with local housing codes and health standards.

Owner Communications and Reporting

Clear communication keeps property owners informed about their investment without overwhelming them with unnecessary details. Owners commonly expect monthly operating statements and periodic updates on maintenance and vacancies, though exact cadence is set in the agreement.

Authority Thresholds and Emergency Decisions

Beyond maintenance spending limits, your property management agreement should define other decision-making thresholds. Specify dollar limits for emergency repairs when the owner can’t be reached. Include whether the manager can sign contracts for ongoing services such as landscaping or pest control.

Address the manager’s authority to take legal action, such as serving notices to tenants for non-payment of rent. Now that you’ve established what services the manager will perform, you need to address how they’ll be compensated and how money will be handled.

What Financial Terms Belong in Your Agreement?

Clear financial terms prevent the most common disputes between owners and managers. Every fee, payment, and financial responsibility needs documentation in your real estate management agreement to avoid confusion and disagreements down the road.

Fee Schedule and Pass-Throughs

Start by defining the management fee structure. Most residential property managers charge either a percentage fee of collected rent or a flat fee per unit. Percentage fees align the manager’s interests with yours. Flat fees work better when you want predictable costs regardless of vacancy or rental income.

Beyond the base management fee, specify any additional fees such as leasing commissions for placing new tenants and renewal fees for lease extensions. Property management platforms can help with these calculations.

Trust Accounts and Deposits

State laws often require property managers to hold client funds in separate trust accounts, keeping owner money separate from the management company’s operating funds. Your agreement should specify which banking institution will hold these accounts, who has signature authority, and how often the accounts get reconciled.

Security deposits need special attention since they belong to tenants until properly deducted. Define how the manager handles security deposit collection, where deposits are held, and who keeps any interest earned. Keep in mind that trust accounting requirements vary by state, so consult with a legal professional for compliance.

Maintenance Reserve and Approvals

A maintenance reserve gives your property manager funds to handle repairs without constantly asking for money. Reserve funds are commonly a few hundred dollars per property (e.g., $200–$500), with higher amounts negotiated case‑by‑case. Include procedures for the manager to request additional funds for major repairs exceeding the reserve balance.

Define the approval process for using reserve funds, including any spending limits that trigger owner notification or approval requirements.

Bill Markups and Late Fee Policies

Some property management agreements allow managers to mark up vendor bills as additional compensation for coordinating repairs. If you agree to markups, specify the percentage and which types of bills qualify.

Address how late charges work when tenants pay rent after the due date. Specify whether the manager keeps late fees as additional compensation or credits them to the property owner. Include policies for NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees and other penalty charges.

Owner Contributions and Draws

Your agreement needs to spell out money movement between you and the manager. Define any initial funding requirements to establish the management relationship and maintenance reserves. Specify when and how you’ll make additional contributions if needed.

Include procedures for regular owner draws or distributions. Owner distributions are commonly monthly, but cadence (e.g., monthly or quarterly) is set in the management agreement/platform settings. Specify the distribution method and what happens if there’s a shortfall where expenses exceed income. Having covered the financial aspects, you need to protect both parties with appropriate risk management and compliance provisions.

What Risk and Compliance Clauses Are Important?

Risk and compliance clauses protect both parties from liability and keep operations legally compliant. While often overlooked during contract negotiations, these provisions can prevent costly problems when issues arise with tenants, properties, or regulatory agencies.

Habitability and Legal Compliance

Your property management agreement should require the manager to maintain properties in compliance with local housing codes and health standards. Include their responsibility to stay current on changing regulations and notify you of any compliance issues discovered during inspections.

The manager should handle required disclosures such as lead paint notifications for properties built before 1978 and mold disclosures where required by state law.

Fair Housing and Screening Standards

Fair housing compliance protects you from discrimination claims that can result in significant penalties. Your agreement should require the manager to follow all federal, state, and local fair housing laws. Include provisions for standardized tenant screening criteria applied consistently to all applicants.

The manager must understand protected classes under fair housing laws:

• Race, color, national origin
• Religion
• Sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation in many states)
• Disability
• Familial status

Require documentation of all tenant screening decisions and maintenance of records showing consistent application of screening criteria. And since laws vary by state and locality, it’s important to consult with a qualified legal professional.

Insurance and Additional Insured

Specify insurance coverage requirements for both parties. The property owner typically maintains property insurance covering the building and liability for property conditions. The manager should carry general liability insurance and errors and omissions coverage.

Include “additional insured” provisions where each party’s insurance covers the other for claims arising from the covered party’s actions.

Indemnification and Limitation of Liability

Indemnification clauses determine who pays when something goes wrong. A balanced agreement includes mutual indemnification where each party covers the other for damages resulting from their own negligence.

Include exceptions for gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Consider adding liability caps limiting the manager’s total liability, though some states restrict such limitations.

Data, Privacy, and Recordkeeping

Property managers collect sensitive tenant information including Social Security numbers and bank accounts. Your agreement needs provisions protecting this data from unauthorized disclosure.

Specify record retention periods for applications, leases, and financial records. Define owner access rights to these records. Property management platforms can help with this. For instance, Buildium provides secure, cloud document storage with configurable user roles/permissions and activity history; confirm any document‑specific audit trail needs.

Even strong property management relationships eventually end, so your agreement needs clear provisions for termination and transition. And since laws vary by state and locality, it’s important to consult with a qualified legal professional.

Note: This list is not exhaustive and doesn’t account for local intricacies or requirements that your business is subject to. That’s why it’s always a good idea to consult a local expert when crafting your agreements. 

What Term, Termination, and Transition Provisions Should You Include?

Even the best relationships sometimes end, so planning for smooth transitions protects everyone’s interests. A clear termination provision in your property management contract prevents confusion and disputes when either party decides to move on.

Term and Renewals

Most residential property management agreements run for one year initially. This gives both parties enough time to establish a working relationship.

Include an automatic renewal clause that extends the agreement for successive one-year terms unless either party gives notice of non-renewal. Specify the notice period required, typically 30 to 60 days before the current term expires.

Termination for Cause or Convenience

Your agreement should list specific grounds for immediate termination, such as a material breach or loss of required licenses. Include cure periods giving the breaching party time to fix problems before termination becomes effective.

Termination without cause is allowed with a specified notice period (commonly 30–60 days; some use longer). This flexibility helps avoid forcing unhappy parties to continue working together.

Transition Plan and Data Handoff

Smooth transitions protect tenants and preserve property value. Specify timelines for returning property keys, access codes, and any equipment belonging to the owner. Include deadlines for transferring tenant security deposits along with required documentation.

The manager should provide a final accounting within the timeframe required by state law (commonly 30–75 days). Define formats for delivering electronic records, whether as PDF files, spreadsheets, or exports.

Survival and Post-Termination Fees

Certain agreement provisions need to survive termination. Indemnification clauses, confidentiality requirements, and record retention obligations should continue after the relationship ends.

Address how to handle management fees during transition. The manager typically continues earning fees on rent collected through the termination date.

Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Include procedures for resolving disputes. Many agreements require mediation as a first step. If mediation fails, arbitration is another option.

Specify which governing law applies and where any legal proceedings must occur. Include provisions for recovering attorney fees, which encourages reasonable behavior. With the main agreement provisions covered, you should understand common pitfalls to avoid problematic contract language.

Sample Language and Red Flags to Consider

When reviewing a real estate management agreement, certain phrases and provisions should trigger closer examination. Understanding common red flags helps you avoid agreements that could cause problems later. Keep in mind that this information is educational, and you should consult with an attorney for advice specific to your situation.

Watch for vague language that leaves responsibilities unclear. A provision stating “manager will maintain property” doesn’t specify what maintenance is included or what standards apply. Better language would specify routine tasks and schedules.

Look for these common red flags that could signal an unbalanced agreement:

• Vague service descriptions (“manager will maintain property”)
• No spending limits or approval thresholds
• Missing termination procedures
• Unlimited indemnification clauses
• No data return provisions

Termination clauses need specificity. Use a clause that aligns with state‑specific timelines.

Having a well-drafted agreement only matters if you can execute its terms efficiently, which is where the right systems come in.

Stand Out and Deliver on Your Services with the Right Software

Your agreement is only as good as your ability to execute it. Using property management platforms can turn contract terms into operational workflows, helping you deliver on every promise in your management agreement.

For example, Buildium’s features let you put the services in your agreement into action, whether that’s leasing, maintenance, accounting, or another management task, and track your performance every step of the way. You can quickly spin up owner reports to share the health of each property or an entire portfolio with your clients.

Ready to operationalize your management agreement? You can schedule a guided demo or sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how Buildium maps to your specific contract terms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Real Estate Management Agreements

What Is a Typical Term for a Residential Property Management Agreement?

Most residential property management agreements run for one year initially. They often renew automatically for successive one-year terms unless either party gives 30 to 60 days notice of termination.

How Large Should a Maintenance Reserve Be?

Reserve funds are commonly a few hundred dollars per property (e.g., $200–$500), with higher amounts negotiated case‑by‑case. The amount depends on property age, condition, and local repair costs.

Can a Property Manager Charge Additional Fees Beyond the Management Fee?

Many property management agreements allow additional fees beyond the base management percentage. These can include maintenance coordination markups and administrative fees, which should be clearly disclosed in the agreement.

Who Should Hold Security Deposits, the Property Manager or the Owner?

Most states require property managers to hold security deposits in trust accounts separate from operating funds. Check your state’s specific requirements, as penalties for mishandling deposits can be severe, as requirements vary by jurisdiction, so check with a legal professional in your area.

What Records and Funds Should Transfer When a Management Agreement Ends?

When terminating, the manager should transfer all tenant files, leases, keys, and security deposits with required documentation. They should also transfer maintenance records, financial statements through the termination date, and vendor contracts.